The question flow changes at Part 4
Part 4 uses one short news-style report, read by one speaker in a formal, factual, descriptive tone. The recording is about a minute and a half. Topics are usually ordinary public-interest stories: a local event, a new service or technology, or an unexpected event involving a community.
After the recording, five written sentence-completion questions appear together on one screen. Each question contains a blank and four choices. One section timer applies to the whole group, so you may answer in any order and change an answer while time remains. This is different from the fixed 30-second question flow in Parts 1–3.
The event and the links between its facts
The lead usually establishes what happened and where. The report then adds people, dates, causes, responses, consequences, or a next step. A question may ask for one detail, but distractors often use another true detail from the same story in the wrong relationship.
People are often introduced by full name and later referred to by surname. Keep the surname beside the person’s role. Also separate what caused the event from what happened afterward. A delayed opening may cause a schedule change; a later public response is a consequence, not another cause.
Write the lead, then add three lines
- Capture the lead.Write who or what the report is about, what happened, and where. Add the date or time only if it matters.
- Fix names to roles.Use a surname plus a short label: Chen—organizer, Roy—engineer, Malik—owner.
- Separate cause and result.Use arrows to show why the event happened and what changed because of it.
- Record the next step.News reports often finish with a reopening date, follow-up plan, expansion, investigation, or public instruction.
- Take the certain completions first.On the grouped screen, answer the questions with direct note matches, then use the remaining time for inference or close paraphrase.
A useful page may contain only four rows: LEAD / PEOPLE / WHY → RESULT / NEXT. Do not write every adjective. A descriptive detail matters when it identifies a person, distinguishes two places, explains a cause, or supports an inference.
Choose the fact with the right job
This original written rehearsal is not a current news claim or an official CELPIP item. It is a compact way to practise the report map.
Lead: City opens seasonal repair kiosk at Maple Square on Saturday.
People: Alina Chen—program coordinator / local technicians volunteer.
Why this site: existing outdoor electrical connections + beside weekend market.
Service: small appliances checked free / owners pay only for replacement parts / unsafe items returned with advice.
Result: pilot kept 340 appliances out of landfill last year.
Next: open first and third Saturday through October / bookings Thursday; walk-ins if space.
Complete the sentence: The city chose Maple Square because it _____.
- sits beside the busiest cycling route
- already has the required electrical connections
- remains open throughout the library renovation
- receives more weekend visitors than weekdays
Evidence path: The report gives two reasons for the location: power is already available and the weekend market is nearby. Only B states one of those reasons. The other choices add details that were never reported.
How a true detail ends up in the wrong blank
- Missing the lead. The notes begin with names and numbers, but the learner cannot say what the event is.
- Writing first names only. The report switches to surnames, and the person’s later comment looks like a new speaker.
- Confusing cause and consequence. A result of the event is selected to complete a sentence asking why it happened.
- Choosing the grammatically smoothest option. All four choices fit, but only one matches the report.
- Answering in screen order by habit. One difficult completion consumes time that could secure three direct-detail answers.
- Adding outside news knowledge. A choice sounds typical for a city project but was not stated or supported in this report.
Keep cause separate from delay
Notes: school garden opening moved May 4 → May 18 / workers found water under original path / path shifted east / donated benches arrived on time
Complete the sentence: The opening date changed because workers _____.
- found water below the original site
- needed more time to repaint the signs
- moved the garden closer to the school
- waited for new benches from the sponsor
Reveal the answer
A. Water under the original path caused the redesign and delay. The benches arrived on time, and the other details do not appear in the notes.
Check the report map and the completed sentences
- Could I state the lead in one line: who or what, what happened, and where?
- Did I connect each surname to the correct role?
- Were dates and numbers labelled clearly?
- Did I distinguish cause, event, consequence, and next step?
- Did I answer direct-note questions before spending time on harder completions?
- After inserting each option, was the full sentence both grammatical and supported by the report?