Why does Brandon give up his first idea?
Basic Understanding of Spoken English · TELPAS Grades 6–7 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 conversation.
Science Fair Partners
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Natalie: Brandon, have you picked a topic for the science fair yet?
Brandon: I was going to test which kind of paper towel soaks up the most water. But three other people in our class are already doing that.
Natalie: I'm testing whether plants grow faster when they hear music. Do you want to be my partner? I could use help measuring the plants every day.
Brandon: That sounds fun. But don't plants take a long time to grow?
Natalie: Yes, about three weeks. That's why I'm planting the seeds this weekend. The fair is at the end of next month.
Brandon: Okay, I'm in. My uncle has a little speaker we can borrow, so we won't have to keep using your phone to play the music.
Natalie: Perfect. Let's ask our teacher tomorrow if partners are allowed.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Why does Brandon give up his first idea?
- His teacher told him it would not work.
- It would take too long to finish.
- Other students already chose it.Correct answer
- He could not find enough paper towels.
Why “Other students already chose it.” is correct
This asks for a detail stated directly. Brandon says three other people in his class are already testing paper towels. The other choices borrow words from elsewhere in the conversation, such as "a long time" and "our teacher," so the student has to connect the reason to the right idea.
Why the other answers are wrong
- His teacher told him it would not work. — The teacher is not part of the conversation and has not said anything yet.
- It would take too long to finish. — Time is a concern for the plant project, not for his paper towel idea.
- He could not find enough paper towels. — Nothing is said about finding paper towels.
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.