Ms. Tran says the puzzle was "a piece of cake" for Isabel. What does she mean?
Understand Spoken Words and Language Structures · TELPAS Grade 2 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 teacher.
The Puzzle
Press play to listen. You can pause, rewind, and replay as often as you like.
Show transcript
Ms. Tran: Wow, Isabel, you finished that whole puzzle by yourself, and so fast! That puzzle was a piece of cake for you.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Ms. Tran says the puzzle was "a piece of cake" for Isabel. What does she mean?
- It was very easy for her.Correct answer
- It had a picture of a cake on it.
- It was very hard for her.
- She ate cake while she did it.
Why “It was very easy for her.” is correct
"A piece of cake" is an everyday expression that means something was very easy. The words do not mean what they say one by one, so a student who translates word for word may pick a choice about cake. The clues are that Isabel finished by herself and "so fast."
Why the other answers are wrong
- It had a picture of a cake on it. — This takes the word "cake" literally. Ms. Tran never says what the puzzle shows.
- It was very hard for her. — This is the opposite. Isabel finished fast and by herself, so it was easy for her.
- She ate cake while she did it. — No one eats anything. The expression is about how easy the puzzle was.
Practice more of this
More listening practice for Grade 2, or see the TELPAS practice test for 2nd 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.