What did Paloma learn about building a kite?
Analyze and Evaluate Information in Spoken English · TELPAS Grades 4–5 listening. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
Reporting category 3: make inferences from what was said, and work out a speaker's purpose, opinion, or what will happen next.
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.
What did Paloma learn about building a kite?
- A kite needs a long tail to fly well.Correct answer
- A kite flies best when there is no wind.
- Newspaper is too heavy to make a kite.
- Little brothers should not help build kites.
Why “A kite needs a long tail to fly well.” is correct
Paloma's last words, "Next time we'll make the tail long from the start," show what she learned without saying it directly. The student has to connect her words to the problem and the fix in the story. This kind of inference about a lesson is part of reporting category 3.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A kite flies best when there is no wind. — The kite flew on a windy day; wind is what lifts it.
- Newspaper is too heavy to make a kite. — Their newspaper kite flew once the tail was fixed.
- Little brothers should not help build kites. — Nico helped the whole time, and Paloma is happy at the end.
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.