Why does the boy’s lip start to shake?
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.
Jada’s Peaches
Every Saturday in summer, Jada helps her dad sell peaches at the farmers market in Fredericksburg. Her job is to stack the peaches in neat rows so people can see the best ones.
One morning, a little boy reached for a peach and dropped it. It hit the ground and rolled under the table. When Jada picked it up, it had a soft brown spot. It was bruised.
The boy’s lip started to shake. Jada smiled at him. She chose a big, perfect peach and put it in his hand. “This one is for you,” she said.
Later that morning, the boy came back with his mother. “My son told me about the kind girl at the peach stand,” she said. She bought two whole baskets.
Dad winked at Jada. “Being kind is good for business,” he said.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Why does the boy’s lip start to shake?
- He is cold from the morning air.
- He is upset that he dropped the peach.Correct answer
- He is trying hard not to laugh at Jada.
- He wants to eat the bruised peach.
Why “He is upset that he dropped the peach.” is correct
This asks the student to infer a feeling from a body clue. A shaking lip is a sign that someone is about to cry, and it happens right after the boy drops and bruises the peach. English learners may not know this clue, so it is worth talking about.
Why the other answers are wrong
- He is cold from the morning air. — The story is set in summer, and nothing says he is cold.
- He is trying hard not to laugh at Jada. — Jada has done nothing funny; she is about to help him.
- He wants to eat the bruised peach. — Jada gives him a new peach, and nothing shows he wants the bruised one.
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.