Read this sentence from paragraph 4. A breeze made the reeds whisper. What does the author mean?
Understand Words and Language Structures · TELPAS Grades 4–5 reading. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
Reporting category 1: work out what words and phrases mean from context, and understand how sentences and word forms work.
Read the passage. Then answer the questions.
Waiting for a Bite
Eli had been sitting on the dock for almost an hour, and his fishing line had not moved once. “This is boring,” he said. “The fish must all be asleep.”
Aunt Linda smiled and handed him a granola bar. “Fishing isn’t only about catching fish,” she said. “Look around.”
Eli sighed, but he looked. A white egret stood perfectly still in the shallow water. Three turtles sat in a row on a log, warming their shells in the sun. Far out on the lake, a fish jumped and left a ring of ripples.
Soon Eli began to notice more. A dragonfly landed on the tip of his fishing pole. A breeze made the reeds whisper. He was so busy watching that he almost forgot about his line.
Then his pole bent. “Aunt Linda!” he shouted. He reeled in slowly, the way she had shown him, until a small sunfish flopped onto the dock, its sides shining green and orange.
Eli looked at the fish for a long moment. It was too small to keep. Aunt Linda helped him slip the hook out, and Eli lowered the sunfish back into the water. It flicked its tail and was gone.
“Well,” said Aunt Linda, “is fishing still boring?”
Eli shook his head. “Can we come back next Saturday?”
The question
Choose the best answer.
Read this sentence from paragraph 4. A breeze made the reeds whisper. What does the author mean?
- The reeds were talking to Eli.
- The reeds were growing taller.
- The wind was blowing the reeds very hard.
- The reeds made a soft, quiet sound.Correct answer
Why “The reeds made a soft, quiet sound.” is correct
This is personification: the author gives the reeds a human action, whispering, to describe the soft sound they make in a light wind. English learners may read it literally and think the plants talk. Knowing that a breeze is gentle also helps rule out a strong wind.
Why the other answers are wrong
- The reeds were talking to Eli. — Reeds are plants and cannot talk; the author is comparing their sound to a whisper.
- The reeds were growing taller. — The sentence is about a sound, not about growing.
- The wind was blowing the reeds very hard. — A breeze is a light wind, and a whisper is a quiet sound.
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.