Read this sentence. Underground, a town is a maze of tunnels and rooms. What does the word maze mean in this sentence?
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 text. Then answer the question.
Prairie Dogs
Black-tailed prairie dogs are small, chubby animals that live on the grasslands of West Texas and other western states. In spite of their name, they are not dogs at all. They are rodents, like squirrels and mice. Prairie dogs got their name from the sharp, barking call they make when danger is near.
Prairie dogs live in large groups called towns. Underground, a town is a maze of tunnels and rooms. Some rooms are for sleeping, and others are for raising babies. While the others eat, one prairie dog often stands guard on a mound of dirt. If it spots a hawk or a coyote, it barks a warning, and the whole group dives into their holes.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Read this sentence. Underground, a town is a maze of tunnels and rooms. What does the word maze mean in this sentence?
- a tall pile of dirt
- a kind of corn that grows on farms
- a lot of paths that turn and connectCorrect answer
- one long, straight hole
Why “a lot of paths that turn and connect” is correct
The words "of tunnels and rooms" are the clue that a maze has many connected parts. Maze also sounds the same as maize, another word for corn, which can confuse students who hear the word more often than they read it.
Why the other answers are wrong
- a tall pile of dirt — The mound of dirt is above ground; the maze is underground.
- a kind of corn that grows on farms — This is maize, a word that sounds the same as maze and means corn. It does not fit this sentence.
- one long, straight hole — A maze has many paths, not one.
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.