Why does the author say the armadillo’s plates are “like a suit of armor”?
Analyze and Evaluate Information and Ideas · TELPAS Grade 3 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 passage. Then answer the questions.
The Armadillo
The nine-banded armadillo is the state small mammal of Texas. It is about the size of a house cat. Its back is covered with hard plates made of bone, like a suit of armor. The plates help protect the armadillo from thorny plants and from some animals that want to eat it.
Armadillos are good diggers. They use their strong front claws to dig burrows. A burrow is a hole in the ground where an armadillo sleeps and stays safe. Armadillos also dig in the dirt to find insects and grubs to eat.
An armadillo cannot see very well, but it has an excellent sense of smell. It can smell insects that are hiding under the ground.
A mother armadillo usually has four babies at one time. The four babies are always alike: they are all boys or all girls.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Why does the author say the armadillo’s plates are “like a suit of armor”?
- To show that the plates are shiny like metal
- To show that armadillos are heavy
- To show that the plates protect its bodyCorrect answer
- To show that armadillos like to fight
Why “To show that the plates protect its body” is correct
This tests understanding why an author uses a comparison. Armor is something worn to keep a body safe, and the next sentence says the plates “help protect the armadillo.” The comparison helps the reader picture what the plates are for.
Why the other answers are wrong
- To show that the plates are shiny like metal — The passage says the plates are made of bone; it says nothing about them shining.
- To show that armadillos are heavy — The armadillo’s weight is never discussed.
- To show that armadillos like to fight — The plates protect it from animals that want to eat it; nothing says armadillos fight.
Practice more of this
More reading 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.