TELPAS Practice

On his first day, Henry “held his backpack straps tight.” What does this detail show?

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 New Student

Henry started at Bowie Elementary in October. On his first day, he stood by the classroom door and held his backpack straps tight. He did not know anyone.

Ms. Garza asked Jasmine to be Henry’s buddy for the week. Jasmine showed him where to hang his backpack and where the class kept the pencils. At lunch, she saved him a seat next to her.

Henry did not talk much. But at recess, Jasmine saw him drawing in a small notebook. The pages were full of dragons, each one with long whiskers and bright scales.

“You drew these?” Jasmine asked. Henry nodded and smiled a little.

The next morning, Henry walked into class and went straight to Jasmine’s table. He handed her a folded paper. Inside was a dragon with a name written under it in big letters: JASMINE.

The question

Choose the best answer.

On his first day, Henry “held his backpack straps tight.” What does this detail show?

  • Henry was nervous.Correct answer
  • Henry was cold.
  • Henry was in a hurry.
  • Henry was angry.

Why “Henry was nervous.” is correct

This question asks the student to infer a feeling from an action. The next sentence, “He did not know anyone,” explains why a new student would hold on tightly: he feels unsure in a new place. Ask the student what they do with their hands when they feel nervous.

Why the other answers are wrong

  • Henry was cold. — The story never mentions the weather or Henry feeling cold.
  • Henry was in a hurry. — Henry is standing still by the door, not rushing anywhere.
  • Henry was angry. — Nothing in the story shows Henry is angry with anyone.

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.