Which Texas symbol is known for imitating sounds it hears?
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. Then answer the questions.
Texas State Symbols
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Show transcript
Mr. Turner: Every state in our country has symbols. These are things a state chooses to stand for its land and its people. Texas has quite a few, so let's look at three of them.
Mr. Turner: The state flower is the bluebonnet. In the spring, these blue flowers cover fields and roadsides across much of Texas, and many families take pictures sitting among them.
Mr. Turner: The state tree is the pecan. Pecan trees grow naturally along many Texas rivers, and people were gathering pecans for food long before Texas was a state.
Mr. Turner: The state bird is the mockingbird. A mockingbird can imitate the songs of many other birds. Some have even been heard imitating a car alarm or a squeaky gate.
Mr. Turner: Symbols like these were chosen because they are common here and because people are proud of them. Tomorrow, you will pick a symbol for our own classroom and explain why you chose it.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Which Texas symbol is known for imitating sounds it hears?
- the bluebonnet
- the mockingbirdCorrect answer
- the pecan tree
- the armadillo
Why “the mockingbird” is correct
This tests a key detail from an informational talk. Mr. Turner says the mockingbird "can imitate the songs of many other birds" and even a car alarm. The question uses the word "imitating," so a student who knows that imitate means copy can match the detail quickly.
Why the other answers are wrong
- the bluebonnet — The bluebonnet is a flower and makes no sounds.
- the pecan tree — The pecan is a tree; the talk is about its nuts, not sounds.
- the armadillo — The armadillo is not one of the three symbols in this talk.
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.