What does Fatima mean when she says, "I'm just going to bite the bullet"?
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 conversation. Then answer the question.
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Elijah: Have you started your scholarship essay yet? It's due a week from Monday.
Fatima: No. I keep finding other things to do, because writing about myself makes me so uncomfortable. But I can't keep avoiding it. I'm just going to bite the bullet and write the whole first draft this weekend.
The question
Choose the best answer.
What does Fatima mean when she says, "I'm just going to bite the bullet"?
- She will make herself do a hard task she has been avoiding.Correct answer
- She is going to give up on applying for the scholarship.
- She will ask a friend or teacher to write the essay for her.
- She is upset with the people who chose the essay topic.
Why “She will make herself do a hard task she has been avoiding.” is correct
This tests an idiom. To "bite the bullet" means to make yourself do something unpleasant or difficult that you have been putting off. The clues are "I keep finding other things to do" and "I can't keep avoiding it." Taken word for word, the phrase makes no sense here, so the student has to rely on the context.
Why the other answers are wrong
- She is going to give up on applying for the scholarship. — She plans to write the whole draft this weekend, so she is not giving up.
- She will ask a friend or teacher to write the essay for her. — She says she will write the first draft herself.
- She is upset with the people who chose the essay topic. — She is uncomfortable writing about herself, but she is not angry at anyone.
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.