MET Reading Practice Test 6 — Grammar, Single-Text & Multiple-Text With Answers

Free MET Reading practice test 6: 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 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.

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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 auditor _____ the financial records for irregularities when the power went out.

  1. examines
  2. was examining
  3. examined
  4. has examined
Answer: B

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.

  1. informed
  2. had informed
  3. informs
  4. would inform
Answer: B

Why: Third conditional requires past perfect in the if-clause.

3. The award _____ to the scientist whose research had the greatest social impact.

  1. gave
  2. was giving
  3. was given
  4. giving
Answer: C

Why: Passive voice is required because the award received the action.

4. The journalist wrote that the negotiations _____ without reaching a resolution.

  1. ended
  2. had ended
  3. will end
  4. have ended
Answer: B

Why: Reported speech shifts past simple to past perfect.

5. _____ was the traffic bad, but the GPS also sent us in the wrong direction.

  1. Neither
  2. Not only
  3. Either
  4. Both
Answer: B

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.

  1. None
  2. Neither
  3. Any
  4. Some
Answer: A

Why: 'None...were informed' means no employees knew before the announcement.

7. The athlete _____ record was broken last year has announced her retirement.

  1. who
  2. which
  3. that
  4. whose
Answer: D

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.

  1. lose
  2. to lose
  3. losing
  4. lost
Answer: C

Why: 'Risk' is followed by a gerund.

9. The second edition of the textbook is far _____ than the first.

  1. comprehensive
  2. more comprehensive
  3. most comprehensive
  4. comprehensively
Answer: B

Why: Comparative 'more comprehensive' is needed with 'than'.

10. The regulations require that every shipment _____ inspected upon arrival at the port.

  1. is
  2. was
  3. be
  4. being
Answer: C

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.

  1. step down
  2. step up
  3. step in
  4. step out
Answer: A

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.

  1. that
  2. it did
  3. had
  4. did
Answer: D

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.

  1. works
  2. has been working
  3. worked
  4. was working
Answer: B

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.

  1. is
  2. were
  3. had been
  4. will be
Answer: B

Why: Second conditional uses 'were' for hypothetical present situations.

15. The fence, _____ by a fallen tree during the storm, took two weeks to repair.

  1. damaging
  2. was damaged
  3. damage
  4. damaged
Answer: D

Why: Past participle 'damaged' acts as a reduced passive relative clause.

16. The interviewer asked me if I _____ willing to relocate for the position.

  1. am
  2. will be
  3. was
  4. have been
Answer: C

Why: Reported speech shifts present simple to past simple.

17. She can't help _____ anxious before every major presentation.

  1. feel
  2. to feel
  3. feeling
  4. felt
Answer: C

Why: 'Can't help' is followed by a gerund.

18. On no account _____ personal information shared with third parties without consent.

  1. will be
  2. be
  3. shall
  4. is
Answer: D

Why: 'On no account' triggers subject-auxiliary inversion with 'is'.

19. The less you procrastinate, _____ progress you make toward your goals.

  1. more
  2. most
  3. the more
  4. much
Answer: C

Why: Double comparative: 'the less..., the more...'

20. We urge that the council _____ the proposal at its next scheduled meeting.

  1. considers
  2. consider
  3. considered
  4. considering
Answer: B

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 central issue discussed in this passage?

  1. The history of public transportation
  2. Philadelphia's Zero Fare transit experiment
  3. How to reduce parking fees
  4. The declining popularity of buses
Answer: B

22. By what percentage has ridership increased under the program?

  1. Eleven percent
  2. Twenty-four percent
  3. Thirty-four percent
  4. Forty-four percent
Answer: C

23. What financial challenge does the program face?

  1. Federal grants have been canceled
  2. Parking fee revenue has fallen short of projections
  3. Bus drivers are demanding higher wages
  4. Subway stations are closing
Answer: B

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

  1. Makes available to all
  2. Restricts access to
  3. Makes more expensive
  4. Privatizes
Answer: A

25. What supplementary funding mechanism are officials considering?

  1. Raising ticket prices again
  2. Congestion pricing for downtown drivers
  3. Closing some subway lines
  4. Selling advertising on buses
Answer: B
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?

  1. The decline of labor unions
  2. The four-day workweek and trial results
  3. How to increase company revenue
  4. The history of the forty-hour week
Answer: B

27. How many companies participated in the UK pilot?

  1. Forty-one
  2. Fifty-one
  3. Sixty-one
  4. Seventy-one
Answer: C

28. By what percentage did employee turnover drop during the trial?

  1. Thirty-seven percent
  2. Forty-seven percent
  3. Fifty-seven percent
  4. Sixty-seven percent
Answer: C

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

  1. Supporters
  2. Critics
  3. Observers
  4. Participants
Answer: B

30. What limitation does the passage note about the trial's participants?

  1. They were all from the same industry
  2. They were already inclined toward progressive policies
  3. They were all based in London
  4. They employed fewer than ten people
Answer: B

Part 3 — Multiple-text reading (20 questions)

Music Festival Cancellation

Festival Organizers' Statement 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.
Local Business Association Response 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.
Ticket Holder Social Media Comment 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?

  1. Low ticket sales
  2. Inability to secure adequate insurance
  3. Artist cancellations
  4. Government restrictions
Answer: B

32. How long will ticket refunds take according to the statement?

  1. Seven business days
  2. Ten business days
  3. Fourteen business days
  4. Thirty business days
Answer: C

33. How much revenue did last year's festival generate for the local economy?

  1. Eight million dollars
  2. Ten million dollars
  3. Twelve million dollars
  4. Fifteen million dollars
Answer: C

34. What is the local business association urging?

  1. Permanent cancellation of all festivals
  2. Help to find a new venue or reschedule
  3. Reducing business taxes
  4. Suing the festival organizers
Answer: B

35. What additional cost does the ticket holder face beyond the ticket price?

  1. Higher ticket prices for next year
  2. Nearly eight hundred dollars in non-refundable travel costs
  3. Legal fees
  4. Membership fees
Answer: B

36. The word 'devastating' in the business response is closest in meaning to:

  1. Minor
  2. Deeply damaging
  3. Expected
  4. Exhilarating
Answer: B

37. What criticism does the ticket holder make?

  1. The festival was too expensive
  2. The insurance issue should have been flagged sooner
  3. The lineup was disappointing
  4. The venue was too small
Answer: B

38. What does the ticket holder's comment suggest about the organizers?

  1. They communicated proactively about risks
  2. They may have accepted payments while aware of insurance uncertainty
  3. They offered compensation for travel costs
  4. They rescheduled immediately
Answer: B

39. What event triggered the insurance difficulties?

  1. A lawsuit against the organizers
  2. Last year's severe flooding at the site
  3. A change in government policy
  4. Artist health concerns
Answer: B

40. How do the three texts differ in their focus?

  1. They all focus on the same stakeholder
  2. The organizers focus on logistics, businesses on economic impact, and the attendee on personal financial loss
  3. They all agree the cancellation was justified
  4. They are all written by the same person
Answer: B

Cryptocurrency Regulation

Central Bank Advisory 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.
Financial News Report 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.
Online Investor Forum Post 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?

  1. They are legal tender guaranteed by the government
  2. They are not legal tender and carry no government guarantee
  3. They will be banned next year
  4. They are safer than traditional investments
Answer: B

42. How much value did global crypto markets lose during the recent downturn?

  1. One trillion dollars
  2. Two trillion dollars
  3. Three trillion dollars
  4. Four trillion dollars
Answer: B

43. What does the Central Bank plan to do within the coming year?

  1. Ban all cryptocurrencies
  2. Launch its own digital currency
  3. Introduce a regulatory framework for exchanges
  4. Provide investment advice on crypto
Answer: C

44. What argument do industry leaders make in the news report?

  1. All regulation should be avoided
  2. Sensible regulation could boost mainstream adoption
  3. Exchanges should be shut down
  4. Only banks should trade crypto
Answer: B

45. How much did the forum poster's investment decline?

  1. From $5,000 to $800
  2. From $5,000 to $2,000
  3. From $5,000 to $3,000
  4. From $5,000 to $1,500
Answer: A

46. The word 'tender' in the central bank advisory is closest in meaning to:

  1. Soft
  2. Official currency acceptable for payment
  3. An offer
  4. A gentle touch
Answer: B

47. What complaint does the forum poster have about crypto influencers?

  1. They charged too much for advice
  2. They have deleted their accounts or gone silent after losses
  3. They were not famous enough
  4. They recommended too many different coins
Answer: B

48. What is the forum poster's stance on regulation?

  1. Complete opposition to any regulation
  2. Support for preventing scams while preserving investment freedom
  3. Full support for government control
  4. Indifference to the issue
Answer: B

49. Which regions are mentioned as accelerating regulatory efforts?

  1. Only the United States
  2. United States, European Union, and South Korea
  3. Only Asian countries
  4. Only European countries
Answer: B

50. What is the overriding concern across all three texts?

  1. The environmental impact of crypto mining
  2. The need for regulatory oversight of cryptocurrency markets
  3. The technical aspects of blockchain
  4. The history of digital currencies
Answer: B

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