What does the end of the story show about Daniel?
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 story.
The Finish Line
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Daniel joined the cross country team at his new school for one reason. His family had just moved to Lubbock, and running seemed like a way to meet people without having to talk very much.
He was not fast. At his first meet, he finished second to last, and he only beat one runner because she had stopped to tie her shoe. When he finally came around the last turn, his legs felt like wet sand. Most of the crowd had already gone to get snacks.
But one person was still standing at the finish line. It was Brandon, an older runner who had won the race almost twenty minutes earlier. He was clapping as if Daniel were in first place. "Keep going! You're almost there!"
Daniel never got much faster that season. But he kept showing up to practice, and by October he knew everyone's name.
At the last meet of the year, Daniel finished in the middle of the pack for the first time. He caught his breath and drank some water. Then he walked back to the finish line, and he stood there clapping until the very last runner came in.
The question
Choose the best answer.
What does the end of the story show about Daniel?
- He is still upset about finishing last.
- He is passing on what Brandon did for him.Correct answer
- He wants to win the next race.
- He is waiting for Brandon to finish his race.
Why “He is passing on what Brandon did for him.” is correct
This question asks the student to infer a change in a character. At the end, Daniel walks back to the finish line and claps for the last runner, just as Brandon once did for him. The story never says this directly, so the listener has to connect the ending to the first meet.
Why the other answers are wrong
- He is still upset about finishing last. — By the end he finishes in the middle of the pack.
- He wants to win the next race. — Winning is never his goal in the story.
- He is waiting for Brandon to finish his race. — Brandon won his race long before; Daniel waits for the last runner.
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.