A2 KET Test #13 - Reading & Writing

Three teenagers talk about the apps they use

Luke

I started using a brilliant running app last month, which I bought with my pocket money. I usually go to the park with my dad because he loves running too. When I finish my run, I check the screen to see how fast I was and how far I ran. I want to improve all the time. My friends use the same program, so we often look at each other's times on our phones. It is much more exciting than exercising alone!

Morgan

I have a free app that reads books to me, and it is my favourite thing on my phone. I always listen to stories while I travel to school by bus. The journeys are quite long, but the interesting stories make the time go quickly. At the weekend, I tell my friends about the best books. It is really fun! I also use the app in bed, because hearing stories helps me fall asleep more easily.

Samuel

I take lots of photos, so I downloaded an app that makes pictures look better. You don't have to pay for it, which is great. Last week, I learned how to change the colours of the sky in my photos. I usually sit in my bedroom to work on my photos on Sunday afternoons. When I finish a beautiful picture, I always send it to my grandmother. She lives in another city, and she really loves seeing my work.

A Family on Two Wheels

The Martin family has a small bike shop in the town centre. Paul Martin worked in an office for many years, but he did not enjoy it. He loved bikes more than anything, so ten years ago he opened the shop. He and his wife, Rita, have two children, Ben and Sara.

Their daughter, Sara, is fourteen, and she got her first bike when she was five. She was afraid to ride it, but her big brother, Ben, ran next to her in the park every evening and held the bike. 'He never got tired,' says Sara.

Rita is a nurse, so she often works at night and cannot go to races with the family. 'I only ride when I am free,' she says. 'I forget about work when I ride, and I always feel happy after a ride in the hills.'

Last month, Sara rode in her first big race. Over three hundred people came to the start, and she felt very nervous. Then she saw Ben at the side of the road, and he had a big sign with her name on it. 'After that, I felt great,' she says.

Sara finished the race in twenty-third place. 'I was slow on the hills,' she says, 'but I want to try again next year.' Her father is very happy with her, but he says, 'Winning is not important. I just want all my children to enjoy riding for many years.'

Giraffes are famous animals that live in the wild in Africa. Every giraffe has different brown colours, so no two look the 19.1samerealright. These huge animals sleep for only thirty minutes a day in short breaks. To stay safe from 19.2feardangertrouble, they usually sleep while standing up.

A mother giraffe even stands on her long legs when it 19.3doeshasgives birth. The baby falls to the ground, but this surprising fall does not hurt it. In fact, the young animal can stand and run in just one hour! Giraffes also have long necks, which 19.4allowmakelet them to eat from tall trees. Being so tall helps them to see what is happening from far 19.5awaybackoff. When a giraffe runs, smaller animals quickly 19.6followpushcatch it because they know a lion is near.