A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Classroom Caretakers 3
Reading » A2 Reading Tests » A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Classroom Caretakers
Test 1
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A problem in the eco-club
15-year-old Kelly writes about making recycled paper at school.
I am Kelly, and I am 15 years old. I love nature, so I am a member of the eco-club at my school. We try to help the environment in many different ways. This month, we decided to make our own recycled paper to use for our art projects. To do this, we needed a lot of small pieces of old paper.
My science teacher gave me a big box of old school tests. He also gave me a special electric machine called a shredder. This machine cuts paper into lots of very thin pieces. At first, everything went really well. I put two or three pages into the machine at a time, and it quickly cut them up. I was very pleased with my work.
However, there was a lot of paper in the box, and I wanted to finish the job before going home. So, I decided to work faster. I picked up a very thick pile of tests and put them all into the machine at the same time. Suddenly, the shredder made a loud noise and stopped completely. It was totally broken, and the paper was stuck inside. I felt very worried.
First, I turned off the machine and pulled the plug out of the wall to be safe. Then, I found a small tool in my teacher's desk and carefully pulled the pieces of paper out of the machine. Luckily, it started working again! After that, I continued cutting the paper, but I did it very slowly. Next week, I am going to teach the other club members how to use the machine correctly, so they don't make the same mistake!
14 Why did the eco-club need small pieces of old paper?
A to create something new for their art lessons
B to help the science teacher clean his desk
C to practice taking some old school tests
15 How did Kelly feel when she first started using the machine?
A surprised that it was so difficult to use
B pleased because it cut the pages quickly
C worried about using an electric machine
16 Why did the shredder stop working?
A Kelly put too much paper in it at once.
B The box of tests was too heavy for it.
C Kelly wanted to turn it off before going home.
17 How did Kelly fix the problem with the machine?
A She asked her teacher to check the plug on the wall.
B She used something from a desk to remove the paper.
C She broke the machine to get the thick pile of tests out.
18 What is Kelly planning to do next week?
A finish making the recycled paper for her art project
B show her friends the right way to use the shredder
C buy a new electric machine for the school eco-club
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In the first paragraph, Kelly says they wanted to "make our own recycled paper to use for our art projects." Option A correctly paraphrases this. Option B is wrong logic because the teacher helped Kelly by giving her tests, but she isn't cleaning his desk. Option C is wrong logic; they are using the old tests as scrap paper, not to practice for an exam.
15 B - Explanation: In the second paragraph, Kelly explains that the machine "quickly cut them up. I was very pleased with my work." Option B matches this meaning perfectly. Option A is wrong logic because she thought it was easy and going well at first. Option C is a partial truth trap; she was worried later when the machine broke, but not when she first started.
16 A - Explanation: In the third paragraph, the text states she picked up a "very thick pile of tests and put them all into the machine at the same time" and then it stopped. Option A correctly paraphrases this action. Option B is a wrong reference trap; the box of paper was large, but the box didn't break the machine. Option C is wrong logic; she wanted to finish her work before going home, she didn't turn it off on purpose.
17 B - Explanation: In the fourth paragraph, Kelly says she "found a small tool in my teacher's desk and carefully pulled the pieces of paper out". Option B perfectly matches this. Option A is a partial truth trap; she pulled the plug out of the wall, but she did it herself and didn't ask her teacher. Option C is wrong logic; she fixed the machine, she didn't break it to get the paper out.
18 B - Explanation: This question tests a detail in the final paragraph about her future plans. Kelly says, "Next week, I am going to teach the other club members how to use the machine correctly". Option B perfectly matches showing her friends the right way to use it. Option A is wrong logic because she already continued cutting the paper on the same day. Option C is wrong logic because the machine started working again, so she doesn't need to buy a new one.
Test 2
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A windy day in the garden
Thirteen-year-old Leo writes about his weekend job.
Thirteen-year-old Leo wanted to earn some extra pocket money. Last Saturday, his older neighbour, Mrs Gable, asked him for some help. She has a very large garden with a lot of tall trees. Because it was autumn, the grass was completely covered in yellow and brown leaves. Mrs Gable offered to pay Leo to clean her garden. He happily agreed and went to her house with a large plastic rake.
Leo started working early in the afternoon. The weather was dry but quite cold. He worked very hard for two hours, moving all the leaves from the grass into one corner of the garden. Finally, he had a huge mountain of autumn leaves. He felt very tired, but he was incredibly proud of his work. The garden looked perfect, so he put his rake down to take a short rest.
Suddenly, the weather changed. The sky became dark and a massive gust of strong wind blew through the trees. Leo watched in horror as the wind hit his big mountain of leaves. In just a few seconds, the wind blew all the leaves back over the clean grass! All his hard work was completely ruined. Mrs Gable looked out of her window and felt very sorry for him.
Leo just stood there and sighed. However, he didn't give up. He picked up his rake and started all over again. This time, as soon as he gathered a small pile of leaves, he immediately put them into heavy black plastic bags. When he finally finished, the garden was clean again. Mrs Gable was so pleased that she paid him extra money. Now, Leo always checks the weather before doing any outdoor jobs!
14 Why did Leo go to Mrs Gable's house?
A to earn some money by cleaning her grass
B to help her cut down some tall trees
C to buy a large plastic tool for the garden
15 What happened after Leo worked for two hours?
A He went to sleep in a corner of the garden.
B He finished putting the leaves into one large pile.
C He decided that the garden still looked dirty.
16 What problem did the wind cause?
A It made the sky too dark for Leo to see.
B It broke the window of Mrs Gable's house.
C It blew the autumn leaves everywhere again.
17 How did Leo change his way of working the second time?
A He asked Mrs Gable to help him use the rake.
B He put the leaves straight into some bags.
C He decided to wait for the wind to stop.
18 What has Leo decided to do in the future?
A look at information about the weather before working
B ask for more money when he works in a garden
C only use heavy black plastic bags for his jobs
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: The text says Leo wanted to "earn some extra pocket money" and Mrs Gable offered to "pay Leo to clean her garden." Option B uses a wrong logic trap; the text mentions the garden has tall trees, but Leo isn't there to cut them down. Option C is a partial truth trap; he brought a large plastic rake (tool) with him, but he didn't go to her house to buy it.
15 B - Explanation: The text states that after two hours, Leo moved all the leaves into one corner and "had a huge mountain of autumn leaves" (a large pile). Option A is a partial truth trap; he went to "take a short rest", but he didn't go to sleep in the corner. Option C is wrong logic; he thought the garden "looked perfect", not dirty.
16 C - Explanation: The text explains that the wind hit the mountain of leaves and "blew all the leaves back over the clean grass" (everywhere again). Option A is a partial truth trap; the sky did become dark, but this wasn't the problem that ruined his hard work. Option B is a wrong reference trap; Mrs Gable looked out of her window, but the wind didn't break it.
17 B - Explanation: The text says that this time, as soon as he gathered a pile, "he immediately put them into heavy black plastic bags" (straight into some bags). Option A uses wrong logic; Mrs Gable paid him extra, but she didn't help him use the rake. Option C is wrong logic; the text says he didn't give up and "started all over again," so he didn't just wait for the wind to stop.
18 A - Explanation: In the final paragraph, the text says, "Now, Leo always checks the weather before doing any outdoor jobs!" (looks at information about the weather). Option B is a partial truth trap; Mrs Gable paid him extra money this time, but he isn't planning to ask for more money in the future. Option C is also a partial truth trap; he used black bags this time, but his explicit rule for the future is checking the weather, not just using bags.
Test 3
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Writing a poem for my English class
14-year-old Mia blogs about a difficult writing competition.
My name is Mia, and I am 14 years old. This week, my English teacher told us about a special writing competition at school. We have to write a poem about an animal. I decided to write about a lost dog. I love animals, so I wanted my poem to be really good. I am writing this blog post to tell you why this was a very difficult thing to do.
When you write a poem, it is important to write from your heart. If you really feel the emotions, you can choose beautiful words. I started thinking about how a small dog feels when it cannot find its family. I imagined the poor dog walking alone in the rain and feeling very cold and hungry. My words were very good, and my teacher was pleased.
However, there was a big problem. Because I love dogs so much, thinking about a lost pet made me feel terrible. While I was sitting at my desk in the classroom, I actually started to cry! My friends asked me if I was okay. I had to stop writing for a few minutes and drink some water. It is very hard to work when you feel so sad.
Because of this, I have some advice for other young writers. If you want to write a poem about a sad or lost animal, you must always give it a happy ending. At the end of my poem, a kind family found the little dog and took it home. This made me feel much better. A happy ending makes your poem beautiful, but it also keeps you smiling!
14 Why is Mia writing this blog post?
A to ask her English teacher for help with a poem
B to tell a story about finding a lost dog in her town
C to explain why her school competition was hard
15 What does Mia say about writing her poem?
A It is helpful to write about your true feelings.
B It is difficult to choose the right words to use.
C She wrote it while walking in the rain with her dog.
16 What happened to Mia in the classroom?
A Her teacher asked her to stop working for a few minutes.
B She started crying because her poem was so sad.
C Her friends gave her some water because she was ill.
17 What is Mia's advice for young writers?
A Always finish your poem with a happy story.
B Find a kind family to read your beautiful poem to.
C Try to smile when you are writing about a lost pet.
18 What is Mia doing in this text?
A asking people to help her look for a lost pet
B explaining how to win a poetry competition at school
C describing her experience of writing an emotional poem
Answer Key & Explanations
14 C - Explanation: In the first paragraph, Mia says, "I am writing this blog post to tell you why this was a very difficult thing to do." Option C correctly paraphrases this. Option A is wrong logic (she mentions her teacher, but doesn't ask for help). Option B is a partial truth trap (her poem is about a lost dog, but she didn't find a real one in her town).
15 A - Explanation: In the second paragraph, Mia explains that "it is important to write from your heart" and "really feel the emotions". Option A perfectly paraphrases this idea. Option B is wrong logic (she says if you feel the emotions, you can choose beautiful words, not that it is difficult). Option C uses wrong logic (she imagined a dog in the rain; she wasn't walking in the rain herself).
16 B - Explanation: In the third paragraph, Mia explains that thinking about the lost pet made her feel terrible and "I actually started to cry!" Option B matches this fact. Option A is a wrong reference (she had to stop writing, but her teacher didn't ask her to). Option C is wrong logic (she drank water, but she was crying, not ill).
17 A - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Mia advises, "you must always give it a happy ending." Option A correctly paraphrases giving it a happy ending as finishing with a happy story. Option B is wrong logic (she says the family in the poem found the dog, not to find a real family to read to). Option C uses wrong logic (she says the happy ending keeps you smiling, not that you should try to smile while writing the sad parts).
18 C - Explanation: This is a global question testing the overall purpose of the text. Throughout the blog, Mia describes her emotional experience of writing a difficult, sad poem about a dog for class, and then gives advice. Option C correctly identifies this purpose. Option A uses wrong logic (she wrote a poem; she isn't looking for a real pet). Option B is a partial truth trap (it is for a competition, but she is talking about her feelings, not teaching readers how to win).