A2 KET Test #22 - Reading & Writing

Harper, 14

My science class visited a large farm last Tuesday. Because it is far away, we caught the train, which was very fast. I enjoyed seeing the animals, but I didn't like the weather because it was wet and windy all day. We worked in big groups of five to learn about the different plants. I didn't bring any food, so I bought a warm meal from the farm kitchen. The trip was completely free, which was great!

Kelsey, 13

We went to a modern science museum in the busy city centre. We travelled there on a comfortable school bus. The weather was sunny, but we spent the whole afternoon inside the dark building. It cost fifteen pounds to go inside, which I think is quite expensive for students. After looking at the amazing machines, I went to the shop and got a poster for my bedroom wall. We didn't bring lunch, so everyone ate in the museum café.

Krista, 14

My history teacher took us to an old castle on Thursday. It is near our school, so we just walked there together in the sunshine. The trip didn't cost anything, and I didn't spend any money in the gift shop. I brought some chicken sandwiches that I made at home because there isn't a café at the castle. During the visit, I shared a map with one classmate, and we had to find answers to some difficult questions. It was really fun!

Too Many Dogs
By Maya Collins, age 14

I wanted a new bike, but my parents said I had to pay for some of it. Our neighbour, Mr Dunn, had a bad knee, so he could not walk his dog, Biscuit, very far. He asked me to take Biscuit out for half an hour after school. It was easy, and I loved it. Mr Dunn gave me a little money every week.

Soon other people heard about me. In the first month, I walked only Biscuit. Then Mrs Patel asked me to walk her two small dogs, and a boy from number twelve asked me to walk his dog, too. By the end of the second month, I walked all these dogs after school, and it took more than an hour every day.

In the third month, a woman asked me to walk her big dog. My best friend, Zoe, said, "You should say no." But I answered, "They need me." I could not say no to anyone. At that time, I had five dogs to walk, and I also walked them at half past six in the morning, before school. I finished my homework at ten o’clock at night, and I missed Zoe’s football match on Saturday. At night, I felt tired and sad, and I understood that I was trying to do too much.

The next day, I told my neighbours that I could not walk their dogs any more. Mrs Patel and the boy from number twelve understood. Mr Dunn still cannot walk far, so I will keep walking Biscuit after school. It will take me longer to buy my bike, because I have saved only half of the money. However, I don’t mind, because now I have enough time to rest, to finish my homework before dinner and to play football with Zoe on Saturdays.

Before modern technology, sending a letter across North America took many weeks. In 1860, a special mail service called the Pony Express began. The company bought fast horses and paid brave young men to ride them. These riders travelled day and night across mountains to 19.1carryholdbring heavy bags of letters. A rider with an urgent message could 19.2getenterarrive to California in just ten days.

However, the job was very hard because riders faced terrible 19.3natureweathertraffic like heavy snow and storms. The Pony Express only worked for eighteen months because it was too 19.4expensivefreecheap to continue. Soon, a new invention called the telegraph started sending messages 19.5quicklyslowlyquietly using electricity. Although the horse service ended, it changed the 19.6mindwayidea people thought about connecting places far away.