A2 KET Test #49 - Reading & Writing

Mark

I spent last Saturday morning helping at the local five-kilometre race. My uncle also volunteered, so we handed out bottles of water to the runners together. The atmosphere was very exciting, and everyone was friendly. After the final runner passed our station, we had to pick up all the empty plastic bottles from the street. It was hard work, but I really enjoyed the experience and hope to help again next summer.

Ethan

I decided to help at the race because my older brother was running in it. The organisers gave me a bright red T-shirt that I could keep, which was a nice surprise. My job was to show visitors where they could stand to watch the runners safely. I had a great time talking to different people throughout the day. Seeing everyone run made me feel inspired, so I plan to enter the competition myself next summer.

Zoe

I wanted to help at the race after I hurt my leg and couldn't run this year. I didn't expect to start work at six in the morning, so waking up early was quite difficult! I stood near the finish line and gave flowers to the winners. One kind runner even gave me her second-place medal to say thank you for my help. My parents came to watch, and we all went to a café afterwards.

Leo Davis: being a musician

I got my first guitar when I was ten, but I didn't think I was a very good player. My classmates weren't interested in my music, but my music teacher liked it. She sent a video of me playing to a national music website. The website didn't post it, but then my uncle saw an advertisement for a music competition. He told me to enter, so I sent a different video, and I won first prize! After that, I thought, "I can really do this."

During my time at school, I continued playing the guitar when I had free time. When I left school, I decided to go to college. I didn't study music there – I studied business and IT. After college, I worked in a bank for a year, but I really wanted to play music again, so I moved to Spain.

At first, I got a job as a tour guide. I worked every afternoon from Monday to Friday. I wrote my songs in the mornings and at the weekends!

I love playing the guitar and I'm never bored. I spend lots of hours practising, but I don't mind. I have just finished recording my first album and I've got enough songs for another. However, I wanted to have a holiday first, so I've returned to England for a while.

My parents live in a big city, and I have a brother who lives near the beach. But I'm going to travel to the north. I'm going to spend this weekend with my best friend who has a small house in the mountains.

Hans Christian Andersen was a famous writer who was born in Denmark in 1805 into a poor family. When he got older, he wanted to 19.1showplayact on the stage. However, he soon saw that he was much better at writing than acting.

He always carried a small notebook in his pocket to write down his 19.2factsideasanswers. He really enjoyed 19.3speakingtellingsaying amazing fairy tales to children. During his life, he liked to 19.4cometravelgo across Europe to meet other famous writers.

In his books, he created magical 19.5spacesplanetsworlds full of talking animals and brave characters. Today, parents all over the world still read his books to their children at night. These famous tales continue to 19.6carrybringtake fun to families everywhere.