A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – Young Explorers, Travelers & Adventurers 5
Reading » A2 Reading Tests » A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – Young Explorers, Travelers & Adventurers
Test 1
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Desert Adventure
Leo Davis is a fifteen-year-old boy from London, and he loves going on unusual holidays with his parents. Last month, they travelled to Africa to visit the famous Sahara Desert.
The desert is a beautiful place, but the weather is always very (19)…………… . During the day, there is a lot of hot sun and almost no rain. Leo and his family went on a long journey across the deep yellow (20)…………… . They did not travel in a car. Instead, they spent three days (21)…………… on large camels. Camels are amazing animals because they can walk for miles without drinking. Leo was very good (22)…………… staying calm on his camel, even when it wanted to walk fast.
At night, they slept in small tents. Leo had to (23)…………… sure that his tent was closed so insects could not get inside. He also loved to (24)…………… lots of photos of the stars before he went to sleep.
19 A cold B dark C dry
20 A snow B grass C sand
21 A sailing B riding C driving
22 A in B at C on
23 A make B do C get
24 A catch B take C make
Answer Key & Explanations
19 C (dry): This requires understanding the broader context of the text. The sentence immediately after mentions there is "almost no rain". The correct adjective to describe a place without water or rain is 'dry'. 'Cold' and 'dark' do not match the daytime desert weather described.
20 C (sand): This is a semantic fit. The text describes a yellow surface in the desert. The correct natural material found in a desert is 'sand'. 'Snow' is found in freezing climates, and 'grass' grows in green fields, not hot deserts.
21 B (riding): This tests semantic fit. When you sit on an animal like a camel or horse to travel, the correct action is 'riding'. You go 'sailing' in a boat on the water, and you go 'driving' in a car or bus.
22 B (at): This tests phrase-level meaning. When talking about a person's skill or ability, the correct preposition to use after the adjective 'good' is 'at' (e.g., good at reading, good at staying calm). We do not say 'good in' or 'good on' for personal skills.
23 A (make): This tests a standard A2 collocation. The correct fixed phrase in English is 'make sure', which means to check that something happens or is safe. The verbs 'do' and 'get' do not form this phrase.
24 B (take): This tests a strong collocation. The correct fixed English expression for using a camera to record an image is to 'take photos'. We do not use the verbs 'catch' or 'make' to form this phrase.
Test 2
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Young Metal Detectorist
Leo is a fourteen-year-old boy from Wales, and he has a very interesting hobby. Every weekend, he walks along the local beach with a special machine called a metal detector. When he moves the machine over the sand, it makes a loud (19)…………… if there is something under the ground.
Then, Leo uses a small tool to dig a hole. He often finds things like old keys or rings. Last week, he had a big surprise. He found three old silver (20)…………… hidden in the sand. They were very dirty, so he took them home to clean them carefully.
Leo loves history, and he wants to (21)…………… out who lost these things hundreds of years (22)…………… . He usually takes his best objects to the museum to show them to the experts. They are always very (23)…………… in what he finds. Leo hopes to work at a museum in the future, (24)…………… he knows he needs to study hard first.
19 A noise B voice C song
20 A notes B cards C coins
21 A find B search C look
22 A past B before C ago
23 A interested B excited C happy
24 A so B because C but
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (noise): A 'noise' is the correct word for a loud sound that a machine makes. A 'voice' is the sound a human makes when speaking, and a 'song' is a piece of music.
20 C (coins): The text mentions 'silver' and a 'metal detector'. 'Coins' are money made of metal. 'Notes' are made of paper, and 'cards' are usually made of plastic.
21 A (find): The correct phrasal verb for discovering information is 'find out'. 'Look' would take the preposition 'for' (look for), and 'search' does not form a natural phrase with 'out' in this context.
22 C (ago): We use 'ago' after a period of time (hundreds of years) to show how far back in time something happened in the past simple tense. 'Past' and 'before' do not fit this grammatical structure.
23 A (interested): The correct adjective to use before the preposition 'in' is 'interested'. If we used the distractors, we would say 'excited about' or 'happy about/with'.
24 C (but): This conjunction is needed to show a clear contrast between his big hope of working in a museum and the reality that he must study hard first. 'So' shows a result, and 'because' gives a reason.
Test 3
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Teenage Raft Builder
Toby is a fifteen-year-old boy who loves spending time near the water. Last summer, he decided to build a raft to travel down the local river.
First, Toby went into the forest to collect long pieces of (19)…………… . He used strong rope to tie them together. Before his big trip, he put the raft in a small lake to (20)…………… sure it was safe. It stayed high on the top of the (21)…………… perfectly.
The next day, Toby asked his best friend to (22)…………… part in the adventure. They pushed the raft into the river and jumped on. The river carried them slowly past the trees. They did not have to work hard (23)…………… the river was moving them. Toby loved listening to the quiet (24)…………… of the river, and he wants to go again next year.
19 A wood B paper C glass
20 A get B do C make
21 A water B ground C floor
22 A have B take C play
23 A because B but C so
24 A sound B voice C noise
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (wood): This word fits the semantic meaning of a strong, natural material you find in a forest to build a raft. You cannot build a strong raft to travel on out of "paper" or "glass".
20 C (make): "Make sure" is a common set collocation that means to check or confirm that something is safe or correct. You cannot say "get sure" or "do sure" in English.
21 A (water): This word fits the phrase-level context of testing a boat in a lake so it stays floating on the surface. The "ground" is the earth outside, and the "floor" is the surface you walk on indoors, neither of which a raft floats on.
22 B (take): "Take part" is a fixed English collocation meaning to join in or participate in an activity or adventure. "Have part" and "play part" are incorrect in this phrase structure.
23 A (because): This conjunction is needed for the broader context to show a reason: they did not have to work hard, and the reason is because the river was moving them. "But" shows a contrast, and "so" shows a result.
24 A (sound): This word correctly describes what you hear when a river moves quietly. A "voice" is the sound a human makes when speaking, and a "noise" is usually loud or unpleasant, which does not fit the peaceful context of the sentence.