What is Ms. Garza's talk mostly about?
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 leaves. Then answer the questions.
Why Leaves Change Color
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Show transcript
Ms. Garza: In the fall, the leaves on many trees turn yellow, orange, and red. Have you ever wondered why?
Ms. Garza: During the spring and summer, leaves are full of something called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is green, and it helps the leaf use sunlight to make food for the tree. There is so much green in the leaf that it hides the other colors.
Ms. Garza: In the fall, the days get shorter, and there is less sunlight. The tree slows down and stops making chlorophyll. As the green fades away, the yellow and orange colors that were in the leaf all along can finally show.
Ms. Garza: Next week, we will take a walk around the schoolyard and collect fallen leaves. Look closely, and see how many different colors you can find.
The question
Choose the best answer.
What is Ms. Garza's talk mostly about?
- how to collect leaves on a walk
- why many leaves change color in the fallCorrect answer
- which trees grow best in Texas
- how trees make seeds in the spring
Why “why many leaves change color in the fall” is correct
This asks for the main idea. The teacher asks a question at the start, "Have you ever wondered why?", and spends the rest of the talk answering it. The plan for the walk comes at the very end, which makes it a trap for students who remember only the last thing they heard.
Why the other answers are wrong
- how to collect leaves on a walk — The walk is planned for next week; it is not the main topic.
- which trees grow best in Texas — No kinds of trees or places are compared.
- how trees make seeds in the spring — Seeds are never mentioned.
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.