What do monarch caterpillars eat?
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 lesson.
Monarchs on the Move
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Ms. Nelson: Every fall, millions of monarch butterflies fly south across North America. Many of them pass right through Texas on their way to the mountains of central Mexico, where they spend the winter resting together in the forests. Some of them travel more than two thousand miles.
Ms. Nelson: Here's the amazing part: no single butterfly makes the whole round trip. The monarchs that fly south in the fall live for several months. But in the spring, as they head north again, they lay eggs and then die. Their children and grandchildren finish the journey.
Ms. Nelson: Monarch caterpillars can eat only one kind of plant, and that plant is milkweed. A monarch lays its eggs only on milkweed, so without it, there are no new butterflies. In many places, milkweed has been cleared away to make room for roads and buildings. That is why, next week, our class is going to plant a milkweed garden next to the cafeteria.
The question
Choose the best answer.
What do monarch caterpillars eat?
- Leaves from forest trees
- Only milkweedCorrect answer
- Many kinds of flowers
- Grass that grows beside roads
Why “Only milkweed” is correct
This asks for a stated detail. Ms. Nelson says caterpillars "can eat only one kind of plant, and that plant is milkweed." The word "only" is the key; a student who misses it might think caterpillars eat many plants.
Why the other answers are wrong
- Leaves from forest trees — The forests are where adult monarchs rest in winter, not what caterpillars eat.
- Many kinds of flowers — Ms. Nelson says they can eat only one kind of plant.
- Grass that grows beside roads — Roads are mentioned as a reason milkweed has been cleared away.
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.