A2 KET Test #43 - Reading & Writing

Eva

I started playing the guitar last year. I didn't have much money, so I bought a cheap one from an old music shop. I usually practice in my bedroom when I have free time. My dad is quite good at the guitar, and he often teaches me new songs. I think he is a very good teacher because he helps me a lot! Next year, I hope to start a rock band with my classmates. I don't want to play in big concerts, but I'd love to make music with my friends.

Kim

I love the piano, but my bedroom is too small for one. Because I don't have my own instrument, I always use the big piano in the school music room. I stay there to practice after my lessons finish, and then I walk home at five o'clock. I have a teacher who makes me work very hard! But I am learning quickly, and I am playing in a special concert for parents next month. I feel quite nervous about it.

Jill

My parents gave me some beautiful drums for my fourteenth birthday because they know I love rock music. They were very expensive! The drums are extremely loud, so I have to play them in our garage. My older brother often gets angry about the terrible noise when he is watching television. I have lessons in the city centre every Saturday morning. My teacher is great, but my arms get very tired after an hour of playing!

Zoe's Blog: Dancing Against the Rules

When I was growing up, nobody in my family expected me to dance. My mother is a doctor and my father is a teacher. They wanted me to study hard, go to university, and work in a hospital like my mother. However, from the time I watched dancers on television as a small child, I never wanted to do anything else.

My school did not have dance classes, and my mother said I could not go to a dance club in town. Luckily, she did not know that my best friend's grandmother was a dance teacher. In my friend's big, warm kitchen, she gave us our first lessons every week after school.

When I was thirteen, my school teacher, Mrs Gray, saw me dance in a school show. She said I was very good and that I could be famous one day. It was the first time an adult made me believe in what I wanted to do.

After school, choosing a dance college was hard. My father told me: "One day you will be sorry that you did not listen to us." His words made me very sad because I wanted my parents to be pleased with me. I almost stopped, but I knew dancing was right for me.

Today, I dance in a famous group. My father never misses a show and always sits near the stage. It took a long time, but seeing him smile in the audience makes me very happy.

Lego is one of the most famous toys in the modern world. A man named Ole Kirk Christiansen 19.1beganlearnedhelped to make these toys in Denmark in 1932. At first, his small business only made wooden toys for local children.

Later, in 1949, the company made special plastic blocks that could join together. This meant children could easily 19.2repairbuildpaint anything, from houses to cars.

In the beginning, some shops did not 19.3guesswishbelieve that plastic toys would sell well. They were 19.4hopefulpleasedafraid that customers only wanted traditional wooden toys. However, the new plastic blocks quickly became a huge success everywhere. Today, children 19.5aroundbehindoutside the world love playing with these bright pieces. The company has even opened famous parks full of exciting 19.6ridesflightsdrives for families.