A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Schoolyard Sports 4
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Test 1
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Noah's heavy bag
Twelve-year-old Noah writes about solving a painful problem at school.
Twelve-year-old Noah usually likes going to school. However, a few weeks ago, he started having a big problem. Every morning, he packed seven heavy textbooks, his lunch, and his sports clothes into his backpack. When he walked to school, his bag felt really heavy. Soon, his back began to hurt terribly. He couldn't understand why he needed to carry so many things every single day, but he was too worried to leave any books at home.
One morning, things got even worse. Noah was walking up the stairs to his first lesson. His backpack was so heavy that he couldn't walk properly. Suddenly, he tripped on the last step and fell over. His bag opened, and all his heavy textbooks dropped everywhere on the floor. Some older students saw him fall, and Noah felt a bit silly as he quickly picked up his things.
A friendly teacher, Mr. Harris, saw what happened. He helped Noah pick up the books and asked why his bag was so full. Noah explained that he wanted to be ready for all his classes. Mr. Harris smiled and reminded Noah about the empty metal lockers in the school hall. He told Noah he could safely leave his heavy things there during the week.
The next day, Noah decided to follow the teacher's advice. He put the books he didn't need for his morning classes inside his school locker. He only carried one or two books at a time. Now, Noah's back feels great, and walking around the school is much easier. He is going to ask his parents to buy him a smaller backpack next weekend because he doesn't need his large one anymore.
14 What was Noah's problem at the beginning of the story?
A He had to carry too much in his bag.
B He forgot to take his books to school.
C He didn't have enough time to pack his lunch.
15 What happened on the stairs?
A Noah fell and dropped his things.
B Some older students pushed Noah.
C Noah's bag broke into pieces.
16 When Mr. Harris spoke to Noah, he
A told him where to put his books.
B helped him to find his classroom.
C asked him to carry some heavy things.
17 What did Noah do the next day?
A He put some of his books in a locker.
B He left his heavy textbooks at home.
C He bought a new school bag.
18 What is Noah planning to do next?
A ask for a smaller school bag
B show his parents his new locker
C carry fewer books to his morning classes
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: The text says he packed seven textbooks, his lunch, and sports clothes, and his bag "felt really heavy." Option A correctly paraphrases this. Option B is a wrong logic trap; he didn't forget his books, he packed too many of them. Option C is a partial truth trap; he packed his lunch, but the text never says he didn't have enough time.
15 A - Explanation: The text states that he "tripped on the last step and fell over" and his textbooks "dropped everywhere." Option A matches this perfectly. Option B is a wrong logic trap; older students "saw him fall," but they didn't push him. Option C is a wrong logic trap; his bag "opened," but it didn't break.
16 A - Explanation: The text says Mr. Harris "reminded Noah about the empty metal lockers" and told him "he could safely leave his heavy things there." Option A correctly paraphrases this. Option B is wrong logic; they were on the stairs to his lesson, but Mr. Harris didn't help him find the classroom. Option C is a wrong reference trap; Mr. Harris didn't ask Noah to carry things; he actually asked why Noah was carrying so much.
17 A - Explanation: The text explains that the next day, Noah "put the books he didn't need... inside his school locker." Option A correctly matches this action. Option B is a wrong logic trap; in the first paragraph, it says he was "too worried to leave any books at home." Option C is a partial truth trap; he wants a new bag, but he is going to do this "next weekend," not the next day.
18 A - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Noah says "He is going to ask his parents to buy him a smaller backpack next weekend". Option A correctly paraphrases this. Option B is not mentioned in the text at all. Option C is a wrong time trap; he has already started carrying fewer books to his morning classes, so this is a current habit, not his next future plan.
Test 2
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Get moving in PE class!
14-year-old Olivia writes about why teenagers need to do sports at school.
Hi! I’m Olivia, and I’m 14 years old. Today, I want to talk about our Physical Education classes, or PE, at school. Recently, I noticed that a lot of teenagers try to miss these sports lessons. Instead of playing games, they just want to sit on the grass and chat with their classmates. Some people think this is fine, but I completely disagree.
I understand why my classmates do this. We are all very busy with our school work, so it is lovely to have a break. Talking to your friends about the weekend or your favourite music is great fun. However, I believe that missing your sports class actually creates a big problem for your body and your mind.
When you just sit and do nothing during PE, you usually feel very tired and slow for the rest of the day. Because you don't move your body, your brain almost goes to sleep! Later, when you go back inside the school building, it is really difficult to listen to the teacher or finish your work. Doing a fun sport gives you much more energy.
Because of this, I have an important message for all teenagers. You should be brave and always put your sports clothes on! You don't have to stop spending time with your friends. Instead, you can invite them to join the game with you. It is much better to run around and laugh together on the sports field than to sit quietly doing nothing.
14 What does Olivia say about PE classes in the first paragraph?
A She thinks it is a bad idea to miss them.
B She enjoys sitting on the grass during them.
C She believes they are too difficult for some teenagers.
15 Why does Olivia think students like to sit and chat?
A They want to learn how to play new music.
B They want a rest from their hard studies.
C They need to plan their activities for the weekend.
16 According to Olivia, what happens if you don't do sports?
A You have to do extra school work later.
B You often fall asleep inside the classroom.
C It becomes hard to pay attention in other lessons.
17 What is Olivia's advice to teenagers?
A Buy some new clothes for their sports classes.
B Ask their friends to play sports with them.
C Spend less time with their friends at school.
18 Why has Olivia written this blog?
A to complain about the PE teachers at her school
B to describe her favourite sports to play on the field
C to explain why students should take part in PE
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In the first paragraph, Olivia states that many teenagers try to miss sports lessons and sit on the grass, and then says, "Some people think this is fine, but I completely disagree." This means she thinks missing them is a bad idea (A). Option B is a wrong reference trap; other teenagers want to sit on the grass, not Olivia. Option C is wrong logic; the text doesn't mention that the sports are too difficult.
15 B - Explanation: In paragraph 2, Olivia explains that students are "very busy with our school work, so it is lovely to have a break." This means they want a rest from their studies (B). Option A is a partial truth trap; they talk about favourite music, but they aren't learning how to play it. Option C is also a partial truth; they talk about the weekend, but they aren't planning activities.
16 C - Explanation: In paragraph 3, Olivia says that if you don't move your body, "it is really difficult to listen to the teacher or finish your work." This means it becomes hard to pay attention (C). Option A is wrong logic; you struggle to finish the work you have, but you aren't given extra work. Option B is a partial truth trap; she says your brain "almost goes to sleep" as a metaphor for feeling slow, but you don't literally fall asleep in the classroom.
17 B - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Olivia advises teenagers to "invite them [your friends] to join the game with you" (B). Option A is a partial truth trap; she tells readers to "put your sports clothes on", but she doesn't tell them to buy new ones. Option C is wrong logic; she explicitly says, "You don't have to stop spending time with your friends."
18 C - Explanation: This is a global question. Throughout the entire text, Olivia argues against skipping Physical Education and explains the physical and mental benefits of doing exercise, finishing with advice to get involved. She is explaining why students should take part in PE (C). Option A is wrong logic; she complains about students skipping class, but never mentions the teachers. Option B is a wrong logic trap; she talks about sports generally but never describes her personal favourites.
Test 3
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A very surprising match
Fifteen-year-old Paul writes about playing a sport with his teacher.
Fifteen-year-old Paul loves sports and being active. He plays badminton for two hours every day after school with his friends. Because he practices so much, he is the best player in his school. Last week, Paul wanted to do something fun and completely different. He decided to ask Mr. Harris, his science teacher, to play a badminton match against him. Mr. Harris smiled, thought about it for a moment, and said yes.
On the day of the match, a large crowd of students came to the school sports hall to watch. Paul felt very confident and thought it was going to be a quick and easy game for him. But when they started playing, he was very surprised. Mr. Harris was much older, but he moved around the court extremely quickly. He won the first part of the match very easily. After only fifteen minutes, Paul was already sweating and feeling quite tired. He couldn't believe what was happening!
Paul knew he had to change the way he played if he wanted to win. Instead of running fast and getting tired, he started to play more carefully. He hit the small ball to different corners of the court. This clever idea made the science teacher run from side to side. Soon, Mr. Harris was the one who felt tired. Paul won the next two games and finally won the match.
When the match finished, both players were laughing together. They walked to the middle of the court and shook hands happily. Mr. Harris said Paul was a fantastic player. Paul felt very proud of his win. He had a great time and is already planning another exciting match. Next month, he is going to invite the maths teacher to play against him!
14 Why did Paul ask Mr. Harris to play badminton?
A He wanted to have a new and interesting experience.
B He needed some help to become the best player in school.
C He wanted to learn more about his science lessons.
15 When the match started, Paul was surprised because
A Mr. Harris was a very fast player.
B the whole game was over in fifteen minutes.
C there were so many students watching him.
16 How did Paul change his way of playing?
A He made the teacher run to different places.
B He decided to run much faster than before.
C He started hitting the ball as hard as he could.
17 What did Mr. Harris do after the match?
A He promised to play against Paul again soon.
B He told Paul that he played very well.
C He laughed because he won the game.
18 What is Paul planning to do next month?
A teach other students how to play badminton well
B play a match against his school's maths class
C ask a different teacher for a game of badminton
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In the first paragraph, the text says that Paul "wanted to do something fun and completely different." Option A correctly paraphrases this. Option B is a wrong logic trap; Paul is already the best player in his school. Option C is a partial truth trap; Mr. Harris is a science teacher, but Paul asked him to play a sport, not to learn about science.
15 A - Explanation: The second paragraph states that Paul was very surprised because Mr. Harris "moved around the court extremely quickly." Option A matches this meaning. Option B is a partial truth trap; only the first part of the match was over in fifteen minutes, not the whole game. Option C is a wrong reference trap; students were watching, but Paul was surprised by the teacher's speed, not the crowd.
16 A - Explanation: The third paragraph explains that Paul hit the ball to different corners, and this idea "made the science teacher run from side to side." Option A correctly paraphrases this strategy. Option B is the opposite of the truth (wrong logic); the text says he did this "instead of running fast." Option C uses wrong logic; the text says he played "more carefully," not as hard as he could.
17 B - Explanation: In the final paragraph, the text states that "Mr. Harris said Paul was a fantastic player." Option B perfectly describes this action. Option A is a wrong reference trap; Paul is planning another match with a different teacher, not Mr. Harris. Option C is a wrong logic trap; Mr. Harris laughed, but Paul won the match, not the teacher.
18 C - Explanation: In the final paragraph, the text says that next month, Paul "is going to invite the maths teacher to play against him!" Option C correctly summarizes this future plan. Option A is not mentioned in the text. Option B is a wrong reference trap; he is going to play against the maths teacher, not the whole maths class.