MET Reading Practice Test 10 — Grammar, Single-Text & Multiple-Text With Answers

Free MET Reading practice test 10: 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 10 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 mechanic _____ the engine for over an hour before diagnosing the problem.

  1. inspects
  2. inspected
  3. has inspected
  4. had been inspecting
Answer: D

Why: Past perfect continuous expresses duration before another past action.

2. Were I in your shoes, I _____ the offer before it expires.

  1. accept
  2. will accept
  3. would accept
  4. accepted
Answer: C

Why: Inverted second conditional requires 'would + base form' in the main clause.

3. The findings _____ at the international conference challenged decades of established theory.

  1. presenting
  2. presented
  3. were presented
  4. had presented
Answer: B

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

4. The director announced that the film _____ in over forty countries by the end of the year.

  1. releases
  2. is released
  3. had been released
  4. was releasing
Answer: C

Why: Past perfect passive in reported speech shows completion before the time of announcement.

5. Either you attend the training session _____ you complete the online module before Friday.

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

Why: 'Either...or' is the correct correlative conjunction pair.

6. _____ manager in the department was consulted before the restructuring was announced.

  1. Every
  2. All
  3. Few
  4. Many
Answer: A

Why: 'Every' with a singular noun and singular verb means each individual one.

7. The village _____ I spent my childhood summers has since been submerged by a reservoir.

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

Why: 'Where' is the relative adverb for places.

8. The manager approved _____ a new team specifically for the international market.

  1. hire
  2. to hire
  3. hiring
  4. hired
Answer: C

Why: 'Approve' when used transitively is followed by a gerund.

9. The two-bedroom apartment was only marginally _____ than the studio we toured.

  1. expensive
  2. more expensive
  3. most expensive
  4. as expensive
Answer: B

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

10. The owners requested that the architect _____ the original facade in the renovation plans.

  1. preserves
  2. preserve
  3. preserved
  4. preserving
Answer: B

Why: Subjunctive requires the base form 'preserve' after 'requested that'.

11. The marketing team wanted to _____ their new campaign on a younger demographic.

  1. try out
  2. try on
  3. try for
  4. try with
Answer: A

Why: 'Try out' is a phrasal verb meaning 'test or experiment with'.

12. Not for one moment _____ that the merger would face such fierce regulatory opposition.

  1. the board anticipated
  2. did the board anticipate
  3. the board did anticipate
  4. anticipated the board
Answer: B

Why: 'Not for one moment' at the start triggers subject-auxiliary inversion.

13. She _____ English literature at three different universities before settling into her current role.

  1. teaches
  2. taught
  3. was teaching
  4. had taught
Answer: D

Why: Past perfect shows completion of multiple past actions before another past event.

14. If I _____ the instructions more carefully, I wouldn't have assembled the furniture incorrectly.

  1. read
  2. had read
  3. would read
  4. have read
Answer: B

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

15. The seedlings _____ in the greenhouse are being prepared for spring planting.

  1. nurturing
  2. nurtured
  3. are nurtured
  4. nurture
Answer: B

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

16. The customer asked the agent how long the warranty _____.

  1. lasts
  2. lasted
  3. will last
  4. would last
Answer: D

Why: Reported speech shifts 'will' to 'would' for future-in-the-past.

17. She admitted _____ the mistake but insisted it had not affected the final results.

  1. make
  2. to make
  3. making
  4. made
Answer: C

Why: 'Admit' is followed by a gerund.

18. Only through years of dedicated practice _____ mastery of a musical instrument.

  1. one achieves
  2. achieves one
  3. does one achieve
  4. one does achieve
Answer: C

Why: 'Only through...' triggers subject-auxiliary inversion.

19. The higher the altitude, _____ oxygen is available for combustion.

  1. the less
  2. less
  3. the least
  4. least
Answer: A

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

20. The guidelines stipulate that all applicants _____ a background check before offer letters are issued.

  1. undergoes
  2. undergo
  3. underwent
  4. undergoing
Answer: B

Why: Subjunctive requires the base form 'undergo' after 'stipulate that'.

Part 2 — Single-text reading (10 questions)

The gig economy — characterized by short-term, task-based work mediated through digital platforms — has expanded rapidly over the past decade. Companies such as Uber, Deliveroo, and Upwork now connect millions of workers to customers worldwide. Advocates highlight the flexibility that gig work offers, allowing individuals to set their own schedules and supplement their income. A 2024 survey by the Freelancers Union found that sixty-four percent of gig workers chose the arrangement voluntarily rather than out of necessity. However, the model raises significant concerns about worker protections. Gig workers are typically classified as independent contractors, which means they are not entitled to minimum wage, paid sick leave, unemployment benefits, or employer-sponsored health insurance. This classification has been challenged in courts around the world. In California, the passage of Proposition 22, which allows app-based companies to classify drivers as contractors while providing limited benefits, has become a national flashpoint. The European Union has taken a different approach, with a 2024 directive establishing a presumption of employment status for platform workers unless the company can prove otherwise. As gig work continues to grow — some estimates suggest it could account for twenty percent of the global workforce by 2030 — the tension between flexibility and protection will only intensify.

21. What is the overarching theme of this passage?

  1. The history of taxi services
  2. The gig economy, its flexibility, and the debate over worker protections
  3. How to start a small business
  4. The decline of traditional employment
Answer: B

Why: The passage describes the spread of gig work, the flexibility it offers and the argument over contractor status and benefits. Taxi history and small business advice are not part of its concern.

22. According to the Freelancers Union survey, what percentage chose gig work voluntarily?

  1. Fifty-four percent
  2. Sixty-four percent
  3. Seventy-four percent
  4. Eighty-four percent
Answer: B

Why: The 2024 Freelancers Union survey found that sixty-four percent of gig workers took up the work voluntarily rather than out of financial necessity, evidence the passage uses to defend the flexibility of the model.

23. What benefits are gig workers typically not entitled to?

  1. Only paid sick leave
  2. Minimum wage, paid sick leave, unemployment benefits, and health insurance
  3. Only health insurance
  4. Only unemployment benefits
Answer: B

Why: Because gig workers are classed as independent contractors, the passage lists the protections they go without: minimum wage, paid sick leave, unemployment benefits and employer health cover.

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

  1. Denial
  2. Assumption without proof to the contrary
  3. Request
  4. Rejection
Answer: B

Why: In this legal context a presumption is a starting assumption that stands until the company disproves it, so platform workers count as employees unless the firm shows otherwise.

25. What does the EU directive establish regarding platform workers?

  1. All platform workers are independent contractors
  2. A presumption of employment status unless the company proves otherwise
  3. Platforms are banned entirely
  4. Workers must be paid double the minimum wage
Answer: B

Why: The EU directive makes employment the default status for platform workers, placing the burden on companies to prove that a genuine contractor relationship exists instead.

Urban farming — the practice of cultivating food within city limits — is experiencing a renaissance. From rooftop greenhouses in Singapore to vertical hydroponic farms in vacant Chicago warehouses, cities are increasingly integrating agriculture into the urban fabric. Proponents cite multiple benefits: reduced food miles, improved food security, and the conversion of underused spaces into productive assets. The most technologically advanced operations, known as controlled-environment agriculture, use LED lighting and automated climate systems to grow leafy greens year-round with up to ninety-five percent less water than traditional farming. Yet urban agriculture faces significant economic headwinds. The cost per square foot of growing space in cities vastly exceeds that of rural farmland, and energy costs for indoor lighting can account for up to forty percent of operational expenses. A study by the University of Toronto found that only fifteen percent of urban farming ventures in North America were profitable without subsidies or grant funding. Critics argue that the resources devoted to urban agriculture — particularly energy and capital — could be more efficiently deployed by improving rural farming practices and distribution networks. Nonetheless, as cities continue to grow and climate change threatens conventional supply chains, the case for producing food closer to where it is consumed gains strength.

26. What trend does this passage examine?

  1. The decline of agriculture worldwide
  2. The growth and challenges of urban farming
  3. The history of rooftop construction
  4. How to move from cities to farms
Answer: B

Why: The passage charts urban farming's growth, its water and space advantages and the profitability problems holding it back. Rooftop construction history and moving from cities to farms are not discussed.

27. How much less water can controlled-environment agriculture use compared to traditional farming?

  1. Up to seventy-five percent less
  2. Up to eighty-five percent less
  3. Up to ninety-five percent less
  4. Up to ninety-nine percent less
Answer: C

Why: Controlled-environment operations using LED lighting and automated climate control can grow leafy greens with as much as ninety-five percent less water than conventional field farming uses.

28. What percentage of urban farming ventures were profitable without subsidies?

  1. Five percent
  2. Fifteen percent
  3. Twenty-five percent
  4. Thirty-five percent
Answer: B

Why: The University of Toronto study found that only fifteen percent of North American urban farming ventures made money without grants or subsidies, the economic problem the passage highlights.

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

  1. Advantages
  2. Obstacles opposing progress
  3. Favorable conditions
  4. New opportunities
Answer: B

Why: Headwinds here means difficulties that slow progress, introducing the high urban land and energy costs squeezing indoor farms. Advantages and favourable conditions reverse the metaphor's meaning.

30. What do critics argue about resources devoted to urban agriculture?

  1. They should be doubled immediately
  2. They could be used more efficiently to improve rural farming and distribution
  3. They are already perfectly allocated
  4. They should be shifted to suburban areas only
Answer: B

Why: Critics argue that the energy and capital poured into city farms would deliver more food if spent instead on improving rural cultivation methods and distribution networks.

Part 3 — Multiple-text reading (20 questions)

Consumer Data Privacy Law

Federal Trade Commission Announcement

New rules under the Consumer Data Protection Act will take effect in sixty days. Companies must now obtain explicit opt-in consent before collecting or sharing personal data, including browsing history, location information, and purchase records. Consumers will have the right to request deletion of their data within thirty days.

Tech Industry Coalition Statement

We support the goal of consumer privacy, but the opt-in requirement will devastate small and medium-sized businesses that rely on targeted advertising for eighty percent of their revenue. The thirty-day deletion window is technically impossible for many legacy systems. We urge regulators to adopt a phased compliance timeline extending over three years for companies under five hundred employees.

Consumer Rights Advocate Interview

For too long, companies have treated our personal data as their property. The opt-in requirement is the minimum standard that should have existed all along. As for the tech industry's complaints — if a business model relies on collecting data without consent, perhaps that business model needs to change. Phased compliance is reasonable for small businesses, but three years is excessive.

31. When will the new data protection rules take effect?

  1. Thirty days
  2. Forty-five days
  3. Sixty days
  4. Ninety days
Answer: C

Why: The announcement gives companies sixty days before the new data protection rules start to apply, a short window the tech industry calls unrealistic for smaller firms.

32. What must companies obtain before collecting personal data?

  1. A government permit
  2. Explicit opt-in consent
  3. A lawyer's approval
  4. An annual fee payment
Answer: B

Why: Under the rules, a company must obtain the customer's explicit opt-in before collecting personal data, the requirement the industry says is costly and slow to implement.

33. How long do companies have to delete consumer data upon request?

  1. Fifteen days
  2. Thirty days
  3. Sixty days
  4. Ninety days
Answer: B

Why: Firms must erase a consumer's personal data within thirty days of that person asking, a deadline intended to give individuals genuine control over their information.

34. What concern does the tech industry raise about small businesses?

  1. They don't collect any data
  2. They rely on targeted advertising for eighty percent of revenue
  3. They have too many privacy protections
  4. They are exempt from all regulations
Answer: B

Why: The tech industry warns that small businesses relying on targeted advertising for about eighty percent of their revenue would be badly hit by the opt-in requirement.

35. What timeline does the tech industry request for small business compliance?

  1. One year
  2. Two years
  3. Three years
  4. Five years
Answer: C

Why: Industry representatives ask for a three-year transition period for small businesses, arguing that tighter deadlines would push many of them under before they could adapt.

36. The word 'phased' in the tech statement is closest in meaning to:

  1. Immediate
  2. Gradual and staged
  3. Cancelled
  4. Permanent
Answer: B

Why: Phased means introduced in stages rather than all at once, which is why the request is for a gradual timetable rather than an exemption from the law itself.

37. What is the consumer advocate's position on the tech industry's complaint?

  1. It is completely justified
  2. If a business model depends on collecting data without consent, it may need to change
  3. Businesses should be exempt from all rules
  4. The law should be repealed
Answer: B

Why: The consumer advocate replies that where a company's profits depend on collecting data people did not agree to share, the business model itself needs rethinking.

38. What does the consumer advocate say about the three-year timeline?

  1. It is too short
  2. It is reasonable
  3. It is excessive
  4. It should apply to all companies
Answer: C

Why: The advocate calls the requested three years excessive, pointing out that larger firms manage far faster and that delay mainly benefits those profiting from current practice.

39. What common ground exists between the tech industry and the consumer advocate?

  1. They agree on no regulation at all
  2. Both acknowledge that phased compliance may be acceptable, but disagree on the timeline
  3. They want the same three-year phase-in
  4. They both oppose opt-in consent
Answer: B

Why: Both sides accept that compliance may be staged, so the dispute narrows to how long small businesses should get; the industry wants three years and the advocate rejects that.

40. Based on the texts, what can be inferred about current data collection practices?

  1. Companies already always obtain explicit consent
  2. Data has been collected without explicit consumer opt-in under existing rules
  3. No companies collect personal data
  4. Consumers have always had full control over their data
Answer: B

Why: Since the rules exist to introduce opt-in consent, current practice must be the opposite: personal data has been gathered without consumers explicitly agreeing to it first.

Public Art Installation Controversy

Arts Council Press Release

We are proud to unveil 'Horizon Lines,' a large-scale metal sculpture by artist Elena Kovac, which will be installed in Centennial Plaza next month. The twelve-meter-tall piece, funded through a combination of public grants and private donations, is intended to reflect the city's industrial heritage and forward-looking spirit.

Taxpayers' Alliance Letter to Editor

The Arts Council has spent $850,000 of public money on a metal sculpture while three public schools in this district are operating with leaking roofs and outdated textbooks. We are not opposed to public art in principle, but the council's priorities are badly misplaced. Essential services should be funded before aesthetic enhancements.

Local Artist Collective Response

This is the same tired argument every time the city invests in culture. Public art isn't a luxury — it defines a city's identity, attracts visitors, and makes daily life richer for everyone who encounters it. The sculpture budget and the school repair budget come from entirely different funding pools. Pitting them against each other is misleading.

41. What is the name of the sculpture to be installed?

  1. Horizon Lines
  2. Industrial Spirit
  3. Centennial Rise
  4. Metal Waves
Answer: A

Why: The commission is called Horizon Lines, the title used in the council's announcement and repeated when the artist collective defends the project's design, scale and cost.

42. How tall is the sculpture?

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

Why: The sculpture is designed to stand twelve metres tall, a scale the council presents as a landmark for the plaza and objectors see as needlessly large.

43. How much public money was spent on the sculpture?

  1. $650,000
  2. $750,000
  3. $850,000
  4. $950,000
Answer: C

Why: Public funds covered eight hundred and fifty thousand dollars of the sculpture's cost, the figure the taxpayers' group cites when questioning the council's spending priorities.

44. What is the Taxpayers' Alliance's main objection?

  1. The sculpture is too small
  2. Public money is being spent on art while essential services are underfunded
  3. The artist is not local
  4. The plaza is the wrong location
Answer: B

Why: The Taxpayers' Alliance objects that the council is buying art while schools, roads and other essential services go short, making the complaint about priorities rather than about the artwork.

45. What argument does the artist collective use to defend the project?

  1. Art is more important than education
  2. The sculpture and school repair budgets come from different funding pools
  3. Schools don't need repairs
  4. The sculpture will generate direct revenue for schools
Answer: B

Why: The artists reply that the art budget comes from a separate capital fund, so cancelling the sculpture would not release money for repairing school buildings.

46. The word 'aesthetic' in the taxpayers' letter is closest in meaning to:

  1. Functional
  2. Relating to beauty and appearance
  3. Educational
  4. Structural
Answer: B

Why: Aesthetic relates to beauty and appearance, so the taxpayers' letter questions spending public money on how the plaza looks rather than on practical needs. Functional, educational and structural describe other kinds of value.

47. What issue does the taxpayers' letter mention about local schools?

  1. They are overstaffed
  2. They have leaking roofs and outdated textbooks
  3. They have too much funding
  4. They were recently renovated
Answer: B

Why: The taxpayers' letter points to schools with leaking roofs and outdated textbooks to show what the same money could have fixed, sharpening its argument about priorities.

48. What is the artist collective's view on the funding conflict argument?

  1. They agree it is a valid concern
  2. They argue that pitting art against schools is misleading due to separate funding pools
  3. They think schools should fund art
  4. They have no opinion
Answer: B

Why: The collective argues that setting art against schools is a misleading contrast, since the two are financed from different budgets and cancelling one would not fund the other.

49. Where will the sculpture be installed?

  1. At a public school
  2. In Centennial Plaza
  3. Inside a museum
  4. At the artist's studio
Answer: B

Why: The council announcement says the work will stand in Centennial Plaza, the public space the project is meant to revitalise and the setting objectors criticise.

50. What fundamental tension do the three texts illustrate?

  1. The value of different art styles
  2. The debate over public funding priorities between arts and essential services
  3. The quality of modern sculpture
  4. The career of the artist
Answer: B

Why: The three texts turn on one question: how a city should divide scarce public money between cultural projects and essential services, with each voice taking a different side.

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