CELPIP Reading practice test

Hi Joanna,

I hope the trade show is going well and that you're getting some rest in the evenings. Things here have been busy but calm. The big order for the school's sports banners went out on Tuesday, a day ahead of schedule, and the large printer has been working perfectly since the repair.

I've been thinking about how to thank the team for such a strong fall. You know how hard everyone pushed in September. What about a night at the junior hockey game? The home team plays on Friday the 20th at seven thirty, and I checked the prices this morning. Regular seats are $25 each, but groups of ten or more pay $18 a person.

Here's the thing. With our seven staff and the two of us, we're one person short of the group rate. I'd like to invite Ivan from the paper supplier. He's helped us out of more than one tight spot this year, and he told me once that he hasn't been to a game since he was a kid. With him, ten tickets would cost $180, which is less than nine tickets at the regular price. Let me know if you're comfortable with that before I call him.

I also thought we could close the shop an hour early that day, at five instead of six, so people have time to eat before the game. There's a pizza place across from the arena with a back room that holds twelve. I haven't booked it yet, because I wanted your opinion first.

One more thing. Could you be the one to tell the team? You'll be back on Monday, and the staff meeting is Tuesday morning, so that would be the perfect time. I'll be out at a customer visit in the north end that morning, so I won't be there. I'd love it to be a surprise until then, so please don't mention it on the group chat.

If you'd rather do something different, like a dinner or bowling, just say so. I'm not set on hockey. I just think it would be fun to do something together that isn't about work.

Talk soon, Jonathan

Hi Jonathan,

What a lovely idea. Hockey it is. The show has been tiring, so your email really made my day.

Yes, please invite Ivan. He's been so good to us, and saving gap 1 on the tickets doesn't hurt either. Closing at gap 2 that Friday makes sense too, since nobody wants to rush dinner. Go ahead and book the gap 3 across from the arena, and ask for the back room if it's free.

I'm happy to share the news at the meeting on gap 4 morning. I'll keep it off the gap 5 until then, I promise. Everyone's going to be thrilled.

Good luck with the customer visit, and well done on getting those banners out early.

See you next week, Joanna

Hi Gabriel,

Thanks for coming over last weekend. I have finally gap 1 my mind about the kitchen floor, and I wanted you to hear it first.

Hassan, the cabinet fitter, is coming in ten days, so the floor must be finished before he gap 2 the cabinets. That means hardwood is out, because it simply takes too long. Laminate tempted me, but I turned it down. It is not made for wet rooms, and our sink has leaked before, so it is too gap 3 for us. Tile would fit the schedule, but it feels very cold underfoot, and I would rather have a warm floor in the morning.

Vinyl plank is gap 4 the better choice. It goes down quickly and leaves us plenty of time to spare if something goes wrong. Could you gap 5 the order this afternoon? I will pay for it when it arrives, and I will make you lunch on the weekend to say thanks.

Talk soon, Ines

A. When a community centre alters a program, the first challenge is making sure everyone hears about it in time. Front desk staff, such as coordinator Ethan, begin by calling or texting each registered participant as soon as a decision is made. A printed notice is also taped to the glass beside the desk and left there for a full week. Staff aim to give at least 48 hours of warning for any change to a start time, although a sudden weather closure can shorten that window. Participants are encouraged to keep their contact details current so that no message goes astray.

B. Participants who can no longer attend their chosen session may usually move to another one instead of dropping out. Aisha, who works the afternoon shift at the desk, explains that a transfer begins with a short form asking for the old and new session dates. If the new class costs more, the difference is paid at the desk; if it costs less, the balance is added to the participant's account. Transfers are possible only while the new class still has an open place, so popular evening sessions tend to fill quickly. Staff suggest checking the posted schedule before filling out the form.

C. Not every change involves a cancelled class. Sometimes only the room is different, because a larger group has booked the gym or a repair has closed the hall. In these cases the instructor and time stay the same, and volunteers stand at the main entrance wearing bright vests to point people in the right direction. Kofi, a long-time volunteer, says that regular attendees often notice the new sign before anyone speaks to them. Rooms are reassigned by the facilities team each Friday for the following week, which gives instructors a chance to prepare any equipment they need.

D. When a class is cancelled outright, participants can choose between a refund and a credit. A refund returns the money to the original payment method within ten business days. A credit, by contrast, is recorded immediately and can be spent on any program for six months. Many people prefer credits because they can use them on a different activity, such as swimming or pottery, without paying twice. Either option must be requested at the front desk, as staff cannot process it by telephone. Anyone who is unsure which choice suits them is welcome to ask for a printed summary of the terms.

Bill would open up repairs for phones and appliances

A bill now before the provincial legislature would require companies that sell phones, laptops and large household appliances to make spare parts and repair manuals available to the public. Under the bill, parts would have to be offered for at least seven years after a model is last sold, and manuals would have to be posted free of charge. The rules would apply to phones and laptops starting next July 1, and to fridges, stoves and washing machines a year later. Companies that break the rules could be fined up to $25,000 for each model.

Nadia Ferreira, who has run a small repair shop for eleven years, says the bill would make a big difference. "Every week I turn away four or five people because I can't get a battery or a screen for their phone," she said. "When I can get parts, I often wait three weeks for them." Ferreira says customers end up buying a new phone they didn't need. She agrees, however, that work on gas stoves should stay with licensed technicians, and she would support a rule limiting those repairs.

Jonathan Albright, who speaks for a group of appliance makers, says companies already offer repairs through approved shops. He argues that storing parts for seven years for models that few people still own would fill warehouses and push up prices for everyone. "A fridge part that sits on a shelf for six years still costs money to keep," he said. Albright accepts that repair manuals should be easier to find, and says his members could support a five-year period for parts instead of seven. He also warns that a battery put in badly can overheat, so he wants a warning label on parts sold to the public.

The debate has drawn other arguments too. Supporters say fewer broken devices would end up in landfill. Some critics worry that cheap copies of parts could flood the market.

A committee will hold public hearings on the bill in February, before a final vote in the spring.

Posted by Yusuf

Finally! Last winter my washing machine stopped spinning, and the company told me the part wasn't made anymore. It wasn't even that old. Under this bill they'd have to keep parts for gap 1 years after a model's last sold. I don't buy Mr. Albright's line that their gap 2 shops already do the job, because nobody could fix mine. His idea of a warning label on parts seems gap 3 to me, so I've got no problem with that bit. The hearings are in gap 4, and I'm going to try to be there. With the right part, I'd have gap 5 my washer myself instead of paying for a new one.