Why does the author begin with a sentence about winter?
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 directions. Then answer the questions.
How to Make a Pinecone Bird Feeder
In winter, it can be hard for birds to find enough seeds and bugs to eat. You can help them by making a simple bird feeder.
You need: a large pinecone, a piece of string, peanut butter, a spoon, and a plate of birdseed.
Step 1: Tie the string around the top of the pinecone. Make a loop so you can hang it.
Step 2: Use the spoon to spread peanut butter all over the pinecone. Push it into the spaces between the scales.
Step 3: Roll the pinecone in the birdseed until it is covered.
Step 4: Hang your feeder from a tree branch that you can see from a window.
Step 5: Be patient. It may take a few days for the birds to find their new food.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Why does the author begin with a sentence about winter?
- To tell when pinecones fall from trees
- To warn that peanut butter gets hard in the cold
- To describe what birds look like in winter
- To explain why birds may need help finding foodCorrect answer
Why “To explain why birds may need help finding food” is correct
This is an author’s purpose question about an opening sentence. The first paragraph says it can be hard for birds to find food in winter and that a feeder can help them. That gives the reader a reason to follow the steps that come next.
Why the other answers are wrong
- To tell when pinecones fall from trees — The passage does not say when pinecones fall.
- To warn that peanut butter gets hard in the cold — The passage says nothing about peanut butter and cold.
- To describe what birds look like in winter — The passage does not describe how birds look.
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.