A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – Local Places & City Life 9
Reading » A2 Reading Tests » A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – Local Places & City Life
Test 1
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Town Hall
Every large town or city has a town hall. It is usually a very old (19)…………… right in the middle of the town. You can easily find it because there is often a huge (20)…………… near the roof to tell everyone the time.
Inside, many men and women work hard every day to keep the town clean and safe. The most important person there is the (21)…………… . This person listens to the public and must (22)…………… sure everything goes well for the people who live there.
Families also visit the town hall when they need to talk to workers about local problems. Outside, tourists enjoy walking around the town (23)…………… to look at the beautiful streets. If they are tired, they can spend some time (24)…………… on the green grass before they go home.
19 A house B building C factory
20 A watch B calendar C clock
21 A king B pilot C mayor
22 A do B make C keep
23 A centre B group C team
24 A resting B sleeping C staying
Answer Key & Explanations
19 B (building): This tests semantic fit. A town hall is a large public structure, which makes it a "building". A "house" is a private place where a family lives, and a "factory" is a place where goods are manufactured.
20 C (clock): This relies on the broader context of the paragraph. The object is "near the roof" and its purpose is "to tell everyone the time". A "clock" is the correct public time-piece. A "watch" is worn on your wrist, and a "calendar" tells the date, not the time of day.
21 C (mayor): This tests semantic fit. The text describes the "most important person" who runs the town and listens to the public. This is the "mayor". A "king" rules an entire country, and a "pilot" flies an airplane.
22 B (make): This tests collocation. "Make sure" is a standard and highly common A2-level phrase meaning to check that something happens or is okay. In English, we do not say "do sure" or "keep sure".
23 A (centre): This tests collocation (compound noun). "Town centre" is the correct and natural phrase for the middle of a town with streets and shops. "Group" and "team" refer to collections of people, not a geographical location. (Note: "centre" is the standard Cambridge British English spelling for "center").
24 A (resting): This tests phrase-level meaning. Because the tourists are "tired", the logical activity to do on the grass is "resting" (relaxing). "Sleeping" is an unconscious state that is unlikely in a busy public space, and "staying" implies living in an accommodation like a hotel.
Test 2
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Day at the Theme Park
Going to a local theme park is a great way to spend the weekend with your family or friends. When you arrive, you have to buy your (19)…………… before you can go inside.
Inside the park, there are many different things to do. Most people love the big rollercoasters because they travel very (20)…………… . When you are on a rollercoaster, it is normal to hear people (21)…………… loudly because the experience is so exciting. If you do not like high places, you can choose smaller (22)…………… that are closer to the ground.
After a busy morning, you might feel hungry. There are usually lots of cafes where you can (23)…………… a break and eat a delicious snack. Visiting a theme park is always a lot of (24)……………, but you will definitely feel tired at the end of the day!
19 A tickets B cards C notes
20 A fast B soon C early
21 A screaming B crying C singing
22 A rides B games C matches
23 A take B make C do
24 A fun B luck C rest
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (tickets): 'Tickets' is the correct semantic fit for the pieces of paper or digital passes you buy to enter a place. You use 'cards' for banking or playing games, and 'notes' are paper money or written messages.
20 A (fast): 'Fast' is the correct phrase-level choice because it is an adverb that describes the speed of the rollercoaster. 'Soon' and 'early' describe time, not physical speed.
21 A (screaming): 'Screaming' fits the broader context because it describes the loud noise people make when they are excited or scared on a fast ride. 'Crying' usually means someone is sad or hurt, and 'singing' is making music with your voice.
22 A (rides): 'Rides' is the correct semantic fit for the large machines you travel on in an amusement park. 'Games' and 'matches' are sports or activities you play, not machines you sit on.
23 A (take): 'Take a break' is the correct English collocation meaning to stop an activity for a short time to rest. In English, we do not 'make' or 'do' a break.
24 A (fun): 'A lot of fun' is the correct English collocation to describe a highly enjoyable experience. You do not have 'a lot of luck' (which means good chance) or 'a lot of rest' (which means sleeping) when you are having an active day at a theme park.
Test 3
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Visiting a Bookshop
A bookshop is a wonderful place to visit when you want something to read. Many people enjoy (19)…………… time looking at the different books inside. You can walk around and see hundreds of books sitting on the long, wooden (20)…………… .
If you want an exciting adventure, you can choose a book with great (21)…………… about heroes and magic. Bookshops do not only sell old favourites. You can also find many (22)…………… books that just arrived in the shop.
Today, some people like to get their books online. But others still prefer (23)…………… them in a real shop so they can look at the pages first. After you leave, you can go home, sit in a comfortable chair, and begin (24)…………… your wonderful book.
19 A keeping B spending C making
20 A shelves B floors C desks
21 A stories B news C messages
22 A clean B young C new
23 A borrowing B paying C buying
24 A reading B watching C speaking
Answer Key & Explanations
19 B (spending): 'Spend time' is a very common natural English collocation. We do not use the verbs 'keep' or 'make' when talking about using hours or minutes to do an activity.
20 A (shelves): This is the correct semantic fit. Books are traditionally kept and displayed on 'shelves' in a shop. You sit at a 'desk' to work, and you walk on 'floors'.
21 A (stories): This fits the phrase-level context of an adventure book. Books contain 'stories' about characters and events. 'News' is about real recent world events, and 'messages' are short notes you send to people.
22 C (new): The broader context contrasts these books with "old favourites" in the previous sentence and says they "just arrived". This logically means they are 'new'. 'Young' is used for living things (people or animals), not objects.
23 C (buying): This is the correct semantic fit for acquiring something with money in a shop. You do not 'borrow' books from a shop (you do that at a library), and 'paying' requires the preposition 'for' (paying for them) to be grammatically correct here.
24 A (reading): 'Read a book' is the standard English collocation. You 'watch' television or a movie, and you 'speak' a language.