Read this sentence from the passage. It blooms in the spring. What does blooms mean?
Understand Words and Language Structures · TELPAS Grade 2 reading. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
Reporting category 1: work out what words and phrases mean from context, and understand how sentences and word forms work.
Read the passage. Then answer the questions.
The Bluebonnet
The bluebonnet is the state flower of Texas. It blooms in the spring. Its small flowers are mostly blue, and the tip of each stem is often white.
In spring, bluebonnets can cover whole fields and the sides of roads. Many families go out to take pictures with them.
The flower got its name because people thought it looked like a bonnet. A bonnet is a kind of hat that women wore long ago.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Read this sentence from the passage. It blooms in the spring. What does blooms mean?
- Dies
- Gets planted
- Loses all of its leaves
- Opens its flowersCorrect answer
Why “Opens its flowers” is correct
The sentences after this one describe the flowers and say bluebonnets cover whole fields in spring, which tells the reader the flowers are open then. Blooms is a common science and nature word, so it is worth teaching directly.
Why the other answers are wrong
- Dies — The passage describes the flowers covering fields in spring, so they are alive and growing.
- Gets planted — Planting puts a seed in the ground. Blooming happens later, when the plant has flowers.
- Loses all of its leaves — Losing leaves is the opposite of what the passage describes.
Practice more of this
More reading 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.