A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Nature’s Gym 4
Reading » A2 Reading Tests » A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Nature's Gym
Test 1
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Surfing near the coral reef
13-year-old Yara writes about an exciting surfing trip.
My name is Yara, and I am 13 years old. Last summer, my family and I went on holiday to a small beach town. The sea there was famous for a beautiful, protected coral reef under the clear blue water. I love trying new sports, so I decided to take surfing lessons. I was very excited to get on a board and ride my first wave.
On the third day, my instructor took me to an area with bigger waves. I managed to stand up on my surfboard, and it felt amazing! But as the wave got stronger, I lost my balance. I looked down and saw the sharp, fragile coral right underneath me. I knew that if I fell on it, I could get hurt and destroy the reef.
I had to act very fast. Instead of falling forward onto the coral, I pushed my body backward into the deep, open water. I splashed loudly into the sea, but I was completely safe. My board floated away from the reef, and the fragile coral was not damaged at all.
My instructor swam over and gave me a high five for making a smart decision. I was proud that I kept the reef safe while staying unhurt. Next year, I am going to return to the same beach to take advanced surfing lessons. I want to learn more about ocean animals while enjoying the waves!
14 Why was Yara excited about her holiday?
A She wanted to learn how to surf.
B She hoped to see famous sea animals.
C She planned to go to a new town with her friends.
15 What happened during Yara's surfing lesson on the third day?
A Her instructor showed her how to stay safe in deep water.
B She saw sharp coral while she was balancing on a wave.
C A strong wave pushed her surfboard into another person.
16 Why did Yara fall backward off her surfboard?
A Her instructor shouted at her to jump into the sea.
B She lost her balance because the wave was too fast.
C She wanted to avoid touching the fragile reef.
17 How did Yara feel after she landed in the water?
A angry that her surfboard floated far away
B pleased that she protected the coral without getting hurt
C upset because her instructor gave her advice
18 What does Yara plan to do next year?
A buy her own surfboard for her next trip
B visit a different beach to practice swimming
C go back to the same place for more surfing lessons
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In the first paragraph, Yara says, "I love trying new sports, so I decided to take surfing lessons. I was very excited to get on a board..." This matches Option A. Option B is a wrong logic trap; the text mentions a coral reef, but not that she was excited to see famous animals. Option C is a partial truth trap; she went to a small beach town, but with her family, not her friends.
15 B - Explanation: In the second paragraph, Yara explains, "I managed to stand up on my surfboard... I looked down and saw the sharp, fragile coral right underneath me." This matches Option B. Option A is a wrong timing trap; her instructor gave her feedback after her fall, not during the lesson beforehand. Option C is an invented detail; there was no other person involved.
16 C - Explanation: In the third paragraph, Yara states, "Instead of falling forward onto the coral, I pushed my body backward into the deep, open water." She did this to prevent damaging the reef or hurting herself, matching Option C. Option A is a wrong reference trap; her instructor didn't shout at her to jump. Option B is a wrong cause-and-effect trap; losing balance made her fall, but the reason she chose to fall backward was to avoid the reef.
17 B - Explanation: In the fourth paragraph, Yara says, "I was proud that I kept the reef safe while staying unhurt." Proud and pleased are simple synonyms, matching Option B. Option A is a wrong logic trap; her board floated away, but she was not angry about it. Option C is the opposite of the text; the instructor praised her (gave a high five), and she was happy about it.
18 C - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Yara says, "Next year, I am going to return to the same beach to take advanced surfing lessons." Returning to the same place for lessons matches Option C. Option A is an invented detail; she does not mention buying a surfboard. Option B is a partial truth trap; she mentions ocean animals, but she plans to do surfing lessons, not swimming on a different beach.
Test 2
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Lost in the snow
15-year-old Zack writes about a frightening experience on a winter holiday.
I’m Zack, and I am 15 years old. Last winter, my family and I went on a skiing holiday in the mountains. I really love snowboarding. One afternoon, the sky was beautiful and blue, and there was no wind. I decided to stay on the mountain to practice some jumps. My parents went back to our hotel early to rest, so I was by myself.
For the first hour, everything was perfect. I felt really pleased because I was getting much better at jumping. But suddenly, the weather changed completely. Dark clouds covered the sun, and a very heavy snowstorm started. It was snowing so much that everything turned white.
I knew I had to stop and go back. However, I couldn't see the path down to the hotel anymore. I started to feel quite worried. I tried to use my phone to look at a map, but the battery was dead because of the cold air. I didn't know which way to go.
Then, I saw a person skiing very fast in front of me. He was wearing a really bright orange jacket. I knew immediately that he was one of the mountain instructors. I decided to follow his orange jacket through the snow. I stayed close behind him all the way down the mountain.
After twenty minutes, we finally arrived at the warm hotel lodge. My parents were waiting for me inside with a hot drink. I was so happy to be safe! That day taught me a very important lesson about mountain weather. Next time I go snowboarding, I am going to make sure I never stay on the mountain alone!
14 Why was Zack on the mountain by himself in the afternoon?
A His mother and father went back to their room to relax.
B He wanted to practice some jumps secretly.
C He preferred snowboarding when there was no wind.
15 Just before the weather changed, Zack felt
A tired because he was jumping for an hour.
B glad because his snowboarding was improving.
C worried because he saw dark clouds in the sky.
16 Why couldn't Zack use his phone to help him?
A He dropped it while he was looking for the path.
B He didn't have a useful map downloaded on it.
C The freezing temperature made it stop working.
17 When Zack saw the man in the orange jacket, he
A asked him which way to go.
B knew he was another hotel guest.
C rode down the mountain behind him.
18 What does Zack say he is going to do in the future?
A learn more about the weather in the mountains
B stay with other people when he goes snowboarding
C always drink something warm before he goes outside
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In paragraph 1, Zack says his parents "went back to our hotel early to rest, so I was by myself." Option A correctly paraphrases this. Option B is a wrong logic trap; he wanted to practice jumps, but the text doesn't say he did it secretly. Option C is a partial truth trap; there was no wind, but this is not the reason he was alone.
15 B - Explanation: In paragraph 2, Zack says that for the first hour, he felt "really pleased because I was getting much better at jumping." Option B accurately matches this feeling and reason. Option A is a wrong logic trap; he jumped for an hour, but he doesn't say he was tired. Option C is a wrong timeline trap; he felt worried after the weather changed and the dark clouds arrived, not before.
16 C - Explanation: In paragraph 3, Zack says that his phone's "battery was dead because of the cold air." Option C correctly paraphrases this. Option A is a wrong logic trap; he was looking for the path, but he didn't drop his phone. Option B is a partial truth trap; he tried to use a map on the phone, but the real problem was the battery, not the map itself.
17 C - Explanation: In paragraph 4, Zack explains that he decided to "stayed close behind him all the way down the mountain." Option C perfectly describes this action. Option A is a wrong logic trap; Zack followed the man, but they didn't speak or ask directions. Option B is a wrong reference trap; Zack knew the man was an instructor, not a hotel guest.
18 B - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Zack says, "Next time I go snowboarding, I am going to make sure I never stay on the mountain alone!" Option B correctly paraphrases this future plan. Option A is a partial truth trap; he learned a lesson about mountain weather, but his actual plan is about not being alone. Option C is a wrong reference trap; his parents gave him a warm drink inside, but this is not his future plan for going outside.
Test 3
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My outdoor exercise project
Amy, 14, writes about a special gym she built this summer.
Hi! I'm Amy, and I'm 14 years old. This summer, I didn't want to spend my time indoors or pay for an expensive sports club. Instead, I decided to build my own outdoor gym in the forest near my house. It was a big project, but it didn't cost any money. I looked around the woods and found lots of heavy tree branches. I used them to make my own weights for lifting.
I have used my nature gym every day for a month now. There are many great things about it. I love doing sports in the fresh air because it makes me feel awake and healthy. I also enjoy listening to the birds singing while I am working out. It is much better than exercising in a hot, crowded room with loud music.
However, there is one big problem with my new gym. The wood I found in the forest is very rough. When I lift the heavy branches, small pieces of wood go into the skin on my hands. They are called splinters, and they hurt a lot! Last week, my hands were so sore that I couldn't even pick up my pen to write my homework.
Overall, I think building a nature gym is a fantastic idea for anyone who loves sports and the outdoors. But I have some important advice for you. If you want to lift natural logs and branches, you must look after your hands. Don't use your bare hands! Go to a shop and buy some thick gardening gloves. They will keep your hands safe while you get fit.
14 What does Amy say about her summer project?
A She used things from the forest to build it.
B She spent a lot of money on heavy weights.
C She asked an expensive sports club to help her.
15 What does Amy like most about her new gym?
A being outside in nature
B listening to loud music
C meeting lots of people
16 What happened when Amy lifted the wood?
A She found the branches too heavy to lift.
B She dropped a heavy branch on her pen.
C She got painful pieces of wood in her hands.
17 What is Amy's advice for her readers?
A Buy some natural wood from a shop.
B Wear something to protect your hands.
C Stop using your hands to do gardening.
18 What is the best title for this blog post?
A How to build a free gym in the woods
B The best sports clubs for teenagers
C Why you should stop lifting heavy weights
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In the first paragraph, Amy says, "I looked around the woods and found lots of heavy tree branches. I used them to make my own weights..." B is a wrong logic trap; she says her project "didn't cost any money," so she didn't spend money on weights. C is a wrong reference trap; she decided to build the gym "instead" of paying for an expensive sports club.
15 A - Explanation: In the second paragraph, Amy says, "I love doing sports in the fresh air" and enjoys "listening to the birds". B is wrong logic; she says her outdoor gym is much better than a room with "loud music", so she doesn't want to listen to it. C is wrong reference; she mentions a "crowded room" as something bad, not that she likes meeting people in her forest gym.
16 C - Explanation: In the third paragraph, Amy says, "small pieces of wood go into the skin on my hands... and they hurt a lot!" A is a partial truth trap; the branches are heavy, but she doesn't say she couldn't lift them (she gets hurt when she lifts them). B is a wrong logic trap; the text mentions a "pen", but she couldn't pick it up because her hands were sore, she didn't drop wood on it.
17 B - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Amy gives advice: "buy some thick gardening gloves. They will keep your hands safe". B is a wrong logic trap; she tells readers to buy gloves at the shop, not the wood (she finds the wood in the forest). C is a wrong reference trap; she mentions "gardening gloves", but she wants people to use them to lift logs, not to actually do gardening.
18 A - Explanation: This is a global question. The entire text is an informative blog post about a teenager who made her own exercise area in the forest using branches, without spending money. B is wrong because she specifically avoided expensive sports clubs. C is wrong because she actively encourages people to lift heavy logs to get fit, but just warns them to wear gloves.