Why is Ella smiling at the end of the day?
Analyze and Evaluate Information and Ideas · TELPAS Grade 2 reading. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
Reporting category 3: make inferences, draw conclusions, and think about why the author wrote a text and how it is built.
Read the story. Then answer the questions.
Ella's First Day
Ella walked into her new classroom. She did not know anyone. She looked down at her shoes.
A girl with braids came over. "Hi, I'm Jada," she said. "Do you want to sit with me?" Ella nodded.
At recess, Jada showed Ella the swings and the slide. At lunch, they shared orange slices.
When the bell rang at the end of the day, Ella was smiling. "See you tomorrow, Jada!" she called.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Why is Ella smiling at the end of the day?
- She is going home early.
- She has made a new friend.Correct answer
- She got new shoes.
- She likes orange slices best.
Why “She has made a new friend.” is correct
The student has to see how Ella changes: she starts alone and shy, Jada invites her to sit and play, and at the end Ella says "See you tomorrow, Jada!" Explaining why a character's feelings change is a higher-level reading skill.
Why the other answers are wrong
- She is going home early. — The bell rings at the end of the day. She is not leaving early.
- She got new shoes. — Ella looks at her shoes, but nothing says they are new.
- She likes orange slices best. — Ella and Jada share oranges, but that is one small part of the day, not the reason for her smile.
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.