A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Tastes & Traditions 4
Reading » A2 Reading Tests » A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 3 Test – Tastes & Traditions
Test 1
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A special dance in Spain
Sometimes it is fun to try something new on holiday!
Fourteen-year-old Jack loves music. Last month, he travelled to Spain for a holiday with his parents. One evening, they went to a small theatre to watch some traditional Spanish dancing called flamenco. Jack thought it was amazing. The dancers moved very fast and made a loud, exciting noise by hitting their feet on the wooden floor. Jack immediately wanted to try this special foot-stomping himself because it looked so fun.
After the show, one of the friendly dancers asked if anyone in the audience wanted to learn some basic steps. Jack quickly put his hand up and walked onto the stage. He stood next to the professional dancer and tried to copy his movements. He hit his feet hard on the floor, just like the man did.
However, there was a big problem. When Jack hit his feet on the ground, they didn't make any sound at all! Jack looked down and understood why. He was wearing his favourite soft sports shoes, but the professional dancer was wearing special hard leather shoes. Jack felt a bit silly because everyone was watching him in silence.
The kind dancer smiled and understood the problem. He opened a big box and took out an old pair of hard wooden dancing shoes. He gave them to Jack to wear. Now, when Jack hit the wooden floor, he made a fantastic, loud noise! Jack's rhythm was actually very bad, and he couldn't follow the music at all, but he didn't care. He was having a great time.
When the lesson finished, the audience clapped loudly. Jack was extremely tired but very happy. Now he knows that dancing is much harder than it looks. Next year, his family is going to visit Ireland. Jack has already asked his parents to find a traditional Irish dance class for him to try there!
14 What did Jack like most about the flamenco show?
A the exciting sounds the dancers made with their feet
B the beautiful wooden floor on the stage
C the fast traditional music that they played
15 Why did Jack walk onto the stage?
A He wanted to ask the professional dancer a question.
B A dancer invited people to come and learn the dance.
C He needed to help a dancer with his fast movements.
16 Why couldn't Jack make a loud noise at first?
A He was wearing the wrong kind of shoes for the dance.
B He didn't hit his soft feet on the floor hard enough.
C The audience was too quiet for anyone to hear him.
17 What happened after Jack put on the wooden shoes?
A He felt unhappy because his dancing was very bad.
B He learned how to follow the traditional music perfectly.
C He produced a great sound but couldn't do the dance well.
18 What is Jack planning to do on his next holiday?
A try a local dance in a different country
B travel to Ireland just to watch a dance show
C teach his parents some traditional steps
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: The correct answer is A because the text says the dancers "made a loud, exciting noise by hitting their feet" and Jack "wanted to try this special foot-stomping himself". Option B is a wrong reference trap; the floor was wooden, but Jack liked the noise, not the floor itself. Option C is wrong logic; he liked the noise from their feet, not the music.
15 B - Explanation: The correct answer is B because a friendly dancer asked "if anyone in the audience wanted to learn some basic steps." Option A is wrong logic; Jack put his hand up to learn the steps, not to ask a question. Option C is wrong logic; Jack wanted to copy the dancer, not help him.
16 A - Explanation: The correct answer is A because Jack was wearing "soft sports shoes" instead of "special hard leather shoes". Option B is a partial truth trap; his shoes were soft, but his feet weren't soft, and he did hit the floor hard. Option C is wrong logic; the audience was watching in silence because he couldn't make a noise, not the other way around.
17 C - Explanation: The correct answer is C because Jack "made a fantastic, loud noise!" but his "rhythm was actually very bad, and he couldn't follow the music". Option A is wrong logic; Jack's dancing was bad, but he didn't care and was "having a great time" (not unhappy). Option B is wrong logic; the text says he "couldn't follow the music at all".
18 A - Explanation: The correct answer is A because in the final paragraph, Jack plans to visit Ireland and asked his parents to find a "traditional Irish dance class for him to try there!" Option B is a partial truth trap; he is going to Ireland, but he wants to try a class, not just watch a show. Option C is wrong logic; he asked his parents to find a class for him, he isn't going to teach them.
Test 2
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Music under the stars
Sixteen-year-old Kelly writes a review of her summer trip to a music festival.
My name is Kelly, and I am 16 years old. I love listening to pop music and going to concerts with my friends. Usually, we just watch local bands in my town. However, last month my parents gave me a wonderful present for my birthday. We travelled to another country to attend a famous three-day outdoor music festival. I was so excited because I have never been to a festival abroad before.
The experience was absolutely brilliant. There were thousands of people singing and dancing together. The best part of the trip was seeing my favourite bands play live on the huge stage. The music sounded amazing, and the light shows at night were magical. I made lots of new friends from different countries who love the same songs as me.
However, there was one big problem with the festival. We stayed in a tent on the camp site next to the stages. On the second day, it rained heavily for several hours. Very quickly, the grass turned into deep mud. It was incredibly dirty and wet everywhere. Walking between the tent and the stages became very difficult, and I saw many people slip and fall down.
Overall, I think an outdoor festival is a fantastic place for a holiday. You can hear beautiful music and enjoy a great atmosphere. I definitely want to go to another one next summer. But I have one important piece of advice if you go. You must pack some tall rubber boots in your suitcase. That way, your feet will stay dry and comfortable while you dance, even if it rains!
14 Why did Kelly go to the music festival?
A She went to watch some local bands from her town.
B She received the trip as a special birthday gift.
C She wanted to visit her friends in another country.
15 What did Kelly like most about the festival?
A watching her favourite groups perform live
B learning how to sing songs in different languages
C seeing the large tents on the camp site
16 What made Kelly feel unhappy during the trip?
A The festival was closed for several hours because of the weather.
B The ground became very wet and muddy after it rained.
C She found it difficult to sleep in a tent near the stages.
17 What is Kelly's advice for future festival visitors?
A Take the right footwear to protect your feet.
B Only dance when the weather is warm and dry.
C Buy a larger suitcase before you travel abroad.
18 What is the main purpose of Kelly's text?
A to teach readers how to find cheap music festivals
B to explain how to pitch a tent on a camp site
C to share her review of an outdoor music holiday
Answer Key & Explanations
14 B - Explanation: In the first paragraph, Kelly states, "last month my parents gave me a wonderful present for my birthday. We travelled to another country to attend...". This matches option B (birthday gift). Option A is a wrong reference trap; she mentions that she usually watches local bands in her town, but that is not why she went on this trip. Option C is a wrong logic trap; she made new friends at the festival, but she did not go there to visit existing friends.
15 A - Explanation: In the second paragraph, Kelly clearly says, "The best part of the trip was seeing my favourite bands play live on the huge stage." This matches option A, as "groups" is a simple synonym for "bands" and "perform" paraphrases "play". Option B uses vocabulary from the paragraph (songs, different countries) but creates a false meaning. Option C is a chronological trap; the camp site is not mentioned until the third paragraph, and she did not like it.
16 B - Explanation: In the third paragraph, Kelly explains the big problem: "it rained heavily... the grass turned into deep mud. It was incredibly dirty and wet everywhere." This matches option B. Option A is a wrong logic trap; it rained for several hours, but the festival did not close. Option C uses words from the text (tent, stages) but misrepresents the text; Kelly complains about the mud, not about having trouble sleeping.
17 A - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Kelly advises, "You must pack some tall rubber boots... That way, your feet will stay dry and comfortable". Rubber boots are a type of footwear, making option A correct. Option B is wrong logic; she says boots allow you to dance even if it rains. Option C is a partial truth trap; she mentions a suitcase, but she tells readers what to pack inside it, not to buy a larger one.
18 C - Explanation: This is a global reading question. The text is an opinion blog where the writer describes the positive sides (bands, atmosphere) and negative sides (muddy camp site) of her trip, ending with a recommendation. Therefore, the main purpose is to share her review of the holiday (Option C). Option A is wrong logic; she does not mention ticket prices or how to find cheap festivals. Option B is a wrong reference trap; she stayed in a tent, but she does not give instructions on how to set one up.
Test 3
Questions 14-18
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A quiet place to write
15-year-old Leo writes about a day at a botanical garden.
Hi, I’m Leo and I am 15 years old. I love writing, and I really enjoy being in nature. Last weekend, I was on a trip with my family. We visited a famous botanical garden in a big city. I didn't want to just walk around. I wanted to write a travel poem about all the beautiful plants. So, I looked for a nice, quiet place by a large pond to start writing.
I sat on the soft grass and took out my notebook and pen. At first, the garden was very peaceful. I watched the little fish in the water and the colourful flowers near my feet. I quickly wrote the first few lines of my poem. Everything was perfect, and I felt very relaxed.
However, half an hour later, things suddenly changed. A large tour group walked past the pond. There were lots of people taking photos and talking very loudly to each other. The tour guide was also shouting information about the garden. The noise was terrible, and I just couldn't think clearly. I tried to continue, but I completely lost my concentration.
I knew I couldn't write anything else there, so I decided to move. I walked down a small path and discovered a hidden bench under a huge green tree. Nobody else was there. It was so quiet and peaceful. I sat down and easily finished my beautiful poem. I am really proud of it. Next week, I am going to read it to the other students in my English class. I hope they like it!
14 Why did Leo go to the pond?
A He wanted to write something about the garden.
B He needed a place to rest with his family.
C He wanted to learn about the famous plants.
15 What did Leo do when he first sat down by the pond?
A He drew pictures of the colourful flowers.
B He began to write his new poem.
C He watched some people on the grass.
16 Why did Leo stop writing at the pond?
A He couldn't hear the tour guide's information.
B He was angry because people took his photo.
C It was too noisy for him to think clearly.
17 What does Leo say about the new place he found?
A It was a very quiet place to sit alone.
B There were a lot of huge trees to sit under.
C It was on a large path near the water.
18 What is Leo planning to do next week?
A write a new poem for his English teacher
B share his work with his classmates
C show the other students a hidden bench
Answer Key & Explanations
14 A - Explanation: In the first paragraph, Leo says, "I wanted to write a travel poem about all the beautiful plants," and looked for a quiet place by the pond to do this. This matches A. Option B is a wrong reference trap; he was on a trip with his family, but he went to the pond to write, not to rest with them. Option C is a wrong logic trap; he wanted to write about the plants, not learn about them.
15 B - Explanation: In the second paragraph, Leo says, "I quickly wrote the first few lines of my poem," which matches B. Option A is a wrong word trap; he looked at the colourful flowers, but he didn't draw them. Option C is a wrong reference trap; he sat on the grass, but there were no people to watch at that time.
16 C - Explanation: In the third paragraph, Leo states, "The noise was terrible, and I just couldn't think clearly... I completely lost my concentration." This matches C. Option A is a wrong logic trap; the guide was shouting, so it was too loud, not too quiet to hear. Option B is a partial truth trap; people were taking photos of the garden, but they were not taking photos of Leo.
17 A - Explanation: In the fourth paragraph, Leo says, "Nobody else was there. It was so quiet and peaceful," which matches A. Option B is a partial truth trap; there was a "huge green tree," but only one, not a lot of them. Option C is a wrong logic trap; the path he walked down was "small", not large.
18 B - Explanation: In the final paragraph, Leo says, "Next week, I am going to read it to the other students in my English class," which means he will share his work with classmates (B). Option A is a wrong logic trap; he is going to read the poem he already finished, not write a new one. Option C is a wrong reference trap; he wants to share his poem, not show them the hidden bench.