A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – After-School Passions 1
Reading » A2 Reading Tests » A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – After-School Passions
Test 1
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The lucky stamp
Thirteen-year-old Hannah writes about her favourite school hobby.
Thirteen-year-old Hannah loves learning about the past. Last month, she decided to join a new stamp collecting club at her school. The students in the club meet every Friday afternoon to look at old stamps from many different countries around the world. Hannah thought it was a fantastic way to learn about history and geography.
During one club meeting, the teacher gave the students a large box of mixed stamps to look at. Hannah spent a long time searching through the box. First, she found some beautiful, large stamps with pictures of colourful birds and flowers on them. She was very pleased and decided to keep them on her desk.
However, at the bottom of the box, Hannah found a very small, dirty green stamp. It looked terrible. The paper was old, and the picture was hard to see. Hannah felt disappointed. She thought it was completely useless and nobody would ever want it. So, she stood up and walked towards the bin to throw it away.
Suddenly, her teacher, Mr Clark, stopped her. He asked to look at the dirty green stamp. He used a special light to check it carefully. Then, he smiled and explained that Hannah was holding something very special. The stamp was actually more than 100 years old and came from a very famous letter.
Hannah was amazed by the news. She was very glad that she didn't put it in the bin! She took the stamp home and safely put it inside a small glass frame for her bedroom wall. Because of this exciting experience, she is planning to read some books about rare stamps before the next club meeting.
14 Why did Hannah join the school club?
A She wanted to find out about different places and the past.
B She wanted to meet students from around the world.
C She needed some help with her history homework.
15 What did Hannah do with the large, beautiful stamps?
A She gave them to her teacher.
B She put them back inside the box.
C She saved them for herself.
16 Why did Hannah almost throw the green stamp in the bin?
A She couldn't find a picture of a bird on it.
B She believed it had no value.
C She made the paper dirty when she touched it.
17 What did Mr Clark say about the green stamp?
A It was a very old and important object.
B It was written by a very famous person.
C It needed to be cleaned with a special light.
18 What is Hannah planning to do next?
A buy a new glass frame for her bedroom
B get some more information about unusual stamps
C show her exciting stamp to the school club
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In the first paragraph, the text says Hannah thought the club was "a fantastic way to learn about history and geography." Option A perfectly paraphrases this. Option B is a wrong reference; the stamps are from around the world, not the students. Option C uses wrong logic; the text mentions history, but she didn't join to get help with her homework.
15 C - Explanation: In the second paragraph, the text states she was pleased with the large stamps and "decided to keep them on her desk." Option C correctly paraphrases this. Option A is a wrong reference; she gave the green stamp to her teacher later, not the large ones. Option B is the opposite of the text; she kept them, she didn't put them back in the box.
16 B - Explanation: In the third paragraph, Hannah wanted to throw it away because "She thought it was completely useless". Option B matches this meaning perfectly, as having no value means the same as useless. Option A is a wrong reference; birds were on the other stamps, but that wasn't why she threw this one away. Option C is wrong logic; the stamp was already dirty, she didn't make it dirty by touching it.
17 A - Explanation: In paragraph four, Mr Clark explains that the stamp was "very special" and "more than 100 years old". Option A correctly paraphrases this. Option B is a wrong reference; it came from a famous letter, but he didn't say who wrote it. Option C is wrong logic; he used a special light to check it, not to clean it.
18 B - Explanation: In the final paragraph, the text says she is planning to "read some books about rare stamps". Option B is correct because reading books is a way to get information, and "rare" means unusual. Option A uses wrong logic; she already put the stamp in a frame, she isn't planning to buy a new one. Option C is a wrong reference; the text mentions the next club meeting, but she is planning to read books before it, not show them the stamp again.
Test 2
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A difficult game to play
12-year-old Ian writes about an unusual afternoon at his after-school club.
Hello! I’m Ian and I am 12 years old. I want to tell you about my favourite hobby. I really love playing board games. I don't mean easy games that take five minutes to finish. I enjoy playing long games with lots of rules. Last term, I decided to start a board game club at my school. I wanted to meet other students who enjoyed playing the same kind of games as me. We started meeting every Friday afternoon in the school library.
At first, there were only three of us in the club. But soon, many other students joined. We always have a great time playing together. Last week, my uncle gave me a brand new board game for my birthday. I was very excited to take it to the club and show everyone. The outside of the box looked amazing, and there were hundreds of beautiful game pieces inside it.
However, when we opened the box at school, we had a big problem. The game was from another country, and all the instructions were written in German. Nobody in our club could speak or read German! We just looked at the pieces and didn't know what to do. My friends felt sad because they really wanted to play the new game, but we couldn't understand the rules.
Then, I had a brilliant idea. I took out my mobile phone and used a special translation app. I took photos of the instructions, and the app changed the German words into English! It took a long time to read everything, but I slowly taught all the rules to my friends. We finally played it, and it was fantastic. Now, it is the most popular game in the club. Next week, we are going to play it again and have a competition!
14 Why did Ian start the board game club?
A to find students who liked the same games as him
B to learn how to play short and easy games quickly
C to help the library get more games for the students
15 What does Ian say about his new game?
A His friends bought it for him for his birthday.
B He thought the box looked fantastic.
C It was missing some of its beautiful pieces.
16 What was the problem with the new game?
A One of the students lost the German instructions.
B The students didn't want to learn how to play it.
C The rules were written in a language they didn't know.
17 How did Ian solve the problem?
A He asked a German friend to read the rules to him.
B He used a computer program on his phone to change the words.
C He watched a video on his phone about the new game.
18 What is the club planning to do next week?
A have a competition using the new board game
B learn how to play another popular game
C buy a new mobile phone for the club
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In Paragraph 1, Ian says, "I wanted to meet other students who enjoyed playing the same kind of games as me." Option A perfectly paraphrases this reason. Option B is a wrong logic trap; Ian explicitly states he does not mean easy games that take five minutes to finish. Option C is a wrong reference trap; he mentions the library as the place they meet, but his goal wasn't to get games for it.
15 B - Explanation: In Paragraph 2, Ian states, "The outside of the box looked amazing". Option B matches this meaning accurately. Option A is a partial truth trap; Ian received the game for his birthday, but his uncle gave it to him, not his friends. Option C is wrong logic; he says there were hundreds of beautiful pieces inside, but he never says any were missing.
16 C - Explanation: In Paragraph 3, Ian explains the problem: "all the instructions were written in German. Nobody in our club could speak or read German!" Option C captures this problem perfectly. Option A is wrong logic; the instructions were in the box, nobody lost them. Option B is a wrong logic trap; the text says the opposite, stating his friends felt sad "because they really wanted to play the new game".
17 B - Explanation: In Paragraph 4, Ian explains his brilliant idea: he used a translation app on his phone and "the app changed the German words into English!" Option B correctly describes this action. Option A is a wrong reference trap; German is mentioned, but he didn't have a German friend to read the rules. Option C is a partial truth trap; he used his phone to take photos, not to watch a video.
18 A - Explanation: This question tests the final detail of the narrative. At the end of Paragraph 4, Ian shares the future plan: "Next week, we are going to play it again and have a competition!" Option A matches this directly. Option B is a wrong reference trap; the game they just played is now "the most popular game", but they aren't learning a new popular game next week. Option C is wrong logic; Ian used a phone to translate, but there is no plan to buy a new one.
Test 3
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Magic Club
14-year-old Jenny shares her experience of being a young magician.
Hi, I'm Jenny and I'm 14 years old. A few months ago, my school started a new magic club. I always loved watching magicians on television, so I joined immediately. We learned how to do lots of clever tricks with cards and coins. Last week, the club members had to perform our best tricks in front of everyone at the big school assembly. I want to share my experience of this special day.
Performing magic for a large audience is quite scary, but it is also fantastic. When you stand on the stage and your trick works perfectly, it feels amazing. The students couldn't understand how I changed a red card into a black one. Everyone clapped loudly and smiled at me. That is the best part of being in the magic club because making people happy is a great feeling.
However, things don't always go right. During my second trick, I had to hide a large coin in my hand. Unfortunately, my fingers were shaking because I was nervous. I dropped the coin and it hit the wooden floor very loudly. Everybody saw it and laughed. When something like this happens, it completely ruins the trick because the audience can see exactly how you do it.
Because of my little problem, I have some good advice for all beginner magicians. You really need to prepare carefully before you show your magic to anyone. I strongly advise you to practice your new tricks in front of a big mirror at least fifty times. If you do this, you will feel much more confident when you finally perform on stage!
14 Why was last week special for Jenny?
A She watched a clever magician on television.
B She showed her magic skills to the whole school.
C She started a new club for her classmates.
15 What does Jenny say is the best thing about the magic club?
A learning how to change the colour of cards
B hearing the audience clapping loudly for her
C making the people watching her feel pleased
16 Why did Jenny's second trick go wrong?
A She was too worried and couldn't hold the coin.
B She forgot how to hide the coin in her hand.
C The audience made a lot of noise on the floor.
17 What advice does Jenny give to new magicians?
A Perform your tricks for fifty different people.
B Take a large mirror onto the stage with you.
C Watch yourself carefully while you prepare your tricks.
18 What is the best title for this text?
A How to start a school club
B My first time performing magic
C The world's most famous magician
Answer Key & Explanations
14 B - Explanation: The text says that last week, the club members had to "perform our best tricks in front of everyone at the big school assembly," which matches showing her magic skills to the whole school. Option A is wrong logic; she loves watching magicians on television, but she didn't do this last week. Option C uses wrong reference; the school started the new magic club a few months ago, not Jenny.
15 C - Explanation: The text states "That is the best part of being in the magic club because making people happy is a great feeling," which matches making the people watching her feel pleased. Option A is a partial truth; she did change the colour of a card, but this was just an example, not the "best part". Option B uses wrong reference; the audience clapped loudly, but she specifically says making them happy is the best part.
16 A - Explanation: The text explains that "my fingers were shaking because I was nervous. I dropped the coin," which means she was too worried (nervous) and couldn't hold it. Option B is wrong logic; she says she "had to hide" the coin, but she didn't forget how, she just dropped it. Option C is wrong logic; the coin hitting the floor made a loud noise, not the audience (they just laughed).
17 C - Explanation: The text says "I strongly advise you to practice your new tricks in front of a big mirror," which matches watching yourself carefully while you prepare. Option A is a partial truth; she says to practice "fifty times," not to perform for fifty different people. Option B is wrong logic; you use the mirror to practice before the show, you don't take it onto the stage.
18 B - Explanation: Jenny is writing an informative review about her experience showing magic to her school and giving advice to beginners, making "My first time performing magic" the best title. Option A is wrong logic; the text is about a magic performance, not instructions on how to create a club. Option C uses wrong reference; she is a 14-year-old beginner, not a famous magician.