In paragraph 5, what does the word decline mean?
Understand Words and Language Structures · TELPAS Grades 6–7 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 passage. Then answer the questions.
The Texas Horned Lizard
Many Texans call it a "horny toad," but the Texas horned lizard is not a toad at all. It is a lizard, and it is the official state reptile of Texas.
The horned lizard has a wide, flat body covered with spiny scales. Large horns stick out from the back of its head. Its brown, spotted colors help it blend in with dirt and dry grass, so when it stays still, it can be very hard to see.
Its main food is the harvester ant, a large red ant that builds its nests in open, sandy, or rocky ground. A single lizard can eat a large number of these ants in one day.
Hiding is the lizard's first defense, but it has others. It can puff up its body so that it looks bigger and is harder to swallow. If a coyote or a dog attacks, the lizard can do something surprising: it squirts a stream of blood from the corners of its eyes. The blood has a taste these animals dislike, so they often drop the lizard and leave it alone.
Texas horned lizards were once common across much of the state, but today they have disappeared from many areas, especially in the eastern half of Texas. Scientists believe several causes worked together. Land where the lizards lived was turned into roads, houses, and farms. Pesticides and invasive fire ants reduced the number of harvester ants the lizards depend on for food. Because of this decline, the Texas horned lizard is now a protected species in Texas, and it is against the law to collect one or keep one as a pet.
The question
Choose the best answer.
In paragraph 5, what does the word decline mean?
- a drop in numberCorrect answer
- a move to a new home
- a change in color
- a kind of food
Why “a drop in number” is correct
This tests a vocabulary word from context. Paragraph 5 says the lizards were once common but have disappeared from many areas, and then says "because of this decline" the lizard is protected. The student should see that "decline" names the drop in their numbers.
Why the other answers are wrong
- a move to a new home — The lizards disappeared from areas; the passage does not say they moved somewhere else.
- a change in color — Color is described in paragraph 2 and has nothing to do with this word.
- a kind of food — The lizards' food is harvester ants; "decline" refers to what happened to the lizards.
Practice more of this
More reading 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.