CELPIP

Listening Test 2 - Script

Part 1: Listening to Problem Solving

You will hear a conversation between a man and a woman. The conversation takes place in an office.

Section 1:
MAN: Hello, Ms. Jeffers? I’m Matthew, your temp, from the agency.
WOMAN: Yes, hello, Matthew. This way please . . . I have you set up here. I’m afraid your task isn’t
very challenging, but it’s just for one day. Please have a seat.
MAN: Thank you. What am I to do?
WOMAN: These boxes on your left contain envelopes. The boxes in the middle contain letters.
I’d like you to put one letter into each envelope.
Make sure you fold the letter like this, so the address shows in the window of the envelope.
Then put it in this empty box on your right.
MAN: Would you like me to seal the envelopes as well? If you have a sponge and a little dish of water
or one of those dabber things . . .
WOMAN: No, fortunately, we have a machine that will do that.
MAN: Okay. Is that all? I don’t need to answer any phones?
WOMAN: No, your task is simple—I’m sure you’ll be quite sick of it shortly. I apologize in advance for that.

Now answer questions 1-2.

1. Which word best describes the man’s task? boring
2. What is at the man’s workstation? boxes

Section 2:
WOMAN: How are you doing, Matthew? Are you ready for a break? I’ll show you where our break room is.
MAN: Thanks! I am ready for a break! You were quite right about the nature of the job!
That’s exactly why I hope to obtain regular employment soon.
May I ask—do you know if there are any full-time jobs here?
WOMAN: I’m afraid I don’t know. At lunch you could go to the Human Resources department and ask.
If there isn’t anything at the moment for you, be sure to ask if you can fill out an application anyway.
MAN: Thank you. May I list you as a reference?
WOMAN: Ask me at the end of the day. If you finish stuffing all of the envelopes, and none of the letters
are in backwards, I’d be happy to let you use my name as a reference.

Now answer questions 3-5.

3. What is the man’s role in the company? He’s a temporary worker.
4. What does the man intend to do at lunchtime? Ask about job openings.
5. What can we tell from this conversation? Temporary work can be a steppingstone.

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 6.

Section 3:
WOMAN: Hi Matthew, it’s lunch time now!
MAN: Oh, good! My hands are a bit sore, but I think I’m about halfway through.
WOMAN: Yes, it looks like it. That’s good! Do make sure you come find me at the end of the day!
Would you like me to show you where Human Resources is?
MAN: Yes, thank you. And, if I may ask, I have music on my phone, and ear buds—
would it be against the rules to listen to music while I work this afternoon? I think it would help a bit.
WOMAN: Yes, that would be okay, as long as you keep the volume low enough that no one else hears it.
MAN: Thank you!

Now answer questions 6-8.

6. What is the man’s response to the woman’s announcement? relief
7. What does this part of the conversation imply? There are others working near Matthew.
8. Why does the woman tell him to find her later? She wants to tell him he may use her as a
reference.

Part 2: Listening to a Daily Life Conversation

You are about to hear a conversation between two colleagues, a man and a woman. They are in the
break room at work.
MAN: Hi, Naomi. How are you adjusting to the night shift?
WOMAN: I’m not! I can’t fall asleep during the day—even though I put something over my eyes to block out
the light and wear earplugs to block out the noise. So I’m really, really tired.
MAN: I read an article the other day about how the night shift doesn’t fit our natural body rhythms.
Most of us are built to rest at night. The article also mentioned that people who work the night
shift often have concentration problems and even coordination problems.
WOMAN: Well, then I’m glad we’re cleaners. Imagine operating heavy machinery or piloting a plane at night . . .
MAN: Yes, there are more accidents on the night shift! The article even said that police officers
who work the night shift are angrier than those who work the day shift.
WOMAN: I believe that! My daughter asked me yesterday why I was so cranky!
By the way, how do you deal with never seeing your family because you work the night shift?
MAN: My parents and siblings are overseas, so it actually works well for me to call them during the day
when I’m at home. But I do miss the after-work things I used to do with my friends.
WOMAN: Yes, I guess it’s hard to maintain a social life when you work the night shift.
But on the bright side, there are no line-ups in the grocery store!
MAN: True enough! Listen, we’ve got ten minutes left on our break.
I’ll make you a cup of coffee to get you through the next couple hours.
Do you drive or take the bus home?
WOMAN: Thanks, a coffee would be great. I take the bus.

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MAN: Good. Tell the driver what stop you want to get off at and ask him to wake you.
That’s what I do. Then you can try to get some sleep on the way home.
WOMAN: I don’t know if I can, but it’s certainly worth a try! Maybe the movement of the bus will rock me to sleep!

Now answer questions 1-5.

1. What are the man and woman talking about? problems working the night shift
2. Which statement is most likely true? The man is not married.
3. What does the man miss? socializing with his friends
4. Why does the man ask if the woman drives or takes the bus? He wants to make a suggestion.
5. What does the man do at the end to help the woman? makes her a cup of coffee

Part 3: Listening for Information

You will hear a conversation between a customer and a worker at a mattress and bedding store.
MAN: Hi. Thanks for coming to Mattress and Bedding World. How may I help you?
WOMAN: Hi! I’d like to buy a set of pillows.
MAN: OK! Well, we have a promotion for the holiday season.
If you buy two pairs of our new feather pillows, you get one free!
WOMAN: That sounds great, but my husband is allergic to feathers.
That’s the reason why we have to get new bedding.
He keeps getting itchy eyes. I’m interested in getting some synthetic pillows.
MAN: Ah, I see. Well, we do have the synthetic filling, but there are actually a lot of alternatives
you might want to consider instead of feather. Are you looking for a firmer pillow, or a softer one?
WOMAN: Hmmm . . . I’m not sure. These are meant to be a Christmas gift for my husband.
What are the different types?
MAN: Besides the synthetic, we have the memory foam and the latex, which are both really comfortable.
If you want something good for neck pain, you might consider a micro bead or buckwheat pillow.
WOMAN: Buckwheat? Really? I remember getting a little buckwheat pillow from my physical therapist that
I could put in the microwave and put on my shoulder when it was sore. It was really nice,
but I don’t know if my husband would like sleeping on it.
MAN: Yeah, you know, I’d only recommend the buckwheat if he really needs it for pain relief.
I think your best bet for a nice gift would actually be the memory foam. It’s a little more expensive,
but it’s our most popular pillow right now.
WOMAN: I’ve heard a lot about memory foam, but I’ve never actually slept on it. What is memory foam, exactly?
MAN: Well, it was originally developed by NASA. You know, the organization that sends people into space.
It’s basically a foam with a cell structure that allows it to form around whatever touches it,
and then spring back into shape—so it never loses its shape, unlike some other kinds of pillows.
It really is comfortable. I use one myself.
WOMAN: Well, it sounds nice. I think I’ll get these two—one for my husband and one for me!
MAN: Sounds good. Follow me and I’ll ring these up for you.
Would you like to take a look at our pillowcases, as well . . .

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Now answer questions 1-6.
1. Why does the woman want to buy new pillows? Her husband needs a new pillow.
2. Why did the woman have a buckwheat pillow in the past? She needed it due to an injury.
3. According to the man, which of these is true of buckwheat? It's a good pillow for relieving
soreness.
4. According to the man, which of these is true of memory foam? It is the store's best-selling
pillow.
5. Which of these options best describes the man’s opinion? The memory foam pillow is the best
for her.
6. What will likely happen next? The woman will purchase two pillows.

Part 4: Listening to a News Item

You will hear a news item about a community power issue.

Due to the high winds over the weekend, many trees came down in our community, several into power
lines. Consequently, 100 residents were without electricity for several hours. This is nothing new for
most of us, but for Inesh Chandra, the experience was anything but routine. A fallen tree caused a live
power line to land in her backyard. Fortunately, when she opened her door to let her dog out before
retiring for the evening, it refused to move. Puzzled, she shone her flashlight into the yard to investigate
and saw the downed power line, only then hearing the buzzing sound.
Later the next day, Mayor Pine announced that this problem was actually getting worse. He suggested
burying all the power lines or cutting down all the trees within 30 feet of a power line. He admitted,
however, that both solutions are too expensive to consider, and that the latter would be a shame.
Residents are reminded to exercise extreme caution during a power outage. Any wire on the ground or
hanging from a pole should be considered live and be avoided. Fires should be reported immediately.

Answers:
1- In her backyard, Inesh Chandra found a live power line.
2- Chandra's first clue that something was wrong was her dog's behavior.
3- Mayor Pine implied that community members will have to continue to deal with such events.
4- Mayor Pine's comments suggest that he is aware of the problems and solutions.
5- The news item ends with instructions.

Part 5: Listening to a Discussion

You will watch a discussion among three people. One woman, Anna, and two men, Paul and George, are
on break at work.
Anna: Can you believe that announcement today? I mean, I’m still reeling!
Paul: I think everyone in the office is in shock.
I mean, three weeks is not enough notice that we’re moving the whole office all the way across town!
Anna: That’s an extra hour of commuting for me each day. I can’t believe they didn’t consult with us beforehand.
Do they think that they can just do whatever they want and we’ll just go along with it?
George: I don’t know. I’ve always found management here to be really respectful.
I’m sure they wouldn’t do anything like this unless it was absolutely necessary.
It makes me wonder if they’re running into some kind of financial problem or something.

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 I mean, I know that the rents in that part of town are a lot cheaper.
Paul: You know, the sales force has been having some real problems.
But still, you can’t spring a move like this with only three weeks’ notice.
I just moved to a new apartment to be closer to work. I should’ve stayed where I was!
Now I have to buy a car.
Anna: What I’m most concerned about is how, during rush hour, am I supposed to make it all the way
across town in time pick up my kids at daycare? If I’m one minute past 5:00 pm, I get charged extra.
George: Couldn’t your husband pick them up instead? Or, if that’s not possible, I’m sure that there are other
daycares in that neighbourhood.
Anna: No, my husband works later than I do, and it’s taken six months for my youngest, Tara,
to get used to the daycare she’s in. The more I think about this, the more I realize I think I’m going to
have to get a new job. I just . . . I can’t handle this commute.
Paul: That’s pretty drastic. I mean, up to this latest stunt, this has always been a very good place to work.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m upset about the move too, but maybe you should ride it out for a bit
before jumping ship?
George: I agree. I’m sure that something can be worked out. Maybe you could change your
hours so you don’t have to travel during rush hour.
Or maybe you could even work an hour less each day to make up for the commute time.
You know, getting paid for an hour less per day is a lot better than not having a job at all!
Anna: You know, maybe you’re right. I think I’ll talk to management first thing tomorrow morning.

Answers:
1- What did management announce to the employees?
In less than a month, the office will be moving.
2- What would Paul, the man on the right, have done if he’d known about management’s
decision sooner?
stayed in his previous apartment
3- What happens if Anna, the woman, is running late after work?
She is charged a fee by the daycare.
4- What does Paul, the man on the right, believe?
Their company is a good place to work.
5- What does Anna believe?
Her child will not adjust to a new daycare.
6- What do they all agree on?
The announcement was a surprise.
7- What was Paul trying to convince Anna to do?
give the new situation a chance
8- What is Anna hoping to achieve by speaking to management?
be able to arrange her work schedule differently

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Part 6: Listening for Viewpoints

You will hear a presentation about advertising and children.

The increased amount of television advertising aimed at young consumers has led some parents to
question whether such targeting has negative consequences. Kathy Chen is a concerned mother of three
young children. She recently started a parents’ network that is advocating for constraints on
advertisements aimed at children. Chen's personal concern is that advertising to children is unethical
because it causes children to nag their parents for products, harming parent-child relations. Kathy Chen
also believes that these ads make children feel that they are not socially acceptable if they don’t have a
certain product. Children then pester their parents to buy the product for them.

On another level, Chen argues that we should not simply accept that all children are necessarily little
consumers. While it benefits major corporations when everyone has been trained from the cradle to
consume commercial products, we end up with a society driven by short term desire and greed.

Ralph Greenman, CEO of a large advertising company, disagrees. According to Greenman, children who
nag are simply a result of poor parenting. Greenman believes that it is the responsibility of the parent to
decide what products to purchase. Furthermore, Greenman argues that advertisements don't make kids
feel inferior, but instead help children to fit in with their peers and have good social relations by sharing
common styles and products.

Does advertising create a greedy society? Greenman is adamant that it does not. Advertising is about
informing and providing people and, yes, children, with choices. With choice comes freedom and our
society is a free society.

Greenman also points out that it is not in the public interest to ban children’s ads, because this would
reduce the diversity of children’s programs on TV. Advertisements are how most TV stations receive
funding. If ads to children were to be banned, then children's programs would be greatly reduced in
quality and quantity. Greenman says that state broadcasters who are not dependent on advertising
revenue would benefit from such a ban, but this would result in a more limited selection of choice from
other channels.

Kathy Chen disagrees. Reducing advertising, she argues, would reduce the quantity of children’s
programs but it would increase the quality. If private corporations weren’t producing such programs,
high quality, publicly funded educational programs would become more popular.

Answers:
1- Kathy Chen is responsible for pressuring for limits on advertising to young children.
2- Kathy Chen is a social activist.
3- Ralph Greenman believes that advertising empowers children.
4- Greenman argues that advertising children’s products encourages stronger relationships among
peers.
5- Greenman believes that good parents should decide what to buy for their children.
6- Chen believes that fewer but higher quality children's programs would be a good thing.

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 Reading

1- Which province is on the Pacific Ocean? British Colombia

Part 1:
1- Adam now lives in the downtown area.
2- The man is writing about something that happened on Monday.
3- Adam figured out how to get to work by visiting the transit web page
4- Adam’s problem that morning was that he was very tired
5- The most important detail in Adam's message is that the bus driver honked at him.
6- The message expresses gratitude.

Dear Mr. Stevenson,

We truly appreciate your taking the time to 7. tell us about your transit experience. Surveys and forms
are all very good, but a personal note is even better!

I’m not surprised that you found the downtown bus routes 8. More complicated than those you’ve been
used to. For your reference, the new 9. Shuttle bus #616 will operate from Bank and Queen during peak
periods. Yes, the shift supervisor will definitely be able to 10. Determine your driver’s name. However,
the drivers are assigned set routes and schedules until October. You will most likely be able to 11.
Thank your driver when you next catch the bus.

Thank you again for writing!

Sincerely,

Bill Liu

Part 2:
To: 1. B & C Business Cards
From: Natalie Moreau <moreaun@xmail.com>
Date: March 12, 2015

I happen to be shopping for business cards, so I was happy to see your flyer in my inbox this morning! I
like the “Dynamic” and “Unique” cards as they both 2. Allow for substantial descriptive content. I
appreciate the appeal of the “Unique” card, but I worry that it is so unique as to be distracting! So I was
leaning towards the “Dynamic” card, but I 3. Need to order only 100 cards. Bottom line is I’m not too
keen on any of the featured templates, and, actually, I’m looking for a 4. one-sided card, so I thought I’d
check out your other templates (especially since 5. You will ship to Canada). However, when I clicked on
the link for your website, I landed on the order form. This happened when I manually input your website
address as well. Thought you should know!
Cheers,
Natalie Moreau

6- Moreau is most likely seeking to improve her business presence.

7- What would best describe Moreau’s email? Interested and helpful

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8- Moreau probably received the flyer as which of the following? An email advertisement

Part 3:
6. Dragonflies can be used as a form of pest and illness control. D
2- The dragonfly’s hunting tactics vary depending on its life stage. C
3- Close proximity to water is necessary for dragonfly habitation. B
4- Dragonflies’ eyes have inspired new vision technology. E
5- Dragonflies have been in existence since prehistoric times. A
6- A nymph’s maturation rate depends on its nutrient intake. E
7- New information about dragonflies is still being discovered. D
8- Canadian dragonflies have unique hunting techniques. E
9- Dragonflies spend less time in full maturity than in early life phases. B

Part 4:
7. The article is mainly about
2- Paragraph one provides a
3- Myriam Donahue’s views would likely be supported by
4- Bakir thinks that implementing Donahue’s ideas would lead to
5- The author’s tone indicates support for

1. The article is mainly about whether working artists deserve government sponsorship.
2. Paragraph one provides a few pieces of background information.
3. Myriam Donahue’s views would likely be supported by Canadian residents interested mainly in
spectator sports.
4. Bakir thinks that implementing Donahue’s ideas would lead to a decrease in the number of working
artists.
5. The author’s tone indicates support for government commitment to supporting Canadian artists.

I’m an alternative rock musician, and my band has been trying for years to get government funds to go
on tour. We’ve been denied money by bureaucrats who seem willing to fund only classical ballet,
operas, and symphony orchestras.
So Myriam Donahue strikes a chord with me when she says governments that fund the arts 6.
Pay for the pastimes of the elite. However, 7. Similar to Ms. Katarina Bakir, I’m wary of Ms. Donahue’s
advice. Our brand of heavy metal music is a very small niche and doesn’t appeal to the mass market. It’s
hard to imagine it would appeal to the “suits” who are your typical corporate donors. That’s why I
question Ms. Donahue’s opinion that 8. Private philanthropy can sustain the arts.
9. Thus, I could become an example of Ms. Bakir’s prediction. That is, to survive economically, I may
genuinely have to 10. Give up on my dream just to pay the rent

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 Writing

Task 1: Writing an email

Read the following information.
You and your family visit the local shopping mall every week. However, it has become more and more
difficult to find a parking spot recently. You would like to let the shopping mall manager know about this
problem.

Write an email to the mall manager in about 150-200 words. Your email should do the following
things:
• Describe the problem you are having with the mall’s parking.
• Explain what you and your family have to do in order to visit the shopping mall now.
• Provide some suggestions for how the mall manager can solve this problem.

Task 2: Responding to a survey

Read the following information.

Childcare Survey
You work in a very big office. There is a popular and cheap restaurant in the building. The boss
is thinking of removing the restaurant and replacing it with a childcare facility for the working
parents in the office. You have been asked to respond to an opinion survey.

Choose the option that you prefer. Why do you prefer your choice? Explain the reasons for your
choice. Write about 150-200 words.

Option A: I think we should keep the restaurant.

Option B: I think we should replace the restaurant with a childcare facility.

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 Speaking

Practice Question:
Talk about one of your best friends.

Task 1: Giving advice

A classmate is not doing well in math class and has received several low grades. If this continues, he will
not be able to pass the final exam. Give your classmate advice on what he should or should not do if he
would like to improve his grades.

Task 2: Talking about a personal experience

Talk about a time when something did not happen the way you first expected. Maybe you can talk about
something that did not happen according to plan when you were working on a project, or when you
were trying to accomplish something. At first, how did you expect things to happen, how did they
actually happen, and what was your response?

Task 3: Describing a scene:

Describe some things that are happening in the picture below as well as you can. The person with whom
you are speaking cannot see the picture.

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Task 4: Making prediction:
In this (same) picture, what do you think will most probably happen next?

Task 5: Comparing and Persuading

This task is made up of THREE parts:
1. Choose an option 2. Preparation time 3. Speaking
Your company is planning to move to a new office soon, and your boss has asked you to help find a
new location. You find two suitable options. Using the pictures and information below, choose the
option that you prefer. In the next section, you will need to persuade your boss that your choice is the
better choice.
If you do not choose an option, the computer will choose one for you. You do not need to speak for this part

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Your boss is suggesting another office. Persuade her that the office you chose is more suitable by
comparing the two.

Task 6: Dealing with a difficult situation

Your child’s school has asked you to help with a class field trip. Your friend bought you tickets to a
baseball game for that same day. The school will cancel the field trip if there are not enough parents,
but your friend will be upset if you cannot go to the baseball game because the tickets were expensive.
Choose ONE:
EITHER
Talk to the school. Explain why you cannot help with the field trip.
OR
Talk to your friend. Explain why you cannot attend the game.

Task 7: Expressing Opinion

Answer the following question.

Question: Do you think all university students should study abroad for a year, if there is sufficient
funding? Explain your reasons.

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Task 8: Describing an unusual situation
You see a group of people playing a sport at a recreation centre. Call your friend Betty and describe in
detail what the sport is like and what each player is doing. Ask her if she would be interested in trying
this sport sometime.

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 Performance Standards for the CELPIP-General Speaking Test – Explanation

The Performance Standards chart is designed to help you understand how your Speaking skills are
measured by our trained and certified raters. The raters determine your skill level in each of the four
categories. Here are the guiding questions that they must keep in mind as they rate your work:
1) COHERENCE/MEANING
This category measures how smoothly and effectively the ideas flow together to form a meaningful and
coherent whole.
Are there enough ideas, and have they been explained clearly?
Are the ideas well organized so that the listener can easily follow what is being said?
Can the test taker express precise meaning and/or explore deeper levels of meaning?
2) VOCABULARY
This category assesses how well the test taker uses vocabulary, idioms and phrases to make his/her
ideas understandable.
Is the range of words sufficient to complete the task?
How well is the test taker using words that help express precise ideas clearly with minimal pausing and
hesitation?
Can the test taker combine words to express precise meaning?
3) LISTENABILITY
This category measures how intelligible and fluent your speaking is.
How much do problems with rhythm, pronunciation and intonation interfere with listenability?
How fluent is the response (listen for hesitations, interjections, and/or self-correction)?
Does the test taker’s control of grammar and syntax interfere with or improve listenability?
Is there complexity and variety in the sentence structure?
4) TASK FULFILLMENT
This category considers how well the content of the response addresses the task requirements. In other
words, has the test taker understood the instructions and done everything he or she was asked to do?
How well does the response address the task?
How complete is the response?
Is the tone of the response appropriate for the social context of the task?
Is the response long enough?
The four category ratings from one rater are combined into one score for that task. One rater scores
four of your responses, and a second rater scores the other four. The eight task scores are combined
into one overall score for your Speaking skills.

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