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CELPIP Speaking Task 5: Comparing and Persuading

CELPIP Speaking Task 5 Sample Answer: City Waste Management System

By David

Your city is planning to improve its waste management system. Two options have been proposed, and you need to decide which one would be more effective. After making your decision, you’ll persuade the city council why…

Choosing time
60 seconds
Preparation
60 seconds
Speaking
60 seconds

The question

Your city is planning to improve its waste management system. Two options have been proposed, and you need to decide which one would be more effective. After making your decision, you’ll persuade the city council why your choice is better.

Option 1: Expanding Recycling Programs

-Adds more recycling bins across the city and promotes recycling awareness

-Reduces waste and helps protect the environment

-Estimated cost: $30,000 for setup

-Expected completion time: 3 months

Option 2: Introducing Waste-to-Energy Plants

-Converts waste into energy to reduce landfill use

-Provides an alternative source of energy for the city

-Estimated cost: $70,000 for setup

-Expected completion time: 6 months

Your City Council’s Choice:

-Increasing landfill space

-Expands capacity for storing waste

-Lower upfront cost but doesn’t address long-term sustainability

-Estimated cost: $20,000 for setup

-Expected completion time: 2 months

Excellent answer (transcript): around CLB 11–12

Although the Waste-to-Energy Plants may provide an alternative energy source, I firmly believe that expanding recycling programs is the most effective option for our city. Recycling helps reduce waste, conserve natural resources, and promote a sustainable, circular economy. By focusing on increasing recycling bins and awareness, we can engage the community in more sustainable practices without the high cost and lengthy implementation time of the Waste-to-Energy plants. Increasing landfill space is a short-term fix that fails to address the underlying issue of waste reduction. Expanding recycling programs is the best investment for both environmental sustainability and long-term waste management solutions.

100 words

Good answer (transcript): around CLB 7–8

While the Waste-to-Energy Plants are an interesting idea, I believe expanding recycling programs is the more effective and sustainable choice for our city. Recycling reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and helps preserve the environment by reusing materials. The Waste-to-Energy Plants are costly and take longer to implement, while recycling can be expanded relatively quickly and at a lower cost. Expanding landfill space is not a long-term solution and doesn’t address the need for sustainability. Expanding recycling programs is the more environmentally friendly and cost-effective choice.

88 words

Basic answer (transcript): around CLB 4–5

I think expanding recycling programs is the best choice because it helps the environment by reducing waste. The Waste-to-Energy Plants are expensive, and we don’t need them right now. Increasing landfill space is not a good solution because it just keeps adding more waste. Recycling is better because it is cheaper and better for the future.

56 words

The CLBs are estimates of the level each sample was written at, not official CELPIP scores. How we estimate CLB

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