A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Mind & Muscle 2
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Test 1
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Missing the big party
14-year-old Wendy writes about a weekend when things didn't go as planned.
My name is Wendy, and I am 14 years old. My best friend, Sarah, planned a big birthday party for Saturday night. I was so excited about it. I even bought a new dress to wear and got a lovely present for her. I just couldn't wait to see all my friends, listen to music, and dance together.
But on Friday morning, things suddenly changed. I woke up feeling absolutely terrible. I had a very bad cough and a runny nose. My head hurt a lot, too. I still really wanted to go to the party, so I didn't tell anyone I was ill. I thought that if I just rested in bed all day on Friday, I would be well enough for Saturday.
However, on Saturday morning, I actually felt much worse. My mum checked my temperature and said I had a really bad cold. I knew I couldn't go. If I went to the party, I might make all my friends sick, too. It was a very difficult decision, but I phoned Sarah to tell her the bad news. She was a bit sad, but she completely understood.
On Saturday night, I stayed at home in my comfortable pyjamas. I drank a large cup of hot tea with honey to help my cough. I felt quite lonely at first, but then my phone rang. My friends called me on a video chat from the party! They showed me the birthday cake and we chatted for a long time. Next weekend, I am going to invite Sarah to my house so I can finally give her the birthday present!
14 Why was Wendy looking forward to Saturday?
A She wanted to have fun with her friends.
B She needed to buy a new dress for a party.
C She was planning her own birthday party.
15 What did Wendy decide to do on Friday?
A stay in bed so she could get better for the party
B tell her friends about her bad cough and runny nose
C ask her mum to help her stop her head from hurting
16 Why did Wendy choose to stay at home?
A Her mum told her that the party was cancelled.
B She didn't want to give her cold to other people.
C Sarah asked her not to come to the party.
17 What did Wendy do on Saturday night?
A She ate a slice of delicious birthday cake.
B She had a hot drink to help her feel better.
C She used her phone to call her friends.
18 What is Wendy planning to do next weekend?
A invite a lot of friends to her house
B buy a lovely gift for her best friend
C give Sarah her birthday present
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In the first paragraph, Wendy says she couldn't wait to "see all my friends, listen to music, and dance together." This matches Option A. Option B is a wrong timing trap; she says "I even bought a new dress", meaning she already did it. Option C is a wrong reference trap; the party was for her best friend Sarah, not for Wendy.
15 A - Explanation: In the second paragraph, Wendy explains her plan: "if I just rested in bed all day on Friday, I would be well enough for Saturday." This matches Option A. Option B is the opposite of the text; she explicitly says, "I didn't tell anyone". Option C is an invented detail; she says her head hurt, but she didn't ask her mum for help on Friday.
16 B - Explanation: In the third paragraph, Wendy explains her reason for not going: "If I went to the party, I might make all my friends sick, too." This matches Option B (didn't want to give her cold to others). Option A is a wrong reference trap; her mum checked her temperature, but didn't say the party was cancelled. Option C is a wrong reference trap; Sarah was sad and understood, but she didn't ask Wendy not to come.
17 B - Explanation: In the fourth paragraph, Wendy says, "I drank a large cup of hot tea with honey to help my cough." This matches Option B. Option A is a partial truth trap; her friends showed her the cake on the video call, but she couldn't eat it. Option C is a reversed logic trap; her friends called her on video chat, she didn't call them.
18 C - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Wendy clearly states her future plan: "Next weekend, I am going to invite Sarah to my house so I can finally give her the birthday present!" This matches Option C. Option A is a partial truth trap; she is only inviting Sarah, not a lot of friends. Option B is a wrong logic trap; she is going to give the gift next weekend, but she already bought it in the first paragraph.
Test 2
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Eating well with friends
15-year-old Alex writes about trying to stay healthy.
Hi, I’m Alex and I am 15 years old. I love playing football with my school team. We have a match every Saturday, and after the game, my friends and I always go to a fast-food restaurant. I try to eat healthy food, but it is actually very difficult to do this when I am with my teammates. Today on my blog, I want to talk about this problem.
When we arrive at the restaurant, we are usually very hungry because we played hard on the football pitch. My friends always order large burgers with lots of cheese and chips. The burgers look amazing and they smell fantastic. It is very hard to say no. I really want to eat one too, even though I know it is bad for my body.
Because I want to stay fit for sports, I sometimes think about choosing a healthy green salad. However, I never order one. I feel worried that my friends will look at my plate and laugh at me. Teenagers often make jokes if someone does something different. I don't want them to think I am strange, so I usually just order the same bad food as everyone else.
But last week, I decided to be brave. I ordered some healthy grilled chicken with rice instead of a burger. Nobody laughed at me at all! In fact, my best friend said my food looked delicious, and he wants to order it next time. So, my advice is simple. Don't be afraid to make healthy choices. You will probably help your friends to eat better food too!
14 What is the hard thing for Alex to do on Saturdays?
A make good food choices when he is with his team
B play a good game of football with his friends
C find a fast-food restaurant near his school
15 Why does Alex want to eat a burger?
A It is the only thing he can buy at the restaurant.
B The food that his friends order looks very attractive.
C He needs to eat bad food because he played hard.
16 Why doesn't Alex order a salad?
A He thinks his teammates will make fun of him.
B He doesn't like the taste of green vegetables.
C His friends usually order the salads before he can.
17 What happened when Alex ordered the chicken?
A His friends thought it was a very strange choice.
B He felt afraid because it was different from the burgers.
C One of his friends wanted to try it in the future.
18 What is Alex's main message in his blog?
A You should never eat at fast-food restaurants.
B It is good to show your friends how to make better choices.
C Playing sports is the best way to stay fit and healthy.
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In paragraph 1, Alex says "I try to eat healthy food, but it is actually very difficult to do this when I am with my teammates." Option A correctly paraphrases this difficulty. Option B is a wrong logic trap; he loves playing football with his team, but the text doesn't say playing the game is hard. Option C is a partial truth trap; they go to a fast-food restaurant, but finding it is not his problem.
15 B - Explanation: In paragraph 2, Alex explains that his friends order burgers and "The burgers look amazing and they smell fantastic. It is very hard to say no." Option B accurately matches this idea. Option A is a wrong logic trap; the restaurant also sells salad and chicken, so burgers are not the only thing he can buy. Option C is a wrong logic trap; he is hungry because he played hard, but he says he knows the burger is "bad for my body," not that he needs bad food.
16 A - Explanation: In paragraph 3, Alex explains he never orders a salad because "I feel worried that my friends will look at my plate and laugh at me." Option A correctly paraphrases making fun of him. Option B is a wrong logic trap; he doesn't say he dislikes vegetables (he actually wants to stay fit). Option C is a wrong reference trap; his friends order burgers, not salads.
17 C - Explanation: In paragraph 4, Alex says his best friend thought the chicken looked delicious and "wants to order it next time." Option C perfectly describes this result. Option A is a wrong logic trap; he was worried they would think he was strange earlier in the text, but nobody laughed at him when he actually ordered it. Option B is a wrong timeline trap; he says he "decided to be brave", so he didn't feel afraid when the food arrived.
18 B - Explanation: This is a global question testing the overall purpose of the text. In the conclusion, Alex's advice is to be brave and make healthy choices because "You will probably help your friends to eat better food too!" Option B correctly summarises this main message. Option A is wrong logic; Alex still eats at the fast-food restaurant, he just chooses healthier food there. Option C is a partial truth trap; he mentions staying fit for sports, but the blog is about making healthy food choices with friends, not about exercise.
Test 3
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Seeing the ball clearly
Bella, 13, writes about a problem she had playing her favourite sport.
Hi! I’m Bella, and I’m 13 years old. I love playing sports, especially basketball. Recently, I had a problem with my eyes and the doctor said I needed to start wearing glasses. At first, I was okay with them at school, but I really hated wearing them for sports. When I played on the basketball court, my glasses always moved up and down on my nose. It was incredibly annoying and it made me play badly.
Last week, my school basketball team had an important match. I wanted to leave my glasses inside my sports bag, but my parents told me I had to wear them to see the ball. During the first half of the game, I felt very worried. I didn't jump high or run as fast as I usually do. I was just too afraid that my glasses would fall off my face.
Then, in the second half, I got the ball and ran very quickly towards the basket. Suddenly, my glasses flew off my face and landed on the hard floor! Another player was running right behind me. She almost stepped on my new glasses with her heavy sports shoes. Luckily, she saw them and stopped just in time, but I was so frightened.
After that terrible match, I talked to my parents about the problem. We went to the eye doctor again, and they bought me some special sports glasses. They have a strong band that goes around my head, so they never fall off. Yesterday, I wore them to basketball practice for the first time. I thought they would look strange, but my friends said they looked really cool. Best of all, I played perfectly, and I can't wait for our next big match!
14 Why did Bella dislike wearing her glasses at first?
A They were not the right size for her nose.
B They made it difficult to see things at school.
C They moved around when she played sports.
15 How did Bella feel during the first half of the match?
A angry because her parents left her glasses in her bag
B afraid to move fast because of her glasses
C worried that she couldn't see the ball very well
16 What happened when Bella ran towards the basket?
A Her glasses came off her face and fell down.
B Another player stepped on her new glasses.
C She fell on the hard floor and dropped the ball.
17 What is special about Bella's new sports glasses?
A They help her parents to see her play.
B They stay on her head very well.
C They are the same as her friends' glasses.
18 How does Bella feel about her new sports glasses now?
A She thinks that they look very strange on her.
B She is worried about breaking them in her next match.
C She is pleased because they helped her to play well.
Answer Key & Explanations
14 C - Explanation: In the first paragraph, Bella explains that she hated wearing her glasses for sports because "my glasses always moved up and down on my nose". A is a wrong detail trap; the glasses moved on her nose, but the text doesn't say they were the wrong size. B is a wrong reference trap; she says she was "okay with them at school," so they didn't make it difficult to see there.
15 B - Explanation: In the second paragraph, Bella says she didn't jump high or run fast because she "was just too afraid that my glasses would fall off my face" (afraid to move fast). A is a wrong logic trap; she wanted to leave them in her bag, but her parents told her she had to wear them. C is a wrong logic trap; her parents told her to wear them to see the ball, so she wasn't worried about not seeing it.
16 A - Explanation: In the third paragraph, Bella explains that "my glasses flew off my face and landed on the hard floor!" (came off her face and fell down). B is a partial truth trap; another player "almost stepped on" her glasses, but stopped in time, so she didn't actually step on them. C is a wrong logic trap; her glasses fell on the floor, Bella didn't fall down.
17 B - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Bella says her sports glasses "have a strong band that goes around my head, so they never fall off" (stay on her head very well). A is a wrong logic trap; the glasses are for Bella to see, not for her parents. C is a wrong reference trap; her friends said the glasses looked cool, but the text never says they wear the same glasses.
18 C - Explanation: This is a specific detail question about the final paragraph (how she feels at the end of the story). Bella says, "Best of all, I played perfectly, and I can't wait for our next big match!" (pleased because they helped her play well). A is a partial truth trap; she thought they would look strange before she wore them, but her friends said she looked cool. B is a wrong detail trap; she is excited for her next match, not worried about breaking them.