According to Ms. Reyes, why do monarchs drink nectar on their trip?
Basic Understanding of Spoken English · TELPAS Grades 4–5 listening. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
Reporting category 2: understand the main points and important details of spoken stories and informational passages, about everyday life and school subjects.
Listen to the teacher talk about butterflies. Then answer the questions.
The Monarch Journey
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Ms. Reyes: Today we are going to learn about a long trip that happens right over our heads. Every fall, millions of monarch butterflies fly south across Texas. They are on their way to the mountains of central Mexico, where they spend the winter in the forests.
Ms. Reyes: Some of them travel more than two thousand miles, and each butterfly weighs less than a paper clip. Along the way they stop to rest and to sip nectar from flowers. The nectar is their fuel for the next part of the trip.
Ms. Reyes: In the spring, monarchs head north again. On the way, they lay their eggs on one kind of plant: milkweed. When the caterpillars hatch, milkweed is the only plant they can eat. Without milkweed, there would be no new monarchs.
Ms. Reyes: That is why many schools, parks, and families in Texas are planting milkweed and other flowers. Next week, our class will plant a small butterfly garden by the front office, and every one of you will get to help.
The question
Choose the best answer.
According to Ms. Reyes, why do monarchs drink nectar on their trip?
- To get energy to keep flyingCorrect answer
- To find a place to lay eggs
- To hide from cold weather
- To wait for other butterflies
Why “To get energy to keep flying” is correct
This tests a detail stated with different words. Ms. Reyes says nectar is "their fuel for the next part of the trip." The student needs to know that fuel gives energy, so the answer is "to get energy to keep flying." It is a good example of how the test rewords what was said.
Why the other answers are wrong
- To find a place to lay eggs — They lay eggs on milkweed in the spring, which is a different part of the talk.
- To hide from cold weather — The cold is not mentioned as a reason for stopping at flowers.
- To wait for other butterflies — Ms. Reyes does not say the butterflies wait for each other.
Practice more of this
More listening practice for Grades 4–5, or see the TELPAS practice test for 4th and 5th 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.