Why does Coach Ramirez tell Priya to walk before she tries running?
Analyze and Evaluate Information in Spoken English · TELPAS Grade 3 listening. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
Reporting category 3: make inferences from what was said, and work out a speaker's purpose, opinion, or what will happen next.
Listen to the conversation. Then answer the questions.
Dribbling Practice
Press play to listen. You can pause, rewind, and replay as often as you like.
Show transcript
Priya: Coach Ramirez, every time I dribble the basketball, it bounces away from me.
Coach Ramirez: Let me see. Ah, you are slapping the ball with your whole hand. Try pushing it down with your fingertips instead.
Priya: Like this?
Coach Ramirez: Better! Now keep the ball low, near your knees. And walk slowly at first. When you can walk without losing the ball, then you can try running.
Priya: Can I practice at recess?
Coach Ramirez: Sure. Take a ball from the green bin, and put it back when the bell rings.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Why does Coach Ramirez tell Priya to walk before she tries running?
- Running is not allowed inside the school gym today
- Walking is a better way to get strong legs
- The bell for recess is about to ring very soon
- Moving slowly makes the ball easier to controlCorrect answer
Why “Moving slowly makes the ball easier to control” is correct
This asks for a reason the coach suggests but does not fully say. Priya’s problem is that the ball bounces away, and the coach says she can run once she can walk “without losing the ball.” So walking first is a slower, easier way to learn control.
Why the other answers are wrong
- Running is not allowed inside the school gym today — The coach says she can try running later, so running is allowed.
- Walking is a better way to get strong legs — The coach is talking about keeping control of the ball, not about getting strong legs.
- The bell for recess is about to ring very soon — The bell is mentioned only for putting the ball back at recess.
Practice more of this
More listening practice for Grade 3, or see the TELPAS practice test for 3rd 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.