A First Winter Drive Through the Mountains

The task

Your friend Daniel plans to drive from Calgary to Vancouver in December to spend the holidays with his sister. He moved to Canada last spring and has never driven through the mountains in winter. Advise Daniel on how to prepare for the trip.

• Read the task, prepare during the preparation time, then speak aloud for the speaking time.
• This is an original practice question written in a CELPIP-style format. It is not a real test question.
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Preparation

30 seconds

Speaking time

90 seconds

Question

6 of 10

Daniel, driving in the mountains in winter is not like driving in Calgary. You need to plan. The car is the most important, the car. You need winter tires, good ones, and check the rules for the highway before, I'm not sure about the rules there. Take the car to mechanic also, for battery and brakes, because when it's very cold the battery can die. And stuff in the car, in case. Put some blanket, water, some food, a flashlight and phone charger. Sometimes the highway close for many hours, because of accident or snow. Check the weather before you leave, and the road report. If there is storm, wait one more day, no problem, your sister will understand. Don't drive at night, it's more dangerous. Maybe you can sleep one night on the way, in a hotel. Okay, and text me when you arrive.

Why this answer works

• Covers the car, an emergency kit and timing, each with a short reason, but it jumps between them with no signposting ("And stuff in the car, in case.") and some sentences lose their connector.
• Basic vocabulary and varied slips ("Take the car to mechanic", "the highway close", "If there is storm"), plus a repeated word ("The car is the most important, the car"). They are noticeable but never hide what is meant, which fits a CLB 7.
• Honest about uncertainty ("I'm not sure about the rules there"), which is better than inventing rules.

Daniel, that sounds like a nice trip, but driving through the mountains in December is very different from driving in the city, so it's worth preparing carefully. First, get your car ready. Put on proper winter tires, and check the tire rules for the mountain highways before you go, because they can be stricter than in Calgary. It's also a good idea to have a mechanic check your battery and brakes. Second, pack an emergency kit. The highway sometimes closes for hours because of accidents or snow, so bring warm blankets, water, snacks, a flashlight and a phone charger. Third, be flexible. Check the road conditions and the weather forecast every morning. If a storm is coming, leave a day later. Your sister would rather wait than worry about you. I'd also drive only during the day and split the trip into two days. For example, you could stay overnight in Revelstoke. Fill up with gas whenever you can, because stations are far apart in some areas. Text me when you get there, okay?

Why this answer works

• Three clear parts (the car, the kit, the timing), each with a reason.
• One concrete example ("you could stay overnight in Revelstoke") makes the two-day plan easy to picture.
• Plain, accurate words (emergency kit, road conditions, weather forecast) and a warm personal touch ("Your sister would rather wait than worry about you").

Daniel, my main advice is to plan this as a two-day trip, not a one-day drive, and to let the weather choose your departure date. Newcomers usually agonize over whether to go through Banff on the Trans-Canada or take the southern route through the Crowsnest Pass. Honestly, either can work. What matters far more is daylight. In December you get maybe eight hours of it, so a ten-hour drive means you'll hit the steepest stretches in the dark, and that's the part I'd avoid. Now, you'll probably say your tires are fine because you've driven all year in Calgary. City snow and a mountain pass aren't the same thing, though. Get the tread depth inspected and look up the highway's tire requirements online before you leave. Keep an emergency bag in the trunk, with a blanket, a shovel, provisions and a charger, because avalanche closures can last for hours. And if the forecast looks bad two days in a row, book a flight or a bus instead and leave the car at home. Your sister wants you there safely, not a dramatic survival story.

Why this answer works

• Opens with the one decision that matters most (two days, weather decides the date) and ranks daylight above the choice of route.
• Answers his likely objection about his tires ("City snow and a mountain pass aren't the same thing, though") and offers a real fallback ("book a flight or a bus instead").
• Natural, precise language ("the steepest stretches", "get the tread depth inspected", "avalanche closures can last for hours") without quoting rules it has not checked.