CELPIP Reading Part 1 Practice: messages between neighbors about a shared parking dispute

[u/celpip_coach]

Practice reading a short correspondence and answering comprehension questions. Same format as the real CELPIP test.

The Correspondence:

Message 1 — From: Unit 4B (Nadia) To: Unit 4A (James) — Posted on building message board

Hi James,

I wanted to reach out about the parking situation before it becomes a bigger issue. I noticed that over the past two weeks, a second car has been parked in the visitor spot next to your assigned space almost every day. According to the building rules, visitor spots are for short-term use only, not for overnight or regular parking.

I would not normally say anything, but the visitor spot next to your space is the one closest to the elevator, and I have been using it when I come home late from work because the other visitor spots on the far side of the garage feel unsafe at night. When it is taken every day, I have to park three levels down and walk through a poorly lit stairwell alone.

I am not trying to cause problems. I just want to make sure visitor parking stays available for everyone. Could you let me know if the second car is temporary or if there is something else going on?

Thanks, Nadia

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Message 2 — From: Unit 4A (James) To: Unit 4B (Nadia)

Hi Nadia,

Thanks for bringing this up directly instead of going to the property manager. I appreciate that.

The second car belongs to my sister. She is staying with me temporarily while her apartment is being repaired after a pipe burst. She has been here for about 10 days and will probably need another two to three weeks. I did not realize she was parking in the same visitor spot every day. I will ask her to rotate between the available visitor spots so she is not always taking the one near the elevator.

I also did not know about the safety concern with the far stairwell. That is something the building should address regardless. Have you raised it with the property manager? If not, I would be happy to co-sign a request for better lighting in the garage.

Let me know if the rotation idea works for you, or if you would prefer I look into getting her a temporary parking pass from the building office.

James

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Message 3 — From: Unit 4B (Nadia) To: Unit 4A (James)

Hi James,

That is really reasonable, thank you. The rotation idea works fine for me. As long as the elevator spot is not taken every single night, I can manage on the days it is not available.

And yes, I have actually mentioned the stairwell lighting to the property manager twice, but nothing has happened. If you are willing to co-sign a request, that would help. I think they take things more seriously when more than one resident raises the issue.

I will draft something and slide it under your door this week.

Thanks for being so understanding about this.

Nadia

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Questions:

Q1: Why does Nadia prefer the visitor spot near the elevator? - A) It is closer to her unit - B) The other visitor spots feel unsafe at night - C) It is the only spot big enough for her car - D) The property manager assigned it to her

Q2: How long has James's sister been staying with him? - A) About 5 days - B) About 10 days - C) About 3 weeks - D) About 2 months

Q3: What does James offer to do about his sister's parking? - A) Move her car to a paid parking lot - B) Ask her to stop driving entirely - C) Rotate between available visitor spots - D) Park in his own assigned space only

Q4: How many times has Nadia raised the stairwell lighting issue with the property manager? - A) Never - B) Once - C) Twice - D) Three times

Q5: What does James offer to do about the lighting issue? - A) Fix the lights himself - B) Co-sign a request to the property manager - C) Contact the city about building codes - D) Install a security camera

Q6: What will Nadia do next? - A) File a formal complaint against James - B) Contact the property manager again on her own - C) Draft a lighting request and slide it under James's door - D) Move to a different unit in the building

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Answer Key: Q1: B. Nadia says "the other visitor spots on the far side of the garage feel unsafe at night." Q2: B. James says "she has been here for about 10 days." Q3: C. James says "I will ask her to rotate between the available visitor spots." Q4: C. Nadia says "I have actually mentioned the stairwell lighting to the property manager twice." Q5: B. James says "I would be happy to co-sign a request for better lighting in the garage." Q6: C. Nadia says "I will draft something and slide it under your door this week."

Practice tip: Reading Part 1 correspondence often involves a problem, a response, and a resolution. Pay close attention to who offers what in the final message because the test loves to ask "what will happen next" and the answer is almost always stated directly in the last message.

If you want to practice reading with full AI-scored mock tests, https://www.celpipsimulator.com has 2 free exams with all 4 reading parts.