A2 Key و B1 Preliminary (KET, PET) · Cambridge English · A2 Key (KET)

Part 6 of the Reading & Writing paper: write a short message 留言 — a note, email or postcard — of at least 25 words, answering a friend's message. The friend's message always contains three things to do: usually two questions and one request or suggestion.

• Example task: your friend invites you to a picnic. Say yes. Say what food you can bring. Ask what time it starts.
• Memory hook: the task is a menu with three dishes 三道菜. Serve all three, in order, and the marks follow.
• ⚠ Under 25 words loses marks; the count includes everything, so count.
• The tone is friendly: short forms are welcome (I'm, can't, let's). This is the one exam where I'm is not just allowed but encouraged.

1. Circle the three jobs in the task before writing a word.
2. Write one or two sentences per job, in order.
3. Open with Hi / Dear + name and close with See you / Best / Write soon + your name.

A full answer to the picnic task:

Hi Sam, I'd love to come to the picnic! I can bring some fruit and drinks. What time does it start? See you, Lin

Three jobs, three sentences, 25+ words. Done. The exam rewards completeness 完整性 over beauty — a correct boring answer beats a beautiful one that forgot the drinks.

• Questions are free marks: What time? Where? Who else is coming? — one per task, word-for-word from the A1 question machine.
• ⚠ Every question needs its flip: "What time it starts?" ✗ → What time does it start? Topic A1-9's flip still collects marks.

• ⚠ Don't skip a job. Three jobs = the shape of the marks. One missing job is a missing dish; the examiners notice the empty plate.
• ⚠ Don't write a novel. 30–40 words is the sweet spot 最佳点. A 120-word masterpiece spends time Part 7 needs, and long answers grow error trees.
• ⚠ Register 语域: friendly, not formal. No Dear Sir, no Yours faithfully. It's a friend: Hi Sam — See you — Lin.
• ⚠ Check the three classics: third-person -s (it starts), articles (a picnic, the park), and verb forms after can/can't (I can bring). Sixty seconds of checking is worth more than a fourth sentence.

Your friend Mia writes: "I'm having a birthday dinner on Friday. Can you come? Tell me what food you like. And could you bring your guitar?"

Write the reply (25+ words). Cover: yes/no, the food, the guitar.

Model: Hi Mia, I'd love to come! I like fish and rice, please. I'll bring my guitar, no problem. See you on Friday! — Alex (29 words; all three dishes served.)

Answer first, then read the explanation.

1. How many jobs in a Part 6 task? — Three. Serve all three.
2. "What time it starts?" — ✗ → What time does it start? The flip collects marks.
3. 20 words — too few. Under 25 loses marks; count.
4. Dear Sir / Yours faithfully — ✗ → Hi Sam / See you. A friend, not a bank.
5. A perfect answer that forgot the guitar — loses a dish. Completeness over beauty.

Part 7: write a short story of at least 35 words from three pictures. The pictures show a beginning, a middle and an end; you supply the words.

• Look at all three pictures قبل writing: the story is already there — you are narrating 讲述 it, not inventing it.
• Memory hook: the pictures are a comic 漫画 with no speech bubbles. You are the bubbles.
• The marks reward: covering all three pictures, past tenses used correctly, and connectors 连接词 that move time forward.
• This is where the A2/B1 grammar pays you back: the past simple carries the events, connectors carry the time.

1. Name the pictures: a rainy street — a broken umbrella — a warm shop. Three nouns = your skeleton 骨架.
2. One or two sentences per picture, past simple, in order.
3. Add one feeling and one connector per picture: suddenly, then, after that, luckily, finally.

A model:

It was raining hard, and Tom was walking to school. Suddenly, his umbrella broke in the wind! He was cold and wet. Luckily, a small café was open, so he went in and had a hot chocolate. He arrived at school late, but happy.

Five sentences, three pictures, one broken umbrella. 60 words — safely over 35.

• ⚠ The whole story lives in the past. Don't drift into the present halfway: "He goes into the café" ✗ — He went into the café.
• One background sentence (it was raining) upgrades the story from a police report to a film. The B2 narrative cameras work at A2 too.

• ⚠ Don't describe; narrate. "There is a boy. He has an umbrella." is a description, not a story. Stories move: It was raining. His umbrella broke. He found a café.
• ⚠ Past tense consistency 时态一致 is the big mark-loser. Write, then re-read once, checking only the verbs: every event in the past simple.
• ⚠ The third picture matters. Students spend so long on picture 1 that picture 3 gets one sad sentence. Budget 时间分配: roughly equal lines per picture.
• ⚠ Spelling of story words: suddenly, finally, luckily — learn the spellings; they appear in every story you will ever write.

Author-drawn practice pictures, not official Cambridge artwork. In the exam the three pictures are real drawings; here they are the three panels above. Write 35+ words. Model:

Jack woke up late and felt terrible. He ran to the bus stop, but the bus had already left. Luckily, his neighbour saw him and drove him to school. Jack was on time — and very grateful 感激的.

Answer first, then read the explanation.

1. Minimum length? — 35 words. Over is safe; under loses marks.
2. "He goes into the café" in a past story — ✗ → went. The story lives in the past.
3. The pictures show rain — open with the background: It was raining. The film, not the police report.
4. Picture 3 gets one sad sentence — ✗ → equal lines per picture. The ending carries marks.
5. suddenly / finally / luckily — learn the spellings. They appear in every story.

The A2 Key Listening paper: about 30 minutes, five parts, and every recording plays twice. Parts 1–3 test detail 细节: what you see, what you write, what you choose.

• Part 1: five short conversations, each with a picture question — three images, choose the right one.
• Part 2: a longer talk; fill five gaps in notes with a word, number, date or time.
• Part 3: a longer conversation; five 3-option questions.
• Memory hook: listening is a movie played twice 放两遍的电影. The first watch is for the story; the second is for the answers.
• The pause before each part is reading time. Use it: preview 预读 the questions, always.

Three pictures differ in one detail: three times, three objects, three places.

• Before listening, name the difference between the pictures: eight / half past / nine — the clock question. bike / bus / car — the transport question.
• ⚠ All three options are usually mentioned. The man says: "I wanted the eight o'clock train, but I missed it, so I took the nine one." All three times appear; only one is the answer. The recording is a rumour; the question is the truth.
• The answer words come reworded: the picture shows a dog, the voice says "my pet".

Write a word, number, date or time in each gap.

• The gaps are predictable: name, day, time, price, place. The notes tell you what to listen for before the voice says a word.
• ⚠ Spell the names right. Names are spelled aloud on the recording: "It's M-A-R-I-A." Write letters as they come.
• ⚠ Numbers love traps: thirteen vs thirty, 8:15 vs 8:50. The recording says the wrong one first and corrects itself. Wait for the correction; the first number is bait 诱饵.
• ⚠ One or two words per gap. Three words is a wrong answer wearing a hat.

Five questions about a longer conversation, in order.

• The questions follow the conversation order — the same map as reading Part 3.
• Listen for agreement 达成一致: the answer is what they decide, not what they first say. "Shall we meet at six?" — "Six is too early. Seven?" — "Fine, seven." → the answer is seven.
• ⚠ The first suggestion 建议 is usually not the decision. Listening exams run on changed minds.

• ⚠ Don't translate while listening. The recording doesn't wait. Train yourself to hold meaning in English: hear "the nine one" and see the clock picture, not the Chinese sentence.
• ⚠ Numbers, days and months are the free marks: drill 操练 thirteen/thirty, Monday…Sunday, January…December until they're reflexes 条件反射.
• ⚠ The second listening is for checking, not for starting. Answer on the first play, confirm on the second. Students who "wait for the second time" discover the second time is for people who already answered.
• ⚠ Never leave a gap blank. A guessed word costs nothing; an empty gap costs a mark.

Teacher-read rehearsal 排练: this page has no recording. Ask your teacher to read the text aloud twice, exactly like the exam — or read it yourself to rehearse the method. The real test is listening, not reading.

A voice says: "The museum opens at nine, but on Sundays it's half past nine. Tickets are five pounds, or three for students."

Notes: Museum — Sunday opening time: ___ · student ticket: £___

Answers: 9.30 · 3. The nine is bait; the Sunday correction is the answer. The five is bait; the student price is three.

Answer first, then read the explanation.

1. How many times is each recording played? — Twice. First for the story, second for the check.
2. Three pictures show clocks — name the difference before listening: eight / half past / nine.
3. "I wanted the eight o'clock train… took the nine one." — nine. The first number is bait.
4. The name is spelled aloud — write the letters as they come: M-A-R-I-A.
5. Blank gap? — Guess. An empty gap costs a mark; a guess costs nothing.

Listening Parts 4 and 5 change the question. Parts 1–3 asked for details; Parts 4–5 ask for the gist 主旨 — the main idea, the speaker's feeling, the purpose of the talk — and for matching 配对.

• Part 4: five short talks or conversations, each with one question: What is the speaker doing? How does she feel? Why is he calling?
• Part 5: one longer conversation and a matching task — match five items to eight lettered options, A–H (e.g. five friends to the activities they choose). Three options are never used.
• Memory hook: Parts 1–3 ask what exactly? Parts 4–5 ask so what? The answer is the meaning, not the words.

Each short recording has one question about the big picture.

• The questions are usually: What is the speaker's job? How does the girl feel? Why is the man calling? What are they talking about?
• ⚠ The detail words are bait. "I love the smell of fresh bread in the bakery" — the question is What is her job? She is a baker, not a customer who likes bread. The smell is bait; the job is the answer.
• Listen for the purpose verbs: I'm calling to apologise / to invite / to complain / to remind. The verb after calling to is the answer.
• Feelings come through tone 语气 and adjectives: "That's fantastic!" (delighted), "I don't believe it…" (surprised), "Oh no, not again" (annoyed).

A conversation where people choose things: five friends choosing from eight activities (A–H); five guests, eight dishes. Three options will be left over — nobody chooses them.

• The extra options are not decoration: they hold the rejected choices. "I wanted the pasta, but they're out of it, so the fish." → the fish. The pasta stays in the list, waiting for you.
• Strategy: as each person speaks, write a mark 记号 by their choice — a tick for chosen, a cross for rejected. Don't write the final letter until they finish speaking.
• ⚠ The rejected options are the answer list's traps. Each rejected dish will sit in the options, waiting for you.

• ⚠ Gist questions punish word-catching. If you grab bread and answer customer, the bakery trick worked. Ask yourself: what is the whole sentence about?
• ⚠ Feelings are not facts. How does she feel? is answered by adjectives and tone, not by events. The event is the evidence; the feeling is the answer.
• ⚠ Matching needs a system. Ticks and crosses while listening; letters at the end. Students who assign letters mid-sentence meet the correction and lose both marks.
• ⚠ Don't panic at one missed item. The parts are independent; a missed gist question is one mark, not a disaster. The next recording starts fresh — so should you.

Teacher-read rehearsal 排练: no recording here — your teacher reads each text aloud twice, like the exam, and you listen without reading. The transcript is the script, not the task.

A girl says: "Hi Dad, I'm at the station. The six o'clock train was cancelled 取消, so I'm taking the seven one. Don't wait dinner for me."

Why is she calling? A) to buy a ticket B) to give news about her journey C) to invite her father to dinner. Answer: B. The ticket and the dinner are bait; the purpose is the news.

Matching: "Tom wanted the pasta, but they're out of it, so the fish. Anna never eats fish; she'll have the salad." → Tom: fish, Anna: salad. The pasta sits in the options, waiting.

Answer first, then read the explanation.

1. Gist question: How does she feel? — Listen for adjectives and tone, not the events.
2. "I'm calling to apologise." — the purpose verb is the answer: to apologise.
3. "I wanted the pasta, but they're out of it, so the fish." — the fish. Rejected options are traps.
4. In matching, assign letters mid-sentence? — No: ticks and crosses first, letters at the end.
5. One missed gist question — one mark, not a disaster. The next recording starts fresh; so should you.

The A2 Key Speaking test: 8–10 minutes, with a partner 搭档, and two examiners. It is the friendliest part of the exam — a conversation, not an interrogation 审问.

• Part 1: the interview. The examiner asks about you: name, school, hobbies, family, home.
• Part 2: the collaborative discussion. You and your partner look at five pictures and talk: which do you like, why, what would you choose.
• Memory hook: Part 1 is a friendly chat 聊天; Part 2 is planning a trip with a classmate. Both are conversations you already have — just in English, with marks.
• The examiners want: clear answers, interaction 互动 with your partner, and everyday vocabulary. They do not want speeches.

Answer in full sentences, two or three of them per question.

• Where do you live? — ✗ "Beijing." → "I live in Beijing, in an apartment near the park. I like it because it's quiet." Answer + detail + reason.
• Memory hook: every answer is a sandwich 三明治: the answer, a detail, a reason. I like football. I play every weekend. It's fun with my friends.
• Prepare the classics aloud: your name (spelled), your school, your family, your hobbies, your favourite food, your weekend. These are rehearsed 排练过 answers — say them until they're warm.

Five pictures (e.g. five birthday gifts), a question, and your partner. You must talk to each other, not just to the examiner.

• Start: Which do you like? / I like the camera — what about you?
• Agree, disagree, add: I agree. / Really? I think the book is better, because… / That's true, but…
• ⚠ Never give a monologue 独白. The marks are in the interaction: ask your partner's opinion, answer theirs, build on it.
• ⚠ Disagreeing is free marks. "I see your point, but I'd choose the bike" shows more English than yes-saying. The exam is the one place where polite disagreement pays.

• ⚠ One-word answers are the mark-killer. "Yes." "Beijing." "Football." — three answers, zero sentences. The sandwich, every time.
• ⚠ Don't recite 背诵 a memorised speech. Examiners hear it instantly and redirect. Prepare building blocks, not paragraphs.
• ⚠ Look at your partner in Part 2, not at the examiner. The discussion is with them; the examiner is just listening in.
• ⚠ Don't freeze on an unknown word. Describe around it 迂回表达: "It's a thing for… you use it to…" — paraphrasing is a marked skill, not a failure.
• ⚠ Pronunciation matters less than audibility 可听度. Speak up. The quiet correct answer and the loud correct answer earn the same mark, but the quiet wrong-mumble earns nothing.

Rehearse the interview classics, then run a two-minute discussion with a partner.

• Tell me about your family. — There are four of us. My sister is twelve. We fight about the TV, and I usually win.
• What do you do at the weekend? — I play basketball with my classmates. It's fun, and I'm getting taller. Both matter.
• Part 2 with a partner: five gifts — a book, a bike, a camera, a game, a plant. Which is best for your teacher? Discuss. Disagree politely. The plant has feelings too.

Answer first, then read the explanation.

1. Where do you live? — Answer + detail + reason. The sandwich, every time.
2. Part 2: your partner says the book is best. — Respond to them: Really? I think… / I agree, and… Interaction is the mark.
3. You don't know the word for 植物 — describe around it: a plant — a green thing for your desk. Paraphrasing is a skill, not a failure.
4. A memorised two-minute speech — the examiner redirects instantly. Blocks, not speeches.
5. Quiet mumble vs clear voice — audibility is free marks. Speak up.