CLBPT Listening Comprehension 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A building manager announces over the intercom: 'The fire alarm test will take place on Thursday between 10 and 10:30 AM. You do not need to evacuate — please remain at your desks.' An employee hears the alarm at 10:15 AM Thursday and evacuates. What did the employee fail to do?
- Report the alarm to building management
- Follow the instruction to stay at their desk (Correct answer)
- Call 911 as required
- Wait for a second alarm before evacuating
Correct answer: Follow the instruction to stay at their desk
The announcement clearly stated employees should remain at their desks during the scheduled alarm test, but the employee evacuated anyway.
Question 2: You hear a conversation at a bus stop. Person A: 'This bus is always late in winter.' Person B: 'I wouldn't say always — sometimes it's right on time.' What is Person B doing in this exchange?
- Agreeing completely with Person A
- Gently correcting an overgeneralization (Correct answer)
- Changing the subject to a new topic
- Expressing frustration about the bus
Correct answer: Gently correcting an overgeneralization
Person B challenges the absolute word 'always' by noting the bus is sometimes on time, correcting an overgeneralization.
Question 3: A settlement service worker explains: 'The CLBPT is used to match newcomers to the right language training program — it's a placement tool, not a pass/fail test.' What does this tell you about the purpose of the CLBPT?
- It determines whether newcomers can stay in Canada
- It places learners in appropriate classes based on their current level (Correct answer)
- It certifies that someone is fluent in English
- It is a university entrance examination
Correct answer: It places learners in appropriate classes based on their current level
The worker explicitly states the CLBPT is a placement tool to match newcomers to appropriate language training, not a pass/fail certification.
Question 4: A news report states: 'The proposed budget cuts have drawn criticism from teachers' unions, parent groups, and several city councillors, while the school board chair defended the decision as fiscally necessary.' Which group supports the budget cuts?
- Teachers' unions
- Parent groups
- City councillors
- The school board chair (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The school board chair
The school board chair defended the budget cuts, while all other groups mentioned criticized them.
Question 5: A nurse says to a patient: 'On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your pain right now, where 1 is no pain at all and 10 is the worst pain you can imagine?' The patient says 'around a 7.' What does this response indicate?
- The patient feels no significant pain
- The patient is experiencing moderately severe pain (Correct answer)
- The patient cannot communicate their pain level
- The patient is at the maximum pain level
Correct answer: The patient is experiencing moderately severe pain
A 7 out of 10 indicates moderately severe pain — above the midpoint but not at the extreme end of the scale.
Question 6: Two students discuss an assignment. Kenji says: 'I think I'll just paraphrase a few articles and hand it in.' Yara replies: 'Be careful — if you don't cite your sources, that counts as plagiarism.' What is Yara warning Kenji about?
- The assignment is too difficult to paraphrase
- Paraphrasing without attribution can be considered academic dishonesty (Correct answer)
- He should use direct quotes instead of paraphrasing
- The professor does not accept paraphrased work
Correct answer: Paraphrasing without attribution can be considered academic dishonesty
Yara warns that paraphrasing without citing sources is considered plagiarism, which is a form of academic dishonesty.
Question 7: A radio interview guest says: 'I came to Canada not speaking a word of English. Ten years later, I'm teaching ESL myself — it just goes to show that with persistence and the right support, anyone can reach a high level of language proficiency.' What is the guest's main point?
- Learning English in Canada is quick and easy
- Persistence and support are key factors in achieving language proficiency (Correct answer)
- Only people who start young can become fluent
- Teaching ESL is the best way to learn English
Correct answer: Persistence and support are key factors in achieving language proficiency
The guest's personal story illustrates that persistence and proper support are what allowed them to achieve high language proficiency.
CLBPT Listening Comprehension 5
A building manager announces over the intercom: 'The fire alarm test will take place on Thursday between 10 and 10:30 AM.
You do not need to evacuate — please remain at your desks.' An employee hears the alarm at 10:15 AM Thursday and evacuates.
What did the employee fail to do?