A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – History & Origins of Food 3
Reading » A2 Reading Tests » A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – History & Origins of Food
Test 1
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The History of the Sandwich
The sandwich is a popular food that people enjoy everywhere today. Its story began in England a long time ago. In the 18th century, a famous man called the Earl of Sandwich liked to play card games. He loved playing so much that he did not want to stop for a meal.
He asked his servant to bring him some (19)…………… between two slices of bread. This was a clever idea. He could hold the food in one of his (20)…………… and continue playing cards. Soon, his friends started asking for the same thing. They called it a 'sandwich'.
Today, this simple meal is famous. It (21)…………… only a few minutes to make. You can put cheese, vegetables, or anything you like inside the (22)…………… . You must (23)…………… sure you wash everything first. Then you can sit down and enjoy (24)…………… your delicious meal!
19 A meat B soup C cake
20 A arms B hands C heads
21 A takes B spends C keeps
22 A bread B bowl C bottle
23 A do B get C make
24 A drinking B eating C cooking
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (meat): "Meat" is the correct semantic fit for a solid food that can be placed between slices of bread. "Soup" is a liquid, and "cake" is a sweet baked dessert that does not fit the factual history of this meal.
20 B (hands): "Hands" is the correct semantic fit for the specific body part used to pick up and "hold the food." "Arms" and "heads" are incorrect for holding a small object like a sandwich.
21 A (takes): The verb "takes" forms the grammatical collocation "It takes + time" (it takes only a few minutes) to describe how long an action lasts. "Spends" and "keeps" are incorrect verbs for this time measurement structure.
22 A (bread): "Bread" is the correct phrase-level fit, as a sandwich is made by putting ingredients inside two slices of bread. A "bowl" and a "bottle" are containers, not parts of a sandwich.
23 C (make): "Make sure" is a fixed English collocation meaning to check or ensure something is done properly before proceeding. "Do" and "get" cannot be used to form this specific phrase.
24 B (eating): "Eating" fits the broader context of consuming a solid food item like a sandwich. "Drinking" is only used for liquids, and "cooking" does not fit because the text describes sitting down to enjoy a meal that is already finished.
Test 2
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
How Cheese Was First Made
People all over the world love eating cheese. No one knows exactly when people first made it, but the story began thousands of years ago.
In the past, farmers had a lot of (19)…………… from their animals. They needed a good way of (20)…………… it fresh for a long time. They found that when this natural drink gets (21)……………, it changes.
Farmers learned that if they take the water out of it, it becomes very (22)…………… . This was the first cheese! They were happy because this new food was (23)…………… to eat for many months.
Today, there are hundreds of different kinds of cheese. Some people even travel around the world because they enjoy (24)…………… new types of cheese on their holidays.
19 A milk B water C juice
20 A keeping B holding C staying
21 A old B late C early
22 A hard B heavy C difficult
23 A safe B sure C true
24 A tasting B looking C feeling
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (milk): Animals like cows and goats produce "milk", which is a natural drink. Animals do not make "water" or fruit "juice".
20 A (keeping): The correct collocation is to "keep" food fresh. We use "holding" when we have something in our hands, and "staying" is incorrect because it cannot take an object (you cannot "stay it fresh").
21 A (old): When food or drink has been kept for a long time, it gets "old" or goes bad. We use "late" and "early" to talk about the time on a clock, not the condition of food.
22 A (hard): When you take the water out of a liquid, it becomes solid or "hard". "Heavy" means it weighs a lot, and "difficult" is a different meaning of the word hard that does not apply to a physical object.
23 A (safe): "Safe to eat" is a common phrase which means the food will not make you ill. We do not say that food is "sure to eat" or "true to eat".
24 A (tasting): When you try a new food to see what its flavour is like, you are "tasting" it. "Looking" and "feeling" do not fit the context of enjoying a new kind of food on holiday.
Test 3
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The History of Popcorn
Many people love eating popcorn when they watch a movie. But did you know this delicious snack has a very long history?
In (19)…………… times, people in the Americas grew a lot of corn. They soon found out that if they put it near a hot (20)…………… , something amazing happened. The inside of the corn got very hot, and it started (21)…………… into big, white pieces!
They did not have cinemas back then, but families enjoyed (22)…………… this new food together. Today, we still use the same special kind of (23)…………… to prepare this popular snack. You can buy it ready in a bag at the supermarket, or you can easily (24)…………… it at home in your kitchen. It is always a fun and healthy treat!
19 A early B old C ancient
20 A fire B sun C light
21 A jumping B popping C breaking
22 A eating B drinking C feeding
23 A wheat B rice C corn
24 A do B make C build
Answer Key & Explanations
19 C (ancient): "Ancient times" is the correct natural English collocation for a period in history from a very long time ago. We do not usually say "old times" (we say "the old days"), and "early" does not fit the historical phrase as perfectly as "ancient".
20 A (fire): This fits the broader context of ancient people discovering how to cook food using a hot heat source on the ground. You cannot put something near a hot "sun," and a "light" does not create enough heat to cook food in this way.
21 B (popping): This is the exact semantic fit for the physical action of a corn seed bursting open from heat. "Jumping" just means moving up in the air, and "breaking" means something is destroyed into broken pieces, not expanding into food.
22 A (eating): This fits the phrase-level context of consuming a solid "food" (mentioned in the same sentence). You "drink" liquids, not solid food, and you do not "feed" food unless you are giving it to someone or an animal.
23 C (corn): This is the correct semantic fit and refers back to the crop mentioned earlier in the text. Popcorn is made specifically from "corn," not from other grains like "wheat" or "rice."
24 B (make): "Make" is the correct collocation when talking about preparing food or a meal at home. You do not "do" food, and "build" is used for physical structures like houses or models, not snacks.