Oxford preparation and practice a2 key for schools answer key

Answer key

Answer key
for Preparation

ANSWER KEY

Oxford Preparation & Practice for A2 Key


PREPARATION ANSWER KEY
Reading and Writing
Part 1 p8
1 1 close
2 quick
3 start
4 almost
5 let
6 pleased
7 end
8 visitor
9  difficult
10 right
2 1 weekend
2  10 a.m.
3 children
4 two
5 directions
3 A  1 true  2 false  3 true  4 true
B  1 true  2 false  3 false  4 true
4 1 C  2 B  3 C

Part 4 p20
1
2
3
4

1 B 
1 B 
1E 
1B 

2 A 
2  C 
2 D 
2 A 

3 A  4 C  5  C  6 B
3 C  4  A  5 B
3 B  4 A  5 F  6 C
3  B

Part 5 p23
1 C 2 A 3 B 4 A 5 B 6 C
1 going
2  were
3 is
4 have
5 running
6 will

1 to  2 from  3 of  4 on  5 at  6 on  7 in
8 in 9 of  10 between
4 1 Are  2 any  3 his  4  more  5 who  6 for 
7 every  8 there
5 1  I’m I’ve  2  knew know  3  so as  4  at all 
5  getting get  6  by on
6 1 to  2 this  3 anyone  4  one / a  5 are  6 as

Part 6 p26

Part 2 p12
1  new, lucky
2  restaurant, pizza
3  pharmacy, hotel
4  has made, ’m bringing
5  third, 19th
6  (pale) grey, green
1Who has the biggest family?
2Whose father is an engineer?
3 Who is the youngest in their family?
4Whose grandmother was famous?
5Whose family likes to ski?
6Whose family is moving to Ireland?
7 Who will have a new family member soon?
1 B  2 C  3 A  4 A  5 B  6 C 7 B
1I’ve got a younger brother and three older sisters.
2 … Dad’s job; he designs big bridges.
3 … I’ve got two older brothers.
4 … my granny had her own cooking show on TV! She was
quite well known back then.

5 … lucky for us because we all enjoy skiing.
6
… In a few months, we’re going to live in Ireland.
7 … Orla’s having a baby in the autumn!
5 N/A, reflective task

1





2






3
4




Part 3 p16
1 A  1  specific information  2  fast  3  don’t read 
4  You probably won’t
B  1 skim  2  don’t read  3  don’t spend 
4  specific details

2 1 B  2 B  3 A  4 B  5  A  6  B 7 
B  8 A
3 1 D  2 F  3 A  4 E  5 B  6 C
4 1 B  2 C

1
2
3
4
5
6

1 true  2 true  3 false  4 false
A 3  B 6  C 4  D 2  E 1  F 5
1 but  2 then  3 as  4 too  5 so  6 because
Students’ own answers.
Students’ own answers.
1 C  2 E  3 G  4  D  5 B  6 H  7 A  8 F

Part 7 p29
1
2
3

4

N/A, reflective task
Students’ own answers.
A  1  of all  2 Next  3 Later
B  4 first 5 

After  6  Then
1 B  2 A  3 B  4 both  5 both  6 B  7 B  8 A 
9 B  10 B

Listening
Part 1 p32
1
Who has … ?

Picture A

fair hair

Picture B
✓

a baseball cap

✓

shorts

✓

✓
✓

dark hair

✓

a T-shirt

✓

sunglasses

✓

jeans
a short-sleeved
shirt

ANSWER KEY

Picture C

✓

✓

✓
✓

Oxford Preparation & Practice for A2 Key
© Copyright Oxford University Press

Answer key

1

2





3


2
3





Part 5 p45

1 C  2 B  3  C  4 A  5  B
1  Which person
2  What time
3  How much
4  When is
5  Which activity

1 1 E  2 B  3 C  4 F  5 A  6  D
2 1 A  2 B  3 A  4 A  5  A  6 B  7 B  8  B  9 A
10 A  11 A  12 B
3 1 B  2  A, C, D, F  3  C, E  4  A, D, F

Speaking

Answer key

Part 2 p36
1
2







3
4






1 B  2 C  3 C  4 C  5 A  6 C  7 B
1 Whitley
2  0752 693 4418
3 carrot
4 8.30
5 15
6  Rabson
7 museum

8  July 23rd
1 C  2 E  3 A  4 D  5 B
1 February
2 26
3 weekend
4 Wednesday
5 seven
6 2nd

Part 1 p48
1 1 F  2  H  3 C  4 G  5 A  6  E  7 B  8 D
2 Students’ own answers.
3 1 present
2  future
3 past
4 past
5 present
6 future
4 1  favourite; the reason is that
2  usually; On Fridays
3  like; also enjoy
4  Next year; because
5  There are; First of all
6  hope to; would like

Part 2 p50

Part 3 p39
1
2

3





1 D  2 A/O  3 D  4 A/O  5 A/O  6  D
1 C  2 A  3  A  4  B  5 C  6  B
1 never 
2  forget 
3 safe 
4 light 
5 easy

Part 4 p42
1 1 B  2 C  3  B  4 A  5 C
2 1  Mum  Harry, are you busy right now?

Son  No, Mum, I’m just playing a video game.

Mum Right. Can you help me to wash the car?

Son  Um, yes, in ten minutes when I finish this game. I’m
winning!
2 I was in the library and I had a terrible headache so I
decided to go home. I went to the station, but I had to
wait 40 minutes for a train. Finally the train arrived, but
things got worse. I had to get off at the next station
because the train was so crowded and hot. I rang my
brother and asked him to pick me up.

3  A  Wow. That was so much fun!

B  I know. I can’t believe we finally did it. Camping is
amazing.

A  Yeah, and our tent was actually comfortable.

B Let’s do it again soon. We can invite some other
friends to join us.
3 1 You will hear a man talking about his hobby. Why did he
start doing it? 
2 You will hear a student, Tara, talking to her piano
teacher. What is Tara worried about? 
3 You will hear two friends talking about a concert. Which
band did they both like best?
4 1 C  2  A  3 C

1 like: I like pizza.
I like pizza a lot.
I’m crazy
about pizza.
I definitely don’t like
don’t like: I don’t like pizza.
pizza.
I really hate pizza.
amazing, beautiful, brave, brilliant, delicious, excellent,
2
exciting, fantastic, friendly
angry, awful, boring, dangerous, difficult, noisy, terrible,

unhappy, worried
3 1 C  2 B  3 A  4 B  5 A
4 1  preferred prefer
2  that than
3  hates hate
4  thought think
5  most more
6  won’t don’t


ANSWER KEY

Oxford Preparation & Practice for A2 Key
© Copyright Oxford University Press


for Practice Tests 1–6

ANSWER KEY

Oxford Preparation & Practice for A2 Key
© Copyright Oxford University Press

Answer key

Answer key


PRACTICE TEST ANSWER KEY
Practice Test 1

13 C Henri
Who may have to work as a waiter after school?
I probably won’t get work as a musician after school so I
might have to get a job in a café or restaurant first.

Reading and Writing

Answer key

Part 1 p10
1 B  Correct. Sam says: The band New Day are in concert
next week. Shall I get tickets?
A  Sam wants to go to the concert with his friend Jackie.
C  Sam’s dad can take them home after his jazz class, not
to the concert.
2 B  Correct. The notice says toys are half-price.
A  Women’s suits are not party clothes.
C  The books are for 0 to 12-year-olds, not teenagers.
3 C  Correct. Helena says to Tina: Let me know.
A  Helena is inviting Tina to the café, but it doesn’t mean
Tina should go there.
B  Helena invites Tina to join her and Jane. She says: Do
you want to come with us, too?
4 A  Correct. The notice says: Do not give to children
under 36 months.
B  Children at your school are not under 36 months.
C  The toy is not suitable for teenagers who look after very
young brothers or sisters.
5 C Correct. No barbecues or fires are allowed in this

place.
A  You can bring food to eat in the picnic areas.
B  You can leave your rubbish in the bins next to the picnic
areas.
6 B  Correct. The bike comes with lights and a cycling
helmet so the ad/seller is selling more than one thing.
A  The bike is used and it’s not excellent for road racing
because it’s a mountain bike.
C  The seller/ad is selling the bike with a cycling helmet.

Part 2 p14
7 B Mika
Who is going to ask a family member for help with their
job plans?
I love sport the most and want to teach it when I’m older.
My uncle is a teacher so I plan to ask him if I can give
drinks to the players at the American football club next
week.
8 C Henri
Who hopes to work in different countries?
My dream is to be paid to play in a group and travel
around the world.
9 C Henri
Who has won a competition in their chosen subject?
Last year, I received a prize for the best young musician in
my town.
10 B Mika
Who needs to get better at the school subject they like
best?
I love sport the most and want to teach it when I’m older.

I’m good at basketball, but I need to work harder in rugby
lessons so I can teach different sports.
11 A Artur
Who has had some help from their family with their job
plans?
I’ve always enjoyed playing computer games and I’d like to
make them when I’m older.
My cousin works in IT and makes cartoons and games so I
asked him if I could go to work with him. I learned so much.
12 A Artur
Who was ready for a break after their experience of
working?
But it was really tiring – all I wanted to do was relax at the
end of the day, not play computer games!

Part 3 p18
14 B  Correct. He dreamed of filming when he was young,
but he didn’t actually begin to do that until he was in his
twenties. A person in his/her twenties is a young adult.
A  He didn’t make films when he was a boy.
C  He began to make films when he was in his twenties so it
isn’t true that he hasn’t made a film.
15 C  Correct. He collects and films anything that looks
interesting.
A  He says: I … film anything that looks interesting, but he
doesn’t say that he watches films.
B  He says: I usually work underwater three or four times a
day, but we don’t know how much time he is underwater.
16 A  Correct. He says: After dinner, I’m usually so tired I
immediately go to bed.

B  He is always asleep by the time the fun starts so he
doesn’t go to the parties that his friends invite him to.
C  His friends invite him to parties, he doesn’t say that he
invites his friends for dinner.
17 C  Correct. He says I don’t need holidays. I have such fun
every day!
A  He works hard, but he says that he doesn’t need
holidays.
B  His friends pay a lot of money for their holidays, but he
says he doesn’t need holidays.
18 B  Correct. He says: I’ve never visited those islands, but I
know a lot about them. It’ll be a very exciting project!
A  He’s never been to the Queensmen Islands. He says: I’ve
never visited those islands, but I know a lot about them.
C  He knows a lot about the islands.

Part 4 p22
19 have
We use the present simple form when stating a fact
that is true. The correct form of the verb for plural
nouns is have.
We can only say dolphins are having babies if that is
happening now, i.e. as we speak.
20 their
We need to say their mothers because we’re talking
about more than one baby.
We could use its if there was only one baby in the text,
e.g. The baby stays with its mother. We could only use our
if we were talking about our own mother, e.g. Ben and I
stayed with our mother all day.

21many
We use many with countable nouns to mean a large
number of something.
We usually use any in negative sentences or in questions,
e.g. There aren’t any dolphins in the sea that can learn
to do that. / Can any dolphin learn to do that? A lot can
mean ‘many’, but it needs of after it, e.g. A lot of dolphins
can learn to do that.
22follow
Modal verbs like can or will are always followed by the
infinitive form of a verb.
The verb will cannot be followed by an -ing form
(following) or an -ed form (followed).
23them
The pronoun them means the dolphins in this sentence.
We can only use it to talk about one dolphin, e.g. That
dolphin is friendly, you can often see it. We can only use
him to talk about one male dolphin. The noun dolphin is
not masculine or feminine in English.

ANSWER KEY

Oxford Preparation & Practice for A2 Key
© Copyright Oxford University Press


24but
We use but to join two parts of a sentence that
contrast in some way.
We cannot say because they don’t need to drink – that’s

not the reason why they eat certain kinds of food. We
cannot say or they don’t need to drink because or is used
to describe another possibility.

Listening
Part 1 p34

Part 6  p28

Part 2 p38

Part 5 p25

Below is a model answer for Question 31 and some
comments on it. 
Model answer
Hi Donna,
Shall we meet at the bus stop at half past three? The judo
class starts at four o’clock. We need to take a towel and a
water bottle.
See you there.
Clare
(34 words)
Comments
All three points in the question are answered – Clare tells
Donna where to meet (at the bus stop), what time the class
starts (at four o’clock) and what they need to take (a towel
and a water bottle).
The text is coherent and basic linking words and cohesive
devices are used. Everyday vocabulary is used appropriately

and there are no grammatical or spelling mistakes.

Part 7 p31
Below is a sample answer for Question 32 and some
comments on it.
Model answer
One morning Jake was late for school!
Jake ran to catch the bus, but it wasn’t there. Jake cycled
quickly to school and he arrived after the bus. He felt tired,
but he was happy because he wasn’t late.
(39 words)
Comments
All three pictures of the story are described and the reader
can easily understand the story. There is some use of
time phrases and linkers (one morning, but) to show the
connections between the pictures. The vocabulary is varied
and shows the ability to use a range of A2 Key words (was
late, ran to catch the bus, wasn’t there, cycled, arrived). The
grammar is accurate and shows the ability to use some past
tenses (past simple) and some irregular forms (ran, felt).

6 July
… our new music department will open its doors next
month, that’s July ... not June ... the 10th.
7 King
If you haven’t visited the library before, you’ll find us at the
end of King Street …
8 third
The new music department will be on the third floor …
910.30

… open every day from 10.00 in the morning to half past
ten at night.
10 three / 3
Library members can take up to six CDs home to enjoy, so
why not join now? It will only cost you £3!

Part 3 p41
11 A  Correct. Richard says the match is on Friday after
school because a lot of players are busy (on Saturday).
B  Sam says he’ll be busy on Saturday.
C  Richard says it was difficult to arrange the game on
Sunday.
12 B  Correct. Richard says the school is the one down by
the river.
A  Richard says the match will be at a place At Kings … no,
at Castle School.
C  Sam asks if the school is near the railway station?
Richard replies No.
13 C  Correct. Richard says Some of the teachers are going
to drive us there.
A  Sam asks if they are going by coach or by train? But
Richard replies: There aren’t enough of us for a coach.
B  Sam asks if they are going by coach or by train? But
Richard replies: Some of the teachers are going to drive us
there.
14 B  Correct. Richard asks Sam if he has any white shorts
and then says he can give [Sam] some.
A  Richard says they usually wear blue ones, but [not this
time because] the other team wears that colour.
C  Sam says he’s got some black ones [shorts]. But Richard

says those shorts are no good.

ANSWER KEY

Oxford Preparation & Practice for A2 Key
© Copyright Oxford University Press

Answer key

25 ’ve / have
We need have here to complete the present perfect tense
with just.
26 but
We use but to introduce contrast.
27 the
We use the because we need a definite article before
website. We talk about a particular website whose name
has already been stated.
28 to
We need to because listen is followed by to in the phrase
listen to music.
29 about
You read or write about something. This is the correct
preposition.
30 Do
Do completes the question. The present simple is the
correct form because Jake is asking Carly about something
she usually does as a habit in everyday life.

1 B  Correct. The man says our larger one [cup of coffee

is], $2.45.
A  The woman says she’ll take one of each and the man
replies that the total is $4.20.
C  The man says A small cup of coffee costs $1.75.
2 B  Correct. The woman asks Steve: Is that your cousin,
the boy in the T-shirt and jeans? Steve replies: That’s
right.
A  Steve says there’s … me in my new hat!
C  Steve’s cousin isn’t wearing a shirt or funny shorts.
3 B  Correct. The woman says her suitcase is much
bigger … and it’s square, not round.
A  The woman says her suitcase is much bigger.
C  The man asks if the small round one is the woman’s
suitcase, but she says hers is not round.
4 A  Correct. The woman says Katia is finishing her
homework at the moment.
B  The woman says Katia is going to cycle to her friend’s
house after dinner. She isn’t cycling now.
C  The woman says Katia played very well in her tennis
match this afternoon. She isn’t playing now.
5 C  Correct. The woman says the disco is on Sunday this
time.
A  The woman says that the disco was on Friday night last
month.
B  The man says he has to stay at home next Saturday.


15 B  Correct. Richard says the Polish team is not as good as
the Spanish team we played last week!
A  Richard says they’re not as good as the Spanish team

we played last week!
C  Richard says they’re all students at the American
International School but they don’t have a school team.

Answer key

Part 4 p44
16 B  Correct. The boy answers: Yes, I am when the girl
asks: Are you going to his [Fred’s birthday] party?
A  The girl says: I don’t think we’ll have time when the boy
says they could watch a film before the party.
C  The girl wants to go shopping in the afternoon. She
wants to buy a present for Fred.
17 A  Correct. The teacher says: you can learn by reading
each other’s stories and asking questions about
anything that isn’t clear.
B  The teacher says: There’s plenty of time, so don’t hurry.
C  The teacher asks the students to answer each other’s
questions, not his questions.
18 C  Correct. George’s mum says: Your cousin can’t eat
that, remember. It made her feel ill the last time she ate it.
A  George’s mum says: Fruit and vegetables don’t make her
feel sick.
B  George asks: Shall I make her a carrot cake instead?
And his mum says: That’s a good idea.
19 C  Correct. The teacher says: After dinner tonight, we’d
like you to help make sandwiches. That’s for all of us to
take on tomorrow’s trip to a forest for our lunch.
A  The teacher says: Then there’s free time while the
teachers talk to the farmers about breakfast.

B  The teacher says: Please take turns to wash the dinner
dishes in the farmhouse.
20 B  Correct. The girl says: The photography was amazing.
A  The boy says: It was called Crazy Cookies. The girl says
that the name is interesting, but she watched a show
about bears.
C  The boy says: My mum and I laughed a lot during the
show, but this isn’t the programme the girl watched.

Part 5 p47
21



22


D
Angela You know Beth? …
Mum Yes.
Angela Well, she wants to study medicine at university.
G
Mum … What about Kit? He wants to be a builder like his
father, doesn’t he?
Angela He did, but he wants be a pilot now.
23 F
Mum ... and Laila? … What does she want to do?
Angela She wants to write for a newspaper.
24 E
Angela … And Robert … Guess what he wants to do – plan

how to build bridges!
Mum Well, that’s an interesting job, too.
25 H
Angela … Helen’s great at drawing and painting …
Mum But … ?
Angela She wants to teach young children in school.

Practice Test 2
Reading and Writing
Part 1 p54
1 A  Correct. The chess club is for anybody as all are
welcome there.
B  Chess club is not only for the people who can play
chess well, but also for beginners.
C  The chess club meets twice a week on Tuesday and
Thursday.

2 C  Correct. Swimmers can dive in the deep end when
there aren’t swimming lessons.
A  Lessons are for swimming, not diving.
B  The notice doesn’t say it’s dangerous to dive in the pool.
3 A  Correct. Svetlana is inviting Aleesha to a talk and
film about bats and butterflies.
B  The talk and film are at the library. Svetlana isn’t inviting
Aleesha to join the library.
C  Someone else will give the talk about bats and
butterflies.
4 C  Correct. Billy is looking for a tablet which has a large
memory.
A  Billy is looking for a tablet computer which must have a

keyboard.
B  Billy is looking for a tablet with a keyboard.
5 B  Correct. Kelly mustn’t forget she has a dentist’s
appointment after school.
A  Mum will pay Mr Day, not Kelly.
C  Dad says Kelly’s mum will meet her at the dentist.
6 B  Correct. Students who blog about their trip to the
museum may win up to £100.
A  Students should write about the Storybook Museum,
not a story.
C  Students have been to this museum: write about
yesterday’s visit.

Part 2 p56
7 B Astrid
Whose teacher asked the class to make a boat from
different things?
Astrid’s teacher told the class to make a model of a ship
using wood, plastic and metal.
8 C Kumiko
Whose class was interested when they heard about the
boat festival?
Kumiko’s class were really excited and stopped talking
when the headteacher told [them] about the school boat
festival.
9 A Elena
Whose teacher told the students why they had to make
boats?
Elena’s teacher explained that [they] had to make several
different boats to learn what makes boats float on water.

10 C Kumiko
Whose class wanted to make a present for their teacher?
Kumiko’s class decided to make a model of a Viking long
boat and give it to [their] English teacher because ... she’s
leaving.
11 B Astrid
Whose class recorded a video showing what they learned?
Astrid’s class had to make a short film that explained how
[they] made [their] model of a ship.
12 A Elena
Whose classmates built a boat that didn’t work?
Elena’s group made a sailing boat that sank in the school
swimming pool because there were holes in the wood.
13 C Kumiko
Whose classmates didn’t test their boat on the water?
Kumiko’s classmates didn’t want to sail it on the river in
case it sank!

Part 3 p58
14 B  Correct. The game will be in the shops on Monday,
which is less than a week and can be described as
‘soon’.
A  The game will be in the shops on Monday, i.e. it isn’t
already in the shops.
C  Peter’s company achieved success, but the game isn’t
successful yet because it isn’t in the shops.
15 B  Correct. Sally believes River Run is even better than
his last game, Underground, so Underground isn’t as
good as River Run.
A  She doesn’t mention which game is easier or more

difficult to play.
C  She says that Underground is great fun, but it doesn’t
mean that it’s more fun than River Run.

ANSWER KEY

Oxford Preparation & Practice for A2 Key
© Copyright Oxford University Press


Part 4 p60
19 the
We need to use the with superlative adjectives: the
most important.
We cannot use a because this does not make a superlative
form and it could mean any important food, not the most
important. We cannot use one because this would need
to be followed by of the and it could mean any important
food, not the most important.
20 where
We need a word that explains something about a place
(Asia), so where is correct.
We cannot use when because that explains something
about time. We cannot use how because that explains
something about the way someone does something.
21were
The past continuous form (were growing) is correct
because we are talking about something that
happened over a period of time in the past.
We need the plural form (were) not the singular (was)

because people means more than one person. We need a
past form (were growing) not a present form (are) as the
article describes something 5,000 years ago.
22started
We need a verb to indicate that rice was grown for the
first time so started is correct.
We cannot use decided as we need to use to grow, not
growing after the verb decide. We cannot use wanted as
it does not mean that the action took place, only that they
wanted to do it. It also needs to be followed by to grow.
Americans were starting to grow would be correct, but this
is not the sentence form in the text.
23There
There are is an expression to describe something that
exists or is true.
These and They would refer to something which has
already been introduced, but in this sentence the
information about the rice comes after the word these
or they.
24But
We use but to join two parts of a sentence that
contrast in some way. But is used at the start of the
sentence to emphasize the contrast.
And is used to link two similar ideas, but here the
information that follows is different from the previous facts.
So is used to introduce a result or consequence of what is
written before.

Part 5 p61
25 in

We use the preposition in with a town, city or part of a
country to describe where a place is.
26 as
We use as when we compare two things that are the
same, i.e. the same as you.

27 any
We use any after negative verbs (hasn’t got) and before
the object (brothers or sisters) of a sentence.
28 in
We use in to complete the phrase interested in which
means showing curiosity about something.
29 ’ve / have
The adverb already usually means before now and is
often used with the present perfect tense (to have + past
participle). It’s put between the two parts of the verb:
have already started.
30 at
We use the preposition at to give an exact time or place:
See you next week at Daniel’s party!

Part 6 p62
Below is a sample answer for Question 31 and some
comments on it. 
Model answer
Hi Jack,
I’d like to go to the new sports centre on Saturday. Come with
me! We could play tennis. The number 12 bus goes there so we
can catch that.
Matthew

(32 words)
Comments
All three points in the question are answered – the writer
says when he wants to go to the sports centre (on Saturday),
suggests what they can do there (play tennis) and tells
Jack how to travel there (on the number 12 bus). The text is
coherent and basic linking words and cohesive devices are
used (linking word so, demonstrative pronoun that). Everyday
vocabulary is used appropriately, e.g. catch the bus, and a
good range of grammar structures has been used: would like,
preposition of time on, imperative, could for suggestions.
There are no grammatical or spelling mistakes.

Part 7 p63
Below is a sample answer for Question 32 and some
comments on it.
Model answer
A Sunday picnic in the park
Last Sunday, it was sunny. First, Gianni put tennis rackets
and a ball in his rucksack while his parents packed bags with
picnic food and plates and glasses.
Then they went to the park together on foot and on their
bikes and scooter.
When they got to the park, Gianni’s family ate sandwiches,
took photos and played tennis.
(64 words)
Comments
This is a very good attempt at the task. All three pictures
of the story are described in a coherent sequence using
simple linkers such as First and Then, making the story easy

to comprehend. The use of tenses is varied and accurate
and shows mastery of some irregular past simple forms
(went, took) and the ability to use conjunctions (when). The
vocabulary is used accurately and shows mastery of some A2
Key words (picnic, rackets, packed, together, sandwiches).

Listening
Part 1 p64
1 C  Correct. The girl says her brother’s wearing jeans
today … and he’s carrying a sweater.
A  The girl says her brother is wearing jeans today and he’s
carrying a sweater but not wearing it.
B  The girl says her brother doesn’t like wearing trousers.
And he’s carrying a sweater but not wearing it.

ANSWER KEY

Oxford Preparation & Practice for A2 Key
© Copyright Oxford University Press

Answer key

16 C  Correct. It says Peter never dreamed of working with
computer games when he was younger so he didn’t
think or imagine he would ever have a job like the one
he has today.
A  He never dreamed or imagined he would have this type of
job therefore he wasn’t hoping for it.
B  He doesn’t mention if he liked playing computer games
or not.

17 C  Correct. His computer game Underground was very
popular in Japan last year.
A  The text only mentions Peter’s games are played all
over the world, including Asia, but we don’t know where
Underground was the most popular.
B  The game was very popular in Japan, but the text
doesn’t say that it was the most popular of all games.
18 A  Correct. The testers are young people in the town
who are invited to come and try the games.
B  The testers help Peter improve the existing games, not
make new games.
C  The text doesn’t mention Peter and his managers
testing the games.


Answer key

2 A  Correct. The mother says Michael has gone to bed
because he’s not feeling very well.
B  The boy asks where Michael is and says Michael was on
the computer earlier, but he isn’t there now.
C  The mother asks the boy to put his [Michael’s] bike back
in the garage. He’s left it in the garden. So he isn’t in the
garden now.
3 C  Correct. Susanna asks: What time does the film
begin? Is it 8.30? and Dan replies: That’s right.
A  Susanna suggests meeting at ten past eight outside the
cinema and the boy says that’s fine. This is not the time
that the film starts.
B  Dan says that the doors [at the cinema] open at a

quarter past eight.
4 B  Correct. The woman says: The fog’s so thick, you can’t
see more than about 50 metres.
A  The woman asks: When will the sun come back?, but the
man doesn’t know the answer, so we know there is no sun
now.
C  The man says: There isn’t even any wind. I wanted to go
windsurfing this afternoon.
5 A  Correct. The woman says her father is 60 on
Thursday.
B  The man asks: Why don’t you get one [a birthday
present] on Friday when you’re in town?
C  The woman’s mother wants to have a party for him [the
woman’s father] on June the 4th … next Saturday.

Part 2 p66
6 History
The show will be at the History Centre. I guess most of you
know where that is, but for those of you who don’t, it’s
behind the town hall.
7 August
The show is in July … sorry, I’ve got the wrong piece of paper
here … I mean the show will be on the 1st of August …
8 shoes
... you’ll see some casual but smart shirts and blouses …
and then in the second half of the show, shoes that are
fashionable and comfortable!
96
If you’re studying fashion, tickets are only £6 instead of the
normal price of £9. That’s good news for fashion students!

10 catalogue
The clothes in the fashion show won’t be on sale that day,
but you will be able to buy a catalogue of the show to take
home with you!

Part 3 p67
11 A  Correct. Tessa asks: The one [project] about
Australian music? Mum loves that. She’ll help me. Then
Robert replies: But it’s about African music!
B  Robert says it [the project] is about African music and
then Tessa says her favourite [music] is American rap!
C  Robert asks: Have you started the project for Mr Lee yet,
Tessa? Tessa asks: The one about Australian music? Then
Robert says it’s about African music.
12 C  Correct. Robert says: I heard something on the radio
[about the music] and made some notes.
A  Robert suggests: Maybe we should get a CD, too.
B  Tessa asks if Robert has got a book about it [the music].
But Robert replies: I haven’t read anything …
13 A  Correct. Tessa asks: When do we have to give the
project to Mr Lee? And Robert answers: On the last day
of the month …
B  Tessa says: That means we’ve only got seven days!
C  Robert says they must finish the project by the last day
of the month which is just before the holidays start.
14 C  Correct. When Tessa suggests working on the
project after lessons this afternoon, Robert says:
Tomorrow’s better and Tessa agrees: OK.
A  Robert says he’s got other homework tonight.
B  Tessa asks if they can work on the project together

after lessons this afternoon, but Robert says this is not
possible: Tomorrow’s better.

15 A  Correct. Robert says: drums are more exciting so let’s
write about those!  And Tessa agrees: OK.
B  Robert says drums are more exciting so let’s write about
those!
C  Robert says they can choose which instrument to write
about and says he likes classical piano music, but drums
are more exciting.

Part 4 p68
16 C  Correct. The girl says she prefers the songs on their
last album and they agree it was brilliant.
A  The boy says: It’s OK, but it isn’t amazing.
B  The guitar player wrote all of them, i.e. the songs on
their last album, not their new album.
17 B  Correct. The pilot tells passengers to wait for a bus
because all the gates are full.
A  The pilot tells passengers to collect your suitcase or
rucksack after they land.
C  The pilot tells them what to do after they arrive.
18 A  Correct. They had a lot of fun, but the girl fell over a
lot. The boy says: Getting down the hill was harder than
playing a whole football match!
B  The boy compares skiing to playing football, i.e. getting
down the hill, but he doesn’t mention watching a match at
a stadium.
C  The girl says she needs to get fit and wants to go to the
sports centre, but not that she went there at the weekend.

19 B  Correct. The zookeeper says that younger visitors
can help him give the penguins some fish.
A  The zookeeper says that food from the zoo’s
restaurants, e.g. burgers, should not be given to penguins.
C  The zookeeper mentions a toy penguin from the zoo
shop but doesn’t say he wants visitors to go there.
20 B  Correct. The girl says her mum wants a dark one.
A  The girl says her mum’s brown (hand)bag is too small
for her new tablet.
C  The man says the perfume is a bit expensive, not the
umbrella.

Part 5 p69
21


22


F
Dad Wow! What did David give you, Eve?
Eve These running shoes.
C
Eve … And Sandra gave me something healthier than
chocolates this time!
Dad What? That beautiful box of oranges?
Eve Yes …
23 B
Dad … What about Leo? Did he give you a present, too?
Eve Yes … he got me this game for the computer. I don’t

want it really.
24 E
Eve … look what Anna got me! It’s the book I needed for
science.
25 H
Dad And who gave you this? Was it William?
Eve Yes! It’s lovely, but I don’t ever wear a watch now …

Practice Test 3
Reading
Part 1 p72
1 C  Correct. People applying for this job must be
available (free) at weekends.
A  You can apply for this job by calling in to the café Coffee
Company.
B  You have to be available not experienced to get this
job. There’s no mention of previous experience.

ANSWER KEY

Oxford Preparation & Practice for A2 Key
© Copyright Oxford University Press




15

16




17


18

Part 2 p74
7 C Romeo
Who got some help with their hobby from a family
member?
He says: With my aunt’s help, I won a competition to
help get the clothes ready when a famous American
photographer came to take photos …
8 A  Liu Wei
Who had success with something they did for their
family?
He says: Last year, I made 100 cupcakes for my cousin’s
18th birthday party and everyone said they were delicious.
9 B Deepak
Who used their own money to get something they needed
to do their hobby?
He says: I’ve got my own camera now – I saved my pocket
money for a year to buy it.
10 C Romeo
Whose hobby could be what they choose to learn about in
the future?

He says: I love making clothes for me and my sisters so I
want to study fashion at college.
11 C Romeo
Whose hobby has allowed them to do some paid work?
He says: I won a competition to help get the clothes ready
when a famous American photographer came to take
photos of models wearing winter clothes. It was a really
interesting day and I could earn some money.
12 A  Liu Wei
Whose hobby sometimes costs them a lot of money?
He says: Cooking is only expensive if you buy unusual
food, … I did this and made a special dinner …
13 B Deepak
Whose hobby is sometimes hard to do well?
He says: I love taking photos of people playing sport – it’s
really difficult to catch them at the right moment.

Part 3 p76
14 B  Correct. They are friends now, but Georgia says: We
didn’t really know each other before we started playing
four months ago.
A  Georgia says she is in a band with two other girls from
school, but that that they didn’t really know each other
before [they] started playing four months ago.




C  She says they didn’t really know each other before
[they] started playing four months ago and [they’ve]

all been in other bands before, i.e. each of them started
playing music more than four months ago.
A  Correct. Georgia says: On Saturday afternoons, we
usually do different things than our friends from school.
… we give a concert in a large music shop in town.
B  She says: We really enjoy choosing what we’ll wear.
Sometimes we go shopping for something special a day
or two before we play. So they go shopping but not on
Saturdays.
C  She says: we usually do different things than our friends
from school.
B  Correct. She says that their families and classmates
have been to see them and also other people are
beginning to come to the shop just to listen to [them],
i.e. people that they don’t know.
A  Only their family and friends came earlier. She says:
When we started giving concerts, only our families came to
see us. But soon, our brothers and sisters started inviting
their friends … some classmates came to see us, she then
says that other people are beginning to come, i.e. not just
family and friends.
C  She doesn’t mention anything about the customers of
the music shop.
B  Correct. Georgia says: This summer we’re going to
play at our first open air rock concert.
A  She doesn’t mention her school holidays.
C  She says: we’re going to play at our first open air rock
concert, i.e. ‘play at’ not ‘go to’.
C  Correct. Georgia plays the guitar and she can also
play the keyboard, but she doesn’t like it. Annie plays

the guitar and keyboard.
A  Annie can play two instruments (the guitar and
keyboard), but she isn’t the only one. Georgia can play two
instruments, too.
B  Annie can play two instruments (the guitar and
keyboard), but Rachel can only play one instrument (the
drums).

Part 4 p78
19 it
In this sentence it means ice cream.
We cannot refer to ice cream as they. They is a plural
form. We cannot refer to ice cream as she. She refers to a
woman or girl.
20 that
This is a question that we can’t answer. We use that
when we’re talking about a thing or, sometimes, a
person.
We cannot use who to talk about a thing. Who is only used
for a person or people. We use when to talk about the
time or moment that something happens.
21making
We use the verb make when we create or construct
something, e.g. make ice cream, make a cake.
We use the verb do when talking about work or general
activities, e.g. do homework, do something. The verb like is
not an action that we can see people doing.
22 but
We use but to join two parts of a sentence that
contrast in some way.

We use so to introduce clauses of result or decision, e.g.
It was a difficult test, so I’m tired. We use or to join two
possibilities, e.g. Is ice cream or coffee popular in France?
23keep
We use the bare infinitive form after to when we use
infinitive of purpose to say why someone did something,
i.e. People used large pieces of ice from lakes to keep ice
cream cold.
24any
Americans eat more ice cream than any other
nationality means that there is no other nationality
that eats so much ice cream.
All refers to the whole quantity of a particular group, but
isn’t suitable in this context. Each refers to every one of
two or more people or things and can’t be used in this
context.

ANSWER KEY

Oxford Preparation & Practice for A2 Key
© Copyright Oxford University Press

Answer key

2 A  Correct. Jamie wants to know if he should learn
about rivers or lakes for tomorrow’s geography exam.
B  Jamie knows when the exam is, he says: tomorrow’s
geography exam.
C  Jamie doesn’t ask Cristina to help him find his notes.
3 B  Correct. David’s mum asks him to keep the noise

down because his sister has got a temperature.
A  David’s mum asks him to be quiet, but not to go
to sleep.
C  David’s sister isn’t feeling well (she’s got a temperature).
David isn’t sick.
4 C Correct. Dogs are welcome on this campsite.
A  The notice doesn’t say that this is a new campsite. It
isn’t on a farm as the farm shop is in the next village.
B  The campsite is only open from March till October, not
all year round.
5 B  Correct. The mobile phone is broken and doesn’t
work. Belinda can’t upload (her) music to it. She can’t
download anything either.
A  Belinda doesn’t say the mobile phone is the wrong
colour. It’s silver.
C  Belinda doesn’t say that the mobile phone hasn’t got
enough memory.
6 A  Correct. You can only go on the ride if you are at
least 1.5 metres tall, so smaller children aren’t allowed
to go on the ride.
B  Young children who are not 1.5 metres tall can’t go on
the ride, even with adults.
C  The notice says the ticket is free for families and not
that it costs extra to go on the Rainbow Ride.


Answer key

Part 5 p79
25 a

An article completes this phrase: It was a really long plane
journey.
26 than
After a comparative, we need than. More means the same
as longer in this sentence.
27 were
We need the verb to be in the past simple tense because
the visit to the Masai village happened in the past. The
verb must be plural because people is a plural noun.
28 and
The word too at the end of the sentence means that two
different things happened. We can use and to join these
two different activities together.
29 ’ll / will / shall
Charles is thinking about the future in this sentence. He is
predicting that he will / shall never forget this time.
30 I
Charles is talking about his personal experience, so I
completes the sentence: … the new friends that I made
there.

Part 6  p80
Below is a model answer for Question 31 and some
comments on it. 
Model answer
Hi Penny,
The beach party is on Silver Beach next to the car park there.
It’s easy to find. I’ll probably take the bus to get there. Bring
some snacks with you. See you on Friday!
David

(37 words)
Comments
All three points in the question are answered – David tells
Penny where the beach party is (on Silver Beach next to the
car park), how he will travel to the party (take the bus to get
there) and what she needs to bring (some snacks).
The text is coherent and basic linking words and cohesive
devices are used. Everyday vocabulary is used appropriately
(It’s easy to find, something to drink) and a good range of
grammar structures has been used (present simple for
scheduled events, prepositions of place, imperative). There are
no grammatical or spelling mistakes.

Part 7 p81
Below is a model answer for Question 32 and some
comments on it.
Model answer
Last week, Sarah and Tony played football at school. Tony fell
over when Sarah got the ball. Then, the students had lunch.
They ate rice and the teachers gave them water and some
fruit for dessert. At the end of the day, they said goodbye
and they went home.
(49 words)
Comments
All three pictures of the story are described and the reader
can easily understand the story. There is some use of time
phrases and linkers (Last week, Then and At the end of the
day) to show the connections between the pictures. The
vocabulary is varied and shows some ability to use A2 Key
words ( fall over, dessert, go home). The grammar is accurate

and shows the ability to use some irregular past simple forms
( fell, got, had, ate, gave, said, went). The answer is a bit
longer than the required length of at least 35 words (it has
49 words).

Listening
Part 1 p82
1 C  Correct. David says: I prefer this one. I’d like to learn
to ski next year. I think I’ll buy it.
A The woman says: this book about swimming is great,
too. Look at the photos! But David tells her that the sport
doesn’t interest him.
B The woman says: Look at this book, David. It’s about
sailing … but David says he prefers another book.
2 A  Correct. The girl says: I’d like this sweater … Have you
got a size 40?
B It’s the man that says he has that sweater in a size 42.
C The girl likes the sweater, but says: you’ve only got a size
44 here. So we know she doesn’t want size 44.
3 B  Correct. Robert says: now I’m reading that story for
my project.
A Emma says: I’ve got that DVD you wanted to watch.
Robert replies: Great! I’ll come round in about an hour.
C Robert says he wrote lots of emails earlier.
4 A  Correct. The man says: that other one’s only €2.75,
isn’t it? I’ll take that one, please.
B The woman says: That one’s €3.25 … . But the man
replies: But that other one’s only €2.75, isn’t it? I’ll take that
one, please.
C The woman says: our most popular [mineral water] costs

€3.95 … . But the man replies: But that other one’s only
€2.75 isn’t it? I’ll take that one, please.
5 C  Correct. Sophie tells her dad that she was reading
the magazine in bed last night. Then she says: I’ll go and
get it.
A Sophie tells her dad she’ll go and get the travel
magazine. Then her dad thanks her and says: I want to
take it with me to read on the train today.
B Sophie’s dad asks her if she’s seen the travel magazine.
He says: It was next to the TV. So we know it isn’t there
now.

Part 2 p84
6 weather
… if you visit us this month, you can see our latest
exhibition which is all about weather.
7 videos
… interviews with the weather experts and some interesting
videos and photos.
8 5th / fifth
... have lunch in our new cafe on the fifth floor.
9 4 / four
There should be four people in each team …
10 August
The quiz will be just before the new September term, in the
afternoon of August 30th.

Part 3 p85
11 A  Correct. Anna explains: We’re going to meet some
journalists – the ones that write the sports pages in the

newspaper … in their city office!
B  Paul says he hasn’t been in class because he’s been ill.
C  When Anna says they’re going to meet journalists who
write the sports pages, Paul asks: At the stadium? But the
girl replies: No!
12 B  Correct. Anna replies: I prefer travelling by bus or
coach because you can look at all the shops on the way. 
A  Anna says she prefers travelling by bus, but that the
underground is quicker and so they’ll travel that way.
C  Anna says she prefers travelling by bus or coach, but
that the underground is quicker and so they’ll travel that
way.
13 C  Correct. Anna says: I’ll be at the school gates at
about 8.20 … but we don’t have to be there until half
past.
A  Anna says she doesn’t mind waiting outside [the school
gates] for ten minutes.
B  Anna says she’ll be at the school gates at about 8.20 … .

ANSWER KEY

Oxford Preparation & Practice for A2 Key
© Copyright Oxford University Press


14 C  Correct. Anna tells Paul: Mr Fox said we should bring
our mobiles.
A  Anna says she might take a raincoat, but that’s her
own choice.
B  Paul asks if they have to take their project work, but

Anna replies: No.
15 B  Correct. Anna tells Paul they have to pay Mr Fox
£8.25. That includes lunch which is £5.75.
A  Anna explains the cost of the lunch is £5.75.
C  Anna says: we have to pay Mr Fox £8.25 … I’m going to
take one pound extra.

Part 4 p86

Part 5 p87
21B
Daughter On Monday, you need to go and get our tickets.
Peter Tickets for what? …
Daughter No! The plane tickets for our summer holiday!
22 H
Peter … And on Tuesday I want to go and get a new table
for you to study on.
23G
Daughter … we can go to the supermarket, too.
Peter Wednesday will be better for that … What do you
want to get?
Daughter Oh … just some fruit and snacks to take to
school.
24 C
Daughter … And what about Friday?
Peter … I want to fix my bike that evening …
25 F
Peter And on Sunday, I’ve got to call Bill about the game at
the end of the month.
Daughter The hockey game?

Peter Yes, that’s right.

Reading
Part 1 p90
1 C  Correct. You can buy tea and cold drinks, but there’s
no mention of coffee.
A  Tea and cold drinks are sold on this train. Tea is a hot
drink.
B  You can buy something to eat because sandwiches and
other snacks are available.
2 C  Correct. Sue suggests: Shall we buy a gift for her
[Tina] first?
A  Sue wants to buy Tina a birthday present, not Jill.
B  Sue only asks if Jill is going to Tina’s party, she isn’t
inviting her.
3 A  Correct. Groups can get a special group discount at
the theatre box office.
B  You can get discounts for groups at the box office. It
doesn’t say you can’t buy tickets in other places, too.
C  It doesn’t say that groups should collect their tickets
from the theatre box office.
4 B  Correct. Trains may be late on Saturday as delays are
possible while the railway is repaired.
A  Trains will still run on Saturday, but they may be delayed
by the railway repairs.
C  Repairs are being made to the railway line, not to the
trains.
5 B  Correct. Ben wants to go to the rock concert with
Tom. He asks: Can I go to the rock concert at the City
Hall tomorrow with Tom?

A  Tom’s dad can give Ben and Tom a lift home after the
concert.
C  Ben wants to go to the rock concert, not play in it.
6 C  Correct. The advertiser is looking for new or nearly
new ski boots and a ski suit.
A  The advertiser is looking for ski boots and a ski suit for
a teenager.
B  The advertiser says they will pay cash.

Part 2 p92
7 C Jenny
Whose food was popular with other students?
We also used vegetables from the school garden to make
steak with vegetable salad for the class below us and
everyone said it was fantastic.
8 B Eva
Whose class learned about the cooking competition from
a TV programme?
Our class teacher heard about the cooking competition on
the local TV news and told us about it.
9 C Jenny
Whose class baked cakes and gave them away?
We won third prize for our cakes and took them to a home
for old people near our school.
10 B Eva
Whose class won a trip in the cooking competition?
Our prize is a visit to the kitchens of a famous restaurant in
our city – Gigi’s.
11 A Alice
Whose class got some help from someone who works in a

restaurant?
Our teacher is married to a chef who helped us with our
main course.
12 C Jenny
Whose class used food grown in the school to make lunch
for another class?
We also used vegetables from the school garden to make
steak with vegetable salad …
13 A Alice
Whose class plans to use their cakes to make money?
We’re planning to bake some cakes tomorrow and sell
them. We want to get enough money to pay for a school
trip.

ANSWER KEY

Oxford Preparation & Practice for A2 Key
© Copyright Oxford University Press

Answer key

16 C  Correct. Andy answers No when his mum asks if he’s
eaten anything. He’ s got a stomach-ache and isn’t
hungry.
A  Andy wants to ask Harry what homework he has to
catch up on. He hasn’t forgotten to do his homework.
B  Andy’s mum is going to book a doctor’s appointment
this morning. He hasn’t missed a doctor’s appointment.
17 A  Correct. The girl asks her dad: … have you seen my
English homework?

B  The girl’s project folder is in the dog’s bed, but it hasn’t
eaten it.
C  The girl has done her homework for today. She says: My
teacher will be angry if I don’t take it to school.
18 B  Correct. They can see the latest information about
the flight departure on the message boards.
A  They shouldn’t ask staff at the check-in desks as staff
there are very busy.
C  They shouldn’t go to the gate before they’ve seen the
information about their flight’s departure time on the
message boards.
19 C  Correct. He wants to check the lamp. He says: Oh, it’s
a lamp. Let’s switch it on.
A  He sounds excited when he thinks it’s a computer game
because he’d like the new Race to the Stars game.
B  His mum, not the boy, says it’s something more useful
than a computer game.
20 C  Correct. He says: Unfortunately, I went the wrong
way down a one-way street so I have to take it again.
A  He didn’t hit a cat but nearly hit it and had to stop
suddenly.
B  He didn’t drive through a red light but almost did this.

Practice Test 4


Answer key

Part 3 p94
14 B Correct. Buddy and his brother, Rusty, … were both

born on 15 June 2013 …
A  We know that they have lived ... at London Nature
Centre since 2015, but the text doesn’t say where they
lived before that. We know that wild red pandas live in
India, China and other Asian countries.
C  The text doesn’t mention any more pandas. Buddy and
Rusty live in their own cage at London Nature Centre,
which means there are only two of them in the cage.
15 C Correct. There are over 50 bamboo plants growing at
the Nature Centre for the pandas.
A  The Nature Centre doesn’t have to buy special food
because there are over 50 bamboo plants growing at the
Nature Centre for the pandas [to eat].
B  The red pandas have to eat special food called ‘bamboo’,
so they don’t eat different types of food.
16 A Correct. Buddy got out of the Nature Centre. It took
four days for the workers of the Nature Centre to find
him!
B  Buddy stayed close to home so he wasn’t lost far away
from the Nature Centre.
C  We know that Buddy got out of the Nature Centre, i.e. it
was only Buddy, without Rusty.
17 C Correct. Trudy’s father, Mr Andrews, told her that
birds … [will] make a lot of noise to keep the panda
away. He told her to look for Buddy up in the trees. And
then Trudy found Buddy, just like her father explained.
A  Trudy heard some birds and looked up and saw Buddy
there, i.e. Mr Andrews didn’t find him.
B  It was Mr Andrews’s daughter who worked for the
Nature Centre, not Mr Andrews. One of the people who

worked at the Nature Centre and who went to look for
Buddy was Trudy Andrews.
18 C  Correct. Rusty happily shared some bamboo with his
brother, so they had a meal together.
A  Buddy didn’t give any food to Rusty. It was Rusty who
shared some bamboo with his brother.
B  Rusty was very happy. Everyone was very happy when
Buddy arrived back safely, especially Rusty!

Part 4 p96
19


20


from
The correct expression is to come from a country.
We cannot say someone comes of or for a country.
many
Many goes with plural nouns. The expression for many
years is another way of saying for a long time.
A lot must be followed by of, e.g. for a lot of years. Much is
used with uncountable nouns, e.g. We haven’t had much
rain this month.
21 him
We know that Shammi is a man because we read earlier
about his family. Therefore him is the correct pronoun.
We can only use it to talk about objects or animals. We
can only use them as a plural pronoun and not to describe

one person (Shammi).
22since
We use since with the present perfect and a point in
time (1997).
We use during to mean from the beginning to the end
of a period of time so during 1997 would mean from the
beginning to the end of 1997. The present perfect cannot
be used with during. We use in to mean at some point in
that period of time so in 1997 would mean at some point
in 1997. The present perfect cannot be used with in.
23all
The correct expression is all the colours.
Some cannot be followed by the. We would need to add
of to make the correct form: some of the … . Every is used
with singular nouns and cannot be followed by the.

24then
We use then to show the order of activities: First,
Shammi breaks the plants into small pieces and then
[he] washes them …
We cannot use after because it would have to be followed
by that to make sense. We cannot use first because it’s
used to denote the first step in a sequence, e.g. First,
Shammi breaks the plants into small pieces.

Part 5 p97
25

26

27

28

29

30


at
You arrive at a time. Remember the two a’s: arrive at!
was
The journey has finished now so this verb needs to be in
the past simple. The following verb (passed) is also the
past simple because it describes the journey that has now
finished.
there
The correct grammatical term is there were a lot of people
because this is the past simple of there are. A common
mistake is to say they were a lot of people.
When
Polly says she hopes Beth will come and visit soon. We
need when to show how soon (next month) Beth will visit.
your
Polly is asking Beth about Beth’s parents, so the pronoun
your is needed to show whose parents are being
discussed.
what
A direct question asks What is your new address? But the

email has an indirect question which has a different word
order and is more polite: Can you tell me what your new
address is, please?

Part 6  p98
Below is a model answer for Question 31 and some
comments on it. 
Model answer
Hi Sam,
Why don’t we go to the park by the river on Saturday
afternoon? We can play football there. Can you bring a ball
with you?
See you on Saturday!
Jon
(32 words)
Comments
All three points in the question are answered – the writer
suggests where to go (to the park by the river), what he wants
to do there (play football) and what Sam should bring (a ball).
The text is coherent and basic linking words and cohesive
devices are used. Everyday vocabulary is used appropriately
(by the river, play football, bring a ball) and a good range of
grammar structures has been used (Why don’t we … for making
suggestions, prepositions of place and time, can for possibility
and requests). There are no grammatical or spelling mistakes.

Part 7 p99
Below is a model answer for Question 32 and some
comments on it.
Model answer

Last week, Laura and Jim were in the park when they saw a lady’s
handbag on the ground. Next to it was a purse with some money
and credit cards in it. They took the bag and the purse to the
police. The police officer thanked them and they went home.
(51 words)
Comments
All three pictures of the story are described and the reader
can easily understand the story. There is some use of time
phrases and linkers (Last week) to show the connections
between the pictures. The vocabulary is varied and shows the
ability to use a range of A2 Key words (handbag, purse, credit
cards, police, police officer). The grammar is accurate and
shows the ability to use some past tenses (past simple) and
some irregular forms (were, saw, took, told).

ANSWER KEY

Oxford Preparation & Practice for A2 Key
© Copyright Oxford University Press


Listening
Part 1 p100

Part 2 p102
6 Science
Every year, we visit a museum. Last year we went to a
history museum, but this year it’s the Science Museum in
London.
7 Thursday

We’re going next Thursday, so please ask your parents to
fill in the travel form and return it to me on Monday, at the
latest.
8 train
The school bus isn’t big enough, so we’re going by train.
95
… you just have to pay £5 for travel …
10 raincoat / raincoats
But we need to walk to the museum from the station so
remember to bring your raincoat because it may be a
wet day.

Part 3 p103
11 B  Correct. Holly says: … the new one [book], ‘The
Hungry Hills’, sounds really good.
A  Holly says the new one, ‘The Hungry Hills’, sounds really
good. I think it’s going to be even better than ‘Night Fog’!
C  Holly says: HT Morgan’s new book is in the shops next
week! Brad replies: Really? I’ve just read an old book of
hers, ‘Wild Wood’.

Part 4 p104
16 C  Correct. The boy says: I can show you my notes.
A  The boy doesn’t say he will go to the dentist with
the girl. We only know that the girl went to the dentist
yesterday.
B  The boy doesn’t say he will help the girl with her
chemistry homework.
17 B  Correct. The teacher says the students should
remember to check [their] spelling and grammar.

A  Students will write a story in tomorrow’s exam.
C  The teacher refers to answering the questions but not
as something the students should remember to do.
18 C  Correct. The boy says: I went to the fair in the city.
A  The boy says he’s playing football in the park tomorrow.
B  The girl says she will ask if her friend Claire can go to
the fair after her tennis lesson.
19 A  Correct. The woman says: Can you help me with my
car? It’s really dirty and it could do with a wash.
B  The woman says she needs the car by six o’clock as
she’s going to the sports centre then.
C  The woman agrees to pay the boy some money for
cleaning her car.
20 C  Correct. The girl says: I’ll tell Sam to meet me there,
meaning at the train station by the shopping centre.
A  The girl originally planned to meet her friend at the
cinema but changes this when she speaks to her dad.
B  The girl’s father has got to go to the sports centre to
pick up the girl’s brother.

Part 5 p105
21

22


B
Fred … this is from Helen. I love all the chickens.
F
Fred A friend called Evan. He went on a walking holiday.

Look how high it is! You can even see snow on the top!
23 H
Mum … I’m guessing that Jasmine sent you this one from
the zoo!
Fred That’s right! I asked her for a postcard of some fish,
but she sent this one of a tiger instead.
24 C
Mum And this one’s from Billy, is it?
Fred Yes, he loves castles. The one on this postcard is on
the top of a hill …
25 G
Fred It’s from Julia, She went flying in this, but it was really
small. She said there were only 12 other passengers!

ANSWER KEY

Oxford Preparation & Practice for A2 Key
© Copyright Oxford University Press

Answer key

1 B  Correct. The woman says: I’ve just been for a
beautiful walk by the river. Then the man says: I’m going
to go there on my bike on Sunday.
A  The man says: There are always lots of people fishing on
Saturday and Sunday.
C  The woman says she like[s] the boats, but the man says
he prefers to be near the river, not on it!
2 B  Correct. The mother says: You did your homework in
the dining room. Have you looked in there? Then the girl

sees her bag in the dining room and answers: Oh yeah,
there it is, on the back of the chair.
A  The girl says: I took it [her bag] out of the car and up to
my bedroom ... then I needed it for my homework.
C  The girl took her bag up to [her] bedroom but then
needed it for [her] homework which she did in the dining
room.
3 A  Correct. The man asks: Shall I make a salad? and the
woman answers: Good idea.
B  The man says: What about the cakes we bought? and
the woman answers: Let’s put them in the fridge. We can
have those tomorrow.
C  The woman says she hasn’t got time to make soup.
4 C  Correct. The man says he’s having coffee with Rachel
… at the new café and suggests: Why don’t you come
there? The woman says OK!
A  The woman suggests meeting at seven outside the
cinema, but the man is having coffee with Rachel then.
They agree to meet at the café and then go and see the
film afterwards.
B  The man says: You’re coming by bus so shall I meet you
at the bus stop? But the woman says You don’t have to do
that.
5 B  Correct. The girl says: So you spent all night watching
TV. Wow, you’re lucky! The boy says that only one
programme was interesting.
A  The girl says: Did you spend all evening doing your
homework? I did. It was so difficult! But the boy replies: My
class didn’t get any homework last night!
C  The boy says there was only one interesting programme

on TV which was about computer games from Japan, but
he didn’t play computer games.

12 A  Correct. Holly says: The shops will have it [the new
book] on Tuesday.
B  Holly says she will buy the book on Friday.
C  Holly says she was reading about it in the newspaper on
Saturday.
13 B  Correct. Holly says: … you can get this [book] for only
nine [pounds] at City Books.
A  Brad says: Books are so expensive ... the last one I
bought cost £8!
C Holly says: Most good books cost more than £10, I think …
14 C  Correct. Holly tells Brad to turn left into Great Street.
It’s down there on the right.
A  Holly tells Brad: If you go there by bus, get off at the
corner of High Street and turn left into Great Street.
B  Holly tells Brad the shop is just behind West Street.
15 B  Correct. Brad says: What a good idea!
A  Brad says: What? Like a pen? That’s not very useful. He is
talking about the pen, not the CD.
C  Holly says: It looks colourful on the poster, but it’s just
a silver CD. Brad doesn’t mention anything about the CD’s
appearance.


Practice Test 5

Part 3 p112

1 C  Correct. The ad is asking for waiters for Jay’s
Restaurant.
A  The ad is asking for people who can work as waiters
during the evening in the week and at weekends.
B  The ad is asking for waiters, not kitchen staff.
2 B  Correct. Tim says: Let me know.
A  The film is on at the cinema on London Road, but Tim
doesn’t ask Jake to go there.
C  Tim has got tickets for the film so Jake doesn’t need to
buy any tickets.
3 C  Correct. Cars can use this road after 6.00 p.m. and
before 7.00 a.m.
A  You can’t drive a car on this road during the day.
B  Cyclists can use this road during the day.
4 A  Correct. Students not going on the trip should come
to school as normal.
B  The notice doesn’t say that students have to decide
today.
C  The notice doesn’t say that students must come to
school first if they’re going on the trip.
5 C  Correct. Kate wants Linda to help her study for
tomorrow’s biology test.
A  Kate hasn’t forgotten that she has a biology lesson
tomorrow.
B  Kate doesn’t ask Linda to help her find her notes.
6 B Correct. Buy tickets on the school website and collect
them from the office.
A  The notice doesn’t say that you should let the office
know if you are planning to buy tickets.
C  The notice doesn’t say that you should check the website

for information about when tickets will be available.

14 B  Correct. Rebecca’s father was an environmentalist …
and she and her mother often went on trips with him,
travelling to Africa
A  She went to the local zoo with her grandparents.
C  She and her mother often went on trips to Africa with
her father, so Rebecca went with both her mother and her
father.
15 B Correct. While she was in Asia, filming the
documentary, she met her future husband, Ray. He was
one of the cameramen on the programme.
A  Although Rebecca began her career at a wildlife centre
in Zambia [in Africa], she didn’t meet Ray there.
C  Ray was one of the cameramen on the programme, i.e.
not a presenter.
16 A  Correct. Rebecca has worked in Asia and Africa, and
she and Ray are now planning to take their very first trip
to South America so they haven’t been there yet.
B  Rebecca has travelled and worked all over Africa and
Asia. The text doesn’t say that she did it with Ray.
C  Rebecca began her career at a wildlife centre in Zambia,
but she didn’t meet Ray until later.
17 C  Correct. Rebecca is interested in giving people
information about the mountain lions and how to
protect them.
A  She’d like to show what the mountain lions eat, and not
how to feed them.
B  She’d like to show where the mountain lions live, and
not how to live next to them.

18 B  Correct. Rebecca would like to write a book about
her work and her life one day, which means her aim is to
become an author.
A  She wants to make other people think about the
amazing animals that are in danger.
C  She wants to show that people can help animals that
are in danger even if they never travel to the places where
those animals live.

Part 2 p110

Part 4 p114

Reading

Answer key

Part 1 p108

7 A Esteban
Whose account tells us about who lived in this place?
There has been a castle there since the 9th century,
although it is only since the 13th century that kings have
lived there.
8 B George
Who goes to their favourite place with someone else?
My favourite place in my town is the sports centre. I go
there every weekend to play tennis with my cousin.
9 C Michele
Whose city is well known for one building?

Most tourists want to take photos of the tower because the
city is famous for it …
10 A Esteban
Whose favourite place has a lot of tourists that visit it?
The best time to visit is first thing in the morning or in the
late evening, as the castle gets very busy with tour groups
during the day.
11 C Michele
Whose favourite place has a lot of beautiful things to look
at inside it?
It has paintings from the 15th century that are very
beautiful and sculptures, too.
12 B George
Who prefers the outdoor facilities at their favourite place?
In the summer when it’s hot I like to go swimming in the
outdoor pool, but my cousin prefers the indoor pool as it’s
bigger.
13 C Michele
Whose favourite place is quiet?
Not many tourists go to the museum so it is always
peaceful there.

19 than
We need than to complete the expression more than,
which shows that something is greater than a figure
given.
As is used in the comparative form as … as, which shows
that two things are equal in some way. We cannot use
as after more. Like can be used to compare things that
are similar. However, the sharks are not being compared

to anything in this sentence, so we cannot use like after
more in this context.
20 eat
We use the present simple for things which are
generally true. As great whites is plural, we need to use
the 3rd person plural form eat here.
Eats is the 3rd person singular form of the verb to eat.
The 3rd person plural form is needed after the plural great
whites. Ate is the past simple form of the verb to eat. It’s
incorrect here because the sentence describes something
that is generally true, so we need the present simple.
21 also
The purpose of the missing word is to provide more
information about what was said in the previous
sentence. We need to use also here, as it’s the
only word in the list that can introduce additional
information and be used in this position in the
sentence.
The adverb well cannot be used to provide further
information unless it’s being used as part of the
expression as well. We can use too to show that further
information is being provided, but it cannot be used at this
point in the sentence.
22world
The expression all over the world means in many
different places.
An island is a piece of land surrounded by water and so
cannot be used here as sharks live in the sea. Seas and
oceans are large bodies of water that exist between
countries, not part of a country.

ANSWER KEY

Oxford Preparation & Practice for A2 Key
© Copyright Oxford University Press


looked at a map first. It was very hot when they went up
the mountain and they were very tired. At the top, they sat
outside the café and drank cold juice.
(53 words)

Part 5 p115

Listening

25 well
The word well completes the expression as well, which is
used to add additional information to a sentence. In this
case, the sentence starts by describing the hotel. The
additional information is about the quality of the food at
the hotel.
26 went
Yesterday suggests that a past simple form is needed here.
The past simple form went goes before on to complete
the phrase went on a trip. We use go on when talking
about going on a trip or similar activity.
27 in
In or under are both correct here. We normally use in
when talking about swimming in a pool, but if we’re talking

about the sea then under is possible as well.
28 were
The past simple form of to be is needed here because the
sentence is talking about something that happened in the
past. The verb also needs to agree with the plural noun
people, so the correct past simple form is were.
29 are
We need the plural form of to be (are) to complete the
structure be going to.
30 ’ll / will
We use ’ll (will) to express a promise. In this case, the
writer is promising to phone her friend when she gets
back from her holiday.

Part 1 p118

Part 6  p116
Below is a model answer for Question 31 and some
comments on it. 
Model answer
Hi Tom!
Thank you for your postcard. Canada looks beautiful. What is
the name of your city? Do you like it? What is it like? I’m planning
to visit you soon. Will you be free during the winter holidays?
Write soon,
Henri
(42 words)
Comments
All three points in the question are answered: the writer asks
where Tom lives (What is the name of your city?), he asks what

it is like there (Do you like it? What is it like?) and asks about
the visit (I’m planning to visit.)
The text is coherent and basic linking words and cohesive
devices are used. Everyday vocabulary is used appropriately
(looks beautiful, be free during the winter holidays) and a good
range of grammar structures has been used (present simple,
prepositions of time, adjectives and possessive adjectives).
There are no grammatical or spelling mistakes.

Part 7 p117
Below is a model answer for Question 32 and some
comments on it.
Model answer
Last weekend, Paul’s family went to the mountains. Paul and
his mum walked very quickly, but Paul’s sister and his Dad

Comments
All three pictures of the story are described and the reader
can easily understand the story. There is some use of time
phrases and linkers (Last weekend) to show the connections
between the pictures. The vocabulary is varied and shows
the ability to use a range of A2 Key words (mountains, map,
cold juice). The grammar is accurate and shows the ability to
use some past tenses (past simple) and some irregular forms
(went, sat, drank).

1 C  Correct. The man says that it’s going to be very windy.
A  The woman says the weather’s lovely right now, but the
man says it’s going to be cold tomorrow.
B  The woman asks: Is it going to rain? The man replies No.

2 A  Correct. The speakers discuss several pieces of
clothing, but the woman says: I prefer the jeans, which
means that she likes them best.
B  The man asks: what about this skirt? However, the
woman says that she prefers something else.
C  The woman says she’s not keen on the colour of the
dress, so she doesn’t like it best.
3 A  Correct. At first the man says: he can’t go to the
cinema on Saturday. He says I need to go shopping.
However, after the woman suggests that he can go
shopping this evening after work, the man agrees to go
to the cinema on Saturday. He says: All right, then. I’ll
come with you on Saturday.
B  The man says: It’s my sister’s birthday, but he doesn’t
say exactly when and doesn’t mention a party.
C  When the woman asks him to go to the cinema on
Saturday, the man says: I need to go shopping. However, he
later agrees to go shopping this evening after work.
4 B  Correct. The woman says that the man she’s looking
at has got a beard and fair hair, and the man says: Oh,
that’s my cousin, Jake.
A  The woman says that the man she’s looking at hasn’t
got glasses so this can’t be the man’s cousin.
C  The woman says that the man she’s looking at has got a
beard, but she doesn’t say that he has got dark hair.
5 B  Correct. The man asks: Was the meeting at 9.00? The
woman replies Yes.
A  The woman says: I usually get the eight o’clock train.
This was not the time of the meeting.
C  The woman says: I arrived at half past, but she was late

for the meeting. Half past nine was not the time of the
meeting.

Part 2 p120
6 forty-five/45
I’m your guide and I’d like to tell you something about the
tour. It will last 45 minutes.
7 garden
There is then a 20-minute talk about the history of the
house. It’s a beautiful day, so this will be in the garden next
to the lake.
8 cakes
After the talk, you may want to go to the café. You can buy
hot and cold drinks there, and also sandwiches and cakes.
9five/5
You will find postcards, books and souvenirs in the gift
shop. It closes at five o’clock.
10 students
There is a special offer in August. Tickets are usually £5 for
students, but they will only be £3.50.

ANSWER KEY

Oxford Preparation & Practice for A2 Key
© Copyright Oxford University Press

Answer key

23 believe
The verb believe means the same as think, i.e. people

think something is true, but it may or may not be true.
We cannot use tell without an object to say who the people
are telling this to. In this case, the verb say is possible. Afraid
is an adjective and needs a verb such as be or feel. We
could say Many people are afraid that/because.
24 because
The first half of this sentence provides a fact and
the second half of the sentence provides a reason or
explanation for that fact. We need because here to
introduce a reason or explanation.
We use but to contrast ideas, not to introduce a reason
for something. We use during to talk about a period of
time, not to introduce a reason for something.


Answer key

Part 3 p121
11 C  Correct. Megan says: You have to be between 13 and
16 to enter, i.e. you cannot enter if you are over 16.
A  Megan says that you have to be between 13 and 16. You
can be under 14 because 13 is the youngest age you can
be to enter the competition.
B  Megan says you’re 14, so that’s all right, meaning that it
is OK to enter the competition if you are 14. However, she
doesn’t say that you cannot be over 14.
12 B  Correct. Ben asks: When’s the closing date? Megan
replies: The 10th of March.
A  Ben says it’s the 8th today! This is not the closing date.
C  Megan says: You will know if you are the winner on the

18th of March. This is not the closing date.
13 C  Correct. Ben says: It’s a great opportunity. I am not
sure I would make it to the final selection, but I love
writing stories so I am happy to do it.
A  Ben says: I am happy to do it.
B  When Megan says: you’ve only got two days, he doesn’t
say he won’t have enough time.
14 A  Correct. Ben asks where the office is in and Megan
replies: It’s at 10 King’s Street.
B  Megan tells Ben that he must Go down Green Road, but
this isn’t where the office is.
C  Megan tells Ben to turn left into Jessie Street, but this
isn’t where the office is.
15 C  Correct. Megan says that for the prize you get two
weeks in a hotel and one week travelling around the
Rocky Mountains, i.e. three weeks in total.
A  The holiday includes one week travelling around the
Rocky Mountains, but this isn’t the full holiday.
B  The holiday includes two weeks in a hotel, but this isn’t
the full holiday.

Part 4 p122
16 B Correct. Now, I’m going to take you to the most
historical part of the castle. This part dates back to the
year 984 when there was a wooden castle here.
A  The tour guide shows the tourists the oldest part of the
castle.
C  The tour guide doesn’t say which is the scariest part of
the castle.
17 A  Correct. The girl says: we have to ask someone old

what it was like in our town 50 years ago.
B  They don’t have to prepare a presentation about the
past until next week.
C  They don’t have to write a story about their town in the
past.
18 C  Correct. The boy has done next week’s homework.
A  The boy has done the wrong homework, so he’s done
some homework.
B  The boy hasn’t copied his friend’s homework.
19 A  Correct. The girl should help [her dad] make a camp
fire.
B  The girl has already helped to make the beds.
C  The man tells the girl to wash the tea cups later: you
can do that after dinner.
20 A Correct. They’re just by the computers.
B  The woman says: there are also lots a lot of books on
local history. ... there’s a special shelf for them. However, it’s
not a history shelf.
C  The boy wants the woman to recommend some websites,
but she says that books are better than the Internet.

Part 5 p123
21

22




23

E
Max  Well, Luke loves water sports and he does sailing.
A
Lisa  … Does Tom do that, too?
Max No, he prefers team games.
Lisa  Is he in the football club, then?
Max No, he’s a really good basketball player.
B
Lisa  … Jack’s tall, too. What does he do?
Max  Well, he isn’t very sporty, but he likes painting so he
does art.

24 G
Lisa  What about the girls?
Max  Helen wanted to do art, but then she decided to join
the photography club.
25 D
Lisa  And what about Tess?
Max  She loves films.
Lisa  So, she’s in the film club?
Max  That’s right.

Practice Test 6
Reading
Part 1 p126
1 B  Correct. The notice says you must be able to run over
100 metres.

A  The races in this competition are for runners who can
run over 100 metres.
C  The notice doesn’t say how long the races will be.
2 B  Correct. Harry says: Let me know.
A  Harry is inviting Ben, not asking Ben to invite friends to
join them.
C  Harry doesn’t say Ben should tell Colin where the sports
centre is.
3 A  Correct. The seller is selling a digital camera with
camera stand to put the camera on.
B  The seller says the camera is perfect for family photos,
but doesn’t offer to take family photos.
C  The seller doesn’t say that he/she wants a new camera.
4 C  Correct. The notice says: Go slow when passing.
A  The notice only says that drivers should be careful
because of animals crossing the road.
B  The notice doesn’t say that drivers should avoid the
road. They should only go slow.
5 C  Correct. Kate’s mum asks her to put the dish back in
the oven.
A  Kate’s mum doesn’t want her to make dinner, just warm
it in the oven.
B  Kate’s mum won’t be home in time to put dinner in the
oven.
6 A  Correct. Students should be quiet and not talk as
this room is being used for exams today.
B  Only Mrs Tate’s chemistry class have to go to a
chemistry class.
C  The notice doesn’t say there is an exam in room 10B.

Part 2 p128
7


8


9


10


11


12


13



A Helena
Who wants to work in the same field later in life?
When I’m older, I’d like to have my own café.
B Katja
Who likes to have a lot to do at work?
It’s often very busy at work so the time goes quickly. I prefer
it when I’m busy.

C Paula
Who helps people make decisions at work?
We sometimes get people asking what to buy for their
family – I like giving them ideas.
A Helena
Who works only at the weekend?
I work there every Saturday.
B Katja
Who prefers to work on Saturdays?
Saturdays are the best day for me to work so I can go out
with my friends after work and have a rest the day after.
C Paula
Who has worked in their job for the longest time?
I’ve worked there for two years.
C Paula
Who works more in the summer?
I work on Saturdays, but in the summer holidays I work on
some days during the week as well.

ANSWER KEY

Oxford Preparation & Practice for A2 Key
© Copyright Oxford University Press


Part 3 p130



Part 4 p132

19 both
Both is used to show that there are two people or
things which are the same in some way: in this case,
two parents who are artists.
Two is used for counting people or things and not to
show that two things are the same in some way. Pair is
part of the expression a pair of, which we normally use
to describe two things that are exactly the same, not two
people who are the same in some way.
20 who
We use who to explain something about a person: in this
case, we are giving information about Jessica’s sister.
When is incorrect because we use it to explain something
about a period of time. We cannot use what to explain
something about a person.
21 at
We use at to complete the phrase to be good at
something.
For and by cannot be used to complete the phrase.
22 them
We use them to mean the violin and the piano instead
of repeating those words.
They is used to describe the subject of the verb, and the
violin and the piano are the objects of the verb here. We
use their to explain who something belongs to. Here we
aren’t talking about belonging.
23 around
We use around to show that Jessica travelled to
different places in Europe.
Between is used to describe travel from one place to a

different place. But Europe is one place, so between is not
possible here. From describes where something starts, not
where someone travels to.
24 forget
When something is so good that we want to keep the
memory of it, we often say that we will never forget it,
i.e. we will always remember it.

Remember is the opposite of forget, so we wouldn’t say we
will never remember an event that was very important to us.
We use lose to say we are unable to find something. In this
case, we cannot say we will never lose it because ‘it’ is a
memory, not something physical.

Part 5 p133
25 for / in
For completes the expression for a long time, which we
use to describe a period of time which began in the past.
It’s often used with the present perfect tense. In American
English you can also say in a long time.
26 went
The past simple is needed because Tom is writing about
something that happened last weekend. You go to a party
so we need the past simple of go, which is went.
27 Do
Do completes the question Do you remember. The present
simple is the correct form because Tom is asking a general
question about the present time.
28 got
Got is part of the expression have got, which shows

possession.
29 me
Me is an object pronoun which refers to Tom here.
30 has
We use has with the verb in the present perfect.

Part 6  p134
Below is a model answer for Question 31 and some
comments on it. 
Model answer
Hi Lucy,
My plane arrives at three o’clock on Monday. I’m staying in
London for seven days. I hope that’s OK! I’d love to go shopping
and see the London Eye!
See you soon!
Franỗoise
(35 words)
Comments
All three points in the question are answered: The writer says
what time she will arrive (My plane arrives at three o’clock on
Monday), how long she will stay (I’m staying in London for
seven days) and what she wants to do (go shopping and see
the London Eye).
The text is coherent and basic linking words and cohesive
devices are used. Everyday vocabulary is used appropriately
(go shopping) and a good range of grammar structures
has been used (present simple for a scheduled event,
present continuous for a future arrangement, would love to,
prepositions of time and place). There are no grammatical or
spelling mistakes.

Part 7 p135
Below is a model answer for Question 32 and some
comments on it.
Model answer
Last Thursday, Jack and his sister Ellen were playing the
guitar and piano when two men stopped to listen. The day
after, they played again and five people listened to them.
Some of the people danced. The day after, a lot of people
came to listen to Jack and Ellen and a TV journalist filmed
them.
(56 words)
Comments
All three pictures of the story are described and the reader
can easily understand the story. There is some use of time
phrases and linkers (Last Thursday, the day after) to show the
connections between the pictures. The vocabulary is varied
and shows the ability to use a range of A2 Key words (play
the guitar/piano, dance, TV journalist, film). The grammar is
accurate and shows the ability to use some past tenses (past
simple and past continuous).

ANSWER KEY

Oxford Preparation & Practice for A2 Key
© Copyright Oxford University Press

Answer key

14 A  Correct. He sent a story to a competition. Joe says: It

won first prize. Then I thought ‘I can do this’. Winning the
competition made him realize that he was a good writer.
B  Joe says that his friends weren’t interested in his stories,
so something else made him realize that he was a good
writer.
C  The magazine didn’t want his stories, so something else
made him realize that he was a good writer.
15 B  Correct. Joe says I studied French and Spanish, which
means he studied languages.
A  Joe says: When I left school, I went to university. I didn’t
study writing. Later he says: After university … I wanted to
write again, so we know that he did not write stories at
university as well as studying.
C  Joe mentions French and Spanish. However he does not
mention travelling to any countries after he left school.
16 B  Correct. Joe says: I worked every day except Sunday.
A  Joe says: I wrote my novel on Sundays and in the
evenings! He doesn’t say that he worked as a waiter in the
evenings.
C  Joe says: I worked every day except Sunday, i.e. he didn’t
work seven days a week.
17 B  Correct. Joe says: I wanted a break first so I’ve come
home to England for a while.
A  Joe says: I’ve finished my second novel now and I’ve got
ideas for another, but I wanted a break ... . He isn’t writing
another novel at the moment.
C  Joe says: I wanted a break first so I’ve come home to
England for a while. He doesn’t say that he’s travelling
around England.
18 A  Correct. Joe says: my sister lives in a village in the

countryside. ... this weekend, we’re all going to go to my
sister’s house to have a family party.
B  Joe says: I have a brother in Liverpool. However, he
doesn’t say that he’s going to meet his family in Liverpool.
C  Joe says: My parents live in London. However, he doesn’t
say that he’s going to meet his family in London.


Listening

Answer key

Part 1 p136
1 C  Correct. The woman says: OK. Let’s meet at 3.00 then.
The man replies that it sounds good, which means he
agrees to meet at this time.
A  The man says: I have to go to the dentist’s at 2.00. This
isn’t the time when they’re meeting.
B The man says: I have to go to the dentist’s at 2.00. I’ll
be there for about half an hour, so 2.30 is when he’ll be
leaving the dentist’s, not the time when they’re meeting.
2 B  Correct. Maria suggests that they work on their
project on Tuesday or Thursday. Max says: I’m not free
on Thursday, but I can do Tuesday, so Tuesday is the day
when they can work on their project.
A  Max says: Shall we work on our project on Monday
evening? However, Maria replies: I’ve got basketball
practice on Monday and suggests Tuesday or Thursday
instead.
C  Maria suggests Thursday, but Max says: I’m not free on

Thursday.
3 A  Correct. The boy says: My mum said that she can take
us. The girl replies: Oh that’s great. I prefer to go by car.
B  The girl asks: Shall we get the bus or the train to
Brighton?, but this isn’t how they’re going to travel to
Brighton.
C  The girl asks: Shall we get the bus or the train to
Brighton?, and then the boy says: Yes, the last time we took
the train, it was delayed, but this isn’t how they’re going to
travel to Brighton.
4 A  Correct. Nick says: I had chicken. It wasn’t bad.
B  Nick says: Anna had a really nice pasta dish. This wasn’t
what he had.
C  Nick says: I wanted fish but they didn’t have any.
5 C  Correct. The boy asks: Did she give you money, then?
The girl answers: Yes. She then talks about what she
might get with the money.
A  The girl says: I might buy some clothes, but her mother
didn’t give her a dress.
B  The girl says: I asked my mum for a mobile phone, but
she didn’t know which one to get me. Her mother didn’t
buy her a mobile phone.

Part 2 p138
6 23rd
Let’s start with what’s on in August. Once again it’s time for
Redlands Music Festival. The three days of fun start on the
23rd and finish on the 25th.
7 West
This year, the festival will not take place at Green Park.

Instead it will be in Prospect Park. That’s in West Redlands,
if you don’t know it.
8 website
There are only a few tickets left for the festival … phone
730498 to book them … Or you can get them from the
festival website.
952
The tickets are quite expensive. Last year they were £50 for
a day ticket and this year they are £2 more, but it’s a great
day out.
10 posters
And don’t forget to bring money for food … You can also
buy T-shirts, hats and of course a lot of posters ...

Part 3 p139
11 B  Correct. Rob says: my sister wants to go and Andrea
says OK.
A  Rob says: my brother can’t come.
C  Rob mentions that his brother is going to London
this weekend to meet one of [their] cousins. However, he
doesn’t say that his cousin is coming to the beach with
them.
12 A  Correct. Rob says: I think the train’s the best idea. 
B  Rob says: There’s a bus, but it’s very slow. He adds that a
different type of transport is the best idea.
C Rob says his sister is coming with them, but she hasn’t
got a car yet. He adds that the train is the best idea.

13 C Correct. Rob says: You can bring cakes if you like.
Andrea replies: OK, good idea.

A Andrea says: I can bring some sandwiches, but Rob
replies: we’ve got a lot of bread for sandwiches so I’ll take
them, so Andrea won’t bring the sandwiches.
B Rob says: I’ll bring the drinks, so Andrea won’t bring
any drinks.
14 A Correct. Rob says: it’s £8 for us with a student card.
B Andrea asks if the train fare is more than £10, but this
isn’t the amount that she’ll pay.
C Rob says for my sister it’ll be £12, but this isn’t how
much Andrea will pay.
15 C Correct. Andrea says: I can meet you at the station.
My mum will take me there.
A Rob asks Andrea if they should meet at her house.
However, Andrea replies There’s no point, which means
that meeting at her house isn’t necessary.
B Rob mentions Andrea’s house, but neither of them
mentions Rob’s house.

Part 4 p140
16 A  Correct. He says: But this was the only one that was
big enough for all my school stuff!
B  It cost a lot and his dad had to lend him some money.
C  He wanted a dark colour but couldn’t get one.
17 C  Correct. His mum says: but don’t forget to text him
[Dad] when you catch the train.
A  He should text his dad after the concert finishes, not
his mum.
B  His mum doesn’t say he should text Harry when he gets
to New Town.
18 C  Correct. Sarah asks: Can we go to the beach instead?

A  Their friend Freddy is at the cinema. They don’t plan to
go there.
B  The boy wants to go to the new skate park, but the girl
says it’ll be really busy.
19 B  Correct. The guide says: If you look carefully, you’ll
see a large diamond in the crown.
A  The guide says that they’re at the very heart of the
castle which means its central part.
C  The guide says that the jewels are valuable and that’s
why they’re locked in a case at night.
20 C  Correct. The girl’s father says: Well, take your
umbrella because it’s just starting to rain.
A  The girl’s father doesn’t say she should take her
raincoat.
B  The girl’s father says: You won’t need your sunglasses
today. The weather forecast says it’s going to be cloudy
today.

Part 5 p141
21 C
Harry  Well, my friend lives … near a lake, so when I first
arrived on Saturday we went out on his boat.
Lisa  Fantastic! I’ve never been sailing.
22 A
Lisa  … Did you swim as well?
Harry  Not on Saturday, but on Sunday we went back to
the lake. I don’t usually like swimming much, but the water
was lovely.
23 H
Harry  Well, on Monday, we went off to the hills.

Lisa  I love walking.
24 D
Harry  … Then on Tuesday we were tired, so we stayed at
home. We played some online games.
25 F
Lisa  What about your last day?
Harry  It was sunny on Wednesday, and I wanted to go
windsurfing, but we went shopping instead.

ANSWER KEY

Oxford Preparation & Practice for A2 Key
© Copyright Oxford University Press