What does Sebastian say they must do before they split the money?
Basic Understanding of Spoken English · TELPAS Grades 8–9 listening. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
Reporting category 2: understand the main points and important details of spoken stories and informational passages, about everyday life and school subjects.
Listen to the conversation.
The Lawn Business
Press play to listen. You can pause, rewind, and replay as often as you like.
Show transcript
Sebastian: So are we really doing this? A lawn mowing business for the summer?
Jordan: I already have three neighbors who said yes. Mrs. Phillips wants us every week, and the other two want us every other week.
Sebastian: We only have one mower, though. My dad's.
Jordan: That's fine for now. One of us mows, and the other one trims the edges and bags the grass. We'll finish faster that way anyway.
Sebastian: What are we charging? My cousin charges forty dollars a yard.
Jordan: He also has a truck and a trailer full of equipment. Let's start at twenty-five and see how it goes.
Sebastian: Okay. But we put the gas money aside before we split anything. My dad said if we use his mower, we buy the gas.
The question
Choose the best answer.
What does Sebastian say they must do before they split the money?
- Save money to buy gasCorrect answer
- Pay his dad for the mower
- Raise their price
- Ask Mrs. Phillips to pay first
Why “Save money to buy gas” is correct
This is a detail question. Sebastian says, "we put the gas money aside before we split anything." "Put aside" means to save, so students must understand the phrase to choose the answer.
Why the other answers are wrong
- Pay his dad for the mower — His dad asks them to buy the gas, not to pay for the mower.
- Raise their price — They agree to start at twenty-five dollars.
- Ask Mrs. Phillips to pay first — Payment from customers is not discussed.
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.