TELPAS Practice

Which sentence best states a lesson of the story?

Analyze and Evaluate Information and Ideas · TELPAS Grades 4–5 reading. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.

Reporting category 3: make inferences, draw conclusions, and think about why the author wrote a text and how it is built.

Read the passage. Then answer the questions.

The Recital

Valeria had practiced the dance for six weeks. She knew every heel tap and every swirl of her wide, ruffled skirt. But on the night of the folklórico recital, standing behind the curtain, her legs felt like wet noodles.

“What if I forget the steps?” she whispered to her sister Natalia, who had danced with the group for three years.

Natalia straightened the red ribbons in Valeria’s hair. “Then you keep smiling and keep moving,” she said. “Nobody in the audience knows the steps. They only notice if you stop.”

The music began, and the dancers swept onto the stage. For the first minute, everything went perfectly. Then, halfway through the song, Valeria turned the wrong way. For one terrible second, she was facing the girl beside her instead of the audience.

She remembered Natalia’s words. She smiled, swung her skirt in a wide circle, and slipped back into line as if she had planned it all along. Her feet found the rhythm again.

When the song ended, the audience clapped and cheered. Valeria’s parents were standing up in the third row. Afterward, her father hugged her and said, “That big spin in the middle was my favorite part!”

Valeria looked at Natalia, and both of them burst out laughing.

The question

Choose the best answer.

Which sentence best states a lesson of the story?

  • If you practice long enough, you will never make mistakes.
  • If you make a mistake, keep going and do your best.Correct answer
  • It is better to watch a show than to be in one.
  • Older sisters always know more than younger sisters.

Why “If you make a mistake, keep going and do your best.” is correct

This tests identifying a theme. Natalia’s advice is "keep smiling and keep moving," and the story shows that it works: Valeria recovers and the audience never knows. A lesson usually comes from what a character learns, so ask the student what Valeria would tell a friend before a show.

Why the other answers are wrong

  • If you practice long enough, you will never make mistakes. — Valeria practiced for six weeks and still made a mistake.
  • It is better to watch a show than to be in one. — Valeria has a good time in the show, so the story does not say this.
  • Older sisters always know more than younger sisters. — Natalia gives helpful advice, but the story does not say this is always true.

Practice more of this

More reading 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.