How does Priya's opinion change by the end of the discussion?
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 class discussion.
Should Sixteen-Year-Olds Vote?
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Ms. Bennett: Yesterday we read about the Twenty-sixth Amendment, which set the voting age at eighteen across the country. Some people now argue it should be sixteen. Sebastian, where do you stand?
Sebastian: I think sixteen makes sense. A lot of sixteen-year-olds have jobs, and they pay taxes on their paychecks. If you pay taxes, you should have a say in how that money gets spent.
Priya: But I don't think most sixteen-year-olds follow the news. Honestly, I don't, not really. I'd probably just vote however my friends were voting.
Sebastian: Lots of adults vote that way, too. Nobody makes them pass a test first.
Ms. Bennett: That's a fair point. Priya, does that change your mind?
Priya: A little. Maybe it could work if schools taught a lot more about elections before students turned sixteen.
The question
Choose the best answer.
How does Priya's opinion change by the end of the discussion?
- She agrees with Sebastian completely.
- She thinks the voting age should be twenty-one.
- She is more open to the idea, with one condition.Correct answer
- Her opinion does not change at all.
Why “She is more open to the idea, with one condition.” is correct
This question asks the student to evaluate how a speaker's view shifts. Priya begins against the idea, then says "a little" and adds that it could work if schools taught more about elections. Words like "a little" and "maybe" show a partial change, not a full one.
Why the other answers are wrong
- She agrees with Sebastian completely. — She says it changes her mind only "a little."
- She thinks the voting age should be twenty-one. — No one argues for twenty-one.
- Her opinion does not change at all. — She says it changes her mind a little and suggests a way it could work.
Practice more of this
More listening practice for Grades 8–9, or see the TELPAS practice test for 8th and 9th grade.
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