Why did the kite keep spinning and falling?
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 story. Then answer the questions.
The Kite That Would Not Fly
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On a windy Saturday in March, Paloma and her little brother Nico built a kite out of two thin sticks, a sheet of newspaper, and some tape. Nico tied a short piece of yarn to the bottom for a tail.
They ran to the empty field behind their apartment building. Paloma held the string, and Nico let the kite go. It rose a little, spun around and around, and crashed into the grass. They tried again and again, but each time the kite spun and fell.
Their neighbor, Mrs. Lozano, was walking her dog nearby. "Your kite needs a longer tail," she said. "A long tail keeps a kite pointed into the wind, so it doesn't spin."
Paloma ran inside and came back with an old red ribbon from a birthday present. Nico tied it to the yarn. This time, the kite climbed up and up, with its long red tail waving behind it. Nico cheered, and Paloma laughed. "Next time," she said, "we'll make the tail long from the start."
The question
Choose the best answer.
Why did the kite keep spinning and falling?
- Its string was too short.
- There was not enough wind.
- Its tail was too short.Correct answer
- The newspaper was torn.
Why “Its tail was too short.” is correct
The reason is given by Mrs. Lozano: the kite needs a longer tail, because a long tail keeps it from spinning. The story first says Nico tied on a short piece of yarn, so the student can connect that detail to the problem. The fix at the end, a long ribbon, confirms it.
Why the other answers are wrong
- Its string was too short. — The story does not say anything was wrong with the string.
- There was not enough wind. — The story says it was a windy Saturday.
- The newspaper was torn. — Nothing in the story says the newspaper tore.
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.