A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – Weather, Geography & Earth Science 9
Reading » A2 Reading Tests » A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – Weather, Geography & Earth Science
Test 1
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
What is Hail?
Hail is a type of weather that looks like frozen rain. It usually happens during a bad storm when the wind is very strong. Instead of water, small (19)…………… of ice fall from the dark clouds in the sky.
These pieces of ice can be very small, but sometimes they (20)…………… as big as a golf ball. When a lot of hail hits the ground or the roof of a house, it can (21)…………… a very loud noise. It is often dangerous to be outside, so people usually run inside a building to (22)…………… safe.
Many people think hail only falls in winter, but this is not (23)…………… . In fact, it often happens in the middle of summer when the air is hot. Watching a hailstorm from a window is an exciting (24)…………… to learn about the weather.
19 A pieces B parts C groups
20 A grow B build C add
21 A make B do C take
22 A keep B hold C put
23 A true B sure C real
24 A way B idea C plan
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (pieces): 'Pieces' is the correct word for small, broken parts of a solid material like ice. 'Parts' is usually used for components of a whole (like parts of a car), and 'groups' is used for collections of people or animals.
20 A (grow): 'Grow' correctly describes something naturally increasing in physical size. 'Build' requires someone to construct something, and 'add' means putting things together or doing maths.
21 A (make): 'Make a noise' is a fixed English collocation. We do not use the verbs 'do' or 'take' to describe producing a sound.
22 A (keep): 'Keep safe' is a standard English collocation meaning to stay away from danger. We do not say 'hold safe' or 'put safe' when describing a person's physical state in this way.
23 A (true): 'True' is the correct adjective to describe a fact that is correct. If people are wrong, their thought is 'not true'. 'Sure' describes a person's feelings, and 'real' means something is not fake (hail is definitely real).
24 A (way): 'A way to' is a fixed English collocation used to describe a method or an opportunity to do something (a way to learn). 'Idea' and 'plan' describe thoughts inside someone's head, not the physical action of watching a storm.
Test 2
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Amazing Solar Eclipse
A solar eclipse is a very special event in the sky. It happens when the moon moves exactly between the Earth and the sun. When this happens, the moon (19)…………… the sun, and everything becomes dark for a short time.
During an eclipse, the day suddenly (20)…………… like the night. The air can also (21)…………… much colder. Many animals do not understand what is happening. They think it is (22)…………… to go to sleep. It is an amazing thing to see, but you must be careful.
It is very (23)…………… to look at the sun with your own eyes because it can hurt you. Instead, you need to wear special dark glasses. These glasses (24)…………… sure that you can watch the eclipse safely.
19 A covers B closes C shuts
20 A looks B sees C watches
21 A get B do C make
22 A time B hour C clock
23 A dangerous B afraid C ill
24 A do B make C keep
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (covers): "Covers" means to move in front of something so it cannot be seen. "Closes" and "shuts" are used for objects with moving parts like doors or windows, not for one object moving in front of another in the sky.
20 A (looks): "Looks like" is the correct verb phrase to describe how something appears to our eyes (the day appears to be the night). "Sees" and "watches" are actions that people or animals do, but the "day" cannot see or watch anything.
21 A (get): We use "get" plus an adjective (get colder) to mean "become". "Make" needs a direct object here (e.g., make the air colder), and "do" does not fit this grammatical structure.
22 A (time): "It is time to [do something]" is a very common fixed phrase. "Hour" is a specific measurement of 60 minutes, and "clock" is a machine that shows the time. We do not say "it is hour to" or "it is clock to".
23 A (dangerous): "Dangerous" describes an action or situation that can hurt you (like looking at the sun). "Afraid" describes how a person feels, but an action cannot feel afraid. "Ill" means sick, which does not fit the context of hurting your eyes.
24 B (make): "Make sure" is a very common fixed English collocation that means to check or guarantee that something is safe or correct. The phrases "do sure" and "keep sure" do not exist.
Test 3
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Seven Continents
There are seven very large areas of land on our planet. People call them continents. If you look at a map of the (19)……………, you can see them all. Some continents, like Asia and Africa, are very big. Millions of people live there. Other continents are much smaller.
Long ago, it was difficult to travel from one continent to another. People had to (20)…………… many months sailing across the ocean on slow ships. Today, things are different. You can (21)…………… a plane and fly to a new continent in just a few hours.
Antarctica is a very special continent at the bottom of the Earth. It has ice everywhere, so the weather is too cold for people to (22)…………… there all the time. However, many scientists still want to (23)…………… out more about it. Visiting all seven continents is a wonderful (24)…………… if you love learning about our beautiful planet!
19 A world B country C town
20 A spend B pass C keep
21 A catch B make C do
22 A live B stay C stand
23 A find B look C work
24 A idea B way C thing
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (world): "World" is the correct semantic fit here because a map of the world is required to see all seven continents. A map of a "country" or "town" is too small to show the continents.
20 A (spend): "Spend time" (or spend months) is the correct English collocation for using your time to do an activity like sailing. Learners often incorrectly guess "pass" due to direct translation from their own languages, and "keep" does not fit this grammar.
21 A (catch): "Catch a plane" is a standard English collocation meaning to get on a flight. We do not use the verbs "make" or "do" when talking about taking a form of public transport.
22 A (live): "Live" fits the broader context of the paragraph. Because the weather is so cold, people cannot have their permanent home or "live" there all the time, though scientists do "stay" for short visits. "Stand" is just a physical position.
23 A (find): The phrasal verb "find out" means to discover or learn new information, which is what scientists want to do. "Look out" means to be careful of danger, and "work out" means to exercise.
24 A (idea): "A wonderful idea" is the correct semantic phrase to describe a great plan or thought. "Way" would need to be followed by the preposition "to" (a wonderful way to spend time), and "thing" does not sound natural in this specific grammatical structure.