CELPIP Listening Part 1 Practice Test: Locksmith Approval

MAN: My key's snapped off in the lock. Half of it's still in there and the door won't lock.

WOMAN: Ouch. Have you got the other half?

MAN: In my pocket. I was going to borrow pliers from the super.

WOMAN: You'd be knocking a while — he goes home at four. And don't, anyway. Pliers push the broken piece deeper nine times out of ten.

MAN: I nearly forced the handle around.

WOMAN: Leave the handle alone too. You want a locksmith, and the landlord has to approve one before anybody touches that lock.

MAN: The locksmith emailed him the authorization form an hour ago. Nothing back.

WOMAN: And nothing will come back. Emails sit unopened in that office. His cell number's on the lease — use it.

MAN: Anything I should ask while I've got him?

WOMAN: Get the yes in writing — ask him to text it, so the locksmith has something to show. And the yes doesn't cover the money. Six o'clock is the line; after that it's the emergency rate.

MAN: So he approves it and I still pay more.

WOMAN: Only if you're still out here at six. I'm in twelve if he doesn't pick up.

MAN: He texted back. But the approval names their own locksmith, Delane's. Mine can be here by quarter to six for seventy dollars. Delane's can't get here till eight, and after six it's the emergency rate.

WOMAN: Which is what, closer to two hundred? Hang on — if it's their locksmith, doesn't the landlord pay?

MAN: It's billed to the building, he says. A hundred and eighty.

WOMAN: Billed to the building isn't paid by the building. A key you snapped is on the tenant. It'll come back to you on next month's rent.

MAN: So the expensive one is just expensive later.

WOMAN: And you'd be sitting out here till eight for the privilege.

MAN: Then mine comes at quarter to six.

WOMAN: You'll have to get the approval changed first. It's got Delane's name on it, and no locksmith drills a lock with somebody else's name on the paperwork.

MAN: One more call, then.

WOMAN: Two minutes of his time and it saves you a hundred and ten. Ask him to text the same thing with the right name on it. And be at the door when your guy shows up — they don't wait around.

MAN: All done. He drilled the old cylinder out and put a new one in. It locks. He gave me two keys. Turns out the landlord keeps a key to every lock in the building.

WOMAN: Mine's hanging on a board in his office.

MAN: So I hand him one of these, I suppose.

WOMAN: And be back down to one key? You saw where that got you. Get a third cut.

MAN: The hardware shop on the corner cuts keys.

WOMAN: Not this one. The new cylinder's restricted — the blanks only come from the locksmith.

MAN: He's still at the van, loading up.

WOMAN: Then catch him now and have it put on tonight's invoice. Bring him back out in the morning and you're paying a service-call fee for a five-dollar key.

MAN: And then straight down to the office.

WOMAN: The office shut at six. Take it down in the morning and put it in his hand — not the mailbox.

MAN: Fine by me, it's on my way out.

WOMAN: And don't keep both of yours in the apartment.

MAN: Ha — no. Thanks for earlier.

WOMAN: Glad I caught you in time.