A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Schoolyard Sports 3
Reading » A2 Reading Tests » A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Schoolyard Sports
Test 1
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The table tennis tournament
15-year-old Kelly writes about a sports competition at her school.
My name is Kelly, and I am 15 years old. In my school, we have a big common room where students can sit and relax. Last week, I decided to organise a table tennis competition for my friends. We all love playing sports, so everyone was really excited. We planned to play the matches during our lunch break on Thursday because we had no afternoon classes that day.
On Thursday morning, twelve students put their names on my list to play. I brought my own table tennis bats from home, but we only had one ball. The first few matches were great. Everyone was cheering and laughing. I won my first game quickly, and my best friend Sarah played really well, too. Soon, it was time for the final match between Sarah and me.
We started playing the last game, and I hit the ball very hard. It flew off the table and rolled right under a large bookshelf in the corner of the room. The shelf was full of heavy books, so we couldn't move it. Sarah and I lay on the floor and tried to catch the ball with our hands, but our arms were too short. We couldn't reach it!
For a minute, we thought the competition was over. But then I had a clever idea. I ran to my classroom and borrowed a long wooden ruler from my teacher's desk. I went back to the common room and used the ruler to push the ball out from under the shelf. We finished our game, and it was the most exciting match of the whole day. Next month, I want to organise another competition, but I'll definitely bring more balls!
14 Why did Kelly choose Thursday for the competition?
A The students had no lessons later that day.
B Her friends asked her to do it during the lunch break.
C The common room was usually empty on that day.
15 What does Kelly say about the start of the competition?
A She bought some new bats for everyone to use.
B She had to play her first match against Sarah.
C They didn't have very many table tennis balls.
16 Why couldn't the girls get the ball at first?
A They couldn't push the heavy furniture out of the way.
B They hurt their hands and arms on the floor.
C They dropped their bats under the shelf by mistake.
17 How did Kelly solve the problem?
A She asked her teacher to come and help her.
B She used an object from a classroom to reach the ball.
C She found a different ball inside a wooden desk.
18 What is Kelly going to do next time?
A invite more people to play in the games
B try to make the final match more exciting
C make sure she has extra table tennis balls
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In the first paragraph, Kelly says they planned it on Thursday "because we had no afternoon classes that day." Option A accurately paraphrases this. Option B is a wrong logic trap; Kelly decided to organize it, her friends didn't ask her to. Option C is an invented detail; the text never mentions the room being empty.
15 C - Explanation: In the second paragraph, Kelly says "we only had one ball," which means they didn't have very many (Option C). Option A is a wrong logic trap; she brought bats from home, but didn't buy new ones. Option B is a wrong timing trap; she played against Sarah in the final match, not the first match.
16 A - Explanation: In the third paragraph, the text explains that the shelf "was full of heavy books, so we couldn't move it." Option A correctly paraphrases this. Option B is a wrong logic trap; they used their hands and arms to try and reach it, but they didn't hurt them. Option C is a wrong reference trap; the ball rolled under the shelf, not their bats.
17 B - Explanation: In the fourth paragraph, Kelly explains that she "borrowed a long wooden ruler from my teacher's desk" and "used the ruler to push the ball out". This matches Option B (an object from a classroom). Option A is a wrong reference trap; she went to the teacher's desk, but didn't ask the teacher to help. Option C is a partial truth trap; she went to a desk, but found a ruler, not a different ball.
18 C - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Kelly states her future plan: "Next month, I want to organise another competition, but I'll definitely bring more balls!" This perfectly matches Option C. Option A is an invented detail not mentioned in the text. Option B is a wrong logic trap; she describes the current match as exciting, but making the next one more exciting is not her stated plan.
Test 2
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Stopping the screen pain
16-year-old Leo writes about a helpful trick for students.
Hi, I’m Leo, and I am sixteen years old. Today, I want to talk about a big problem for many teenagers. At the moment, I am studying hard for my exams, so I have to use my laptop and phone a lot. Last week, I had a terrible headache every afternoon after school. My head hurt so much that I couldn’t sleep well at night. Luckily, I found a clever health trick on the internet to stop the pain, and I want to share it with you.
When we study, we often look at a screen for a long time. For example, on Saturday morning, I read my history notes on my tablet for four hours without stopping. After that, my eyes were very dry and red. I felt really unhappy. A doctor online explained that the problem is simple. We forget to rest our eyes when we look at bright screens.
The trick I found is called the '20-20-20 rule', and it is very easy to do. If you look at a computer screen for twenty minutes, you must stop and look away. You need to look at something that is twenty feet away (about six metres) for twenty seconds. I tried doing this yesterday, and my eyes felt much better immediately!
Now, I always use this rule when I am doing my school work. Exam season is a very busy time, but we must remember to look after our health. My advice to all students is to use your phone to set a little timer. When the timer rings after twenty minutes, stop looking at your screen, walk away, and just look out of the window!
14 Why did Leo have trouble sleeping last week?
A He was studying for his exams all night.
B He was very worried about his school work.
C He had a really bad pain in his head.
15 What happened to Leo on Saturday morning?
A His eyes looked and felt very bad.
B He went to see a doctor about his problem.
C He broke his tablet after using it for four hours.
16 What do you have to do for the 20-20-20 rule?
A close your eyes for twenty seconds
B look at something quite far away
C stop using your computer for twenty minutes
17 What does Leo tell other students to do?
A leave their mobile phones in another room
B use an alarm to know when it is time to rest
C look out of the window while they are studying
18 What is the best title for this blog post?
A How to get better marks in your exams
B Why laptops are bad for teenagers
C A simple way to stop tired eyes
Answer Key & Explanations
14 C - Explanation: In paragraph 1, Leo says he had a "terrible headache" and his "head hurt so much that I couldn't sleep well". Option C correctly paraphrases this. Option A is a partial truth trap; he is studying for exams, but the text says he studies in the afternoon, not all night. Option B is wrong logic; he might be busy with school, but the reason he couldn't sleep was the physical pain, not worry.
15 A - Explanation: In paragraph 2, Leo explains that he used his tablet for four hours and afterwards his "eyes were very dry and red." Option A matches this condition. Option B is a partial truth trap; he learned about the problem from a "doctor online," but he didn't go to visit one. Option C is a wrong reference trap; he used the tablet for four hours, but he didn't break it.
16 B - Explanation: In paragraph 3, Leo explains the rule is to "look at something that is twenty feet away (about six metres)". Option B accurately describes looking far away. Option A is wrong logic; he says you must "look away", not close your eyes. Option C is a wrong reference trap; the rule says to look at a screen for twenty minutes and stop for twenty seconds, not stop for twenty minutes.
17 B - Explanation: In paragraph 4, Leo's advice is to "use your phone to set a little timer" to know when to rest. Option B correctly paraphrases this. Option A is wrong logic; he wants students to use their phones for the timer, not leave them in another room. Option C is a partial truth trap; he tells students to look out the window when they rest, not while they are studying.
18 C - Explanation: This is a global question. The blog is about Leo finding a medical trick (the 20-20-20 rule) to fix the problem of red, painful eyes caused by screens. Option C perfectly summarises this main idea. Option A is wrong because the text is about eye health during exam season, not how to pass exams. Option B is a partial truth trap; laptops can cause the problem, but the text focuses on sharing a helpful solution, not just saying technology is bad.
Test 3
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A special gymnastics dance
Mia, 13, writes about a performance she gave at her school.
I’m Mia, and I’m 13 years old. I have done gymnastics since I was a little girl. Last month, my sports teacher asked me to do something very special. She wanted me to perform a ribbon dance in front of the whole school at our morning assembly. I felt very excited, but also a bit nervous. I practised every day after school because I wanted my dance to be absolutely perfect.
On the day of the assembly, all the students and teachers came into the large school hall. I waited quietly behind the stage with my long red ribbon. When the headteacher called my name, I walked out. The music started playing, and I began to dance. At first, everything was going really well, and I remembered all the correct steps.
But then, something went wrong. I had to do a fast spin, which is my favourite part of the dance. As I turned around, my long ribbon flew through the air and suddenly tied itself into a tight knot! I was surprised and worried. I knew that I couldn't make beautiful circles in the air with a knot in the middle of my ribbon.
I decided not to stop dancing. I kept moving my feet to the music and just smiled at the teachers. While I was jumping, I used one hand to quickly untie the knot. It was very difficult, but I did it! When I finished my performance, everyone clapped loudly. Nobody noticed my mistake at all. I felt so pleased with myself, and I can't wait to perform again next term!
14 How did Mia feel about performing at the school assembly?
A happy but a little worried
B bored because she had to practise every day
C sure that her dance was going to be perfect
15 What happened when the headteacher called Mia's name?
A She started to forget the steps to her dance.
B She went out in front of the students and teachers.
C She waited behind the stage to hear her music.
16 What was the problem during Mia's dance?
A She dropped her ribbon while doing her favourite part.
B She couldn't make her ribbon fly through the air.
C Her ribbon became tied together during a spin.
17 How did Mia fix the problem with the ribbon?
A She stopped dancing for a minute to untie it.
B She used one of her hands to sort it out.
C She asked a teacher to help her untie it.
18 How did Mia feel at the end of her performance?
A glad that nobody saw what went wrong
B sad that she has to wait until next term to perform again
C surprised that the teachers clapped so loudly for her
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In the first paragraph, Mia says she "felt very excited, but also a bit nervous" (happy but a little worried). B is wrong logic; she practiced every day because she wanted to be perfect, not because she was bored. C is also wrong logic; she wanted her dance to be perfect, but she wasn't sure it would be (because she was nervous).
15 B - Explanation: In the second paragraph, Mia says, "When the headteacher called my name, I walked out" (in front of the students and teachers in the hall). A is wrong logic; the text says "I remembered all the correct steps." C is a partial truth trap; she waited quietly behind the stage before her name was called, not when it was called.
16 C - Explanation: In the third paragraph, Mia explains that when she did a fast spin, her ribbon "suddenly tied itself into a tight knot" (became tied together). A is a wrong detail trap; she was doing her favourite part, but she didn't drop the ribbon. B is wrong logic; her ribbon did fly through the air, which is how it got tied in a knot.
17 B - Explanation: In the fourth paragraph, Mia says, "I used one hand to quickly untie the knot" (sort it out). A is wrong logic; she explicitly says, "I decided not to stop dancing. I kept moving my feet". C is a wrong reference trap; the text mentions teachers, but Mia just smiled at them, she didn't ask them for help.
18 A - Explanation: This is a specific detail question about the final paragraph. Mia says, "Nobody noticed my mistake at all. I felt so pleased with myself" (glad nobody saw what went wrong). B is a wrong logic trap; she says "I can't wait to perform again", meaning she is very excited for the future, not sad. C is a partial truth trap; everyone clapped loudly, but Mia doesn't say this surprised her.