A2 KET Test #39 - Reading & Writing

Hugo Green

I go to a small school in my village, and I always walk there with my younger sister. I take my own sandwiches for lunch because I don't like the hot meals at school. We must wear a blue sweater. It is quite boring. Science is my hardest subject, but my dad often helps me with my homework. After classes, I stay for the music club, where I am learning to play the guitar.

Oliver William

My new school is very big. It is in the city centre. I live quite far away, so I catch the number ten bus every morning. We don't have a uniform, which is great because I prefer wearing my comfortable jeans. I usually buy hot food at school, and the pizzas are my favourite. I love sports, and I play on the school football team when lessons finish at three o'clock.

David James

I study in a beautiful old building that has a very large garden. My dad drives me there before he goes to his office. We must wear a grey jacket and a tie, but we don't have to put on the jacket if it gets hot. I usually eat with my friends in the big school hall, which is always very noisy. My favourite subject is science because the teacher is really funny. On Fridays, I go to the art club. I love painting!

Riding a skateboard

Finn Parker was only eight years old when he first tried skateboarding. This was during a lunchtime sports club at school, which he only went to because it was cold and wet outside. His friends were in the school hall playing basketball, but Finn hated that game.

The teacher kept lots of sports things in the club room. Of all of them, the skateboards were the most interesting to Finn. He thought it was great that there were so many different sizes and colours, and he wanted to ride one to see how it felt. The teacher let him try, and Finn loved it from the first minute.

Soon his parents bought him his own board. Now Finn is thirteen and rides in shows around the country. He also has his own YouTube channel and gets over a million views a year. What’s amazing is that Finn has never been to a skateboard lesson. “You can learn anything from videos, so I’ve never felt it was important for me to take classes,” he explains.

Shows were not easy for Finn at the beginning because he usually rode alone in the car park near his house after school. At his first show, he rode with older teenagers. He could feel so many people looking at him, and that made him feel nervous.

So, does Finn enjoy being famous now? “I didn’t plan to be famous,” he says. “All I want is to show people what I love. I don’t think I’m someone special. I just want everyone to have fun at my shows.”

Usain Bolt was born in Jamaica in 1986 and became the fastest runner in history. When Usain was a young boy, he loved playing cricket and football with his friends. However, his school teacher gave him some good 19.1messagesnewsadvice about his running. The teacher told him to practise hard every day on the track. Usain worked hard for many years and soon 19.2turnedbecamegrew a great runner.

At a major competition in Berlin in 2009, he broke the world record in the 100-metre running race! Fans loved how fast he was and gave him a special 19.3signwordname : "Lightning Bolt". In 2017, Usain decided to 19.4closeshutend his racing career after winning eight Olympic gold prizes.

Young runners around the world still 19.5discussexplainfollow his training ideas to improve their speed. They work hard, hoping to become 19.6pleasantserioussuccessful sports stars like their Jamaican hero.