Why does Rosa not play in the final?
Basic Understanding of Spoken English · TELPAS Grades 10–12 listening. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
Reporting category 2: understand the main points and important details of spoken stories and informational passages, about everyday life and school subjects.
Listen to the story. Then answer the questions.
The Last Game
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Rosa had been the starting goalkeeper for three seasons, and the district final was supposed to be her last high school game. Then, two days before it, she twisted her ankle at practice. The trainer wrapped it and shook his head. She would not play.
The coach chose Molly, a freshman who had never played a full varsity game, to start in goal. In the locker room, Molly's hands were shaking so badly she could barely tie her cleats.
Rosa limped to the end of the bench closest to the goal. All game, she called out to Molly: where to stand on corner kicks, when to come out, when to stay back. When Molly let in an early goal, Rosa told her to forget it and watch the next ball.
Molly did not let in another. The team won two to one.
Afterward, while the players celebrated, the coach sat down next to Rosa on the bench. "You know," she said, "you played the whole game."
The question
Choose the best answer.
Why does Rosa not play in the final?
- The coach wanted to give a freshman a turn.
- She hurt her ankle at practice.Correct answer
- She was too nervous to play in a final.
- She was moved to a different position.
Why “She hurt her ankle at practice.” is correct
This is a detail question. The story says Rosa "twisted her ankle at practice" and that the trainer "shook his head," which means the news was bad. The student needs to know that "twisted" here means injured.
Why the other answers are wrong
- The coach wanted to give a freshman a turn. — The coach chose Molly only because Rosa could not play.
- She was too nervous to play in a final. — Molly is the one whose hands are shaking.
- She was moved to a different position. — She sits on the bench for the whole game.
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.