In my previous blog, we looked at strategies for approaching CELPIP Reading Part 4. We focused on why it is important to understand exactly what the question is asking and why choosing an answer simply because it contains familiar words from the passage is often a mistake.
Remember: Don’t just match words. Match the meaning.
In this article, we will take a deeper look at one of the most important skills for Reading Part 4:
Recognizing attitudes and viewpoints.
Many questions are not only asking you what someone said; they are testing whether you understand how the person feels about the topic. Is the speaker confident or uncertain? Are they enthusiastic or cautious? Do they completely disagree, or do they simply have concerns?
To answer these questions correctly, you need to recognize attitude words in the passage and understand how those ideas may be paraphrased in the answer choices. The correct answer often uses completely different vocabulary but expresses the same feeling or position.
Let’s look at some common attitude words and how they might appear in CELPIP answer choices.
Common Attitude Words and How They May Be Paraphrased
One of the challenges of CELPIP Reading Part 4 is that the correct answer often does not repeat the same vocabulary from the passage. Instead, it uses different words to express the same attitude or viewpoint.
Attitude / Viewpoint Language → Possible Meaning or Paraphrase
Optimistic → believes there is potential; sees possible benefits; expects a positive outcome
Enthusiastic → strongly supports an idea; is excited about the possibilities
Confident → believes the evidence or information is strong enough to trust
Convinced → accepts something as true; believes there is enough evidence
Supportive → agrees with an idea; believes something should continue or be encouraged
Recommends → believes a particular action should be taken
Concerned → believes there may be problems, risks, or negative consequences
Cautious → thinks more information is needed before fully accepting an idea
Skeptical → questions whether something is true, effective, or beneficial
Unconvinced → does not believe there is enough evidence yet
Doubtful → is uncertain that something will happen or succeed
Critical → focuses on problems, weaknesses, or negative aspects
Opposed → disagrees with an idea or believes it should not happen
Acknowledges → accepts that something may be true, even if it does not completely
CELPIP sample: Separating Facts from Opinions
Understanding attitude words is extremely important in CELPIP Reading Part 4, but there is another skill that can make a big difference: recognizing the difference between what a speaker questions and what a speaker accepts as true.
Consider the following paragraph:
Dietician Carlos Gomez is unconvinced. He contends that it isn’t clear whether the microbiome changes associated with various diseases are the cause of, or simply the secondary effect, of disease. “Studies have found both a decrease in gut diversity and a rise in gastrointestinal illnesses when travellers eat new dishes,” says Gomez. He acknowledges that gut microorganisms typically undergo changes when digesting unfamiliar foods. Gomez emphasizes, “It’s uncertain whether supplementing yourself with a better balance of microorganisms, without an accompanying avoidance of these foods, would impact overall gut health.”
Now look at the question:
According to Carlos Gomez, what is true about gut health?
A. Dietary changes prevent the evolution of gut bacteria.
B. Diseases are caused by having unstable gut bacteria.
C. Probiotics allow gut bacteria to adapt to new foods.
D. Adjustments in what we eat can affect gut bacteria.
Many students immediately begin searching for words they remember from the passage:
- gut bacteria
- new foods
- gut health
- microorganisms
However, familiar vocabulary does not always lead you to the correct answer. Remember our rule from Part 1:
Don’t match words—match meaning.
First, think about Gomez’s overall viewpoint.
In some places, the paragraph tells us:
“Gomez is unconvinced.”
We also see phrases such as:
“It isn’t clear whether…”
“It’s uncertain whether…”
These phrases reveal his attitude. Gomez is skeptical and cautious. He does not believe there is enough evidence to make strong conclusions about the relationship between the microbiome and disease.
However, the question does not ask: “What is Gomez uncertain about?”
It asks: “According to Gomez, what is true?”
This means we need to find the information that Gomez accepts.
The key sentence is:
“Studies have found both a decrease in gut diversity and a rise in gastrointestinal illnesses when travellers eat new dishes.”
The phrase “studies have found” signals that Gomez accepts this as evidence. He is not questioning whether diet can affect gut bacteria; he is questioning what those changes actually mean for our health.
Therefore, the correct answer is:
- Adjustments in what we eat can affect gut bacteria.
Now let’s look at why the other answers are incorrect.
- Dietary changes prevent the evolution of gut bacteria.
Gomez says gut bacteria can change when people eat unfamiliar foods, but he never says dietary changes prevent anything.
- Diseases are caused by having unstable gut bacteria.
This is exactly the conclusion Gomez questions. The word caused is too strong because Gomez says the relationship between bacteria and disease is still unclear.
- Probiotics allow gut bacteria to adapt to new foods.
This answer uses familiar vocabulary, such as probiotics and gut bacteria, but Gomez never says probiotics help bacteria adapt. Similar words do not always mean similar ideas.
Key Lesson
When answering viewpoint questions, ask yourself:
- What is the speaker’s attitude?
- What does the speaker accept as true?
- What does the speaker question or doubt?
Strong readers don’t just identify the topic. They understand the speaker’s position.
In CELPIP Reading Part 4, the correct answer is often not the one that looks the most familiar. It is the one that best represents the speaker’s meaning.
For expert guidance on your CELPIP journey, contact us 416-893-2330.
Written by Larry Fedorowick
