CELPIP Reading for Viewpoints Adapting to a New Country
CELPIP Reading for Viewpoints Adapting to a New Country
This Reading Module has 12 questions similar to the kinds of questions that you can expect to find on an actual CELPIP Test. Practice Celpip Test Reading for Reading for Viewpoints Adapting to a New Country
Part 1
Directions: Read the following passage.
Moving to a new country is never easy. I should know. I learned first-hand how challenging it can be to arrive in an unfamiliar place, not knowing much about the people, the language, the weather, and the way things work. There were things I went through that would make me the person that I am today.
The experience of leaving my homeland was in itself emotional; I had never been abroad before. That was about 14 years ago. I arrived in Canada with my parents, my brother, and my sister. At the time, none of us spoke much English, so we had a variety of language issues right from the start. I was put into Grade 10, and although I understood most of what was being said, I really couldn’t respond. So I probably came across as less than friendly, although I was desperate to make friends in my new country. I remember having to stand up in front of the class while my classmates bombarded me with questions. “Where are you from?”; “When’s your birthday?”; “What kind of music do you like?”; “Do you guys speak English in your country?” It was agonizing, being able to understand the questions, yet not being able to answer with any fluency. Well, luckily, the teacher asked everyone to slow down, and to give me a chance to respond. I think I
gave one-word answers for every single question, with the exception of “When’s your birthday?”, to which I gave a one-word and a one-number response.
Although it was quite a painful experience, it also gave me the incentive to pick up the language as fast as possible. I started watching English TV for about an hour every day; I listened to the radio every night before bed, and I read as much English as I could lay my hands on. But the most significant thing I did was to embrace my opportunity to immerse myself in the culture; I made friends with several of my classmates, and I greeted and chatted with my neighbours on a daily basis. Within only a few months, my spoken English had really improved. I was no longer tongue-tied when I conversed with Canadians.
Looking back, I have learned that a lot of challenges can be overcome by having a positive outlook. For anyone thinking about immigrating to another country, I would definitely recommend staying positive, and doing your best to embrace your new opportunity.
Part 2
Directions: Answer the questions by choosing the best word or phrase to complete the sentence, referring to the passage when necessary.
1. The writer _____.
a. never moved to a new country easily.
b. moved to a new country not knowing it would be easy.
c. never found it easy to move to new countries.
d. found some difficulties adjusting to a new country.
2. According to the writer, _____.
a. unfamiliar places can be learned first-hand.
b. there is a challenge to a specific situation.
c. arriving first-hand can be a challenge.
d. it can be a challenge to know a lot about something.
3. The writer arrived from abroad _____.
a. knowing little about the new country.
b. with no knowledge of the new country.
c. not knowing anything about the new country.
d. knowing a lot about the new country.
4. Shortly after their arrival, the family _____.
a. issued a variety of languages.
b. started with a variety of languages.
c. had some problems.
d. issued some language problems.
5. In Grade 10, the writer wanted to _____.
a. come across more than friendly.
b. be desperate.
c. understand what was being said.
d. meet new people.
6. The writer’s classmates _____.
a. were curious.
b. answered many questions.
c. stood up in front of the class.
d. were already friends with the writer.
7. The writer used a negative experience _____.
a. to improve.
b. to give an incentive.
c. to feel pain.
d. to watch TV.
8. In the writer’s opinion, the most important thing he did was to _____.
a. watch TV.
b. listen to the radio.
c. try to adapt to the society.
d. improve his spoken English.
Part 3
Directions: Read someone’s comment about the above passage. Answer the questions by choosing the best word or phrase to complete the sentence, referring to the above passage when necessary.
I can totally relate to what you went through. I came here as a teenager from Eastern Europe. It was (9. pleasant / painful / precious / possible) for me to go to school every day, because I didn’t know a word of English. Everyone just looked at me at first, (10. expecting / allowing / hoping / considering) me to be able to speak English. It was pretty awkward. I just smiled back at everyone…at least I was able to (11. speak / smile / solve / answer). I made friends pretty fast, and after hanging out with them for a few (12. minutes / months / years / decades), I caught on to the language pretty fast.
CELPIP Reading for Viewpoints Adapting to a New Country Answers
1. d
2. b
3. a
4. c
5. d
6. a
7. a
8. c
9. painful
10. expecting
11. smile
12. months
Answers Explanation
1. d: In Paragraph 1, and throughout the reading passage, the writer talks about the challenges (=difficulties) of moving to a new country.
2. b: In Paragraph 1, the writer mentions how challenging it can be to move to an unfamiliar place.
3. a: In Paragraph 1, the writer mentions that he did not know much “about the people, the language, the weather, and the way things work.”
4. c: In Paragraph 2, the writer mentions that his family “had a variety of language issues right from the start.”
5. d: In Paragraph 2, the writer says that he was “desperate to make friends”.
6. a: In Paragraph 2, the classmates show that they are curious by asking many questions. celpipmaterial.com
7. a: The first sentence in Paragraph 3 shows that the writer used a difficult experience to improve himself.
8. c: In Paragraph 3, the writer says that the most significant thing he did was to embrace his opportunity to immerse himself in the culture.
9. painful: The writer of this comment did not know a word of English, so it would have been a painful experience.
10. expecting: People were looking at this person, expecting her to say something.
11. smile: This person could not speak or answer, only smile. “solve” does not make sense in this sentence, and grammatically it requires and object after it.
12. months: Among the answer choices, “months” is the most logical period of time for learning a language “pretty fast”.
Also Check: CELPIP Reading Tips to get a Higher Score 2021
