A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – Young Athletes & Sports Stars 7
Reading » A2 Reading Tests » A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – Young Athletes & Sports Stars
Test 1
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Young Judo Champion
Kenji Tanaka is a fifteen-year-old boy from Japan, and he is already a famous judo champion. He started learning this exciting sport when he was six years old. Judo is different from many other sports because you do not kick or hit. Instead, you win by (19)…………… the other person onto the floor.
Every afternoon, Kenji goes to the local sports (20)…………… to train. He takes off his shoes and steps onto the soft (21)…………… . These keep the players safe when they fall. Kenji spends hours (22)…………… his moves with his coach. You have to be strong and quick to do judo well.
Next month, Kenji is travelling to Europe to take (23)…………… in an international competition. When he is older, his biggest dream is to (24)…………… a judo teacher and help young children learn the sport.
19 A dropping B throwing C moving
20 A hall B room C place
21 A carpets B towels C mats
22 A studying B guessing C practising
23 A care B part C place
24 A become B grow C stay
Answer Key & Explanations
19 B (throwing): This tests semantic fit. In judo and similar sports, the specific action used to put an opponent on the ground is 'throwing'. 'Dropping' implies accidentally letting something fall from your hands, and 'moving' is too general.
20 A (hall): This tests a standard A2 collocation. The correct fixed phrase for a large indoor area where sports are played is a 'sports hall'. We do not naturally say 'sports room' or 'sports place' in this context.
21 C (mats): This requires understanding the broader context of the text. Judo is practiced on soft 'mats' to keep athletes safe. While 'carpets' are also placed on floors, they are used in homes, not in sports facilities. 'Towels' are for drying off, not standing on.
22 C (practising): This is a semantic fit. When an athlete repeats physical movements to get better, they are 'practising'. 'Studying' is typically used for academic subjects or reading, and 'guessing' means you do not know the answer.
23 B (part): This tests a strong collocation. The correct fixed expression is 'take part', which means to participate in an event or competition. While 'take place' and 'take care' are real English phrases, they do not mean 'participate'.
24 A (become): This tests phrase-level meaning. When talking about a future job or role, the correct verb is 'become' (to begin to be something). 'Grow' would need the phrase 'up to be', and 'stay' means to remain exactly the same.
Test 2
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Teen Badminton Player
Lily is a fourteen-year-old girl from London, and her favourite sport is badminton. She started playing when she was only seven years old. To play well, Lily needs a good, light (19)…………… in her hand.
Badminton is a very fast game. Players must stand on the court and hit a small object called a shuttlecock over a high (20)…………… . Because the shuttlecock travels so fast, Lily has to make very (21)…………… movements to reach it. She spends hours every week practising how to (22)…………… the shuttlecock hard.
Lily is part of her school team, and they usually (23)…………… a match every Saturday morning. Lily loves the feeling of winning, but she never feels sad if she (24)…………… a game because she just enjoys playing.
19 A racket B stick C bat
20 A wall B net C line
21 A quick B early C short
22 A hit B push C kick
23 A make B play C do
24 A loses B drops C misses
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (racket): In badminton and tennis, the equipment you hold to play the game is called a 'racket'. You use a 'stick' for hockey and a 'bat' for baseball or table tennis.
20 B (net): In badminton, players must send the shuttlecock over a 'net' in the middle of the court. A 'wall' is solid, and a 'line' is a mark on the floor.
21 A (quick): We use 'quick' to describe fast physical actions or movements. 'Early' relates to time, and 'short' describes length or height.
22 A (hit): You 'hit' a shuttlecock or a ball with a racket. 'Push' means moving something away slowly with your hands, and 'kick' means striking something with your foot.
23 B (play): The correct collocation for taking part in a sports competition is to 'play a match'. In English, we do not 'make' or 'do' a match.
24 A (loses): The opposite of winning a game is losing it, which fits this sentence's contrast perfectly. You 'drop' a physical object from your hands, and you 'miss' a bus or a train.
Test 3
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Young Trampoline Gymnast
Maya is twelve years old and her favourite sport is trampoline gymnastics. She goes to a big sports centre three times a week to practise. Trampolining is fun, but it is actually very hard work. You have to jump very (19)…………… into the air and do different tricks.
When Maya is jumping, she never looks down at her feet. She always looks straight ahead to (20)…………… sure she lands in the middle. She also wears special socks so she does not fall. This helps her stay very (21)…………… on the trampoline.
Gymnasts need to have strong legs, (22)…………… Maya exercises every day before school. When she is up in the (23)……………, she feels like a bird. Next month, she wants to (24)…………… part in a national competition, and she hopes to win a prize.
19 A high B tall C long
20 A get B make C do
21 A safe B well C sure
22 A but B because C so
23 A sky B air C space
24 A take B play C have
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (high): We use "high" to describe the distance something goes up into the air. "Tall" is used for the height of people or buildings, and "long" is for distance along the ground or time.
20 B (make): "Make sure" is a common set collocation that means to check that something happens correctly or safely. You cannot say "get sure" or "do sure".
21 A (safe): "Safe" fits the phrase-level meaning of being protected from danger, which connects to wearing special socks so she does not fall. "Well" usually describes health, and "sure" means certain, which do not fit this context.
22 C (so): This conjunction is needed for the broader context to show a result. Because gymnasts need strong legs, the result is that Maya exercises. "Because" shows a reason, and "but" shows a contrast.
23 B (air): "Up in the air" is the correct phrase for being off the ground during a jump. We use "sky" when talking about the outdoors or clouds, and "space" for where the stars and planets are.
24 A (take): "Take part" is a fixed collocation that means to join or participate in an event or competition. "Play part" and "have part" are incorrect in English.