Which detail best supports the claim that Galveston's plan worked?
Analyze and Evaluate Information and Ideas · TELPAS Grades 6–7 reading. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
Reporting category 3: make inferences, draw conclusions, and think about why the author wrote a text and how it is built.
Read the passage. Then answer the questions.
A Wall Against the Sea
In 1900, Galveston was one of the busiest port cities in Texas. It sat on a long, narrow island in the Gulf of Mexico, and its highest point was less than nine feet above the sea.
The Storm of 1900
On September 8, 1900, a powerful hurricane struck the island. The wind pushed the water of the Gulf onto the land, and within hours most of the city was under water. Thousands of buildings were destroyed, and at least 6,000 people died. It is still the deadliest natural disaster in the history of the United States.
A Two-Part Plan
After the storm, many people thought Galveston should be abandoned. Instead, city leaders chose to protect it. First, they built a seawall, a tall wall of concrete along the shore that faces the Gulf. Second, they raised the city itself. Workers lifted more than 2,000 buildings with jacks and pumped sand from the bottom of the bay underneath them. Parts of the city ended up as much as 17 feet higher than before.
Timeline: 1902: Work on the seawall begins. 1904: The first three miles of the seawall are finished. 1911: Work raising the city is mostly complete. 1915: Another strong hurricane hits Galveston.
Did It Work?
When the 1915 hurricane struck, the seawall held. Water still flooded parts of the city, but far fewer people died than in 1900. Today the seawall stretches about ten miles, and people walk, bike, and fish along the top of it.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Which detail best supports the claim that Galveston's plan worked?
- Work on the seawall began in 1902.
- When the 1915 hurricane struck, the seawall held and far fewer people died.Correct answer
- Workers lifted more than 2,000 buildings and pumped sand under them.
- Today people walk, bike, and fish along the top of the seawall.
Why “When the 1915 hurricane struck, the seawall held and far fewer people died.” is correct
This tests evaluating evidence for a claim. To show a plan worked, a detail must show a result, and only the 1915 storm tests the seawall against a hurricane like the one in 1900. The other choices describe when or how the work was done, or how the wall is used today.
Why the other answers are wrong
- Work on the seawall began in 1902. — A start date shows when work began, not whether it succeeded.
- Workers lifted more than 2,000 buildings and pumped sand under them. — This shows how much effort the plan took, not that it protected the city.
- Today people walk, bike, and fish along the top of the seawall. — This is true, but enjoying the wall today does not show it protects against storms.
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.