A2 Key for Schools (KET) Reading & Writing Part 4 Test – Young Explorers, Travelers & Adventurers 9
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 Circus Teen
Leo Davis is a fourteen-year-old boy from Italy, and he has a very unusual life. His parents work in a travelling circus. This means they do not stay in one place. Instead, they visit different (19)…………… every month.
When the circus arrives in a new place, everyone works hard. Leo always (20)…………… sure that the horses and dogs have enough food and water. These clever (21)…………… are a very important part of the show.
The circus does not happen inside a normal building. The family puts up a huge (22)…………… in a big field for the audience to sit in. During the evening, Leo helps his parents in the ring. He is very good (23)…………… riding the horses. After the show, he loves to (24)…………… photos with the children who come to watch. He really enjoys his exciting life.
19 A towns B roads C streets
20 A makes B gets C does
21 A animals B pets C humans
22 A tent B blanket C towel
23 A in B on C at
24 A catch B take C make
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (towns): This is a semantic fit. A travelling circus moves to perform in different populated places, which are 'towns' (or cities). You travel on 'roads' and 'streets', but you do not visit them as a place to stay and put on a show.
20 A (makes): This tests a standard A2 collocation. The correct fixed phrase in English is 'make sure', which means to check that something happens or is done correctly. The verbs 'get' and 'do' do not form this phrase.
21 A (animals): This requires understanding the broader context of the text. The sentence refers back to the "horses and dogs" mentioned in the previous line. These are 'animals'. 'Pets' are kept inside a home for companionship, and 'humans' are people.
22 A (tent): This is a semantic fit. The text explains that the circus is not in a normal building but placed in a field. The correct temporary fabric structure is a 'tent'. A 'blanket' and a 'towel' are made of fabric but are used for keeping warm or drying off, not for sitting inside.
23 C (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 riding). We do not say 'good in' or 'good on' for personal skills.
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 Explorer
Leo is a fourteen-year-old boy from Greece, and he loves learning about the past. He lives near a large area of ancient ruins. People built these very (19)…………… buildings thousands of years ago. Today, visitors can only see large walls and broken grey (20)…………… on the ground.
Every weekend, Leo goes (21)…………… through the ruins with his grandfather. His grandfather knows a lot about local (22)…………… and tells Leo interesting stories about the town. Leo likes to imagine how people lived in those days. Sometimes, they (23)…………… a long time looking at the strange marks on the walls. They always find something new.
Leo hopes to work as an explorer one day, (24)…………… he wants to travel and discover more amazing places around the world.
19 A new B young C old
20 A stones B stairs C doors
21 A riding B walking C travelling
22 A history B story C subject
23 A make B keep C spend
24 A because B so C but
Answer Key & Explanations
19 C (old): Buildings from thousands of years ago are 'old'. We use 'young' to describe living things like people or animals, and 'new' is the opposite meaning.
20 A (stones): Ancient ruined buildings are made of 'stones', which fit the description of being grey and broken on the ground. 'Doors' are made of wood and would not survive thousands of years, and 'stairs' are not usually scattered on the ground.
21 B (walking): The correct collocation for moving on foot as an activity is to 'go walking'. 'Riding' requires a horse or a bike, and 'travelling' is generally used for going on long journeys to different places, not a local weekend activity.
22 A (history): The factual past of a place is its 'history'. A 'story' is usually a single tale (and grammatically requires an article like 'a story'), and 'subject' usually refers to a specific class you study at school.
23 C (spend): The correct collocation for using time is to 'spend time' (or spend a long time). In English, we do not 'make' or 'keep' time in this context.
24 A (because): This conjunction gives the reason why he wants to work as an explorer (he wants to travel and discover things). 'So' gives a result, and 'but' introduces a contrast.
Test 3
Questions 19-24
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Teenage Safari Explorer
Leo is fourteen years old and he loves wild animals. Last summer, he went on a safari in Kenya with his parents.
They stayed in a special camp inside a large national park. Every morning, they travelled in a big jeep to explore the area. You must stay (19)…………… inside the jeep so the animals cannot hurt you. Leo spent many hours (20)…………… at the tall trees to find monkeys and colourful birds.
One day, they found a family of lions sleeping in the sun. Leo wanted to (21)…………… lots of photos of them. The lions were very (22)…………… to the jeep, (23)…………… he asked the driver to stop quietly. The lions did not wake up. Leo had a wonderful (24)…………… in Kenya, and he hopes to return one day.
19 A safe B fine C sure
20 A looking B watching C seeing
21 A take B make C get
22 A close B near C far
23 A so B because C but
24 A time B hour C day
Answer Key & Explanations
19 A (safe): This word fits the phrase-level meaning of being protected from danger, which connects to the animals not hurting you. "Fine" means healthy or okay, and "sure" means certain, so neither fits this context.
20 A (looking): "Looking" is the correct verb because it pairs directly with the preposition "at" to mean directing your eyes towards something (looking at the tall trees). "Watching" and "seeing" do not take the preposition "at" in this way.
21 A (take): "Take photos" is a fixed English collocation meaning to use a camera to make a picture. You cannot say "make photos" or "get photos" in this active phrase.
22 A (close): "Close" is the correct spatial adjective because it pairs with the preposition "to" (close to the jeep). "Near" means the same thing but does not take the preposition "to" (near the jeep), and "far" takes the preposition "from".
23 A (so): This conjunction is needed for the broader context to show a result. The lions were very close, and as a result (so), he asked the driver to stop. "Because" gives a reason, and "but" shows a contrast.
24 A (time): "Have a wonderful time" is a standard set collocation that means to really enjoy an experience or holiday. "Hour" and "day" are not used in this general fixed phrase to describe an entire trip.