Starters 9 – Test 1 Reading & Writing
100% Original Practice Test
Make a little boat with Lucy and Grandpa. Read about their busy day, spell picture words and follow the boat into the garden. This Pre-A1 reading & writing practice has 5 parts and 25 questions. Complete each part, then submit to grade your work or use Show Answer to review.
Learning guide
Level: Pre-A1.
Topic: Making and Floating a Toy Boat
Learning objectives
- Read simple statements about familiar objects and check them against pictures.
- Find people, craft materials and clear details in an indoor worktable scene.
- Spell familiar words using every scrambled letter and a first-letter clue.
- Choose words from a word bank to complete a short first-person passage about making and floating a toy boat.
- Write one-word answers about materials, places and objects in a three-picture story.
Before you start: Read short sentences about familiar objects, colours, people and places; spell simple words and recognise numbers.
Teacher tip: Ask learners to point to the picture clue before answering. In Part 3, use the first letter and every scrambled letter once. In Part 4, read the whole sentence and use the word-bank clues. In Part 5, follow the story from the worktable to the garden and look closely at the water tub.
Reading & Writing strategy: Read the instructions and example first. Use picture details and nearby words as clues, reread the whole sentence, and check spelling before submitting.
Part 1 · 5 questions
Look and read. Put a tick or a cross.
Choose a tick if the sentence matches the picture. Choose a cross if it does not.
Example: This sock has blue and white stripes. → ✓ Tick
Example: The fruit in this picture is an apple. → ✗ Cross
1. You can clean your teeth with this.
2. This red toy is a balloon.
3. This yellow clock has a round face.
4. This green animal is a fish.
5. This jacket is blue with long sleeves.
Part 2 · 5 questions
Look at the picture. Write yes or no.
Choose yes if the sentence is true. Choose no if it is false.
Lucy is the girl in the blue shirt. Grandpa has white hair and wears a green sweater. Look at the picture and choose yes or no for each sentence.
Example: The girl at the table has a blue shirt. → yes
Example: Grandpa has black hair. → no
6. Lucy is folding a sheet of paper.
7. The boat on the right is red.
8. The paper flag on the boat is yellow.
9. The pot of glue has its lid on.
10. Three people are sitting at the table.
Part 3 · 5 questions
Look at the pictures. Write the words.
Use all the letters to spell the word. Write the whole word.
Example: d e b → bed
11. Write the word. The first letter is m.
12. Write the word. The first letter is l.
13. Write the word. The first letter is d.
14. Write the word. The first letter is s.
15. Write the word. The first letter is t.
Part 4 · 5 questions
Read the text. Choose a word from the box.
Write one word in each gap. There is one example. Two words are not needed.
My Toy Boat
My name is Lucy. Grandpa and I sit at a table (example) to make a toy boat. I fold a white sheet of [16] into the shape of a boat. The sides must stay together, so Grandpa puts some [17] on them. We put a little yellow [18] on a stick at the top of our boat.
We go outside to our [19], where there are trees and flowers. Grandpa fills a round [20] with water. It is big enough for our little boat. We put the boat on the water and watch it move.
Part 5 · 5 questions
Look at the pictures and read the questions.
Write one word or a number for each answer.
Lucy has brown hair and a blue shirt. Her grandpa wears glasses and a green sweater.
Lucy and Her Toy Boat
Picture A
Example: Who has glasses and a green sweater? → Grandpa
Example: What are Lucy and Grandpa making? → boat
21. What is Lucy folding?
22. What colour is the little flag?
Picture B
23. Where are Lucy and Grandpa?
Picture C
24. What colour is the round tub?
25. How many boats are in the tub?
Ready to check your answers?
Submit to grade your whole test, OR use 👁 Show Answer per part / per question.
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Answer reasons
- tick — The picture shows a toothbrush, which we use to clean our teeth.
- cross — The red toy is a kite with a string and a tail, so cross is correct.
- tick — The clock has a round yellow face.
- cross — The green animal has four legs. It is a frog.
- tick — The blue jacket has two long sleeves.
- yes — Lucy is folding the white sheet of paper on the worktable.
- no — The boat on the right of the table is blue. Its flag is yellow.
- yes — The boat has one yellow paper flag.
- no — The pot is open. Its blue lid is next to it on the table.
- no — There are two people: Lucy and Grandpa.
- mirror — The pictured hand mirror shows your face. The six letters are m, i, r, r, o and r.
- lemon — The yellow fruit is a lemon. Use all five letters.
- duck — The picture shows one duck. Put the four letters in order to spell duck.
- skirt — The picture shows a skirt. Use all five letters, including k and i.
- train — The picture shows a train. All five letters are needed.
- paper — The clue is a white sheet that Lucy folds into a boat. The word is paper.
- glue — Glue keeps the sides of the paper boat together.
- flag — A small yellow flag goes on a stick at the top of the boat.
- garden — The garden is outside and has trees and flowers.
- tub — Grandpa fills a round tub with water for the little boat.
- paper — Lucy is folding a sheet of paper in Picture A.
- yellow — The flag at the top of the blue paper boat is yellow in Picture A.
- garden — They carry the finished boat along a garden path in Picture B.
- blue — The round tub holding the water is blue in Picture C.
- one / 1 — There is one blue paper boat in the tub in Picture C. Both one and 1 are accepted.
Teacher tip
Ask learners to point to the picture clue before answering. In Part 3, use the first letter and every scrambled letter once. In Part 4, read the whole sentence and use the word-bank clues. In Part 5, follow the story from the worktable to the garden and look closely at the water tub.