A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – Young Artists, Musicians & Performers 1
Reading » A2 Reading Tests » A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – Young Artists, Musicians & Performers
Test 1
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Young Piano Player
Leo Rossi is an eleven-year-old boy from Italy, and he is already a famous piano player. He started learning the instrument when he was just three years old. He always loved pressing the black and white (19)…………… to make beautiful sounds.
Now, Leo (20)…………… four hours every day practising at home. He has an excellent memory and can play long pieces of music without looking at any notes. Before a big event, he always puts on smart (21)…………… because he wants to look nice for the audience.
Every month, Leo travels to different cities to play in large theatres. He often (22)…………… friends with other young musicians there. When he is (23)…………… stage, he never feels nervous. Next year, he hopes to visit new countries and share his music with the rest of the (24)…………… .
19 A keys B buttons C boards
20 A takes B keeps C spends
21 A clothes B uniforms C costumes
22 A gets B makes C finds
23 A on B in C at
24 A earth B world C planet
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (keys): This is a semantic fit. The specific parts of a piano that you press with your fingers are called 'keys'. 'Buttons' are found on machines or shirts, and 'boards' are flat pieces of wood.
20 C (spends): This tests a standard A2 collocation. When talking about using time to do an activity, the correct verb is 'spend' (spend four hours practising). 'Takes' is used differently (e.g., it takes four hours), and 'keeps' means to retain something.
21 A (clothes): This requires understanding the broader context of the text. A pianist wears smart 'clothes' (like a nice shirt and trousers) for a show. 'Uniforms' are worn for school or specific jobs, and 'costumes' are worn by actors in a play.
22 B (makes): This tests a strong collocation. The correct fixed phrase in English is to 'make friends' with someone. We do not use the verbs 'get' or 'find' to form this phrase.
23 A (on): This tests phrase-level meaning. The correct fixed preposition for standing and performing in front of an audience in a theatre is 'on stage'. We do not say 'in stage' or 'at stage'.
24 B (world): This is a semantic fit. The natural fixed phrase for talking about people and places everywhere is 'the rest of the world'. 'Earth' and 'planet' are typically used for science or physical geography.
Test 2
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Teen Violinist
Anna is a fifteen-year-old girl from Vienna, and she is a fantastic musician. She started learning the violin when she was only six years old. A violin is a beautiful wooden instrument with four (19)…………… . To play it, musicians use a long stick called a bow. Anna wants to (20)…………… sure her fingers are quick, so she plays for hours every day.
At her school, Anna plays in a large (21)…………… with fifty other students. Every winter, the young musicians take (22)…………… in a big concert for their parents and teachers.
Playing for lots of people makes Anna feel a little nervous, (23)…………… she always remembers to smile and play perfectly. When she is older, she hopes to travel around the (24)…………… playing her music for everyone to hear.
19 A lines B wires C strings
20 A make B do C get
21 A team B orchestra C club
22 A care B part C place
23 A but B so C because
24 A earth B world C planet
Answer Key & Explanations
19 C (strings): The long, thin pieces on a musical instrument that produce sound are called 'strings'. 'Wires' are used for electricity, and 'lines' are drawn on paper or used for waiting.
20 A (make): The correct collocation is 'make sure', which means to ensure or check that something happens. In English, we do not say 'do sure' or 'get sure'.
21 B (orchestra): A large group of musicians playing different instruments together is an 'orchestra'. A 'team' is used for sports, and a 'club' is a group of people who share a general interest or hobby.
22 B (part): The phrase 'take part in' means to participate in an activity. 'Take place' means to happen, and 'take care' means to look after someone or something.
23 A (but): This conjunction is needed to show a clear contrast between feeling nervous and playing perfectly. 'So' shows a result, and 'because' gives a reason.
24 B (world): The correct and most natural collocation for travelling everywhere is 'around the world'. We do not typically say 'around the earth' or 'around the planet' in this everyday context.
Test 3
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Young Painter
Mia is thirteen years old and she is a very talented artist. She lives in a small town and paints in her bedroom every day after school.
Mia loves mixing different (19)…………… together to make bright new ones. She uses a thick (20)…………… to put the paint onto a large canvas. Before she starts, she always checks her things to (21)…………… sure everything is ready. Painting is not an easy hobby, and it can take a long time. Mia usually (22)…………… many hours finishing just one picture.
Last month, the local town library had a special (23)…………… to show Mia’s best paintings to the public. Many people from the town came to look at her art. They loved it, (24)…………… Mia felt very proud. She hopes to become a famous painter one day.
19 A colours B shapes C sizes
20 A brush B pencil C ruler
21 A make B do C get
22 A spends B passes C stays
23 A exhibition B meeting C stage
24 A so B because C but
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (colours): This is the correct word because painters mix different paints or colours (like red and blue) to create new ones. You cannot mix "shapes" or "sizes" to make something bright in a painting.
20 A (brush): A "brush" is the correct tool used to put wet paint onto a canvas. A "pencil" is used for drawing, and a "ruler" is used for drawing straight lines, so neither fits the context of painting.
21 A (make): "Make sure" is a common set collocation that means to check that something is safe or ready. We do not say "do sure" or "get sure" in English.
22 A (spends): "Spend time" (or spend hours) doing something is the correct collocation here. We do not say someone "passes many hours finishing", and "stays" is used for remaining in a location.
23 A (exhibition): An "exhibition" is a specific public event where art is shown to people. A "meeting" is when people gather to talk, and a "stage" is where actors perform, so these distractors do not fit the meaning.
24 A (so): This conjunction is needed to show a result: people loved her art, and as a result (so), Mia felt proud. "Because" gives a reason, and "but" shows a contrast, neither of which fits the sentence logically.