CELPIP: Reading Part 3: Reading for Information

All 25 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

1. A. When the Northgate branch of the public library began lending power drills and sewing machines last spring, staff expected a few curious borrowers. Instead, the first 200 tools were all checked out within a week, and the waiting list for the tile cutter grew to more than sixty names. B. The program works much like borrowing a book. Members with a card in good standing can take out up to three tools at a time for seven days. Items with blades or engines come with a short safety video that borrowers must watch at the desk, and anything returned dirty or broken is inspected before it goes back on the shelf. C. Library managers say the program fits their mission of giving everyone equal access to resources. A family that needs a ladder twice a year should not have to buy one, explains branch head Rosa Delgado. The library plans to expand the collection to two more branches next year, paid for by a provincial community grant.

   Which paragraph sets out the rules for borrowing tools from the library?

   1. Paragraph A
   2. Paragraph B
   3. Not given in the passage
   4. Paragraph C

2. A. Beekeeping is no longer just a rural hobby. In several Canadian cities, residents now keep hives on rooftops, in backyards and even on hotel balconies. Most municipalities allow it with a permit, though the rules vary: some require hives to sit at least three metres from a property line, while others limit each lot to two colonies. B. Supporters say city bees benefit from the variety of flowers in parks and gardens, which can give them a more varied diet than bees surrounded by a single farm crop. Urban hives can also produce surprising amounts of honey; a healthy colony on a sunny roof may yield twenty kilograms or more in a good summer. C. Not everyone is convinced. Some ecologists worry that a rapid rise in honeybee hives could crowd out native bees, which compete for the same pollen and nectar. They encourage would-be beekeepers to plant native wildflowers as well, so that the extra demand does not leave wild species short of food.

   Which paragraph describes how much honey a city hive can produce?

   1. Not given in the passage
   2. Paragraph A
   3. Paragraph B
   4. Paragraph C

3. A. Last year Halden Software, a 120-person company in Waterloo, tried a four-day work week for six months. Staff kept their full salaries but worked 32 hours instead of 40, with every Friday off. B. Managers measured the results carefully. The number of completed projects stayed almost exactly the same, and sick days fell by about a quarter. In an anonymous survey, nine out of ten employees said they felt less stressed. Customer satisfaction scores, however, dipped slightly in the first two months, mainly because clients could not reach anyone on Fridays. C. To fix that problem, the company created a small rotating team that works Fridays and takes a different weekday off instead. Halden has now made the four-day week permanent. Its chief executive admits the model may not suit every business, especially those that must serve customers in person every day.

   What happened to sick days at Halden during the trial?

   1. They roughly doubled
   2. They stayed the same
   3. They fell by half in the first month
   4. They fell by about a quarter

4. A. Beekeeping is no longer just a rural hobby. In several Canadian cities, residents now keep hives on rooftops, in backyards and even on hotel balconies. Most municipalities allow it with a permit, though the rules vary: some require hives to sit at least three metres from a property line, while others limit each lot to two colonies. B. Supporters say city bees benefit from the variety of flowers in parks and gardens, which can give them a more varied diet than bees surrounded by a single farm crop. Urban hives can also produce surprising amounts of honey; a healthy colony on a sunny roof may yield twenty kilograms or more in a good summer. C. Not everyone is convinced. Some ecologists worry that a rapid rise in honeybee hives could crowd out native bees, which compete for the same pollen and nectar. They encourage would-be beekeepers to plant native wildflowers as well, so that the extra demand does not leave wild species short of food.

   According to the article, why might city bees eat a more varied diet than some rural bees?

   1. They visit many kinds of flowers
   2. They avoid farm pesticides
   3. They are fed sugar water by owners
   4. They have a longer summer season

5. A. Every February since 1962, the town of Pine Hollow has held a winter carnival on the frozen surface of Mirror Lake. It began as a single afternoon of skating races organized by the volunteer fire department to raise money for new equipment. B. Over the decades the event grew to fill an entire weekend. Today visitors can watch ice-sculpting contests, ride a horse-drawn sleigh or cheer on the famous bed race, in which teams push decorated beds on skis along a 200-metre course. The carnival now attracts around 15,000 people, roughly five times the town's population. C. Warmer winters have created new challenges. In three of the last ten years the ice was too thin for safe use, and organizers had to move activities to the arena parking lot. The committee is now considering a permanent move to the fairgrounds, although many long-time residents argue that the carnival would lose its character away from the lake.

   Which paragraph gives the price of a sleigh ride?

   1. Paragraph C
   2. Paragraph A
   3. Not given
   4. Paragraph B

6. A. Beekeeping is no longer just a rural hobby. In several Canadian cities, residents now keep hives on rooftops, in backyards and even on hotel balconies. Most municipalities allow it with a permit, though the rules vary: some require hives to sit at least three metres from a property line, while others limit each lot to two colonies. B. Supporters say city bees benefit from the variety of flowers in parks and gardens, which can give them a more varied diet than bees surrounded by a single farm crop. Urban hives can also produce surprising amounts of honey; a healthy colony on a sunny roof may yield twenty kilograms or more in a good summer. C. Not everyone is convinced. Some ecologists worry that a rapid rise in honeybee hives could crowd out native bees, which compete for the same pollen and nectar. They encourage would-be beekeepers to plant native wildflowers as well, so that the extra demand does not leave wild species short of food.

   What do ecologists in the article advise new beekeepers to do?

   1. Move their hives to farms
   2. Plant native wildflowers too
   3. Buy bees from local farms
   4. Keep only one hive each

7. A. Last year Halden Software, a 120-person company in Waterloo, tried a four-day work week for six months. Staff kept their full salaries but worked 32 hours instead of 40, with every Friday off. B. Managers measured the results carefully. The number of completed projects stayed almost exactly the same, and sick days fell by about a quarter. In an anonymous survey, nine out of ten employees said they felt less stressed. Customer satisfaction scores, however, dipped slightly in the first two months, mainly because clients could not reach anyone on Fridays. C. To fix that problem, the company created a small rotating team that works Fridays and takes a different weekday off instead. Halden has now made the four-day week permanent. Its chief executive admits the model may not suit every business, especially those that must serve customers in person every day.

   Why did customer satisfaction dip early in the Halden trial?

   1. Projects were delivered late to many clients
   2. Staff salaries were reduced
   3. Too many staff were off sick
   4. Clients could not reach staff on Fridays

8. How many hours a week did Halden staff work during the trial?

   1. 40
   2. 32
   3. 36
   4. 30

9. Which paragraph explains how Halden solved its Friday customer problem?

   1. Paragraph C
   2. Not given in the passage
   3. Paragraph B
   4. Paragraph A

10. A. Beekeeping is no longer just a rural hobby. In several Canadian cities, residents now keep hives on rooftops, in backyards and even on hotel balconies. Most municipalities allow it with a permit, though the rules vary: some require hives to sit at least three metres from a property line, while others limit each lot to two colonies. B. Supporters say city bees benefit from the variety of flowers in parks and gardens, which can give them a more varied diet than bees surrounded by a single farm crop. Urban hives can also produce surprising amounts of honey; a healthy colony on a sunny roof may yield twenty kilograms or more in a good summer. C. Not everyone is convinced. Some ecologists worry that a rapid rise in honeybee hives could crowd out native bees, which compete for the same pollen and nectar. They encourage would-be beekeepers to plant native wildflowers as well, so that the extra demand does not leave wild species short of food.

    Which paragraph explains a possible risk to wild bee species?

    1. Paragraph B
    2. Paragraph A
    3. Paragraph C
    4. Not given in the passage

11. A. Last year Halden Software, a 120-person company in Waterloo, tried a four-day work week for six months. Staff kept their full salaries but worked 32 hours instead of 40, with every Friday off. B. Managers measured the results carefully. The number of completed projects stayed almost exactly the same, and sick days fell by about a quarter. In an anonymous survey, nine out of ten employees said they felt less stressed. Customer satisfaction scores, however, dipped slightly in the first two months, mainly because clients could not reach anyone on Fridays. C. To fix that problem, the company created a small rotating team that works Fridays and takes a different weekday off instead. Halden has now made the four-day week permanent. Its chief executive admits the model may not suit every business, especially those that must serve customers in person every day.

    What does Halden's chief executive say about the four-day week?

    1. It may not work for every business
    2. It lowered the firm's profits
    3. It will be cancelled next year
    4. Every company should adopt it

12. A. When the Northgate branch of the public library began lending power drills and sewing machines last spring, staff expected a few curious borrowers. Instead, the first 200 tools were all checked out within a week, and the waiting list for the tile cutter grew to more than sixty names. B. The program works much like borrowing a book. Members with a card in good standing can take out up to three tools at a time for seven days. Items with blades or engines come with a short safety video that borrowers must watch at the desk, and anything returned dirty or broken is inspected before it goes back on the shelf. C. Library managers say the program fits their mission of giving everyone equal access to resources. A family that needs a ladder twice a year should not have to buy one, explains branch head Rosa Delgado. The library plans to expand the collection to two more branches next year, paid for by a provincial community grant.

    What must a borrower do before taking home a tool with a blade?

    1. Pay a refundable deposit
    2. Show a trade licence
    3. Watch a short safety video
    4. Sign a waiver online

13. A. Visitors to Cedar Bluff Provincial Park will notice something new this summer: small posts with QR codes along the six-kilometre Ridge Trail. Scanning a code with a phone opens a short recording in which a park interpreter describes the plants, rock formations or wildlife at that spot. B. The project was suggested by a group of high-school students who noticed that many young visitors ignored the printed brochures. The students wrote the first drafts of the scripts, and park staff checked them for accuracy before recording. Recordings are available in English and French, and a version in an Indigenous language, developed with a nearby Cree community, is planned for next year. C. Because cell coverage on the ridge is patchy, the park recommends downloading all the recordings at the visitor centre, where free Wi-Fi is available. Printed brochures will still be offered to visitors who prefer not to use a phone.

    What happens when a visitor scans a code on the Ridge Trail?

    1. A park fee is charged
    2. A trail map appears
    3. A short recording opens
    4. A ranger is alerted

14. A. Every February since 1962, the town of Pine Hollow has held a winter carnival on the frozen surface of Mirror Lake. It began as a single afternoon of skating races organized by the volunteer fire department to raise money for new equipment. B. Over the decades the event grew to fill an entire weekend. Today visitors can watch ice-sculpting contests, ride a horse-drawn sleigh or cheer on the famous bed race, in which teams push decorated beds on skis along a 200-metre course. The carnival now attracts around 15,000 people, roughly five times the town's population. C. Warmer winters have created new challenges. In three of the last ten years the ice was too thin for safe use, and organizers had to move activities to the arena parking lot. The committee is now considering a permanent move to the fairgrounds, although many long-time residents argue that the carnival would lose its character away from the lake.

    Which paragraph describes what visitors can do at the carnival today?

    1. Paragraph C
    2. Paragraph B
    3. Not given in the passage
    4. Paragraph A

15. Based on the article, roughly how many people live in Pine Hollow?

    1. About 3,000
    2. About 1,500
    3. About 5,000
    4. About 15,000

16. A. Visitors to Cedar Bluff Provincial Park will notice something new this summer: small posts with QR codes along the six-kilometre Ridge Trail. Scanning a code with a phone opens a short recording in which a park interpreter describes the plants, rock formations or wildlife at that spot. B. The project was suggested by a group of high-school students who noticed that many young visitors ignored the printed brochures. The students wrote the first drafts of the scripts, and park staff checked them for accuracy before recording. Recordings are available in English and French, and a version in an Indigenous language, developed with a nearby Cree community, is planned for next year. C. Because cell coverage on the ridge is patchy, the park recommends downloading all the recordings at the visitor centre, where free Wi-Fi is available. Printed brochures will still be offered to visitors who prefer not to use a phone.

    Which paragraph gives advice about weak phone reception on the ridge?

    1. Paragraph C
    2. Paragraph A
    3. Paragraph B
    4. Not given in the passage

17. Who first came up with the idea for the trail recordings?

    1. A nearby Cree community
    2. The provincial tourism office
    3. The park's interpreters
    4. A group of high-school students

18. A. Every February since 1962, the town of Pine Hollow has held a winter carnival on the frozen surface of Mirror Lake. It began as a single afternoon of skating races organized by the volunteer fire department to raise money for new equipment. B. Over the decades the event grew to fill an entire weekend. Today visitors can watch ice-sculpting contests, ride a horse-drawn sleigh or cheer on the famous bed race, in which teams push decorated beds on skis along a 200-metre course. The carnival now attracts around 15,000 people, roughly five times the town's population. C. Warmer winters have created new challenges. In three of the last ten years the ice was too thin for safe use, and organizers had to move activities to the arena parking lot. The committee is now considering a permanent move to the fairgrounds, although many long-time residents argue that the carnival would lose its character away from the lake.

    Which paragraph mentions disagreement over where the carnival should be held?

    1. Not given in the passage
    2. Paragraph C
    3. Paragraph A
    4. Paragraph B

19. A. Visitors to Cedar Bluff Provincial Park will notice something new this summer: small posts with QR codes along the six-kilometre Ridge Trail. Scanning a code with a phone opens a short recording in which a park interpreter describes the plants, rock formations or wildlife at that spot. B. The project was suggested by a group of high-school students who noticed that many young visitors ignored the printed brochures. The students wrote the first drafts of the scripts, and park staff checked them for accuracy before recording. Recordings are available in English and French, and a version in an Indigenous language, developed with a nearby Cree community, is planned for next year. C. Because cell coverage on the ridge is patchy, the park recommends downloading all the recordings at the visitor centre, where free Wi-Fi is available. Printed brochures will still be offered to visitors who prefer not to use a phone.

    Which paragraph reports how many visitors have used the codes so far?

    1. Paragraph B
    2. Paragraph C
    3. Paragraph A
    4. Not given

20. A. Beekeeping is no longer just a rural hobby. In several Canadian cities, residents now keep hives on rooftops, in backyards and even on hotel balconies. Most municipalities allow it with a permit, though the rules vary: some require hives to sit at least three metres from a property line, while others limit each lot to two colonies. B. Supporters say city bees benefit from the variety of flowers in parks and gardens, which can give them a more varied diet than bees surrounded by a single farm crop. Urban hives can also produce surprising amounts of honey; a healthy colony on a sunny roof may yield twenty kilograms or more in a good summer. C. Not everyone is convinced. Some ecologists worry that a rapid rise in honeybee hives could crowd out native bees, which compete for the same pollen and nectar. They encourage would-be beekeepers to plant native wildflowers as well, so that the extra demand does not leave wild species short of food.

    Which paragraph states how much a city beekeeping permit costs?

    1. Not given
    2. Paragraph B
    3. Paragraph A
    4. Paragraph C

21. A. When the Northgate branch of the public library began lending power drills and sewing machines last spring, staff expected a few curious borrowers. Instead, the first 200 tools were all checked out within a week, and the waiting list for the tile cutter grew to more than sixty names. B. The program works much like borrowing a book. Members with a card in good standing can take out up to three tools at a time for seven days. Items with blades or engines come with a short safety video that borrowers must watch at the desk, and anything returned dirty or broken is inspected before it goes back on the shelf. C. Library managers say the program fits their mission of giving everyone equal access to resources. A family that needs a ladder twice a year should not have to buy one, explains branch head Rosa Delgado. The library plans to expand the collection to two more branches next year, paid for by a provincial community grant.

    Which paragraph explains how the tool program's expansion will be funded?

    1. Paragraph C
    2. Not given in the passage
    3. Paragraph B
    4. Paragraph A

22. Which paragraph gives the late fine for an overdue tool?

    1. Not given
    2. Paragraph A
    3. Paragraph C
    4. Paragraph B

23. A. Visitors to Cedar Bluff Provincial Park will notice something new this summer: small posts with QR codes along the six-kilometre Ridge Trail. Scanning a code with a phone opens a short recording in which a park interpreter describes the plants, rock formations or wildlife at that spot. B. The project was suggested by a group of high-school students who noticed that many young visitors ignored the printed brochures. The students wrote the first drafts of the scripts, and park staff checked them for accuracy before recording. Recordings are available in English and French, and a version in an Indigenous language, developed with a nearby Cree community, is planned for next year. C. Because cell coverage on the ridge is patchy, the park recommends downloading all the recordings at the visitor centre, where free Wi-Fi is available. Printed brochures will still be offered to visitors who prefer not to use a phone.

    Which new version of the recordings is planned for next year?

    1. One in Mandarin
    2. One in French for school groups
    3. One in an Indigenous language
    4. One in Spanish

24. A. When the Northgate branch of the public library began lending power drills and sewing machines last spring, staff expected a few curious borrowers. Instead, the first 200 tools were all checked out within a week, and the waiting list for the tile cutter grew to more than sixty names. B. The program works much like borrowing a book. Members with a card in good standing can take out up to three tools at a time for seven days. Items with blades or engines come with a short safety video that borrowers must watch at the desk, and anything returned dirty or broken is inspected before it goes back on the shelf. C. Library managers say the program fits their mission of giving everyone equal access to resources. A family that needs a ladder twice a year should not have to buy one, explains branch head Rosa Delgado. The library plans to expand the collection to two more branches next year, paid for by a provincial community grant.

    For how many days can a Northgate member keep a borrowed tool?

    1. Seven days
    2. Fourteen days
    3. One month
    4. Three days

25. A. Every February since 1962, the town of Pine Hollow has held a winter carnival on the frozen surface of Mirror Lake. It began as a single afternoon of skating races organized by the volunteer fire department to raise money for new equipment. B. Over the decades the event grew to fill an entire weekend. Today visitors can watch ice-sculpting contests, ride a horse-drawn sleigh or cheer on the famous bed race, in which teams push decorated beds on skis along a 200-metre course. The carnival now attracts around 15,000 people, roughly five times the town's population. C. Warmer winters have created new challenges. In three of the last ten years the ice was too thin for safe use, and organizers had to move activities to the arena parking lot. The committee is now considering a permanent move to the fairgrounds, although many long-time residents argue that the carnival would lose its character away from the lake.

    Who organized the very first Pine Hollow winter carnival?

    1. A local skating club
    2. The town council
    3. The volunteer fire department
    4. The carnival committee