Why does Ms. Perez most likely want to check the tables before anyone rinses a cup?
Analyze and Evaluate Information in Spoken English · TELPAS Grades 8–9 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.
Listen to the teacher.
Cabbage Juice Lab
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Ms. Perez: Okay, everyone. Today we're using red cabbage juice to test whether liquids are acids or bases. Each group has four cups labeled A through D.
Ms. Perez: First, put on your goggles. Over your eyes, not on your forehead. Next, pour about two spoonfuls of cabbage juice into each cup. Then add one liquid to each cup: lemon juice in A, water in B, baking soda mixed with water in C, and vinegar in D.
Ms. Perez: Watch the color. If it turns pink or red, the liquid is an acid. If it turns green or blue, it's a base. If it stays purple, it's close to neutral. Write the color in your table before you touch anything else. And nobody rinses a cup in the sink until I've come around and checked your table.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Why does Ms. Perez most likely want to check the tables before anyone rinses a cup?
- She thinks the sink in the room might be broken.
- She wants to see the results before they are gone.Correct answer
- She wants the groups to reuse the same cups.
- She thinks the cabbage juice could be dangerous.
Why “She wants to see the results before they are gone.” is correct
This question asks the student to infer a speaker's reason. Once a cup is rinsed, its color is gone, so the teacher can no longer compare the cup with what the student wrote. The teacher does not state her reason, so the student must reason from the situation.
Why the other answers are wrong
- She thinks the sink in the room might be broken. — Nothing suggests a problem with the sink.
- She wants the groups to reuse the same cups. — She does not mention reusing the cups.
- She thinks the cabbage juice could be dangerous. — She does not say the juice is dangerous.
Practice more of this
More listening practice for Grades 8–9, or see the TELPAS practice test for 8th and 9th 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.