A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Household Helpers 3
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Test 1
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Vera's weekend project
Fifteen-year-old Vera writes about building something with her uncle.
Fifteen-year-old Vera loves animals and making things. Last weekend, her uncle asked her to help him with a special project. He has a large dog, and he wanted to build a warm wooden house for it to sleep outside. Vera's uncle knows that she is very good at art and design, so he offered to pay her some pocket money to help him cut the wood. Vera was very happy to earn some extra cash.
Early on Saturday morning, Vera went to her uncle's house. They worked together in his large garden. First, they looked at some pictures of dog houses on the internet. Then, her uncle used a big tool to cut the thick wood for the walls, and Vera helped him to hold the pieces together. The walls looked great, and the house was very strong.
Next, they had to make the roof. Vera's uncle gave her a pen and asked her to measure a long piece of wood. However, Vera made a mistake. She didn't measure the wood carefully, and she cut it too short. When they tried to put the wooden roof on top of the house, it didn't fit properly. There was a big hole, and the rain could easily get inside. Vera felt terrible.
Her uncle didn't get angry. He just gave her another piece of wood to try again. This time, Vera measured everything twice and cut the new piece perfectly. The roof fit the house very well. When they finished, the dog immediately went inside and fell asleep on a soft blanket. Vera's uncle was so pleased that he gave her the pocket money and bought her a large pizza. Next month, Vera is going to help her friend build a small wooden house for some wild birds.
14 Why did Vera's uncle give her a job?
A to teach him how to design things
B to pay her for a house she made
C to help him build a place for his pet
15 What did Vera and her uncle do first on Saturday?
A They used a big tool to make the walls.
B They looked for some ideas online.
C They cut some thick wood in the garden.
16 What was the problem with the roof?
A Vera's uncle cut a piece of wood too short.
B The rain made the wood too wet to use.
C The wood wasn't the right size for the house.
17 How did Vera solve the problem with the roof?
A She used a second piece of wood to try again.
B She asked her uncle to cut the wood for her.
C She put a soft blanket over the big hole.
18 What is Vera planning to do next month?
A earn some extra cash by working in a garden
B build a home for a different kind of animal
C buy a new wooden house for her friend
Answer Key & Explanations
14 C - Explanation: In paragraph 1, the text says her uncle "wanted to build a warm wooden house for it [his dog] to sleep outside" and asked Vera to help him. Option C correctly matches this. A is a wrong reference trap; her uncle knows Vera is good at design, but he didn't ask her to teach him. B is a wrong logic trap; he paid her to help him build it, not to buy a house she already made.
15 B - Explanation: In paragraph 2, the text states that "First, they looked at some pictures of dog houses on the internet." Option B perfectly paraphrases looking online. A and C are partial truth traps; they did use a big tool and cut thick wood in the garden, but they did these things after they looked at pictures on the internet.
16 C - Explanation: In paragraph 3, Vera cut the wood "too short," so when they tried to put the roof on, "it didn't fit properly." Option C means the wood was the wrong size. A is a wrong reference trap; Vera cut the wood too short, not her uncle. B is a wrong logic trap; the text mentions rain could get inside the hole, but the wood wasn't wet yet.
17 A - Explanation: In paragraph 4, her uncle gave her "another piece of wood," and Vera "cut the new piece perfectly." Option A matches this action. B is a wrong reference trap; she cut the second piece of wood herself; she didn't ask her uncle to do it. C is a wrong logic trap; the blanket was used inside for the dog to sleep on, not to cover the hole in the roof.
18 B - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Vera says she is going to "help her friend build a small wooden house for some wild birds." Wild birds are a different kind of animal, making B the correct answer. A is a partial truth trap; she earned cash in a garden this weekend, but there is no mention of earning cash in a garden next month. C is a wrong logic trap; she is going to build a wooden house for her friend, not buy one.
Test 2
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The escaped chickens
12-year-old Will writes about his morning job.
Hi, I'm Will, and I am 12 years old. Every morning, I have a special job to do before I go to school. My neighbours have some pet chickens in their garden, and they pay me to feed them. I get up early, walk next door, and give the chickens a big bowl of yellow corn. I really enjoy doing this because I love animals.
Last Tuesday, I had a problem. I woke up late, so I was in a hurry. I ran to my neighbour’s garden and opened the wooden gate. I walked inside with the food, but I completely forgot to close the gate behind me. I just started putting the corn on the ground for the birds to eat.
Suddenly, three of the chickens saw the open gate. They ran very fast out of the garden and into the street. I felt so worried! I didn't want the chickens to get lost, and I knew I had to get them back before any cars drove past. I tried to catch them, but they were too fast for me.
Then, I had a good idea. I took a handful of corn from the bowl and dropped it slowly on the ground. I made a long line of food all the way from the street back to the garden. The hungry chickens saw the food and happily followed it inside.
I was so pleased that they were safe. I closed the gate quickly and locked it. Now, I always check the gate twice! I really like learning about these birds, and I am going to ask my parents if we can keep some chickens at our house next year.
14 What do we learn about Will’s morning job?
A He gets some money for doing it.
B He does it after he eats his breakfast.
C He has to walk a long way to do it.
15 What mistake did Will make last Tuesday?
A He put the chickens' food on the ground.
B He forgot to shut the garden gate.
C He woke up too late to feed the birds.
16 Why was Will worried when the chickens ran into the street?
A He thought he was going to be late for school.
B He didn't know how to catch such fast birds.
C He wanted to keep them safe from the traffic.
17 How did Will get the chickens back inside the garden?
A He ran into the street and caught them.
B He used some corn to lead them back.
C He carried the food bowl out to the street.
18 What is Will planning to do next year?
A get a job feeding animals on a farm
B buy a new wooden gate for the garden
C have some chickens of his own
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: The text in paragraph 1 says, "they pay me to feed them." Being paid matches getting money for doing the job. Option B is a wrong logic trap; he does the job before school, but he never mentions eating his own breakfast. Option C is a wrong logic trap; he only has to "walk next door", which is a very short way, not a long way.
15 B - Explanation: The text in paragraph 2 says, "I completely forgot to close the gate behind me." This matches forgetting to shut the gate. Option A is a partial truth trap; he did put food on the ground, but this was his job, not a mistake. Option C is a wrong logic trap; he woke up late, but he still went to feed the birds.
16 C - Explanation: The text in paragraph 3 says, "I knew I had to get them back before any cars drove past." Cars driving past matches the traffic. Option A is a wrong logic trap; he woke up late that morning, but his worry in this paragraph was about the chickens getting lost or hit by cars, not school. Option B is a partial truth trap; they were too fast for him, but this was why he couldn't catch them, not the reason he was worried.
17 B - Explanation: The text in paragraph 4 says, "I made a long line of food... The hungry chickens saw the food and happily followed it inside." This matches using corn to lead them back. Option A is a wrong logic trap; he tried to catch them in paragraph 3, but failed because they were too fast. Option C is a partial truth trap; he took a handful of corn from the bowl, but he didn't carry the whole bowl into the street.
18 C - Explanation: This question tests the final paragraph detail (future plans). The text says, "I am going to ask my parents if we can keep some chickens at our house next year." Keeping chickens at his house matches having chickens of his own. Option A is a wrong logic trap; he wants to keep chickens at home, not get a job on a farm. Option B is a partial truth trap; he talks about checking the gate twice, but he isn't going to buy a new one.
Test 3
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My dog-washing business
Fifteen-year-old Xena writes a blog about her weekend job.
My name is Xena, and I am 15 years old. Today on my blog, I want to write about my weekend job. I have a small business washing dogs for people in my town. I do not work in a pet shop. Instead, I wash the dogs inside my family's garage. I use a special hose that sprays nice, warm water so the animals do not get cold while I wash them.
There are some really great things about this job. I love animals, so it is a lot of fun to spend time with them every Saturday. Many dogs arrive at my house very dirty, and it is a wonderful feeling to clean them and make them smell nice. The owners are always very happy when they see their beautiful pets, and I enjoy earning some extra pocket money.
However, washing dogs is not always easy, and you have to learn how to do it right. Last month, I made a big mistake with a very large dog. I put too much shampoo on his back. Because there was so much soap, it took me an hour to wash it all out of his thick hair! My arms were very tired, and the poor dog just wanted to go home.
Because of this problem, I have some good advice for anyone who wants to try this job. You should only use a very small drop of shampoo, about the size of a small coin. If you use less soap, it is much easier to wash, and the dogs will dry much faster when you finish. It is the best way to save time and keep your customers happy!
14 Where does Xena wash the dogs?
A in a local pet shop
B in a part of her home
C in her customers' gardens
15 What does Xena enjoy most about the job?
A Making the dirty dogs smell good gives her a great feeling.
B She loves chatting with the happy pet owners every Saturday.
C She earns enough extra cash to buy a beautiful new dog.
16 What problem did Xena have last month?
A She had to carry a dog that was very heavy.
B She made a dog angry because the water was cold.
C She spent a long time washing soap out of a dog's hair.
17 What advice does Xena give to other dog washers?
A Use a small coin to help brush the dog's hair.
B Ask the owners to wash their dogs before they arrive.
C Put a smaller amount of shampoo on the dogs.
18 What is Xena's main reason for writing this blog?
A to share what it is like to have a dog-washing business
B to explain how to get a weekend job in a pet shop
C to complain about dogs that have very thick hair
Answer Key & Explanations
14 B - Explanation: In the first paragraph, Xena says "I wash the dogs inside my family's garage," which is a part of her home. Option A is wrong logic; she explicitly says "I do not work in a pet shop." Option C is wrong reference; people in her town bring the dogs to her house, she does not go to their gardens.
15 A - Explanation: In the second paragraph, Xena states "it is a wonderful feeling to clean them and make them smell nice." Option B is a partial truth; the owners are happy, but she doesn't mention chatting with them being the part she enjoys most (she enjoys spending time with the animals). Option C is wrong logic; she earns pocket money, but the text never says she is saving to buy her own dog.
16 C - Explanation: In the third paragraph, Xena explains that she put too much shampoo on a dog and "it took me an hour to wash it all out of his thick hair." Option A is wrong logic; the dog was very large, but she never says she carried it. Option B is wrong logic; the dog just wanted to go home, but wasn't angry, and paragraph 1 states she uses "warm water", not cold.
17 C - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Xena advises to "only use a very small drop of shampoo", which matches putting a smaller amount of soap on the dogs. Option A is wrong logic; she says the drop of shampoo should be "the size of a small coin," she does not use an actual coin to brush them. Option B is not in the text; she washes the dirty dogs herself, she does not ask the owners to do it.
18 A - Explanation: This is a global question. The whole text is a blog about Xena's weekend job washing dogs, including what she likes about it, a mistake she made, and her advice for others. Option B is wrong logic; she says she does not work in a pet shop, so she isn't explaining how to get a job there. Option C is a partial truth; she mentions a dog with thick hair, but the purpose of the blog is not to complain.