The complete Reading Practice Test 6 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.
Take this test interactively with instant scoring →
Part 1 — Grammar (20 questions)
Each sentence has a missing word or phrase. Choose the best option to complete the sentence.
1. The auditor _____ the financial records for irregularities when the power went out.
- examines
- was examining
- examined
- has examined
Why: Past continuous is used for an ongoing action interrupted by another event.
2. We could have avoided the delay if the supplier _____ us about the shortage.
- informed
- had informed
- informs
- would inform
Why: Third conditional requires past perfect in the if-clause.
3. The award _____ to the scientist whose research had the greatest social impact.
- gave
- was giving
- was given
- giving
Why: Passive voice is required because the award received the action.
4. The journalist wrote that the negotiations _____ without reaching a resolution.
- ended
- had ended
- will end
- have ended
Why: Reported speech shifts past simple to past perfect.
5. _____ was the traffic bad, but the GPS also sent us in the wrong direction.
- Neither
- Not only
- Either
- Both
Why: 'Not only...but (also)' is the correct correlative conjunction pair.
6. _____ of the employees were informed about the upcoming merger until the official announcement.
- None
- Neither
- Any
- Some
Why: 'None...were informed' means no employees knew before the announcement.
7. The athlete _____ record was broken last year has announced her retirement.
- who
- which
- that
- whose
Why: 'Whose' is the possessive relative pronoun connecting the athlete to her record.
8. They risked _____ everything by investing their life savings in the venture.
- lose
- to lose
- losing
- lost
Why: 'Risk' is followed by a gerund.
9. The second edition of the textbook is far _____ than the first.
- comprehensive
- more comprehensive
- most comprehensive
- comprehensively
Why: Comparative 'more comprehensive' is needed with 'than'.
10. The regulations require that every shipment _____ inspected upon arrival at the port.
- is
- was
- be
- being
Why: Subjunctive requires the base form 'be' after 'require that'.
11. After the scandal, the CEO decided to _____ and let the new leadership take over.
- step down
- step up
- step in
- step out
Why: 'Step down' is a phrasal verb meaning 'resign from a position'.
12. Not until the final witness testified _____ the full sequence of events become clear.
- that
- it did
- had
- did
Why: 'Not until' at the start triggers subject-auxiliary inversion with 'did'.
13. She _____ at the same company for thirty years and plans to retire next month.
- works
- has been working
- worked
- was working
Why: Present perfect continuous describes an action continuing from past to present.
14. If the library _____ open on Sundays, I would spend every weekend there.
- is
- were
- had been
- will be
Why: Second conditional uses 'were' for hypothetical present situations.
15. The fence, _____ by a fallen tree during the storm, took two weeks to repair.
- damaging
- was damaged
- damage
- damaged
Why: Past participle 'damaged' acts as a reduced passive relative clause.
16. The interviewer asked me if I _____ willing to relocate for the position.
- am
- will be
- was
- have been
Why: Reported speech shifts present simple to past simple.
17. She can't help _____ anxious before every major presentation.
- feel
- to feel
- feeling
- felt
Why: 'Can't help' is followed by a gerund.
18. On no account _____ personal information shared with third parties without consent.
- will be
- be
- shall
- is
Why: 'On no account' triggers subject-auxiliary inversion with 'is'.
19. The less you procrastinate, _____ progress you make toward your goals.
- more
- most
- the more
- much
Why: Double comparative: 'the less..., the more...'
20. We urge that the council _____ the proposal at its next scheduled meeting.
- considers
- consider
- considered
- considering
Why: Subjunctive requires the base form 'consider' after 'urge that'.
Part 2 — Single-text reading (10 questions)
The city of Philadelphia has launched one of the most ambitious public transportation funding experiments in the United States. Under the 'Zero Fare' pilot program, all bus and subway rides within city limits have been free since January. The initiative is funded through a combination of federal infrastructure grants and a modest increase in parking fees for commercial vehicles. Early data is encouraging: ridership has increased by thirty-four percent compared to the same period last year, while traffic congestion during peak hours has dropped by eleven percent. Proponents argue that free transit democratizes mobility, enabling low-income residents to access jobs, healthcare, and education that were previously unreachable without a car. However, the program has also encountered challenges. Some transit workers report an increase in passengers using buses and trains as temporary shelter, straining the capacity of social services. Furthermore, the pilot's long-term financial sustainability is uncertain, as the parking fee revenue has fallen short of projections by approximately eighteen percent. City officials are now studying congestion pricing — charging drivers to enter the downtown core — as a supplementary funding mechanism.
21. What is the passage mainly about?
- The history of public transportation
- Philadelphia's Zero Fare transit experiment
- How to reduce parking fees
- The declining popularity of buses
Why: The passage reports on Philadelphia's Zero Fare pilot, covering how it is funded, the early rise in ridership and the problems that have since appeared. Parking fees and bus popularity are details inside that experiment, not its subject.
22. By what percentage has ridership increased under the program?
- Eleven percent
- Twenty-four percent
- Thirty-four percent
- Forty-four percent
Why: Ridership rose thirty-four percent against the same period a year earlier, as the early data in the passage shows. The eleven percent figure belongs to peak-hour congestion, and the remaining numbers are not given at all.
23. What financial challenge does the program face?
- Federal grants have been canceled
- Parking fee revenue has fallen short of projections
- Bus drivers are demanding higher wages
- Subway stations are closing
Why: Parking fee income came in about eighteen percent below forecast, which the passage says leaves the pilot's long-term funding in doubt. Federal grants were never cancelled, and shelter use is a social problem rather than the financial one.
24. The word 'democratizes' in the passage is closest in meaning to:
- Makes available to all
- Restricts access to
- Makes more expensive
- Privatizes
Why: Free transit is said to democratise mobility by letting low-income residents reach jobs, healthcare and education they could not reach before. That sense of opening access to everyone rules out restricting, privatising or making travel dearer.
25. What supplementary funding mechanism are officials considering?
- Raising ticket prices again
- Congestion pricing for downtown drivers
- Closing some subway lines
- Selling advertising on buses
Why: Officials are studying congestion pricing, a charge on drivers entering the downtown core, as an extra source of funds. Raising fares would contradict the free-ride policy, and closing lines or bus advertising is never mentioned.
The four-day workweek, once a fringe idea championed by labor activists, has entered mainstream corporate discourse following a series of large-scale trials in the United Kingdom, Iceland, and New Zealand. The most comprehensive of these, a six-month UK pilot involving sixty-one companies and nearly three thousand employees, reported remarkable outcomes. Revenue remained stable or increased at the majority of participating firms, while employee turnover dropped by fifty-seven percent and sick days fell by sixty-five percent. Workers reported reduced stress levels and improved work-life balance. However, the model is not without its detractors. Some managers in the trial noted that the compressed schedule intensified workplace pressure, as employees struggled to complete five days' worth of tasks in four. Industries requiring continuous operations, such as healthcare and manufacturing, face structural barriers to implementing the model at all. Additionally, skeptics point out that the trial attracted companies already inclined toward progressive workplace policies, raising questions about whether the results would replicate across the broader economy. Despite these caveats, several governments, including Spain and Scotland, have announced plans to subsidize further experiments with reduced working hours.
26. What is the passage primarily about?
- The decline of labor unions
- The four-day workweek and trial results
- How to increase company revenue
- The history of the forty-hour week
Why: The passage surveys the four-day week: the trial results, the benefits workers reported and the doubts raised about pressure, feasibility and who takes part. Union history and company profit are incidental points rather than the subject.
27. How many companies participated in the UK pilot?
- Forty-one
- Fifty-one
- Sixty-one
- Seventy-one
Why: The UK pilot is described as a six-month trial involving sixty-one companies and nearly three thousand employees. The neighbouring numbers in the other answers appear nowhere in the text, so the company count is the one figure given.
28. By what percentage did employee turnover drop during the trial?
- Thirty-seven percent
- Forty-seven percent
- Fifty-seven percent
- Sixty-seven percent
Why: Employee turnover fell by fifty-seven percent during the trial, a statistic reported alongside the sixty-five percent drop in sick days. No other turnover percentage appears, so the close-sounding figures must be rejected.
29. The word 'detractors' in the passage is closest in meaning to:
- Supporters
- Critics
- Observers
- Participants
Why: The detractors are the managers and sceptics whose doubts are listed immediately afterwards. Supporters and participants describe the opposite role, while observers is too neutral for people actively questioning the model.
30. What limitation does the passage note about the trial's participants?
- They were all from the same industry
- They were already inclined toward progressive policies
- They were all based in London
- They employed fewer than ten people
Why: Sceptics note that the trial attracted firms already inclined toward progressive workplace policies, so the results may not travel to the wider economy. Industry type, location and company size are never used to qualify the findings.
Part 3 — Multiple-text reading (20 questions)
Music Festival Cancellation
It is with deep regret that we announce the cancellation of this year's Meadowlands Music Festival. Despite months of planning, we have been unable to secure adequate insurance coverage following last year's severe flooding at the site. All ticket holders will receive automatic full refunds within fourteen business days.
The cancellation of Meadowlands is a devastating blow to our community. Last year's festival brought an estimated twelve million dollars in revenue to local hotels, restaurants, and shops. Many businesses rely on this single weekend to stay profitable through the slower autumn months. We are urging the council to help organizers find a new venue or reschedule.
I booked flights and accommodation months ago, and those aren't refundable. The organizers say they'll refund the ticket, which is great, but I'm still out nearly eight hundred dollars in travel costs. Why wasn't the insurance issue flagged sooner? They took our money knowing there was a risk the event might not happen.
31. Why was the festival canceled according to the organizers?
- Low ticket sales
- Inability to secure adequate insurance
- Artist cancellations
- Government restrictions
Why: The organisers blamed the cancellation on being unable to secure adequate insurance for the site. Ticket sales, artist withdrawals and government restrictions are never offered as causes, so the insurance explanation is the one given.
32. How long will ticket refunds take according to the statement?
- Seven business days
- Ten business days
- Fourteen business days
- Thirty business days
Why: The official statement asks ticket holders to allow fourteen business days for refunds to be processed. The shorter and longer periods listed are not the window the organisers announced.
33. How much revenue did last year's festival generate for the local economy?
- Eight million dollars
- Ten million dollars
- Twelve million dollars
- Fifteen million dollars
Why: The statement puts last year's contribution to the local economy at twelve million dollars, a sum the business association repeats when warning about the trade the town will lose.
34. What is the local business association urging?
- Permanent cancellation of all festivals
- Help to find a new venue or reschedule
- Reducing business taxes
- Suing the festival organizers
Why: The business association wants practical help, such as finding another venue or setting a new date, rather than the event being abandoned. It seeks neither tax relief nor legal action against the organisers.
35. What additional cost does the ticket holder face beyond the ticket price?
- Higher ticket prices for next year
- Nearly eight hundred dollars in non-refundable travel costs
- Legal fees
- Membership fees
Why: The disappointed attendee mentions almost eight hundred dollars of travel costs that cannot be recovered, on top of the ticket price already paid. Nothing is said about legal, membership or future ticket charges.
36. The word 'devastating' in the business response is closest in meaning to:
- Minor
- Deeply damaging
- Expected
- Exhilarating
Why: Devastating describes the loss as deeply damaging to local traders, matching the association's warning about the hit to revenue. Minor, expected and exhilarating carry the opposite or a neutral sense.
37. What criticism does the ticket holder make?
- The festival was too expensive
- The insurance issue should have been flagged sooner
- The lineup was disappointing
- The venue was too small
Why: The attendee complains that the insurance problem was known early enough to have been announced sooner, rather than the line-up, ticket price or venue being at fault.
38. What does the ticket holder's comment suggest about the organizers?
- They communicated proactively about risks
- They may have accepted payments while aware of insurance uncertainty
- They offered compensation for travel costs
- They rescheduled immediately
Why: The comment implies the organisers knew about the insurance uncertainty and kept selling tickets anyway, so payments may have been taken from people who would lose money. Proactive communication is the opposite of the criticism made.
39. What event triggered the insurance difficulties?
- A lawsuit against the organizers
- Last year's severe flooding at the site
- A change in government policy
- Artist health concerns
Why: The organisers explain that severe flooding at the site last year left insurers unwilling to underwrite the event. Lawsuits, policy changes and artist health are not linked to the insurance difficulty anywhere in the texts.
40. How do the three texts differ in their focus?
- They all focus on the same stakeholder
- The organizers focus on logistics, businesses on economic impact, and the attendee on personal financial loss
- They all agree the cancellation was justified
- They are all written by the same person
Why: Each text takes a different angle: the organisers explain logistics and insurance, the business group counts the economic damage, and the attendee describes personal financial loss. That range of standpoints is what distinguishes them.
Cryptocurrency Regulation
The Central Bank wishes to remind the public that cryptocurrencies are not legal tender and are not backed by any government guarantee. Investors who purchase these digital assets do so entirely at their own risk. We are monitoring the sector closely and will introduce a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency exchanges within the coming year.
Global cryptocurrency markets lost an estimated two trillion dollars in value during the recent downturn, wiping out the savings of millions of retail investors. Regulators in the United States, the European Union, and South Korea have all accelerated efforts to impose stricter oversight of exchanges and stablecoin issuers. Industry leaders argue that sensible regulation could actually boost mainstream adoption.
I put five thousand dollars into crypto last year — it's now worth about eight hundred. The influencers who promoted these coins have all deleted their accounts or gone silent. I'm not against regulation if it means exchanges can't list obvious scams, but I also don't want the government telling me what I can and can't invest in.
41. What does the Central Bank state about cryptocurrencies?
- They are legal tender guaranteed by the government
- They are not legal tender and carry no government guarantee
- They will be banned next year
- They are safer than traditional investments
Why: The Central Bank stresses that cryptocurrencies are not legal tender and carry no government guarantee, a warning the forum poster echoes. A ban, official backing or a safety claim would all contradict the advisory.
42. How much value did global crypto markets lose during the recent downturn?
- One trillion dollars
- Two trillion dollars
- Three trillion dollars
- Four trillion dollars
Why: The news report puts the fall in global crypto market value during the downturn at two trillion dollars, and the poster's own losses show what that drop meant for ordinary investors caught up in it.
43. What does the Central Bank plan to do within the coming year?
- Ban all cryptocurrencies
- Launch its own digital currency
- Introduce a regulatory framework for exchanges
- Provide investment advice on crypto
Why: Within the coming year the Central Bank intends to bring in a framework governing exchanges. A ban, its own digital currency or investment advice are suggested only by the wrong answers.
44. What argument do industry leaders make in the news report?
- All regulation should be avoided
- Sensible regulation could boost mainstream adoption
- Exchanges should be shut down
- Only banks should trade crypto
Why: Industry leaders argue in the news report that sensible, clear rules would give mainstream investors confidence and speed up adoption, not that all regulation should be avoided or exchanges closed.
45. How much did the forum poster's investment decline?
- From $5,000 to $800
- From $5,000 to $2,000
- From $5,000 to $3,000
- From $5,000 to $1,500
Why: The poster describes putting in five thousand dollars and watching the holding fall to roughly eight hundred, a near-total loss that explains the anger at the influencers who encouraged the purchase.
46. The word 'tender' in the central bank advisory is closest in meaning to:
- Soft
- Official currency acceptable for payment
- An offer
- A gentle touch
Why: In this advisory, tender means currency that must legally be accepted in payment, and the statement denies crypto that status. Softness, an offer and a gentle touch are unrelated everyday senses of the same word.
47. What complaint does the forum poster have about crypto influencers?
- They charged too much for advice
- They have deleted their accounts or gone silent after losses
- They were not famous enough
- They recommended too many different coins
Why: The poster notes that the influencers who urged people to buy have since closed their accounts or stopped posting, leaving followers to absorb the losses. Fees, fame and coin variety are not part of the complaint.
48. What is the forum poster's stance on regulation?
- Complete opposition to any regulation
- Support for preventing scams while preserving investment freedom
- Full support for government control
- Indifference to the issue
Why: The poster wants swindlers punished and hype controlled while adults remain free to invest their own money, so the position is neither total opposition to rules nor full support for government control.
49. Which regions are mentioned as accelerating regulatory efforts?
- Only the United States
- United States, European Union, and South Korea
- Only Asian countries
- Only European countries
Why: The news report names the United States, the European Union and South Korea as jurisdictions accelerating their crypto regulation. Limiting the answer to one country or one continent does not fit what is written.
50. What is the overriding concern across all three texts?
- The environmental impact of crypto mining
- The need for regulatory oversight of cryptocurrency markets
- The technical aspects of blockchain
- The history of digital currencies
Why: All three texts circle the same question: how far the state should intervene in cryptocurrency markets. Mining energy, blockchain mechanics and the history of digital money appear nowhere in the discussion.