MET Reading Practice Test 5 — Grammar, Single-Text & Multiple-Text With Answers

Free MET Reading practice test 5: 20 grammar questions, 2 reading passages (10 questions) and 2 multiple-text sets (20 questions) — all 50 questions with the answer key and explanations.

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The complete Reading Practice Test 5 in the official MET structure: Grammar (20 questions), single-text reading (2 passages, 10 questions) and multiple-text reading (2 sets, 20 questions) — 50 questions in 65 minutes.

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Part 1 — Grammar (20 questions)

Each sentence has a missing word or phrase. Choose the best option to complete the sentence.

1. The chef _____ the sauce when the kitchen timer sounded.

  1. tastes
  2. was tasting
  3. tasted
  4. has tasted
Answer: B

Why: Past continuous is used for an action in progress when interrupted.

2. Had the weather been favorable, the expedition _____ on schedule.

  1. leaves
  2. would leave
  3. had left
  4. would have left
Answer: D

Why: Third conditional inverted form requires 'would have + past participle' in the main clause.

3. The data _____ from multiple sources before the final analysis was published.

  1. collected
  2. were collected
  3. collecting
  4. had collected
Answer: B

Why: Passive voice is needed; data takes a plural verb in formal usage.

4. The tour guide mentioned that the temple _____ in the twelfth century.

  1. was built
  2. is built
  3. had been built
  4. has been built
Answer: C

Why: Past perfect passive is used in reported speech for a completed past action before another past reference.

5. _____ had the meeting concluded than attendees rushed to the networking session.

  1. Not only
  2. No sooner
  3. At no time
  4. On no account
Answer: B

Why: 'No sooner...than' is a fixed correlative expression using past perfect.

6. There is _____ evidence to support the claim that this supplement prevents colds.

  1. much
  2. few
  3. many
  4. little
Answer: D

Why: 'Little' is used with uncountable nouns to mean 'not enough'.

7. The lab _____ the experiments are conducted must maintain strict temperature controls.

  1. which
  2. that
  3. what
  4. where
Answer: D

Why: 'Where' is the relative adverb for places, referring to the lab.

8. She refused _____ the contract without having her lawyer review it first.

  1. signing
  2. sign
  3. to sign
  4. signed
Answer: C

Why: 'Refuse' is followed by the infinitive form.

9. Among all applicants, Maria demonstrated the _____ understanding of the subject matter.

  1. thorough
  2. more thorough
  3. thoroughly
  4. most thorough
Answer: D

Why: Superlative 'most thorough' is used when comparing among a group.

10. The board insisted that the CEO _____ a detailed restructuring plan by Friday.

  1. presents
  2. presented
  3. present
  4. presenting
Answer: C

Why: Subjunctive requires the base form 'present' after 'insisted that'.

11. After years of struggling, the small business finally began to _____.

  1. take off
  2. take over
  3. take down
  4. take away
Answer: A

Why: 'Take off' is a phrasal verb meaning 'become successful quickly'.

12. Little _____ the extent of the damage until the inspection report arrived.

  1. they realized
  2. did they realize
  3. they had realized
  4. realized they
Answer: B

Why: 'Little' at the start triggers subject-auxiliary inversion.

13. I _____ for that company for five years before I was promoted to department head.

  1. worked
  2. was working
  3. had worked
  4. have worked
Answer: C

Why: Past perfect is used for an action continuing up to another past event.

14. If you heat ice above zero degrees Celsius, it _____.

  1. melted
  2. would melt
  3. melts
  4. had melted
Answer: C

Why: Zero conditional uses present simple in both clauses for scientific facts.

15. The devices _____ to customers before thorough safety testing had been completed.

  1. shipping
  2. were shipped
  3. shipped
  4. have shipped
Answer: B

Why: Passive voice describes what was done to the devices.

16. They wondered _____ the flight had been delayed due to weather or mechanical issues.

  1. if
  2. that
  3. which
  4. what
Answer: A

Why: 'If' is used for indirect yes/no questions after 'wondered'.

17. We appreciate your _____ the time to provide feedback on our services.

  1. take
  2. took
  3. taking
  4. to take
Answer: C

Why: 'Appreciate' is followed by a possessive + gerund structure.

18. Under no circumstances _____ the laboratory without proper protective equipment.

  1. you should enter
  2. should you enter
  3. enter you should
  4. you enter
Answer: B

Why: 'Under no circumstances' triggers subject-auxiliary inversion.

19. The closer we got to the deadline, _____ the team seemed to work.

  1. the faster
  2. faster
  3. the fastest
  4. fast
Answer: A

Why: Double comparative: 'the closer..., the faster...'

20. It is recommended that each participant _____ at least fifteen minutes early.

  1. arrive
  2. arrives
  3. arrived
  4. arriving
Answer: A

Why: Subjunctive requires the base form 'arrive' after 'recommended that'.

Part 2 — Single-text reading (10 questions)

When fifth-generation mobile networks began rolling out globally in 2019, they were marketed as a transformative leap in connectivity. 5G promises speeds up to one hundred times faster than 4G, with latency so low that applications like remote surgery and autonomous vehicle coordination become feasible. However, the technology has also attracted persistent health concerns. Some activists and community groups have claimed that the higher-frequency radio waves used by 5G networks could pose cancer risks or other health hazards. These fears have led to protests and, in some countries, the vandalism of cell towers. The scientific consensus, as expressed by the World Health Organization and numerous national health agencies, is that 5G radiation falls well within established safety limits and that no credible evidence links it to adverse health effects. The WHO notes that the radiofrequency fields used by 5G are non-ionizing, meaning they lack the energy to damage DNA directly. Nevertheless, researchers acknowledge that long-term epidemiological studies are still needed, and some scientists advocate for ongoing monitoring as network density increases in urban areas.

21. What is the main topic of this passage?

  1. The history of mobile phone technology
  2. The capabilities of 5G and the health concerns surrounding it
  3. How to install a cell tower
  4. The business model of telecommunications companies
Answer: B

22. According to the passage, what makes remote surgery possible with 5G?

  1. Higher signal strength
  2. Extremely low latency
  3. Cheaper hardware
  4. Longer battery life
Answer: B

23. What does the WHO say about 5G radiation?

  1. It definitely causes cancer
  2. It falls within safety limits and is non-ionizing
  3. More research is urgently needed to ban it
  4. It is stronger than X-rays
Answer: B

24. The word 'consensus' in the passage is closest in meaning to:

  1. Disagreement
  2. General agreement among experts
  3. Hypothesis
  4. Controversy
Answer: B

25. What do researchers acknowledge as a remaining gap?

  1. 5G is too slow for practical use
  2. Long-term epidemiological studies are still needed
  3. The technology should be banned immediately
  4. Cell towers are too expensive to build
Answer: B
Overtourism — the phenomenon of excessive tourist numbers overwhelming a destination — has become a pressing concern for historic cities worldwide. In response, municipalities have adopted a range of strategies. Barcelona has restricted the construction of new hotels in its historic center and imposed limits on the size of tour groups. Amsterdam has redirected its marketing efforts away from its famous red-light district toward lesser-known cultural attractions in outlying neighborhoods. Dubrovnik, whose medieval walls became a global attraction after featuring in a popular television series, now caps the number of cruise ship passengers permitted to disembark each day. These measures show promising early results. Barcelona reported a twelve percent decrease in visitor complaints about overcrowding within two years of implementation. However, tourism-dependent economies face a delicate balancing act. In Dubrovnik, local shop owners reliant on cruise passengers have protested the daily caps, arguing that the restrictions threaten their livelihoods. Urban planners increasingly advocate for 'dispersed tourism,' where visitors are encouraged through incentives to explore beyond iconic landmarks, theoretically distributing both the economic benefits and the environmental pressures more evenly.

26. What solution does the passage mainly discuss for overtourism?

  1. Banning all tourism
  2. Various municipal strategies to manage visitor numbers
  3. Building more hotels
  4. Lowering ticket prices for attractions
Answer: B

27. What strategy did Amsterdam adopt?

  1. Closing the red-light district
  2. Redirecting marketing to lesser-known attractions
  3. Building larger cruise ship terminals
  4. Raising hotel taxes by 50%
Answer: B

28. Why did Dubrovnik become a major attraction according to the passage?

  1. Its beaches
  2. Its modern architecture
  3. After featuring in a popular television series
  4. Its ski resorts
Answer: C

29. The word 'caps' in the passage is closest in meaning to:

  1. Increases
  2. Set upper limits
  3. Eliminates
  4. Calculates
Answer: B

30. What concern do Dubrovnik shop owners have about the caps?

  1. The caps are too loose
  2. The restrictions threaten their livelihoods
  3. The city is still too crowded
  4. Tourists are spending too much money
Answer: B

Part 3 — Multiple-text reading (20 questions)

Homework Policy Overhaul

School District Memo Beginning next semester, the district will implement a new homework policy. Students in grades K through 5 will receive no more than thirty minutes of homework per night. Middle school students will be capped at sixty minutes, and high school students at ninety minutes. Assignments must be meaningful practice, not busywork.
Parents' Association Letter While we appreciate the district's concern about student stress, homework teaches time management and reinforces classroom learning. Reducing workload may put our students at a disadvantage compared to those in neighboring districts where such limits do not exist. We request that this policy be optional rather than mandatory for high-performing students.
Teacher Forum Exchange I've been teaching high school math for twelve years, and the new policy terrifies me. I used to assign twenty problems to ensure students mastered a concept. Now I'm supposed to cover the same material with fewer than ten. The district says 'quality over quantity,' but some skills simply require repetition. Has anyone found a way to make this work?

31. What is the maximum homework time for high school students under the new policy?

  1. Forty-five minutes
  2. Sixty minutes
  3. Ninety minutes
  4. Two hours
Answer: C

32. What reason does the district give for the policy change?

  1. Teacher shortages
  2. Concern about student stress
  3. Budget reductions
  4. Parental complaints
Answer: B

33. What concern does the parents' association raise?

  1. Their children will have too much free time
  2. Students may fall behind those in other districts
  3. Teachers are not qualified
  4. The school day is too short
Answer: B

34. What does the math teacher argue about certain skills?

  1. They can be learned without any practice
  2. They require repetition that the new limits prevent
  3. They should be taught only in college
  4. They are no longer relevant
Answer: B

35. The word 'capped' in the district memo is closest in meaning to:

  1. Removed
  2. Limited
  3. Expanded
  4. Ignored
Answer: B

36. What compromise does the parents' association suggest?

  1. Eliminating homework entirely
  2. Making the policy optional for high-performing students
  3. Reducing the school day
  4. Firing underperforming teachers
Answer: B

37. How long has the forum poster been teaching?

  1. Five years
  2. Eight years
  3. Twelve years
  4. Fifteen years
Answer: C

38. What does the teacher say the district is emphasizing instead?

  1. Quantity over quality
  2. Quality over quantity
  3. Speed over accuracy
  4. Memorization over understanding
Answer: B

39. What do all three texts address?

  1. Teacher salaries
  2. A new district-wide homework policy
  3. School construction projects
  4. Standardized testing
Answer: B

40. Based on the texts, what can be inferred about the policy's reception?

  1. It has been universally welcomed
  2. It has received mixed reactions from different stakeholders
  3. Teachers overwhelmingly support it
  4. Parents unanimously oppose it
Answer: B

Sugar Tax Debate

Health Ministry Announcement From January 1, a levy of twenty pence per liter will apply to all sugary soft drinks sold in retail outlets. The revenue, estimated at 340 million pounds annually, will fund school sports programs and public health campaigns targeting childhood obesity. Similar taxes in Mexico and Hungary have led to measurable reductions in sugary drink consumption.
Beverage Industry Press Response This tax unfairly targets one product category while ignoring other sources of sugar in the average diet. Reformulation efforts have already reduced sugar content across our product lines by twenty-eight percent over the past decade. Rather than penalizing manufacturers, the government should invest in consumer education about balanced nutrition and healthy lifestyles.
Public Health Researcher Interview The evidence from countries with sugar taxes is compelling but not definitive. Mexico saw a six percent drop in sugary drink purchases in the first year, but consumption began creeping back up by year three. The key is sustained public messaging combined with pricing incentives. A tax alone won't solve the obesity crisis, but it's a valuable component of a broader strategy.

41. How much per liter will the sugar levy be?

  1. Ten pence
  2. Twenty pence
  3. Thirty pence
  4. Forty pence
Answer: B

42. How much annual revenue does the health ministry estimate the tax will generate?

  1. 240 million pounds
  2. 340 million pounds
  3. 440 million pounds
  4. 540 million pounds
Answer: B

43. What will the revenue fund according to the announcement?

  1. Road maintenance
  2. School sports programs and obesity campaigns
  3. Military spending
  4. Tax cuts for corporations
Answer: B

44. What argument does the beverage industry use against the tax?

  1. Sugary drinks are healthy
  2. The tax unfairly singles out one product category
  3. The tax is too low to matter
  4. Nobody drinks sugary beverages anymore
Answer: B

45. What reduction in sugar content does the industry claim?

  1. Eighteen percent
  2. Twenty-eight percent
  3. Thirty-eight percent
  4. Forty-eight percent
Answer: B

46. The word 'levy' in the announcement is closest in meaning to:

  1. Subsidy
  2. Tax
  3. Rebate
  4. Exemption
Answer: B

47. According to the researcher, what happened in Mexico by year three?

  1. Consumption dropped to zero
  2. Consumption began creeping back up
  3. The tax was removed
  4. More products were taxed
Answer: B

48. What does the researcher recommend alongside the tax?

  1. Removing the tax entirely
  2. Sustained public messaging combined with pricing incentives
  3. Taxing only diet drinks
  4. Eliminating all sugar from food
Answer: B

49. What is the overall purpose of the three texts together?

  1. To promote soft drink sales
  2. To present different perspectives on a proposed sugar tax
  3. To announce a new beverage product
  4. To describe the history of taxation
Answer: B

50. How does the researcher's view differ from the other two texts?

  1. The researcher opposes the tax entirely
  2. The researcher takes a more nuanced position acknowledging both benefits and limitations
  3. The researcher has no opinion
  4. The researcher supports the beverage industry's position
Answer: B

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