Mad English TV 1

CELPIP
8➜9

Mad English TV
Copyright © 2021 Mad English TV

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-9995415-5-2

Mad English TV 2
Dear Friends,

Welcome to my CELPIP book! Thank you so much

for buying my book and supporting my work! :)

I have been helping people pass the CELPIP test for

several years. The most common question I receive is:
“How can I go from 8 to 9 on CELPIP?”
A lot of people are stuck at 8. They have taken the
exam several times and cannot seem to get 9. I made
this book specifically to help you get a score of 9 or
higher. If you follow my advice, I think you will pass!
The most important thing is PRACTICE! In this
book you will get lots of practice and useful tips.

You will see four colours in this book:

TOPIC

TIPS

QUESTION
8➜9

Mad English TV 3
Speaking and writing are easier to control than reading
and listening since you can prepare words and phrases
to use in your answers. For example, you could learn
the idiom “get out of hand” and plan to use it in a
variety of situations in both speaking and writing. This
idiom means to lose control of a situation. If you are
writing or speaking to your boss, you could say, “Our
website is down and all our customers are complaining.
The situation has gotten out of hand.” If you are
writing or speaking to a college student, you could say,
“You need to manage your time really well at university
otherwise things will get out of hand toward the end of
the semester.”

Reading and listening are difficult because you have no

idea what the questions will be about. The best way to
prepare for these parts is to practice with a similar kind
of content. If you’re comfortable reading the news in
English, it doesn’t mean that you will be comfortable
reading articles about history or sports. You need to
look at each kind of task and find similar things to
practice.

Have you taken the free practice exam on the

CELPIP website? Please take it before using this
book so that you have a better understanding of the
test’s format. You can sign up for a free account at:
www.celpip.ca

Mad English TV 4
* Context-Specific Vocabulary *

If you want to go from 8 to 9, you need to

use context-specific vocabulary. What does
that mean? It means that your words and
phrases must fit the context in the question.
For example, if you are writing an email to
your brother, you should not sign off with
“Sincerely, John”. That’s too formal. If you
are speaking to a government official you
should not say “I think construction work
should stop at 9 p.m. because that’s when
my family hits the hay.” This idiom is too
informal to use in this context. Some idioms
are formal and some are informal. The
same goes for phrasal verbs. In this book, I
will teach you words and phrases that you
can use in different situations. This is the
most important thing you need to learn if
you want to score 9 or higher on the exam.

Mad English TV 5
 Informal Email Greetings

Task 1 is writing an email. You should

use informal greetings if you are writing
to your family or friends. If your greetings
are too formal, you will lose marks
because you are not using context-specific
vocabulary. Task 2 is a survey and does
not need a greeting or a sign-off.
Write an email to your brother asking if
you can borrow his car for the weekend.
Score 8: Dear John,
Score 9: Hey John,
Write an email to your friends to let them
know that you can’t go camping with them.

Score 8: Good evening, friends

Score 9: Hey guys,

Mad English TV 6
Greetings for Special Occasions

If you are writing to your family or

friends for a sad or special occasion, you
should use the greeting “Dear ____”.
Here are some occasions you should use
dear: graduation, death, wedding, birth
of a child, anniversary.
Write an email to your grandparents
congratulating them on their 50th
wedding anniversary.
Score 8: Hi Grandma and Grandpa,
Score 9: Dear Grandma and Grandpa,
Write an email to your best friend offering
your condolences for the death of a family
member.

8: Hi Lisa,
9: Dear Lisa,

Mad English TV 7
 Formal Email Greetings
You should use formal greetings if you are
writing an email to anyone other than your
family or friends. Use “Dear” if you don’t
know the person’s name or if you are writing
for the first time. Use “Hi” if you know the
person’s name and you will have several
communications with them. In normal
business relations, use people’s first names.
If the situation is very formal, use Mr. or Ms.
and their last name. Look at these examples:

Write an email to your mortgage broker

asking about the new interest rates.

8: Dear Ms. Anderson,

9: Hi Paula,
Write an email to the mayor of your city
complaining about high property taxes.

8: Hi Mr. Nenshi,
9: Dear Mayor Nenshi,
Mad English TV 8
Write an email to your professor asking for
feedback on your project.

8: Hi Bill,
9: Hi Mr. Johnson,

Write an email to the restaurant manager

complaining about your recent visit.

8: Two whom it may concern,

9: Dear Restaurant Manager,

Write an email to your family doctor inquiring

about some recent medication he prescribed.

8: Dear Doctor,
9: Hi Dr. Lam,

Write an email to the organizers of a

fundraiser you attended.

8: Hello Organizing Committee,

9: Dear Organizing Committee,

Mad English TV 9
 Informal Email Sign-off

If you are writing an email to your

family or friends, you should use a
casual sign-off.
Write an email to your brother asking if
you can borrow his car for the weekend.
8: Take care,
9: See you soon,
Write an email to your friends to let them
know that you can’t go camping with them.
8: Thanks for your understanding,
9: Have fun and take lots of pics!
Write an email to your mom to let her know
that you’re coming to visit this weekend.
8: Sincerely,
9: Love you,

Mad English TV 10
Sign-off for Special Occasions

If you are writing to your family or

friends, you should use a heartfelt sign-
off for sad or special occasions. For
example: graduation, death, wedding,
birth of a child, anniversary, etc.
Write an email to your grandparents
congratulating them on their 50th
wedding anniversary.
8: Regards,
9: Thank you for your unwavering love
and support,
Write an email to your best friend offering
your condolences for the death of a family
member.

8: Sincerely,
9: My deepest love and sympathy,

Mad English TV 11
Write an email to your brother to
congratulate him on finishing high school.

8: Sincerely,
9: I’m so proud of you. Stay awesome!

Write an email to your aunt to thank her for

sending you a gift.

8: Regards,
9: Thank you for thinking of me,

Write an email to your parents to wish them

a happy anniversary.

8: Warm wishes,
9: Hope you have a great day! Love, Mark

Write an email to your friend who is in the

hospital.

8: Sincerely,
9: Get well soon!

Mad English TV 12
 Formal Email Sign-off
Formal emails typically have less variety
than personal emails. In very formal
situations, you can use “sincerely”. In other
situations, it’s normal to say “regards”.

Write an email to your boss asking if you

can take time off next week.
8: Sincerely,
9: Regards,
Write an email to your professor asking
him for advice about your project.
8: Take care,
9: I appreciate your help,
Write an email to the Prime Minister.
8: Regards,
9: Sincerely,

Mad English TV 13
Formal Writing Vocabulary
In formal writing, you should use concise words
and phrases. Do you know what “concise” means?
It means giving information clearly in a few words.
Jim is good at telling stories. (Not concise)
Jim excels in story-telling. (Concise)

Survey: Should the city build a new airport?

8: The new airport would make it easier for more
people to travel.
9: The new airport would facilitate increased travel.

8: It would cost a lot of money.

9: It would require a substantial investment.

8: It would make our economy better.

9: It would boost our economy.

8: It would improve people’s travel experience.

9: It would enrich people’s travel experience.

8: I think the project would take too long.

9: I fear the project would linger for a decade.

Mad English TV 14
Informal Writing Vocabulary
When you are writing to your family or friends,
you should use casual phrasal verbs and idioms.
Phrasal verb: Can you chip in $50 for the hotel?
chip in = contribute
Idiom: The hotel cost an arm and a leg.
cost an arm and a leg = expensive

Your friends are planning a vacation. Let them

know how you think the costs should be divided.
8: I think everyone should contribute equally toward
the cost of the hotel because it is expensive.
9: I think everyone should chip in an equal share for
the hotel because it costs an arm and a leg.

Your family is planning a family gathering. Should

you go camping or stay in a hotel?
8: If you can tolerate the mosquitos, I think we
should go camping.
9: If you guys can put up with the bugs, I think we
should go camping!

Mad English TV 15
Formal Speaking Greeting
In formal speaking, you should begin by saying
“Hi” or “Hello”. You can also say, “Good
morning”, “Good afternoon”, or “Good evening”,
but the simplest thing to say is just “Hi.”
DO NOT SAY “Hi Dear”. In many languages,
people say that, but you should not use that in
formal English.

Call your dentist to reschedule your appointment.

8: Hey Dr. Williams,

9: Hi Dr. Williams,

Call a hotel to make a reservation.

8: Hi dear, I’m calling to make a reservation.

9: Hi, I’m calling to make a reservation.

Call your teacher and ask for advice.

8: Hi Frank,
9: Hi Sir, / Hi Mr. Weibe,

Mad English TV 16
Informal Speaking Greeting
Most phone conversations between family and
friends start with the word “Hey”. For distant
relatives or acquaintances, it’s more natural to say
“Hi”. You can decide what your relationships are
like, but just remember that your vocabulary
needs to be consistent. Don’t use a formal
greeting and then an informal closing.

Call your cousin and invite her over for supper.

8: Hi Beth,
9: Hey Beth,

Call your uncle who lives overseas.

8: Hello Uncle Barry,

9: Hi Uncle Barry,

Call your friends on Zoom.

8: Hi friends,
9: Hey guys,

Mad English TV 17
 Formal Speaking Closing
In real-life telephone conversations, each person
says “Bye” before hanging up. On the CELPIP
Exam, however, there is no real conversation with
anyone which means that saying goodbye is a bit
awkward. Because of this, you should just end your
speech with a summary of why you’re calling
instead of saying goodbye.

Call the local zoo to report a lost animal.

8: Okay, Goodbye
9: Anyway, I just wanted to let you know about
this animal.

Call a restaurant and complain about their food.

8: Goodbye.
9: I just wanted to let you know about the poor
experience we had at your restaurant.

Mad English TV 18
Informal Speaking Closing
Again, there are no real conversations on the exam
which makes things awkward when you want
finish speaking. You can decide how the
conversation should go. The CELPIP evaluators
just want to see that you know how to speak in a
casual situation.

Call your sister and tell her about a great sale you
found at her favourite store in the mall.

8: Goodbye.
9: Anyway, let me know what time you want to
meet up later.

Call your friends on Zoom to discuss your

camping plans.

8: Bye.
9: Anyway, I’m really excited for our trip. See you
soon!

Mad English TV 19
Formal Speaking Vocabulary
Spoken English is always less formal than written
English, so you can use some idioms and phrasal verbs
in your formal speaking. Try to use a mixture of concise
vocabulary along with a few suitable idioms or phrasal
verbs in your answer. If English is not your mother
tongue, it might be hard for you to know what is suitable
or not in a situation. Here are some examples of suitable
idioms and phrasal verbs in formal speaking.

Call the police to report a crime.

8: I saw the man run away with her purse.

9: I saw the perpetrator take off with her purse.
Perpetrator = criminal
Take off = leave suddenly

Call your employee to thank her for five years of

service in the company.

8: Your hard work has helped us stay ahead of the

competition.
9: Your hard work has helped us stay ahead of the pack.
Ahead of the pack = ahead of the competition

Mad English TV 20
Call your business partner to discuss opening a new
restaurant.
8: It would be hard to start the business with the new
Covid restrictions in place.
9: It would be hard to get the business off the ground
with the new Covid restrictions in place.
Get off the ground = start a project or business

Call a hotel to thank them for taking good care of

you when you were sick.
8: Thank you for helping me so much when I was
sick during my stay.
9: Thank you so much for going the extra mile to take
care of me during my stay.
Go the extra mile = do more than expected

Call your local food bank and tell them that you
won’t be able to volunteer with them any more.

8: My schedule has gotten very busy recently and I

will have to stop volunteering.
9: My hands are tied at the moment and unfortunately
I’ll have to let go of my volunteer position.
Hands are tied = busy with other things
Let go of something = give something up

Mad English TV 21
You started a new job and your boss wants to know
how everything is going so far.
8: I think it will take me a while to learn everything,
but I’m enjoying it so far!
9: I think it will take me a while to learn the ropes,
but I’m enjoying it so far!
Learn the ropes = learn how to do a job

Call your financial advisor and talk about your

investments.
8: I’d like to invest in different things to spread out
the risk.
9: I’d like to diversify my portfolio. I’m not
comfortable putting all my eggs in one basket.
Put all your eggs in one basket = put all your
resources into one area

Talk to one of your colleagues about setting the

price of a new product offered by your company.

8: You might not agree with me on this, but I think we

should sell it for a bit less to get more sales.
9: You might not see eye to eye with me on this, but I
think we should sell it for a bit less to increase sales.
See eye to eye = agree

Mad English TV 22
Call your business partner and discuss the idea of
opening a new store.
8: I think this is a moment in life where we have to
take on the challenge.
9: I think this is a moment in life where we have to
grab life by the horns.
Grab life by the horns = to confront a difficult
situation with determination

Call your travel agent to postpone your flight.

8: Things are a bit uncertain at the moment, so I will
have to postpone my flight to a later date.
9: Things are a bit up in the air at the moment, so I
will have to postpone my flight to a later date.
Up in the air = uncertain

You are applying for a new job. Call your old boss
and ask him to provide a reference for you.

8: Thanks a lot for your help. It was great to talk to

you again.
9: I really appreciate your help. It was great to touch
base with you again.
Touch base = make contact with some after some
time apart

Mad English TV 23
Informal Speaking Vocabulary
Most of the speaking tasks on the CELPIP exam are
informal which means that you should try to use as many
idioms and phrasal verbs as you can. You can use the
same ones as in informal writing. In the following pages,
I will give you speaking examples, but you could use the
same language for informal writing as well.

Call your cousin who is studying overseas.

8: It was great to talk to you again. Let’s do it again soon!

9: It was great to catch up. Let’s do it again soon!
Catch up = talk with someone after some time apart

Talk about a subject in school that you didn’t like.

8: High school math was so boring. I always fell asleep.
9: High school math was so boring. I always dozed off.
Doze off = fall asleep

Talk about a time when you had to endure an

unpleasant situation.
8: I broke my leg last year which was hard to endure.
9: I broke my leg last year which was hard to cope with.
Cope with = endure a difficult or unpleasant situation

Mad English TV 24
Your friend wants to go to college. Give her some
advice on what to study.

8: I think you should start by taking some general

courses to see what you like the most.
9: I think you should start off with some general
courses to broaden your horizons.
Broaden horizons = increase range of knowledge

Call your grandma and tell her you have the flu.
8: I got sick with the flu. Hopefully I’ll get better
soon.
9: I came down with the flu. Hopefully I’ll be back on
my feet soon.
Come down with = get sick with a cold or flu
Back on my feet = get better

Convince your spouse that you should renovate the

bathroom instead of the kitchen.

8: I think we should renovate the bathroom first

because it will be cheaper.
9: Honey, I think we should renovate the bathroom
first because it won’t cost us an arm and a leg.
Cost an arm and a leg = cost a lot of money

Mad English TV 25
Call your aunt who lives in another province and tell
her that you’d like to visit her next summer.
8: I’m thinking of coming out to Manitoba next
summer.
9: I’m thinking of coming out to your neck of the
woods next summer.
Neck of the woods = area

Talk about a time when you changed your mind

about something.
8: When I was a kid, I hated going shopping with my
mom, but when I became a teenager, I started to
enjoy it more and now I go shopping with her every
weekend. I always thank my mom for tolerating my
bad attitude when I was a kid.
9: When I was a kid, I had zero interest in going
shopping with my mom, but when I entered my
teenage years, it started to grow on me and now we
hit up the mall every weekend. I always thank my
mom for putting up with my temper tantrums when
I was a kid.
Grow on = start to like something more
Zero interest = no desire to do something
Hit up = go to a place
Temper tantrum = a period of unpleasant behaviour

Mad English TV 26
You see a rare piece of jewelry in a store. Call your
best friend and describe it to her.

8: Hey Jen, I’m just in a jewelry store and I think I

found a rare necklace.
9: Hey Jen, I’m just in a jewelry shop and I think I
found a hidden gem. I wanna describe it to you.
Hidden gem = something rare or special

Give your sister advice on whether to take out

student loans to pay for her studies.
8: The problem with student loans is that you will
accumulate a lot of debt.
9: The problem with student loans is that you’ll rack
up a pile of debt.
Rack up = accumulate
Pile = a large amount

Talk about a time when you had to make a hard

decision.

8: Five years ago I wasn’t sure whether to move to

Canada or stay in India. I thought about it for a long time.
9: Five years ago I wasn’t sure whether to move to
Canada or stay in India. I mulled it over for a long time.
Mull over = think deeply about something

Mad English TV 27
Do you agree that children should move out of their
parents house when they turn 18?

8: If kids are forced to move out when they turn 18,

they often struggle to survive.
9: If kids are forced to move out when they turn 18,
they often struggle to keep their head above water.
Keep your head above water = survive

What are you most proud of in life?

8: I was the first person in my family to go to college.
It was a scary decision for me, but I’m happy I
decided to take a risk and go for it.
9: I was the first person in my family to go to college.
It was a scary decision for me, but I’m happy I
decided to stick my neck out.
Stick your neck out = take a risk

Would you work in an office or work from home?

8: I find that spending all day at home negatively affects my

mental health.
9: I find that spending all day at home takes a toll on my
mental health.
Take a toll on = negatively affects

Mad English TV 28
Talk about a memorable event in your life.

8: Last year I decided to take a risk and go skydiving.

9: Last year I decided to throw caution to the wind
and go skydiving.
Throw caution to the wind = ignore risks

Talk about your morning routine.

8: I’m usually awake and ready for the day by 8 a.m.,
then I go to the gym from 9-11 a.m.
9: I’m usually up and about by 8 a.m, then I go to the
gym from 9-11 a.m.
Up and about = awake and ready for the day

Talk about something that you find easy but others

find difficult.

8: For me, bookkeeping is very easy, but most people find it

difficult.
9: For me, bookkeeping is a piece of cake, but most people
find it challenging.
Piece of cake = very easy to do

Mad English TV 29
 CELPIP Listening
Be sure to take the two free practice tests on the
CELPIP website so that you are familiar with the
format of the listening test. (celpip.ca)
Understand what each task is testing you on. There
are listening six tasks:
• Listening to Problem Solving
• Listening to a Daily Life Conversation
• Listening for Information
• Listening to a News Item
• Listening to a Discussion
• Listening to Viewpoints
You should prepare for the listening test by thinking
about each of these six tasks so that you know what
kinds of things to listen for. For example, in the
“Listening to Viewpoints” task, don’t waste your
time taking notes on information. The questions
probably will not ask about information.
Taking notes is difficult for most people. You should
decide for yourself how many notes you want to take.
For long listening passages, it’s important to take
notes so that you don’t forget any details.

Mad English TV 30
 Listening to Problem Solving

In this task, you will hear a conversation

divided into three sections. After each
section, there will be 2 or 3 questions.
Don’t forget about the first section when
you move on to the next section. Each
section builds on the previous section,
so keep that in mind when you’re doing
this task. After the whole task is over,
then you can forget about it. Remember
that in this task there will be a person
who is trying to solve a problem. Maybe
the person is trying to figure out how to
buy a house, or maybe they are lost and
trying to find their friend’s house. So,
when you listen to the conversation, try
to understand what the person is trying
to accomplish.

Mad English TV 31
Listening to Problem Solving

Listen to the following conversation

between a woman and her financial
advisor.

Mad English TV 32
Tom: Hi Jen, welcome here! Please have a seat.
Jen: Hi, thanks so much for making time to see me
on such short notice.
Tom: No worries at all! What brings you in today?
Jen: My husband and I are going overseas for a few
months, but before we leave, we wanted to set up an
education savings plan for our daughter.
Tom: Oh, that’s great! Your daughter is still in
elementary school right?
Jen: Yeah, she’s still really young, but Brad and I
wanted to start putting away a bit of money every
month into some kind of investment so that by the
time she graduates from high school, she’ll have
enough for at least her first few years of college.
Tom: That’s a great plan. I’d be happy to help you
find the best option. Did you guys have any ideas on
the kind of investment you’d like? Stocks? Mutual
funds? Cash savings?
Jen: Well, we’d like something that’s pretty safe but
also yields a good return. Do you have anything like
that?
Tom: Yeah, there are several options we can explore.
If you don’t mind, I have a short risk tolerance
questionnaire that I’d like you to fill out. It’ll just
take 5 minutes.

Mad English TV 33
 Questions
1. What is Jen hoping to accomplish in her visit
with Tom?
A. Move overseas with her husband
B. Take risks in order to get rich
C. Learn about investments
D. Start saving for her daughter’s future education

2. Tom is asking questions because he wants to

find out…
A. About her daughter’s age
B. Jen and Brad’s future plans
C. What investment would be best for her family
D. Why they are going overseas

3. Why did Jen thank Tom for the meeting?

A. Because Jen and Brad are leaving soon
B. Because Tom didn’t have time to meet them later
C. Because Jen doesn’t want to lose money by waiting
D. Because Brad didn’t have time to go with his partner

Mad English TV 34
Tom: Alright, how did the questionnaire go?
Jen: It went pretty good, thanks. It looks like I have a
fairly low risk tolerance. Does that mean I won’t get
much interest on my investment?
Tom: Well, we can probably find you a really safe
investment that gives you around 3-4% interest. The
nice thing is that you’re starting early while your
daughter is young. The sooner the better!
Jen: Yeah, that’s what we figured. Maybe we can double
our money by the time Ava graduates.
Tom: That’s definitely possible! Now, do you want to
have the option of taking out the money at any time or
would you rather lock in your investment for a period of
time?
Jen: Hmm, I think it would be nice to have access to
the money in case something unexpected comes up.
Tom: Yeah, it’s always nice when your investments have
some liquidity. Have you heard about mutual funds
before?
Jen: I’ve heard the term but can’t say that I know
anything about them.
Tom: Well, mutual funds are like a bundle of
investments that are managed by the mutual fund
manager. When you invest into the fund, it’s like you
become a partial owner of all those investments. Some
mutual funds are very safe while others are a bit more
risky. Would you be interested in looking at a really safe
one that our bank offers?
Mad English TV 35
 Questions
4. How would you describe Jen’s knowledge
about investing?
A. Rookie
B. Intermediate
C. Advanced

5. Tom believes that his bank’s mutual fund

would be a good investment for Jen because…
A. It is safe and offers a high interest rate
B. It is safe and liquid
C. It is risky and liquid
D. It offers a locked-in rate

6. Why does Jen think she might not get a high

interest rate?
A. Because the investment is long-term
B. Because she doesn’t know enough about investing
C. Because her risk tolerance is low
D. Because mutual funds are not a good investment

Mad English TV 36
Tom: Okay, here’s a brochure about the mutual fund I
think would be good for you. As you can see, it has
yielded 4% over the past 20 years.
Jen: That seems like a perfect investment for us. If we
invested $200 a month for the next 12 years, how much
would we have at the end?
Tom: Hmm, let me work the numbers here. It looks
like you would have about $37,000 by the time Ava
graduates.
Jen: That sounds great. At least it would cover the first
two or three years of tuition. Ava’s grandparents also
talked about giving us $8000 to invest for her education.
How much would that change the final number?
Tom: Actually that changes it quite a bit. You’d end up
with around 50 grand. And over $13,000 of that would
be interest you earned.
Jen: Hmm, I guess that’s why it’s best to start now! I’ll
give my parents a call today to confirm everything.
Also, I’ll talk it over with Brad and we’ll make a
decision about moving forward. Would you be free early
next week sometime to meet again?
Tom: Let me check my schedule. Does Monday early
afternoon work for you?
Jen: Yeah, that would be great because we’re leaving on
Wednesday morning.
Tom: Alright, sounds great! I’ll put that into my
schedule right now.

Mad English TV 37
 Questions
7. What do you think Jen and Brad will do?
A. Start investing before their trip
B. Start investing after their trip
C. Start investing without the $8000
D. Look for other investments

8. Jen believes that the investment…

A. Will pay for Ava’s entire education
B. Will pay for part of Ava’s education
C. Will not make Brad happy
D. Will help her Grandparents in their old age

9. Why is Jen going to call her parents today?

A. Because she doesn’t know if her parents will say “yes”
B. Because she wants to tell them about mutual funds
C. Because she wants their advice about mutual funds
D. Because she wants to finalize everything before her trip

Mad English TV 38
 Answers
1. D - Start saving for her daughter’s education
2. C - What investment would be best
3. A - Because Jen and Brad are leaving soon
4. A - Rookie
5. B - It is safe and liquid
6. C - Because her risk tolerance is low
7. A - Start investing before their trip
8. B - Will pay for part of Ava’s education
9. D - Because she wants to finalize everything

Mad English TV 39
Listening to a Daily Conversation

In this task, you will hear a longer

conversation that is not divided into
sections. The conversation lasts about
two minutes, so you should take a few
notes so you don’t forget any details.
After the conversation, you will have
to answer five questions.

Try to figure out the following things:

• Who are the people in the conversation?
• What is the relationship between them?
• Where are they?
• Why are they talking right now?
• What topic are they talking about?
• What are they going to do next?

Mad English TV 40
Listening to a Daily Conversation

The following conversation is between

two classmates. One of them (Emma)
is frustrated about a group project.

Mad English TV 41
Lisa: Hey Emma, how’s your project coming along? I
can’t believe it’s already due next week.
Emma: Oh my goodness, it’s going so bad! I wish you
were in my group, Lisa! My group is completely
dysfunctional. We’re not even close to being finished!
Lisa: Wow, that sounds pretty bad! Is it because your
group members don’t get along with each other?
Emma: Well, yeah, there’s that, but also it’s a schedule
issue. Everyone works different hours and there’s no
time we can meet together to discuss things. I feel like
I’m doing all the work.
Lisa: Is there a way you can connect with each other
online? That’s what my group did and it’s working out
pretty good. Everybody knows what their role is.
Emma: Yeah, I’m trying to do that. I started an online
group and invited everyone to it, but two of my
teammates haven’t even responded yet. Everyone
knows their roles because we met briefly after class one
day to discuss it, but I’m not sure if they’ve even
started working on their tasks. It’s really stressing me
out.
Lisa: Have you talked to our prof about it?
Emma: Not yet. I don’t want to get anyone in trouble.
What do you think I should do?
Lisa: I’d give it a day or two and see if your group
becomes more responsive. If nothing changes by the
weekend, I think you should talk to the prof.

Mad English TV 42
Emma: Okay, I’ll take your advice. Thanks for talking
to me about this; it helps me feel more relaxed.
Lisa: That’s what friends are for! Can I buy you another
coffee? You could probably use the caffeine boost.
Emma: Sure! Thanks so much. I’m just going to stay
here in the library all evening trying to finish my part.
At least then I’ll be ready to help anyone else in the
group that needs help. And the night before the project
is due, I’ll need to put it all together and make sure it
looks presentable. I’m really hoping to get a good grade
on this.
Lisa: I’m going to stay in the library for a while too
because my wifi at home stopped working and I need
to get a lot of work done before the weekend. So, if you
need any help on anything, I’m here for you.
Emma: Oh really? My brother is really good with tech
stuff. If you want, I could ask him to go to your house
and diagnose the problem. He fixed our wifi too just
last month.
Lisa: Oh, that would be awesome! Thanks so much. Is
he free today?
Emma: Give me a few minutes. I’ll call him and see
what he can do.
Lisa: Alright, in the meantime, I’ll go get your coffee
and grab a bite to eat!

Mad English TV 43
 Questions
1. Emma and Lisa are probably…
A. High school students
B. College students
C. Coworkers
D. Business partners

2. Emma is frustrated because…

A. Lisa is not in her group
B. The professor doesn’t seem to care
C. Nobody in the group understands their role
D. Her group is not showing the same dedication she is

3. What is Emma likely going to do next?

A. Follow Lisa’s advice
B. Confront her teammates
C. Talk to her professor
D. Give up

Mad English TV 44
4. Emma is probably…
A. A librarian
B. Not going to finish her part before the due date
C. The leader of the group
D. Going to ask her professor for help on the project

3. Lisa plans to stay in the library because…

A. She needs wifi to finish her work
B. She needs to check out a few books from the library
C. She is the librarian
D. Emma asked her for help

Mad English TV 45
 Answers
1. B - College students
2. D - Her group is not showing dedication
3. A - Follow Lisa’s advice
4. C - The leader of the group
5. A - She needs wifi to finish her work

Mad English TV 46
 Listening for Information

In this task, you will hear another

conversation that lasts about two
minutes. Try to take as many short
notes as you can. They can just be
one word to remind you of a piece of
information. For example, if a
salesman says, “With every purchase
of a new laptop, you also get a free
printer” you can just write down:
laptop/printer
After the conversation, you will have
to answer six questions. Listen
carefully to the question because you
can only hear it once. It’s a good idea to
repeat the question in your mind after
you hear it.
Mad English TV 47
 Listening for Information

In this conversation, you will hear a

woman asking her fitness instructor
about the benefits of drinking water.

Mad English TV 48
Jill: Hey Ryan, I’ve been getting headaches recently
after working out. Do you think I’m doing some
exercises wrong?
Ryan: Hey Jill, are you drinking enough water
throughout the day? That’s a common problem people
have when they start working out. Their muscles take
in more water than normal and they can end up
dehydrated.
Jill: Hmm, I didn’t think about that. Should I drink
water right before and after a workout?
Ryan: Actually, I wouldn’t recommend drinking
anything right before a workout. It can make you feel a
bit sluggish, and you don’t want to feel water sloshing
around in your stomach while you’re jogging or doing
sit ups. The important thing is to stay hydrated
throughout the day.
Jill: Is there a certain amount of water I should be
drinking every day?
Ryan: There’s no a fixed amount. Everybody is a bit
different. I would recommend setting a reminder on
your phone to drink some water every 2 hours. Don’t
force yourself to drink lots. Just drink as much as you
feel like.
Jill: To be honest, I don’t really like drinking water. Can
I drink a protein shake instead?
Ryan: Well, a protein shake serves a different purpose.
If you drink a milkshake every two hours, I don’t think
it will help with your headaches.

Mad English TV 49
Jill: I just don’t like the taste of water. I don’t know if
I’ll be able to force myself to drink it every two hours.
Ryan: Have you tried flavouring your water with
something? You could squeeze a lemon or an orange
into it.
Jill: That’s a good idea. I’ll buy some lemons on my way
home and see how it goes.
Ryan: Yeah, I think that’s the simplest thing to try, but
if you’re still getting headaches after a week, let’s talk
about it more.
Jill: You know, I remember learning in school that the
body is like 70% water or something like that.
Ryan: Yeah, you’re right, and not only that, but your
blood is 90% water! So you can see how a person would
get headaches if they don’t stay hydrated!
Jill: Yeah, I can definitely see that. Maybe instead of
drinking pop in the evenings, I’ll buy some fizzy water
and add some lemon to it.
Ryan: Great idea! And if you need a bit of sweetness,
you could add a natural sweetener like stevia.
Jill: Alright, thanks for your advice! I’ll give you an
update when I’m here back on Monday! Have a great
weekend!

Mad English TV 50
 Questions
1. Why is Jill talking to Ryan?
A. She wants to know more about water
B. She wants to quit her workouts
C. She has a problem
D. Ryan is evaluating her progress

2. Ryan recommends drinking water because…

A. He knows dehydration a common problem
B. Jill looks dehydrated
C. Jill is not making progress in her workouts
D. She is drinking too much pop

3. Ryan thinks drinking protein shakes will…

A. Solve Jill’s problem
B. Help her build muscle
C. Give her more energy
D. Not solve her problem

Mad English TV 51
4. Jill and Ryan are likely talking in a…
A. Classroom
B. Gym
C. Park
D. Restaurant

5. Ryan believes…
A. Blood is 70% water
B. Everyone should drink the same amount of water
C. Jill will not follow his advice
D. Consistency is the most important thing

Mad English TV 52
 Answers
1. C - She has a problem
2. A - He knows dehydration is a problem
3. D - Not solve her problem
4. B - Gym
5. D - Consistency is the most important

Mad English TV 53
 Listening to a News Item

In this task, you will hear a news

presenter talk for 1-2 minutes.

You will hear a news item about a hail

storm.

Mad English TV 54
News Presenter: Wednesday’s storm brought record
damage to homes in Northeast Calgary. Hailstones
the size of golf balls rained down suddenly on
homes, vehicles, and pedestrians alike. Rahul
Mohammad, who lives in the community of
Saddletown, described the moment the storm struck
his house: “I was sitting in my kitchen drinking tea
when all of a sudden it sounded like a tornado
outside. I looked out the window and saw shingles
flying off my neighbour’s roof.” Many drivers were
stranded when large pools of water formed on the
roads forcing traffic to a standstill. Windshields were
broken and emergency services received hundreds
of calls. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported.
Severe damage has been reported all over Northeast
Calgary, however, the hardest hit communities
appear to be SaddleTown and Redstone. Our field
reporter, Diana Scott, took a short walk through
these communities and found every house and every
vehicle to be damaged. In some cases, all the
windows in a house had been broken. This morning
residents in the area are busy cleaning up the debris
left by the storm. The total damage is yet to be
assessed, but the city is estimating the cost to be at
least $1 billion.

Mad English TV 55
 Questions
1. What did Rahul Mohammad see?
A. A tornado
B. Pools of water on the road
C. Shingles flying off a roof
D. Broken glass

2. According to the field reporter…

A. Emergency crews were on the scene
B. Trees were damaged
C. A few of the houses were damaged
D. Every house and vehicle was damaged

3. The city’s initial assessment…

A. Projects the damage to be at least $1 billion
B. Will come out next month
C. Cannot be projected because the damage is too great
D. Recommends the roads to be fixed first

Mad English TV 56
4. According to this news item…
A. All of Calgary was affected
B. Most communities were equally affected
C. Some communities were affected more than others
D. Only two communities were affected

5. Many drivers were stranded because…

A. Emergency crews were working
B. Traffic was forced to stop because of water pools
C. Their vehicles stopped working
D. There was a tornado

Mad English TV 57
 Answers
1. C - Shingles flying off a roof
2. D - Every house and vehicle was damaged
3. A - Projects the damage to be $1 billion
4. C - Some communities were affected more
5. B - Traffic was forced to stop

Mad English TV 58
 Listening to a Discussion
In this task, you will watch a 2-minute video and then
answer 8 questions. This task is very difficult because
the conversation is between three people. You have to
remember what each person says. Pay attention to
these things:
• What does each person think?
• What is each person wearing?
• Do they agree or disagree?
• What topic are they talking about?
• What will happen next?
• What is the problem?
• What is the solution?
It’s very hard to take notes on this task because you
don’t have enough time to write down what each
person thinks. It might be better to just listen carefully
and try to remember as much as you can.
If there are two men and one woman, pay attention to
what each man is wearing because a question might
say, “What is the man in the red shirt proposing?” If
you forget which man was wearing the red shirt, then
you won’t know how to answer the question.

Mad English TV 59
 Listening to a Discussion

The following conversation is between three

teammates on a hockey team. They are
discussing their upcoming match.

Mad English TV 60
Gina: Hey, are you guys ready for the next game?
Todd: You bet! But what are we going to do if half our
team doesn’t show up like last time?
Mark: Well, that depends on who doesn’t show up. As
long as we have three women on the ice, we can still
play shorthanded. The rules say that if we don’t have
three women, we have to forfeit the game.
Gina: Let’s keep our fingers crossed! I think the reason
nobody showed up last time is because it was a long
weekend and people were spending time with their
families.
Todd: Either that or the roads were too icy. Everyone
wants to have fun but nobody wants to risk their lives
just to shoot a puck around for an hour.
Mark: True, but the winning team does win $100 gift
certificate to Jameson’s Pub. I don’t want to lose out on
a few drinks.
Gina: I’m sure we won’t have to forfeit the next game. I
already asked my sister to fill in if we’re short players.
Todd: Awesome. So far we’ve only lost one game and
forfeited one. I think that means we’re tied with the
Dancing Divas.
Mark: Nice! Well, we only have three games left after
this, so we better bring our A game!
Gina: Yup, I think Randy should play goalie this time.
He’s got the best record.

Mad English TV 61
Todd: Really? But Scott played so well in our last game.
Mark: I’m with Gina on this one. Yeah, Scott played
well, but Randy has given us four shutouts so far this
season.
Gina: Why don’t we ask them before the game who
wants to be in goal. They’re good friends so I don’t
think they’ll fight about it.
Mark: That’s a good idea. What time should we meet
up tomorrow before the game?
Todd: Hmm, kickoff is at 5:00 p.m., so let’s meet up at
4:00 p.m. That way we’ll have enough time to warm up
and talk about our strategy.
Gina: Alright, I’ll post the time in our group chat and
hopefully everyone sees it before tomorrow. Should we
plan anything for after the game?
Mark: Yeah, let’s go out to the pub again. That was a
lot of fun last week.
Todd: You know what would also be fun? Bowling!
That would be a good team building exercise.
Gina: Awesome idea! And they have beer at the bowling
alley, so you won’t have to sacrifice anything Mark.
Mark: Alright, sounds like a plan. See you guys
tomorrow at 4?
Gina: Yup, see you guys then!
Todd: Sounds good. And don’t forget to send that
message in the group chat!

Mad English TV 62
 Questions
1. Gina, Todd, and Mark play hockey in…
A. A professional league
B. A recreational league
C. With people in their community
D. With their families

2. Why were they worried about their team not

showing up?
A. They are playing a hard team this week
B. They need their best players to win
C. They would probably lose without enough players
D. They would have to forfeit

3. Why does Mark not want to lose?

A. There is a reward for the winning team
B. He does not want to bring shame on his team-mates
C. He hates losing
D. He doesn’t want to play goalie next time

Mad English TV 63
4. Gina’s sister…
A. Will play with the team
B. Might play with the team
C. Will watch the game
D. Will not play with the team

5. When talking about the goalie, Mark…

A. Disagrees with Gina
B. Sides with Todd
C. Sides with Gina
D. Wants to play goalie himself

6. Which statement best summarizes Gina’s

attitude?
A. Let’s fight to the end
B. Let’s find common ground
C. Let’s win
D. Let’s just have fun

Mad English TV 64
7. Why does Todd recommend bowling?
A. He thinks Gina wants that more
B. He thinks it would be a stress reliever
C. He thinks it would be better than getting drunk
D. He thinks it would help the team

8. Why did Todd think some teammates didn’t

show up for the last game?
A. The game wasn’t important enough to risk their lives
B. They didn’t care about winning
C. They thought the opposing team would be too good
D. They lost interest in hockey

Mad English TV 65
 Answers
1. B - A recreational league
2. D - They would have to forfeit
3. A - There is a reward for the winning team
4. B - Might play with the team
5. C - Sides with Gina
6. B - Let’s find common ground
7. D - He thinks it would help the team
8. A - The game wasn’t important enough

Mad English TV 66
 Listening for Viewpoints

In this task, you will hear a person talking for

about 3 minutes. The topic will be a social issue
where there are different viewpoints expressed.
After listening to the recording, you will need to
answer 6 questions. Try to take notes on these
things:
• What viewpoint is being expressed?
• Who is expressing that viewpoint?
• Why do they hold that viewpoint?
• How will that viewpoint change society?
Since this is the longest listening task, it will be
hard to remember everything unless you take
notes. List for words like “Dr. Baker believes…”
or “Scientists argue that…” or “The CEO of
the company is advocating for…” or “Parents
disagree with…”

Mad English TV 67
 Listening for Viewpoints

You will hear a report about driving

under the influence of alcohol.

Mad English TV 68
* The following report is just an example. The information
is not real. On the CELPIP exam, however, the
information in listening task 6 will be real.

Speaker: Recent statistics have shown that 30% of fatal

car accidents in Canada are alcohol related. CADD
(Canadians Against Drunk Driving) are calling for
tougher laws to be implemented to help prevent these
tragedies from taking place. They are advocating to
increase the drinking age from 18 to 25 across Canada.
Their rationale for this proposal is based on the fact that
70% of drunk-drivers are below the age of 25. CCF
(Canadian Council of Freedom), however, opposes this
idea saying that it would go against the Canadian Charter
of Rights and Freedoms. They argue that when someone
reaches the age of 18, they should have full rights as
adults which includes the right to consume alcohol. CCF
does not deny the destructive reality of drunk driving but
instead proposes making prison sentences more severe
for drunk drivers involved in fatal accidents. Dr. Parker, a
professor of sociology at Hamilton University, believes
that both CADD and CCF are looking at the issue the
wrong way. He is promoting education as the primary
tool to tackle the problem. This would involve
introducing the topic of alcohol much earlier in a
child’s education. He points to the fact that many
drunk driving deaths are caused by people who haven’t

Mad English TV 69
even received their full driver’s license. Very often drunk
driving is combined with other crimes such as drug use
and theft. Parker admits that raising the age minimum
and increasing prison sentences might have some
benefit, but he believes that only through education can
the problem be dealt with at the roots. New strategies
are currently being debated in the Canadian
government, and a full report will be released by the
end of June. At present, age restrictions for both
alcohol and driving fall under the provincial
jurisdiction. For example, in Alberta a person can buy
alcohol at age 18, whereas in BC the age is 19. In
Alberta a person can obtain a learner’s license at age 14,
but in BC the age is 16. Historically, the federal
government has stayed out of provincial decisions in
these areas, however, there is a growing demand among
Canadians for the federal government to tackle the
issue of drunk driving. According to a recent survey, a
large number of Canadians are calling for the age
minimum to be increased to 21 to match their American
neighbours. The Prime Minister recently made a
statement about this issue saying that saving lives and
enjoying freedom are not separate from each other but
rather must go hand-in-hand.

Mad English TV 70
 Questions
1. Dr. Parker believes that…
A. Raising the age minimum will have no benefit
B. Increasing prison sentences will have no effect
C. The problem must be addressed at the roots
D. Personal freedom must be protected

2. CCF believes that…

A. Education is not the answer
B. Individual freedoms must be protected
C. There is no solution to the problem
D. Raising the age minimum will not work

3. What do you think CADD’s mission

statement would be?
A. Protect freedoms at all cost
B. Support victims of drunk driving
C. Eliminate alcohol from Canadian society
D. Eradicate drunk driving

Mad English TV 71
4. This article is primarily about…
A. Addressing a problem in Canadian society
B. Making new laws to tackle drunk driving
C. Raising the age minimum for consuming alcohol
D. Upholding Canadian freedoms

5. Dr. Parker believes that children must be

educated on this crime early in life because…
A. Children always start drinking at a young age
B. Children can obtain their learner’s license at age 14
C. It is linked to other crimes
D. Their parents don’t teach them at home

6. According to the survey, Canadians want…

A. The age minimum to stay the same
B. The federal government to address this issue
C. The provincial government to address the issue
D. Raise the driving age to 19

Mad English TV 72
 Answers
1. C - The problem must be addressed at the roots
2. B - Individual freedoms must be protected
3. D - Eradicate drunk driving
4. A - Addressing a problem in Canadian society
5. C - It is linked to other crimes
6. B - The federal government to address this issue

Mad English TV 73
 CELPIP Reading
There are 4 tasks in CELPIP reading:
• Task 1 - Reading Correspondence
• Task 2- Reading to Apply a Diagram
• Task 3 - Reading for Information
• Task 4 - Reading for Viewpoints
Since you only have about 10 minutes to read the
passage and answer all the questions, you should
think about what strategy will be best for you. In
some cases, it’s better to read the questions before
reading the passage so that you know what
information to look for in the passage. Tasks 3 and 4
are especially difficult because they use advanced
vocabulary.

CELPIP offers several practice test bundles on their

website (celpip.ca). I would recommend purchasing a
few practice tests so that you can become familiar
with each task. It’s cheaper to buy practice tests than
to take the exam over again if you fail. A lot of people
struggle with the reading test, but if you practice
developing a strategy for each task, you will be much
more likely to succeed.

Mad English TV 74
 Reading Correspondence
Hi Lutz,
It’s great to hear that you started English classes again!
It was so much fun staying in the dorm with you last
semester and helping you out with your English
homework in our free time. You definitely helped me
out with my German too! Even though we’re on
opposite sides of the world now, I’d be happy to help
you out over email or Skype. Just let me know!

It was so much fun going on weekend excursions with

you. Remember when we went to Lichtenstein Castle
and forgot to pack a lunch? Then we got lost on the
way back and didn’t get home till midnight! We were
so famished! Luckily, we didn’t have an early class the
next day.

I think my favourite memory was when your family

invited me to spend Easter with you. It felt like I had a
home away from home. I really appreciate the way your
family welcomed me so warmly! It was fun trying to
communicate with your mom in my broken German
and her broken English. Hopefully I can spend Easter
with you guys again sometime!
Mad English TV 75
Right now I’m finishing up my degree, and I’m a bit
stressed out about the idea of applying for jobs. It’s
crazy how people are expected to make such a drastic
transition in just a few months. I’ve been studying for
six years now, so the idea of starting a career seems a
bit daunting. I’m just trying to take one day at a time.

The economy here in Alberta isn’t doing great these

days, so I’ve been looking at some job postings out
East. I’m pretty flexible with the location, but my
parents would really prefer that I stay close to home. I
told them that if I can find a good job somewhere, I’ll
try to save up money and buy a house close to home so
I can be with them as they enter retirement.

I guess the most important thing right now is to focus

on finishing university with the best grades I can in
order to give me a better chance at a job in the
summer. I’ll touch base with you again in a few
months and let you know how everything turns out!
Keep me posted on the latest developments in your life
too!

Talk to you soon!

Scott

Mad English TV 76
 Questions
1. Scott was…
A. Lutz’s Professor
B. Lutz’s Student
C. A fellow student with Lutz
D. A relative of Lutz’s family

2. Why is Scott considering a job far from home?

A. He doesn’t think he will find a good job close to home
B. He wants to spend time away from his parents
C. He wants to travel again
D. The Canadian economy is doing poorly

3. Scott’s current focus is…

A. Finding a job
B. Finishing his studies
C. Travelling
D. Moving away from home

Mad English TV 77
4. Why is Scott stressed out about finding a job?
A. He will not be able to save enough money for a house
B. He will not be able to travel again
C. The Alberta economy is suffering right now
D. He thinks the transition will be hard for him

5. The trip to Lichtenstein Castle could have

been worse if…
A. They had forgotten to pack a lunch
B. They had missed the bus
C. They had forgotten their keys
D. They had to wake up early the next morning

6. Lutz’s mom spoke English…

A. With an accent
B. Very well
C. About as good as Scott’s German
D. Better than Scott’s German

Mad English TV 78
Hi Scott,

Thanks for your email! It’s funny, I was talking to my mom just
before I got your email. She said she hopes you can come for
another 7. [A. Christmas. B. Thanksgiving. C. Easter. D.
Birthday.] Yeah, I remember our trip to Lichtenstein Castle.
When we got back home, we were so 8. [A. hungry. B. mad. C.
tired. D. excited.] Thanks so much for your offer to 9. [A. help
me with German. B. help me with English. C. visit me. D.
teach my mom.] You know, it’s a bit lonely here without you
living 10. [A. in the house. B. with my parents. C. off
campus. D. in the dorm.] I really hope you can get a good
job this summer. Yeah, I think it would be a good idea to 11.
[A. Focus on finishing your studies. B. Buy a house out
East. C. Get a job close to home. D. Learn more
German.]

Mad English TV 79
 Answers
1. C - A fellow student with Lutz
2. A - He doesn’t think he will find a job close by
3. B - Finishing his studies
4. D - He thinks the transition will be hard
5. D - They had to wake up early
6. C - About as good as Scott’s German
7. C - Easter
8. A - Hungry
9. B - Help me with English
10. D - In the dorm
11. A - Focus on finishing your studies

Mad English TV 80
Reading to Apply a Diagram
Wicker Chairs
Cost: $750
Warranty: 2 years
Seating: 4 people
Return Policy: no returns
Leather Sectional
Cost: $1850
Warranty: 4 years
Seating: 5 people
Return Policy: 90 days

Recliner Set
Cost: $2200
Warranty: 10 years
Seating: 6 people
Return Policy: 60 days

Velvet Loveseat
Cost: $1175
Warranty: 3 years
Seating: 2 people
Return Policy: 30 days
Mad English TV 81
Hi Emma,
Thank you for contacting Markland Interior Designs. I’ve attached
some information on our latest offerings. Let me know if any of
these options appeals to you and then we can narrow it down from
there.
Are you just looking for something for you and your partner? In that
case I would recommend the 1. [A. recliner set. B. wicker chairs.
C. leather sectional. D. loveseat] It will add a cozy and classy
touch to your living room. But if you have a family, it might be
better to go with either our leather sectional or recliner set. The
recliner set is a bit more expensive, but it comes with 2. [A. a much
longer warranty. B. a better return policy. C. free delivery.
D. a cheaper cost.] The nice thing about the sectional, though, is
that it has 3. [A. more seating. B. a longer return policy. C. a
longer warranty. D. free delivery.] Does your house have a deck or
a patio? If that’s the case, you might want to consider our wicker
chairs since you can use them both indoors and outdoors. The only
drawback to these is that they 4. [A. do not come with a warranty.
B. are not eligible for a return. C. are more expensive than our
other furniture. D. are not comfortable.] For all the other options,
you can 5. [A. return them any time. B. bring them back for an
in-store credit. C. try them out for at least a month. D. sell them
if you don’t like them.]

Let me know when you would like to come to our showroom.

Regards,

Sandra

Mad English TV 82
Emma had contacted Sandra because she 6. [A. wanted
to buy a loveseat. B. wanted to buy some chairs.
C. wanted a discount. D. was browsing for furniture.]

Sandra responded by 7. [A. giving a recommendation.

B. presenting her with options. C. giving her a discount.
D. asking for her business.]

Sandra believes that Emma 8. [A. is single. B. is married.

C. has children. D. none of the above.]

Mad English TV 83
 Answers
1. D - Loveseat
2. A - A much longer warranty
3. B - A longer return policy
4. B - Are not eligible for a return
5. C - Try them out for at least a month
6. D - Was browsing for furniture
7. B - Presenting her with options
8. D - None of the above (“partner” could mean
boyfriend or girlfriend or common law partner)

Mad English TV 84
 Reading for Information
In this task, you will see a passage with letters beside
each paragraph. Then you will see some sentences
and you have to select which paragraph that
information is found in. This task is very simple
because you just need to match the questions with the
right paragraph; however, it is very challenging
because you only have 10 minutes to answer the
questions! For this task, it is important to have a
strategy. If you read the whole passage, you will
probably forget what information is in which
paragraph. If you read the questions first, you will
probably forget them because they are a bit hard to
understand. So, in my opinion, the best strategy to use
is to read the first paragraph, then scan the questions
to see if any information matches. Probably one or
two questions will match with that paragraph. Then,
read the next paragraph and do the same thing. It will
get easier and easier each time because some of the
questions have already been answered. By the time
you get to the last paragraph, you should only have
one or two questions left. Remember, E is also an
option (no paragraph has the information). So, after
you have finished reading the last paragraph and
answering the questions, if there are still unanswered
questions, you can just put E.

Mad English TV 85
 Reading for Information
A. The history of Canada covers the period from the arrival of the Paleo-
Indians thousands of years ago to the present day. Prior to European colonization,
the lands encompassing present-day Canada were inhabited for millennia
by Indigenous peoples, with distinct trade networks, spiritual beliefs, and styles of
social organization. Some of these older civilizations had long faded by the time of
the rst European arrivals and have been discovered
through archeological investigations
B. From the late 15th century, French and British expeditions explored, colonized,
and fought over various places within North America in what constitutes present-day
Canada. The colony of New France was claimed in 1534 with permanent
settlements beginning in 1608. France ceded nearly all its North American
possessions to the United Kingdom in 1763 after the French defeat in the Seven
Years' War. The now British Province of Quebec was divided into Upper and Lower
Canada in 1791 and reuni ed in 1841. In 1867, the Province of Canada was joined
with two other British colonies of New Brunswick and Nova
Scotia through Confederation, forming a self-governing entity named Canada. The
new country expanded by incorporating other parts of British North America,
nishing with Newfoundland and Labrador in 1949
C. Although responsible government had existed in Canada since 1848, Britain
continued to set its foreign and defence policies until the end of the First World War.
The passing of the Statute of Westminster in 1931 recognized that Canada had
become co-equal with the United Kingdom. After the Constitution was patriated in
1982, the nal vestiges of legal dependence on the British parliament were
removed. Canada currently consists of ten provinces and three territories and is
a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth
II as its head of state
D. Over centuries, elements of Indigenous, French, British and more
recent immigrant customs have combined to form a Canadian culture that has also
been strongly in uenced by its linguistic, geographic and economic neighbour,
the United States. Since the conclusion of the Second World War, Canadians have
supported multilateralism abroad and socioeconomic development

E. None of the paragraphs

Mad English TV 86
fi
fi
fi
fl
.

fi

1. Canadian culture has been influenced by the U.S.

2. Canada expanded by incorporating new provinces.
3. The history of Canada dates back to 1848.
4. Some indigenous civilizations had gone extinct by
the time the Europeans arrived.
5. Canadian culture is a combination of other cultures.
6. French and British expeditions began fighting over
present-day Canada in the 1400s.
7. Indigenous peoples have been living in Canada for
thousands of years.
8. Britain controlled certain policies in Canada until
the end of the First World War.
9. Alberta joined the Confederation in 1949.

Mad English TV 87
 Answers
1. D
2. B
3. E
4. A
5. D
6. B
7. A
8. C
9. E

Mad English TV 88
The following article is taken from: https://www.copyrightfreecontent.com

(NewsUSA)– Awareness of racism increased as Black Lives Matter

protests spread across the country last summer. In response,
psychoanalysts suggest three ways to change attitudes about race —
curiosity, courage, and building intimate relationships with others.
Curiosity starts with self-education and self-reflection to better
understand our beliefs as well as talking to others about ethnicity
and racism. Courage is necessary to confront our own
unacknowledged biases and recognize where some of them come
from, including our upbringing or involvement in various groups, or
from society at large. Finally, one of the most profound ways of
changing attitudes about others is engaging in close relationships
with people from other ethnicities. Building and maintaining
relationships with individuals of differing backgrounds allows
recognition of our common humanity and shared struggles.
However, experts point out that being aware of, acknowledging, and
changing deeply-ingrained racist ways of thinking is difficult and
takes time and effort. The human mind resists change to protect our
self-esteem from uncomfortable truths, and our minds
unconsciously work diligently to avoid uncovering painful and
distressing knowledge about ourselves. Even making change we
know will make us feel better, such as exercising more, can be hard
to initiate and sustain. “Often, changes to how we think or do things
require a shift in how we view ourselves, our needs, and our
relationships,” says Deeba Ashraf, MD, member of the American
Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA). “And changing attitudes about
race can be especially hard because these attitudes are usually
learned when we are very young.” Beverly J. Stoute, a child and
adolescent psychoanalyst and psychiatrist, says children develop
awareness of and curiosity about racial differences early. “As
children grow, parents, teachers, media representations, and

Mad English TV 89
interactions with different groups can either powerfully facilitate or
thwart children’s openness to racial and ethnic differences,” said Dr.
Stoute, also a member of APsaA. There are many ways we try to
protect ourselves from painful feelings or unwanted truths about our
own beliefs. One way is by asserting that unpleasant truths are not
real, otherwise known as denial. Another way is to imagine these
"horrible truths" only exist in others and not in ourselves. This is
called projection and it involves attributing qualities like laziness or
criminality to a particular group; while overlooking how these traits
might apply to ourselves, or those in our own group. Hence, "group
identity," also presents a challenge to changing attitudes about
racism. Being part of a group can offer a sense of connection and
protection, and in some cases, prestige. Many group identity
attitudes are passed on from generation to generation, but also part
of ongoing relationships with others who share the same ideas.
Trying to change an entrenched attitude can result in group members
feeling threatened or fearing a loss of group membership, according
to APsaA experts. Yet, when people can break through these
unconscious ways of protecting their self-image, they may recognize
the costs of racism and look at the loss and pain it inflicts on oneself
and others. It may be possible to reevaluate one’s own ideas of what
is healthy and growth-oriented. This process can be difficult, but
managing the discomfort these efforts provoke can motivate a desire
to change, psychoanalysts say.” I am reminded of a quote from
James Baldwin, ‘People can cry much easier than they can
change’,” says Ebony Dennis, PsyD, clinical psychologist and
psychoanalyst who is also an APsaA member. “Changing attitudes
about racism will take time and effort, and occasionally some hurt
feelings. But it is through these growing pains that real, lasting
change happens.”

Mad English TV 90
 Questions
1. This article is mainly about…
A. How to deal with racists
B. Changing attitudes toward race
C. Causes of racism
D. Punishing racism

2. According to the article, building relationships…

A. Helps us confront our unacknowledged biases
B. Is healthy and growth-oriented
C. Starts with self-education
D. Helps us recognize our common humanity

3. According to Ebony Dennis, changing attitudes…

A. Takes time and effort
B. Starts with self-realization
C. Starts by making racism a crime
D. Requires curiosity

Mad English TV 91
4. According to Deeba Ashraf, it is difficult to
change attitudes because…
A. People need to think outside the box
B. People can cry much easier than they can change
C. The human mind resists change
D. They are learned at a young age

5. According to the article, projection…

A. Is the primary cause of racism
B. Is a solution to racism
C. Involves attributing certain qualities to a group
D. Involves reevaluating one’s own ideas

The following comment is from a former racist.

I’ll be honest, reading this article was hard because it reminded me how
much effort it really takes to change racist attitudes. For me the process
didn’t happen overnight. It started when a coworker of mine offered to
buy me lunch one day. I was polite to him and accepted his invitation,
but I was constantly thinking, “What if my friends see me having lunch
with this guy.” I agree with the article that a lot of my attitude was
coming from 6. [A. my group involvement. B. my experience with
immigrants. C. my inability to cry. D. my lack of motivation.]
As my attitude started to change, I began recognizing the costs of
racism and how much it 7. [A. prevented me from advancing in

Mad English TV 92
my career. B. took away my courage. C. hurt me and others.
D. helped me with my projection.] I think Deeba Ashraf hits the
nail on the head when she says that it requires a shift in 8. [A. the
relationships we pursue. B. how we view our needs. C. where we
work. D. where we eat lunch.] When I really thought about it, the
friendships I had been holding on to weren’t very meaningful to me.
Over the next two years I developed deep friendships with four
different ethnicities, and my life is changed forever! I definitely
agree with the article that curiosity starts with 9. [A. self-reflection.
B. building relationships. C. projection. D. assessing the cost.]
Ebony Dennis is right; along the way, there were definitely
10. [A. negative comments from my friends. B. some hurt
feelings. C. a lot of free lunches. D. too many costs.]

Mad English TV 93
 Answers
1. B - Changing attitudes toward race
2. D - Helps us recognize our common humanity
3. A - Takes time and effort
4. D - They are learned at a young age
5. C - Involves attributing certain qualities to a group
6. A - My group involvement
7. C - It hurt me and others
8. B - How we view our needs
9. A - Self-reflection
10. B - Some hurt feelings

Mad English TV 94
 Closing Comments
Friends, thank you so much for using this book and
supporting my work. I’m proud to say that my books
have helped thousands of people pass the CELPIP
exam. I hope this book has helped you!

If you want to go from 8 to 9, you just need to use a bit

more advanced vocabulary in speaking and writing,
and get a bit more practice in listening and reading.
Very often people get frustrated because they need a
score of 9 in all categories. Maybe the first time they
take the test, they get 9,8,9,9. The second time they
take the test, they get 9, 10, 8, 8. The third time they
take the test they get 10, 8, 9, 11. This is normal. Just be
patient and keep trying.

You will definitely succeed if you do these things:

1. Relax
2. Keep learning
3. Keep trying

Mad English TV 95