Part 4 is the longest and hardest part. You read an article that presents more than one opinion on a topic, answer questions about who thinks what, and then complete a reader's comment by choosing words that fit the article.

What this part looks like

An article of several paragraphs with two or more viewpoints.
About 5 multiple-choice questions on the article, then a reader's comment with about 5 gaps.
About 10 questions and about 13 minutes.

Strategy

As you read, mark each opinion with the name of the person or group who holds it.
Notice signal words: "however", "critics argue", "supporters say", "on the other hand".
Separate facts from opinions. A question about "the writer's view" is not the same as a question about what one person said.
In the comment, decide first whether the reader agrees or disagrees, then choose words that match.

Practice passage: Should libraries stop charging late fees?

Over the past few years, many public libraries in Canada have stopped charging fines for overdue books. The idea is simple: if people are afraid of a fine, some of them stop using the library completely.

Supporters say fines hurt the people who need the library most. "A five-dollar fine is nothing for some families, but for a single parent on a tight budget it can be the reason they never come back," says one branch manager. Several libraries that removed fines report that former members returned, and that many long-overdue books were brought back.

Not everyone agrees. Some taxpayers argue that fines teach responsibility, and that without them, popular books will stay on people's shelves for months while others wait. A city councillor in one Ontario town also points out that fines once brought in money that paid for children's programs.

Most libraries have found a middle path. They still charge for books that are lost or damaged, and they may stop a member from borrowing more items until overdue ones are returned. In this way, they say, they can remove the fear of fines while still making sure books come back.

Answer the 5 quiz questions for this chapter using the passage above.

Reader's comment (choose the best word for each gap)

I think removing fines is a [gap 1: sensible / careless] choice. My neighbour stopped using the library because of an old fine, and she only came back after it was [gap 2: cancelled / doubled]. I understand the councillor's worry about [gap 3: funding / parking], but the library can still charge for lost books.

Answers: sensible, cancelled, funding. The reader agrees with removing fines, so every gap must support that view.

Homework

Read an opinion article or a news story with two sides (for example, on a city budget decision). Write down each viewpoint and who holds it, in one sentence each. Then write a 60-word reader's comment that agrees with one side and mentions the other side once.

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CELPIP Reading: All Four Parts, Timed