MET Reading Practice Test 7 — Grammar, Single-Text & Multiple-Text With Answers

Free MET Reading practice test 7: 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 7 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. While the engineer _____ the circuit board, she discovered a critical design flaw.

  1. inspects
  2. has inspected
  3. was inspecting
  4. inspected
Answer: C

Why: Past continuous is used for an ongoing action during which a discovery occurred.

2. If the festival _____ canceled, thousands of visitors would demand refunds.

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

Why: Second conditional uses 'were' for hypothetical present/future scenarios.

3. The nominees _____ by a panel of independent judges from across the industry.

  1. select
  2. are selected
  3. selected
  4. selecting
Answer: B

Why: Passive voice is needed because the nominees receive the action of being chosen.

4. The witness testified that she _____ the suspect leaving the building shortly after midnight.

  1. sees
  2. has seen
  3. had seen
  4. is seeing
Answer: C

Why: Reported speech shifts past simple to past perfect.

5. Neither the assistant _____ the supervisor had checked the inventory before the audit.

  1. or
  2. and
  3. nor
  4. but
Answer: C

Why: 'Neither...nor' is the correct correlative conjunction pair.

6. There are _____ opportunities for career advancement in this sector than in manufacturing.

  1. less
  2. more
  3. few
  4. much
Answer: B

Why: Comparative 'more' is used with 'than' for countable plural nouns.

7. The year _____ the company went public was the most profitable in its history.

  1. that
  2. where
  3. when
  4. which
Answer: C

Why: 'When' is the relative adverb for time references.

8. The intern suggested _____ the meeting to accommodate colleagues in different time zones.

  1. to reschedule
  2. rescheduling
  3. reschedule
  4. rescheduled
Answer: B

Why: 'Suggest' is followed by a gerund.

9. This apartment is significantly _____ than the one we viewed last weekend.

  1. spacious
  2. more spacious
  3. most spacious
  4. spaciously
Answer: B

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

10. The director demanded that every cast member _____ for rehearsal by eight o'clock.

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

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

11. The new manager managed to _____ the team despite initial resistance from senior staff.

  1. win over
  2. win back
  3. win out
  4. win through
Answer: A

Why: 'Win over' is a phrasal verb meaning 'gain the support or approval of'.

12. At no point during the investigation _____ the suspect's alibi verified independently.

  1. had
  2. was
  3. did
  4. could
Answer: B

Why: 'At no point' triggers subject-auxiliary inversion; 'was verified' is passive.

13. By the end of this month, the team _____ the project for two full years.

  1. works on
  2. will work on
  3. will have been working on
  4. worked on
Answer: C

Why: Future perfect continuous expresses duration up to a future point.

14. If water _____ to 100 degrees Celsius at sea level, it boils.

  1. is heated
  2. were heated
  3. had been heated
  4. heated
Answer: A

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

15. The paintings, _____ from the museum during the war, were finally recovered last year.

  1. stealing
  2. were stolen
  3. stolen
  4. had stolen
Answer: C

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

16. She wanted to know _____ the delivery had been dispatched or was still in the warehouse.

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

Why: 'Whether' introduces an indirect question with alternatives.

17. The landlord threatened _____ the tenants if the rent remained unpaid.

  1. evicting
  2. evict
  3. to evict
  4. evicted
Answer: C

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

18. Not a single complaint _____ from customers since the new policy was implemented.

  1. we have received
  2. received we
  3. have we received
  4. we received
Answer: C

Why: 'Not a single...' at the start triggers subject-auxiliary inversion.

19. _____ the noise outside was deafening, she managed to concentrate on her studies.

  1. Even though
  2. Because
  3. For
  4. Despite of
Answer: A

Why: 'Even though' introduces a concessive clause showing contrast.

20. It is imperative that the safety protocols _____ updated before the inspection next week.

  1. are
  2. were
  3. be
  4. being
Answer: C

Why: Subjunctive requires the base form 'be' after 'imperative that'.

Part 2 — Single-text reading (10 questions)

In 2023, the global recorded music industry surpassed $26 billion in revenue, marking its eighth consecutive year of growth. The primary driver of this resurgence has been the explosive expansion of streaming platforms, which now account for more than sixty-seven percent of all recorded music income. Services like Spotify, Apple Music, and regional platforms such as Tencent Music in China have fundamentally reshaped how consumers access and pay for music. The subscription model has proven especially lucrative, with the number of paid streaming accounts worldwide exceeding six hundred million in 2024. Despite this prosperity at the industry level, a contentious debate persists about how streaming revenue is distributed. Independent artists and smaller labels complain that the 'pro-rata' model, which pools all subscription fees and distributes them based on total streams, disproportionately benefits major-label artists with massive play counts. A study by the Union of Musicians found that the average independent artist earns approximately four thousand dollars per million streams, a figure that many argue is unsustainable. Some platforms have begun experimenting with 'user-centric' payment models, where each subscriber's monthly fee goes directly to the artists they personally stream. Early adoption has been slow, but pressure from regulators and artist advocacy groups may accelerate the shift.

21. What is the central topic of this passage?

  1. The decline of the music industry
  2. The growth of streaming and the debate over revenue distribution
  3. How to become a famous musician
  4. The history of vinyl records
Answer: B

22. What percentage of recorded music income comes from streaming?

  1. Over forty-seven percent
  2. Over fifty-seven percent
  3. Over sixty-seven percent
  4. Over seventy-seven percent
Answer: C

23. How much does the average independent artist earn per million streams?

  1. Approximately $2,000
  2. Approximately $4,000
  3. Approximately $6,000
  4. Approximately $8,000
Answer: B

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

  1. Unprofitable
  2. Profitable
  3. Risky
  4. Traditional
Answer: B

25. How does the user-centric payment model differ from the pro-rata model?

  1. It charges listeners more per song
  2. Each subscriber's fee goes to the artists they personally stream
  3. It eliminates all independent artists from payments
  4. It pays all artists equally regardless of streams
Answer: B
Taking a gap year — a structured break between secondary school and university — has long been common in countries like Australia and the United Kingdom. In the United States, however, the practice has only recently gained traction. Proponents argue that gap years allow students to gain maturity, work experience, and greater clarity about their academic and career goals before committing to a degree program. Research from the American Gap Association suggests that students who take a gap year graduate with higher GPAs on average and are more likely to complete their degrees within four years. However, critics raise valid concerns about equity. Structured gap year programs — which may involve overseas volunteering, language immersion, or wilderness expeditions — often cost between ten thousand and forty thousand dollars, putting them out of reach for lower-income families. Students who spend their gap year working in low-wage jobs to save for tuition, rather than traveling, may not reap the same developmental benefits. Some universities have attempted to bridge this gap by offering fully funded gap year fellowships to incoming students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Harvard, Princeton, and Tufts now have such programs, though the number of funded placements remains limited relative to demand. The challenge for educators and policymakers is to ensure that the gap year does not become yet another advantage for the already privileged.

26. What is the primary subject of this passage?

  1. The history of university admissions
  2. The benefits and equity concerns of gap years
  3. How to travel cheaply as a student
  4. The structure of degree programs in the US
Answer: B

27. According to research, what academic benefit do gap year students experience?

  1. They graduate earlier than all other students
  2. They tend to have higher GPAs and complete degrees in four years
  3. They receive more scholarships
  4. They are guaranteed admission to graduate school
Answer: B

28. How much can structured gap year programs cost?

  1. $5,000 to $15,000
  2. $10,000 to $40,000
  3. $20,000 to $50,000
  4. $1,000 to $5,000
Answer: B

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

  1. Financial profit
  2. Fairness and equal access
  3. Academic excellence
  4. Speed
Answer: B

30. What have some universities done to address the equity concern?

  1. Canceled all gap year programs
  2. Offered fully funded gap year fellowships for disadvantaged students
  3. Required all students to take a gap year
  4. Prohibited work during gap years
Answer: B

Part 3 — Multiple-text reading (20 questions)

Beach Cleanup Initiative

Environmental NGO Press Release Our 'Coastline Guardian' program launches next Saturday at Golden Bay Beach. Volunteers are invited to join a three-hour morning cleanup of plastic waste and debris. All equipment will be provided, including gloves, bags, and grabbers. Last year, volunteers removed over two tons of waste from local beaches. Registration is open at our website.
Local Tourism Bureau Statement We fully support the Coastline Guardian initiative. Clean beaches are essential for our tourism industry, which employs nearly forty percent of the local workforce. However, we are concerned by some event organizers encouraging visitors to bring their own reusable containers, as this could reduce sales at our beachfront cafes and vendors.
Volunteer Participant Blog Post I've been doing the Golden Bay cleanup for three years, and the amount of plastic never seems to decrease. Last month I filled six bags in under two hours, mostly single-use packaging and discarded fishing gear. Cleaning is important, but shouldn't we be pressuring manufacturers to reduce plastic production at the source? Beach cleanups treat the symptom, not the disease.

31. What is the name of the cleanup program?

  1. Beach Guardian
  2. Coastline Guardian
  3. Ocean Protector
  4. Shoreline Saver
Answer: B

32. How long will the cleanup event last?

  1. One hour
  2. Two hours
  3. Three hours
  4. Four hours
Answer: C

33. How much waste was removed by volunteers last year?

  1. One ton
  2. Over two tons
  3. Over three tons
  4. Over four tons
Answer: B

34. What concern does the tourism bureau raise?

  1. The cleanup will scare away tourists
  2. Encouraging reusable containers could hurt beachfront vendors
  3. The beach is not actually dirty
  4. There are not enough volunteers
Answer: B

35. What point does the blog post make about beach cleanups?

  1. They should happen more frequently
  2. They treat the symptom rather than addressing the source of plastic pollution
  3. They are completely ineffective
  4. Only governments should organize them
Answer: B

36. The word 'debris' in the press release is closest in meaning to:

  1. Marine life
  2. Scattered waste and fragments
  3. Sand and shells
  4. Clean water
Answer: B

37. According to the tourism bureau, what portion of the local workforce does tourism employ?

  1. Nearly twenty percent
  2. Nearly thirty percent
  3. Nearly forty percent
  4. Nearly fifty percent
Answer: C

38. What does the volunteer suggest as a more fundamental solution?

  1. Hiring professional cleaners
  2. Pressuring manufacturers to reduce plastic production
  3. Closing all beaches
  4. Charging tourists a cleaning fee
Answer: B

39. What is the relationship between the three texts?

  1. They are all written by the same organization
  2. They represent different perspectives: organizer, economic stakeholder, and volunteer critic
  3. They all oppose the cleanup initiative
  4. They are all government publications
Answer: B

40. What can be inferred about the volunteer from the blog post?

  1. They are participating for the first time
  2. They are a long-term participant who has become skeptical of the approach
  3. They work for the tourism industry
  4. They oppose any form of environmental action
Answer: B

Smart City Sensor Network

Municipal Government Brochure Our city is becoming smarter. We are installing environmental sensors on streetlights across all twenty-one neighborhoods to monitor air quality, noise levels, and pedestrian traffic in real time. This data will help us optimize traffic light timing, identify pollution hotspots, and deploy street maintenance crews more efficiently. The sensors do not record audio or video.
Privacy Advocacy Group Statement The city's claim that sensors don't record audio or video is technically true but misleading. Pedestrian traffic monitoring, even without identifying individuals, creates behavioral datasets that, when combined with other data sources, can enable sophisticated tracking. We demand a public registry of all sensors, their exact capabilities, and an independent oversight board with the power to order removal.
Resident Online Comment My street has had these sensors for six months and honestly, I haven't noticed any difference in traffic or pollution. The air still smells like exhaust during rush hour. What I have noticed is that streetlights with sensors seem to flicker more often. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I'd like to know who exactly has access to the data being collected outside my front door.

41. Where are the sensors being installed?

  1. On traffic lights
  2. On streetlights
  3. On buildings
  4. On park benches
Answer: B

42. How many neighborhoods will receive the sensors?

  1. Eleven
  2. Fifteen
  3. Twenty-one
  4. Thirty-one
Answer: C

43. What does the brochure say the sensors will monitor?

  1. Individual conversations
  2. Air quality, noise levels, and pedestrian traffic
  3. Private phone calls
  4. Home internet usage
Answer: B

44. Why does the privacy group call the city's claim 'misleading'?

  1. The sensors actually record video
  2. Behavioral datasets can enable tracking when combined with other data
  3. The city is lying about the number of sensors
  4. The sensors don't work at all
Answer: B

45. What does the privacy group demand?

  1. Removal of all sensors
  2. A public registry, capability disclosure, and independent oversight
  3. The mayor's resignation
  4. Free internet access
Answer: B

46. For how long has the resident's street had sensors?

  1. Three months
  2. Six months
  3. Nine months
  4. Twelve months
Answer: B

47. The word 'sophisticated' in the privacy statement is closest in meaning to:

  1. Simple
  2. Highly complex and advanced
  3. Expensive
  4. Illegal
Answer: B

48. What observation does the resident make about the sensors?

  1. They have dramatically improved traffic
  2. The air quality has noticeably improved
  3. Streetlights with sensors seem to flicker more often
  4. They record high-quality video
Answer: C

49. What concern does the resident share with the privacy group?

  1. Neither has any concerns
  2. Both want to know who has access to the collected data
  3. Both demand removal of all sensors
  4. Both are municipal employees
Answer: B

50. What can be inferred about the effectiveness of the sensors so far?

  1. They have transformed the city's infrastructure
  2. The resident has not noticed significant improvements in six months
  3. They have completely eliminated pollution
  4. All residents strongly support them
Answer: B

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