CELPIP Speaking Task 3 · Describing a Scene · question 19 of 20
A Canoe Launch on a Northern Lake
A CELPIP Speaking Task 3 practice question (Describing a Scene), with a model answer below. No sign-up needed. Read the task, take 30 seconds to prepare, then speak for 60 seconds, out loud, as you would on the test.
The task
Describe some things that are happening in this scene at a canoe launch on a lake as well as you can. The person with whom you are speaking cannot see it.
- Read the scene, prepare during the preparation time, then speak aloud for the speaking time.
The scene
On the real test you see a picture. Here the scene is described in words, so describe it as if you were looking at it.
It is an early, misty morning in August at a canoe launch on a quiet lake surrounded by forest. Thin mist is rising off the water, and the sun is just coming up over the trees. On the left, a wooden dock goes out into the lake. A woman in a red life jacket is kneeling on the dock and holding a green canoe steady while a man carefully steps into it. In the centre, on the gravel beach, two teenagers are carrying a yellow canoe upside down over their heads, walking toward the water. A small pile of dry bags and a paddle are lying on the ground beside them. On the right, an older man is sitting on a large rock, pouring coffee from a small camp stove pot into a metal mug. In the background, a loon is swimming near the far shore, and a wooden sign on a post shows a map of the canoe route.
- Preparation
- 30 seconds
- Speaking time
- 60 seconds
- Question
- 19 of 20
A simple way to build your answer
- Describe the mist and the sunrise first; they set the quiet mood.
- Explain the teamwork on the dock: one person holds the canoe while the other steps in.
- Finish with the loon; it is a strong, typically Canadian detail.
Model answer · CLB 9
162 words · no sign-upThis is a canoe launch on a calm lake in the forest, very early on an August morning. There's a thin mist rising off the water, and the sun is just coming up over the trees, so it's very peaceful. On the left, there's a wooden dock going out into the lake. A woman in a red life jacket is kneeling on it and holding a green canoe steady, while a man steps into it very carefully, because canoes can tip easily. In the centre, on the gravel beach, two teenagers are carrying a yellow canoe upside down over their heads toward the water, with some dry bags and a paddle on the ground beside them. They're probably heading out on a longer trip. On the right side, an older man is sitting on a big rock and pouring coffee from a little camp pot into a metal mug. Way off in the background, a loon is swimming near the far shore.
Why this answer works
- Creates atmosphere with visible details (mist, sunrise) rather than inventing feelings.
- Explains the purpose of an action ('because canoes can tip easily') to show deeper understanding.
- Makes a reasonable inference from the dry bags and ends on a distinctive Canadian image, the loon.
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