Reconnecting with an Old Friend

The task

Talk about a time when you got back in touch with a friend you had not seen or spoken to for a long time. Describe how it happened and what it was like to talk to them again.

• 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.
• The CLB level of each model answer was reviewed by a TESOL-certified instructor. It is not an official CELPIP score. This practice material is not affiliated with or endorsed by Paragon Testing Enterprises.
• CELPIP is a registered trademark of Paragon Testing Enterprises. This site is not affiliated with Paragon Testing Enterprises.

Preparation

30 seconds

Speaking time

60 seconds

Question

22 of 30

In high school I had a best friend, her name is Dana. After school she moved to Australia and slowly we stopped to write. Maybe ten years we didn't talk. Then last year I was on a bus in Toronto and I saw her! I was not sure, so I say her name, and she turned around and screamed. Everybody was looking at us. We got off the bus and went to a coffee shop, and we talked almost three hours. She lives here now, only twenty minutes from me. It was funny, like no time passed. Now we meet every month.

Why this answer works

• A simple, complete story: losing touch, the surprise meeting, and what happened after.
• Basic vocabulary and slips ("we stopped to write", "so I say her name") typical of a CLB 7.
• The best moment is told quickly, without much feeling or detail.

When I was in university in Manila, my closest friend was a guy named Paolo. We did everything together, but after graduation he moved to Dubai for work, and we slowly drifted apart. Then, about two years ago, I saw that he'd commented on a mutual friend's post. On a whim, I sent him a message, not really expecting an answer. He replied within an hour. We set up a video call that weekend, and I was nervous at first, because so much had changed. But within five minutes we were laughing about our old professors as if no time had passed. It turned out he was thinking of moving to Canada, and last summer he actually visited me in Winnipeg.

Why this answer works

• Natural phrases for this topic: "drifted apart", "On a whim", "a mutual friend's post".
• Shows a change of feeling, from nervous to laughing, which gives the story shape.
• Ends with a fresh development, so the listener knows the friendship continued.

There's a friend I lost touch with for nearly eight years. Her name's Amira, and we grew up on the same street in Cairo. When my family emigrated, we wrote constantly at first, but life got busy and the messages just dried up. Then last spring, my mother ran into Amira's aunt at a wedding and came home with her number. I stared at it for days, honestly worried it would be awkward. When I finally called, though, she picked up and shrieked my name before I'd even said who it was. We talked for two hours, half laughing, half catching up on marriages, jobs and kids. What struck me most was how little had really changed between us. Now we video-chat every Sunday without fail.

Why this answer works

• Builds tension before the call ("I stared at it for days") and then releases it, which keeps the listener engaged.
• Precise, lively verbs: "dried up", "ran into", "shrieked", "catching up".
• Closes with a clear reflection ("What struck me most") and the present-day result.