Home Page >> CELPIP Test >> Listening: News Item >> Exercise 1

CELPIP

CELPIP Listening Part 4: News Item

Practice Test 1

Part 4. Instructions.
You will hear a news report read by one speaker. In the real test, you hear the report only once.

After the report, you will hear five questions. Choose the best answer, (A), (B), (C), or (D).

Try to answer after one listen to simulate test conditions.

Download MP3

1. The news report is mainly about ___.

    declining canola prices across the prairie provinces

    a dispute between farmers and crop insurance companies

    the introduction of a new provincial agriculture policy

    the effect of recent weather on farming in southern Manitoba

2. Daniel Ouellette's role is ___.

    the head of a grain producers' organization

    a representative of crop insurance providers

    an official with a provincial weather agency

    Manitoba's Minister of Agriculture

3. The provincial government's emergency funding is intended to ___.

    help producers cover their short-term operating expenses

    fund research into shorter-season crop varieties

    compensate farmers for losses already incurred

    reform the existing crop insurance system

4. According to the report, wheat and barley crops ___.

    have been completely lost due to flooding

    are still waiting to be planted this season

    were planted before the rain started and are now damaged

    will be replaced with shorter-season alternatives

5. Ouellette suggests that even if the weather improves, farmers will likely ___.

    abandon canola production permanently

    refuse the government's emergency support package

    earn less income than they would in a normal year

    receive full compensation through their insurance claims

View Transcript

Farmers across southern Manitoba are reporting significant losses after three weeks of unusually heavy rainfall delayed the spring planting season.

Provincial agricultural officials estimate that more than forty percent of canola fields in the region remain unplanted, well past the typical mid-May deadline.

Daniel Ouellette, president of the Manitoba Grain Growers Association, said the situation is the worst he has seen in over two decades of farming.

Ouellette explained that saturated soil has made it impossible for heavy machinery to enter the fields, and that even short dry windows have not been long enough to allow planting to resume.

The financial impact is expected to be substantial.

Provincial estimates suggest losses could reach one hundred and twenty million dollars if conditions do not improve by the end of the month.

Wheat and barley crops, which were planted earlier in April before the rain began, are showing signs of root damage and reduced growth.

Some producers have already filed claims with crop insurance providers, though Ouellette warned that insurance typically covers only a portion of expected revenue.

The provincial government announced yesterday that it will release emergency support funding of twenty-five million dollars to help affected farmers cover immediate operating costs.

Agriculture Minister Sarah Penner said the funding would be available through a simplified application process beginning next week.

Weather forecasters predict drier conditions over the coming ten days, which may allow some planting to resume.

However, Ouellette cautioned that even with improved weather, many farmers will be forced to switch to shorter-season crops that generate lower returns.

He called for a longer-term review of provincial agricultural support programs.

Next:

© 2001-2026 esl-lounge.com