TELPAS Practice

Which picture matches the directions? “The laptop is closed, the calculator is on the notebook, and the pencils are left of the lamp”

Understand Spoken Words and Language Structures · TELPAS Grades 10–12 listening. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.

Reporting category 1: follow spoken directions and understand words and phrases as they are used in speech. On the real test some of these ask the student to click on a picture.

Listen to the directions. Then answer the question.

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Look at the four pictures of a student's desk. Choose the picture in which the laptop is closed, the calculator is sitting on top of the notebook, and the cup of pencils is to the left of the lamp.

The question

Choose the best answer.

Which picture matches the directions?

  • The laptop is open, the calculator is on the notebook, and the pencils are left of the lamp
  • The laptop is closed, the notebook is on the calculator, and the pencils are left of the lamp
  • The laptop is closed, the calculator is on the notebook, and the pencils are left of the lampCorrect answer
  • The laptop is closed, the calculator is on the notebook, and the pencils are right of the lamp

Why “The laptop is closed, the calculator is on the notebook, and the pencils are left of the lamp” is correct

This tests following a spoken description with three details at once: an adjective (closed) and two position phrases ("on top of" and "to the left of"). On the real test the student would click on a picture. Each wrong picture changes only one detail, so the student has to hold all three in mind; mixing up which object is on top is a common mistake.

Why the other answers are wrong

  • The laptop is open, the calculator is on the notebook, and the pencils are left of the lamp — The directions say the laptop is closed.
  • The laptop is closed, the notebook is on the calculator, and the pencils are left of the lamp — This reverses "on top of": the calculator should sit on the notebook, not under it.
  • The laptop is closed, the calculator is on the notebook, and the pencils are right of the lamp — The cup of pencils should be to the left of the lamp, not the right.

Practice more of this

More listening practice for Grades 10–12, or see the TELPAS practice test for 10th–12th grade.

This is an independent study resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Texas Education Agency or the official TELPAS program. All questions here are original practice material written to match the published test design.