A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Budget Backpackers 4
Reading » A2 Reading Tests » A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Budget Backpackers
Test 1
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A surprising place to stay
Sometimes you shouldn't judge a building by its outside!
Sixteen-year-old Quinn loves visiting new cities. Last month, he travelled to the capital city for a weekend trip. Quinn really loves history and art, so he wanted to spend most of his pocket money on expensive museum tickets. Because of this, he needed to find a very cheap place to sleep. He looked online and carefully booked a bed in the cheapest youth hostel he could find.
When Quinn arrived, he walked from the train station to the hostel. It was on a quiet street. When he finally saw the outside of the building, he felt very worried. The paint was very old, the windows were small, and it looked quite dark and a bit scary. Quinn thought he made a big mistake. He almost walked away to look for a better hotel.
However, Quinn opened the heavy front door and went inside. He was immediately very surprised! The reception area was completely different from the outside. It was painted in bright yellow colours, the floors were very clean, and there was loud, happy music playing. A friendly young man smiled and quickly gave Quinn the key to his room.
In the evening, Quinn went downstairs to the big hostel kitchen to cook some dinner. The room was full of young travellers from all over the world. They were very friendly and invited Quinn to sit at their large table. They ate together and talked about their exciting travel adventures. Quinn had a fantastic time making lots of new friends.
The next day, Quinn visited three amazing museums because he had enough money for the tickets. He was very pleased with his choice of a place to stay. Because he enjoyed this trip so much, Quinn is planning to book the exact same hostel when he visits the city again next spring!
14 Why did Quinn book the cheap youth hostel?
A He wanted to save his money to visit museums.
B He needed to buy some new history and art books.
C He hoped to sleep in a new and exciting city.
15 How did Quinn feel when he first saw the building?
A tired because he walked from the train station
B angry because he couldn't find the quiet street
C afraid because it looked old and quite dark
16 What was the inside of the hostel like?
A It was full of heavy yellow doors.
B It was very bright and clean.
C It was quite dark with loud music.
17 What did Quinn do in the evening?
A He shared a table and chatted with some new people.
B He cooked a large meal for the other travellers.
C He went out to visit the world with his new friends.
18 What is Quinn planning to do next spring?
A buy cheaper tickets for the amazing museums
B stay in the same building on his next visit
C travel to a different city to make new friends
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: The correct answer is A because the text says Quinn "wanted to spend most of his pocket money on expensive museum tickets." Option B is a wrong logic trap; he loves history and art, but he wants to buy museum tickets, not books. Option C is a partial truth trap; he loves visiting new cities, but this is not the reason he booked a cheap place to sleep.
15 C - Explanation: The correct answer is C because the text states he felt worried and the building "looked quite dark and a bit scary" (afraid). Option A is a partial truth trap; he walked from the station, but the text doesn't say he was tired. Option B is wrong logic; he found the quiet street successfully, he was just worried about how the building looked.
16 B - Explanation: The correct answer is B because the reception area was "painted in bright yellow colours" and "the floors were very clean." Option A is a wrong reference trap; the front door was heavy and the paint was yellow, but the inside wasn't full of heavy yellow doors. Option C is a partial truth trap; there was loud music, but it wasn't dark inside (the outside was dark).
17 A - Explanation: The correct answer is A because Quinn's new friends "invited Quinn to sit at their large table. They ate together and talked". Option B is a wrong logic trap; he cooked his own dinner, he didn't cook a large meal for the other people. Option C is a wrong reference trap; they talked about travel adventures around the world, but they didn't go out to visit the world together.
18 B - Explanation: The correct answer is B because in the final paragraph, Quinn plans to "book the exact same hostel when he visits the city again". Option A is wrong logic; he is booking the hostel again, not looking for cheaper museum tickets. Option C is wrong logic; he wants to visit the city again (the same city), not travel to a different one.
Test 2
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A special dress from India
Thirteen-year-old Rose writes a blog about shopping on holiday.
My name is Rose and I am 13 years old. Last month, I went on a wonderful holiday to India with my parents. Before the trip, I saved my pocket money for a long time. I really wanted to buy a beautiful traditional Indian dress to take home with me. I am writing this blog to share my experience with other teenagers.
On our second day, we visited a large market. There were lots of small shops selling traditional clothes. I was amazed by all the beautiful, bright colours. After a long time, I finally chose a lovely blue and yellow dress. I paid for it and felt very pleased with my special purchase. I couldn't wait to wear it.
However, I made a huge mistake that day. I didn't try the dress on in the shop because there was no changing room. I just looked at the size on the ticket and bought it. When we returned to our hotel, I put the dress on, but it was much too small. I learned that clothing sizes in India are completely different from the sizes in my country. It was very annoying because I couldn't wear my new clothes.
Overall, buying clothes in another country is a great way to remember your trip, but you have to be careful. I have an important piece of advice for tourists. You should always ask the shop owner if you can quickly put the new clothes on over your own t-shirt. Doing this is very easy, and you will know the size is right before you spend your money!
14 Why did Rose save her money before the trip?
A to get a special piece of clothing from India
B to help her parents pay for the long holiday
C to start a travel blog about her experiences
15 What did Rose like about the clothes in the market?
A They were all blue and yellow.
B They were sold in very large shops.
C They had very bright colours.
16 What was the problem with Rose's new dress?
A She forgot to look at the ticket in the shop.
B It was the wrong size for her to wear.
C There was no room to change in the hotel.
17 What advice does Rose give to other tourists?
A Look carefully at the ticket before you buy clothes.
B Try the new clothes on top of your own t-shirt.
C Ask the shop owner to choose the right size for you.
18 What is the best title for this blog?
A The most beautiful clothing markets in India
B Buying holiday clothes: my mistake and advice
C How to make your own traditional Indian dress
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In the first paragraph, Rose says she saved her pocket money because she "wanted to buy a beautiful traditional Indian dress", which matches option A. Option B is a wrong logic trap; she went on holiday with her parents, but she didn't save money to help them pay for the trip. Option C is a partial truth trap; she is writing a blog, but she didn't save money to start one.
15 C - Explanation: In the second paragraph, Rose states that she was "amazed by all the beautiful, bright colours", making option C correct. Option A is a wrong logic trap; she chose one dress that was blue and yellow, but not all the clothes were those colours. Option B is a wrong logic trap; the text says she visited a large market, but the shops were "small", not large.
16 B - Explanation: In the third paragraph, Rose says "it was much too small" and she "couldn't wear my new clothes", which matches option B. Option A is a wrong logic trap; she actually says she "just looked at the size on the ticket", so she didn't forget to look at it. Option C is a wrong reference trap; the text says there was no changing room in the shop, not in the hotel.
17 B - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Rose advises tourists to "put the new clothes on over your own t-shirt", which matches option B. Option A is a wrong logic trap; looking at the ticket is exactly what she did wrong in paragraph three, so she does not advise this. Option C is a partial truth trap; she tells tourists to ask the shop owner if they can try the clothes on, not to ask the owner to choose the size for them.
18 B - Explanation: This is a global question. The blog is about Rose's experience buying a dress on holiday, the mistake she made (not trying it on because sizes are different), and her advice on how to fix this problem (wearing it over a t-shirt). Option B perfectly summarizes this. Option A is a partial truth trap; it mentions an Indian market, but the text is not a guide to the best markets. Option C is a wrong logic trap; Rose bought a dress, but the text doesn't teach readers how to make one.
Test 3
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A long walk across the city
Fifteen-year-old Sam writes about a special day on his holiday.
Hi, I’m Sam, and I am 15 years old. Last week, I was on holiday in a beautiful big city with my family. One morning, I wanted to visit a famous history museum. It was quite far from our hotel. My parents told me to take a taxi, but cars are very expensive in the city. Because I wanted to save my money, I decided to walk all the way to the museum instead.
At first, the walk was fine. The weather was sunny and I saw some nice shops. But after an hour of walking, I had a big problem. I was wearing heavy boots, and my feet started to hurt a lot. The city was much bigger than I thought, and the museum was still a long way away.
I felt incredibly tired and hot. I suddenly thought my plan was a really bad idea. I was angry with myself because I didn't listen to my parents. I really wanted to stop a taxi in the street and pay the driver to take me the rest of the way. I sat down on a seat to rest my legs for a few minutes.
While I was resting, I heard some loud sounds coming from the next street. I walked around the corner and found a fantastic street music festival! There were brilliant bands playing, and it was completely free to watch. I stayed there for a long time and took lots of photos. I was so happy because you cannot find special things like this when you travel in a fast taxi. I am definitely going to explore new cities on foot in the future so I don't miss anything!
14 Why did Sam decide to walk to the museum?
A He wanted to look at the nice shops in the city.
B He didn't want to spend his money on a car.
C His parents told him it was a good idea to walk.
15 What problem did Sam have on his journey?
A The sunny weather made him feel quite ill.
B He couldn't find the correct way to the museum.
C His heavy shoes made his feet very painful.
16 When Sam sat down to rest, he
A wished he had chosen a different way to travel.
B paid a driver to take him the rest of the way.
C felt angry with his parents for giving him bad advice.
17 How did Sam feel about the music festival?
A He was annoyed because the bands were too loud.
B He was pleased that he found such a great party.
C He was surprised that he had to pay to watch it.
18 What is Sam planning to do in the future?
A travel in fast taxis to save more time
B walk around when he visits new places
C play his own music with a brilliant band
Answer Key & Explanations
14 B - Explanation: The correct answer is B because Sam says taxis are expensive and "Because I wanted to save my money, I decided to walk." Option A is wrong logic; he saw nice shops, but that wasn't the reason he chose to walk. Option C is the opposite of the truth; his parents told him to take a taxi, not to walk.
15 C - Explanation: The correct answer is C because Sam states, "I was wearing heavy boots, and my feet started to hurt a lot." Option A is wrong logic; the weather was sunny, but it didn't make him ill. Option B is wrong logic; the museum was far away, but he never says he was lost or couldn't find the way.
16 A - Explanation: The correct answer is A because Sam "suddenly thought my plan was a really bad idea" and "wanted to stop a taxi" (wished he chose a different way). Option B is a partial truth; he wanted to pay a driver, but he didn't actually do it. Option C is a wrong reference; he was angry with himself because he didn't listen to his parents, not angry with them.
17 B - Explanation: The correct answer is B because Sam says the festival was "fantastic" and he was "so happy" (pleased) that he found it. Option A is wrong logic; he heard loud sounds, but he wasn't annoyed by them. Option C is the opposite of the truth; the text explicitly says it was "completely free to watch."
18 B - Explanation: The correct answer is B because in the final sentence, Sam says, "I am definitely going to explore new cities on foot in the future." Option A is the opposite of his plan; he states you miss special things if you travel in a fast taxi. Option C is a wrong reference; he watched bands playing at the festival, but he doesn't plan to play in a band himself.