Why does Mr. Harris mention cities like San Antonio and El Paso?
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.
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Six Flags Over Texas
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Mr. Harris: You may have heard people say that six flags have flown over Texas. That means that over more than three hundred years, six different governments have claimed this land.
Mr. Harris: First came Spain, which claimed Texas starting in the fifteen hundreds. For a few years in the late sixteen hundreds, France also had a small settlement on the Texas coast. Then, in eighteen twenty-one, Mexico won its independence from Spain, and Texas became part of Mexico.
Mr. Harris: In eighteen thirty-six, Texas broke away from Mexico and became its own country, the Republic of Texas, for almost ten years. After that, it joined the United States. During the Civil War, Texas was part of the Confederacy, and after the war it became part of the United States again.
Mr. Harris: Each of these governments left something behind. That is one reason so many Texas cities have Spanish names, like San Antonio and El Paso, and why so many Texans still celebrate traditions that come from Mexico.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Why does Mr. Harris mention cities like San Antonio and El Paso?
- To show that past governments still affect Texas todayCorrect answer
- To name the cities that were once the capital of Texas
- To explain where the six flags are flown today
- To show which cities France built on the coast
Why “To show that past governments still affect Texas today” is correct
This asks about the purpose of an example. Mr. Harris says each government "left something behind," and then gives Spanish city names and Mexican traditions as proof. The student has to connect the examples to that general statement, which is the point of the last part of the lesson.
Why the other answers are wrong
- To name the cities that were once the capital of Texas — Capitals are never mentioned in the lesson.
- To explain where the six flags are flown today — He does not say where the flags are flown.
- To show which cities France built on the coast — He says the names are Spanish, not French.
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.