In this text, what does the word shoot mean?
Understand Words and Language Structures · TELPAS Grade 3 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 question.
Bean Plants
Sofia’s class planted bean seeds in paper cups. Each student put a cup on the shelf by the sunny window and gave it a little water every day. After one week, Sofia saw a tiny green shoot poking up out of the soil. “Mine is growing!” she said.
The question
Choose the best answer.
In this text, what does the word shoot mean?
- To kick a soccer ball toward the goal
- A new part of a growing plantCorrect answer
- To take a picture
- A quick, loud sound
Why “A new part of a growing plant” is correct
This tests choosing the right meaning of a word with more than one meaning. In this text the shoot is tiny, green and “poking up out of the soil,” and Sofia says her bean is growing. Those clues point to the plant meaning.
Why the other answers are wrong
- To kick a soccer ball toward the goal — “Shoot” can mean kicking at a goal, but there is no ball or game in this text.
- To take a picture — “Shoot” can mean taking a photo, but no camera is in the text.
- A quick, loud sound — Nothing in the text makes a sound; the shoot is something Sofia sees.
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.