Why was Sabrina quiet for a long time at the end?
Analyze and Evaluate Information in Spoken English · TELPAS Grades 6–7 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.
The Dog on Elm Street
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When Sabrina walked home from school on Tuesday, she saw a small brown dog sitting alone at the corner of Elm Street. It wore a red collar, but there was no tag on it. Its paws were dusty, and it was panting in the heat. Sabrina knelt down and held out her hand. The dog sniffed it and wagged its tail.
She did not want to leave it outside, so she carried it home and gave it a bowl of water. Her father took a photo of the dog and posted it on the neighborhood website with their phone number.
For two days, no one called. Sabrina started making a list of names for the dog. Then, on Thursday evening, the phone rang. A woman named Mrs. Phillips said that her grandson's dog, Biscuit, had slipped out of their yard on Tuesday. When she and her grandson came to the door, the dog ran straight to the boy, barking and jumping into his arms.
Sabrina smiled and waved as they left. But after the door closed, she sat on the couch and did not say anything for a long time.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Why was Sabrina quiet for a long time at the end?
- She missed a dog she had started to care about.Correct answer
- She was angry that Mrs. Phillips did not thank her.
- She was worried that the dog was sick.
- She was tired from carrying the dog all the way home.
Why “She missed a dog she had started to care about.” is correct
This asks the student to infer a character's feelings. The story never says "Sabrina was sad," but she had been making a list of names, which shows she hoped to keep the dog. Her smile while they leave and her silence afterward show mixed feelings.
Why the other answers are wrong
- She was angry that Mrs. Phillips did not thank her. — The story does not say whether Mrs. Phillips thanked her, and Sabrina smiled and waved.
- She was worried that the dog was sick. — The dog seemed healthy and happy when it ran to the boy.
- She was tired from carrying the dog all the way home. — She carried the dog home two days earlier.
Practice more of this
More listening practice for Grades 6–7, or see the TELPAS practice test for 6th and 7th 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.