A2 KET Test #24 - Reading & Writing

Three teenagers talk about cleaning up local areas

Amanda

Amanda spent Saturday morning cleaning a lovely beach with her aunt. The weather was hot and sunny, so she just wore an old T-shirt and shorts. They walked along the sand for three hours, and they collected over fifty plastic bottles from the sea. Amanda didn't buy any food because she brought some delicious cheese sandwiches from her kitchen. She drank lots of cold water, and she felt very proud of her hard work.

Victoria

Victoria visited a forest on Sunday to help her science teacher. It rained heavily all morning, but it was sunny in the afternoon! Victoria worked hard to put twenty young trees into the ground. Victoria didn't bring any drinks in her backpack because the teacher brought sweet hot tea for everyone when they finished. Although Victoria was very tired, she enjoyed the activity and hopes the forest will grow quickly.

Paige

Paige spent Sunday morning cleaning the busy park in her town with her best friend. It was windy, and the strong wind made her feel really cold. She wore a warm winter jacket to stay warm. They collected many plastic bottles and lots of dirty paper from the grass. Because they didn't bring any snacks, they walked to a small shop and bought big ice creams with their pocket money.

A Surprising Find
By Sara, age 14

One Saturday in May, I went to the town fair with my mum. At a small table, I saw an old brown jacket that felt very soft and had a lovely colour. It cost five pounds, and I bought it.

At home, I was going to wash the jacket, but then I felt something hard inside it, near the arm. I looked carefully and found a small pocket. Inside, there was an old photo and a necklace with a name on it. I could not believe it!

I showed everything to Mum, and we wanted to find the owner. Mum helped me take two pictures, one of the jacket and one of the necklace, and everyone could see the name Ellen on the necklace. We wrote, "Is this your jacket?" and put the pictures on the internet, but we kept the photo secret. More than a hundred people shared the pictures.

After one week, many people wrote, "It is my jacket!" I did not know who was right, but then I had an idea, and I wrote, "What is in the old photo?" Only one woman wrote the right answer: "Two girls and a dog under a tree." Her name was Ellen Hart, and we agreed to meet at the fair the next Saturday.

On Saturday, Mum and I met Mrs Hart at the fair. She is seventy-eight years old. I gave her the photo and the necklace, and she smiled. She told me, "Many years ago, I put them in the pocket, and after that, I did not remember them. Last month, I moved to a small flat, so I sold some old clothes." She thanked me many times and gave me a small silver keyring as a present. For me, now I always look in my pockets before I wash my clothes!

Action figures are famous toys and a serious hobby for adults. In 1964, a company wanted to sell new toys to young boys. Because boys did not play with dolls, the company 19.1calledspoketold these characters "action figures". Years later, a fan 19.2costearnedpaid 200,000 dollars for the first model ever designed!

These early characters were quite large, standing about thirty centimetres high. However, when plastic became expensive in the 1970s, companies decided to change their 19.3sizespacelength. These new toys were only ten centimetres high, which helped businesses save a lot of 19.4pricecostmoney. Because the figures were small, companies could also 19.5breakbuildrepair toy cars for them. Today, people all over the world still 19.6hopewantenjoy keeping these exciting plastic models.