How does Hector answer people who say students should walk to Oak Street?
Analyze and Evaluate Information and Ideas · TELPAS Grades 8–9 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 letter. Then answer the questions.
A Crosswalk for Mesquite Road
Dear Members of the City Council,
My name is Hector Valdez, and I am in ninth grade at Ridgeview High School. I am writing to ask you to put a crosswalk with a flashing signal on Mesquite Road in front of Ridgeview Park.
Every afternoon, dozens of students cross Mesquite Road to get from school to the park, where many of us have soccer practice or wait for rides. The nearest crosswalk is at Oak Street, almost half a mile away. Almost nobody walks that far. Instead, students wait for a gap in traffic and run across four lanes.
Last month, my friends and I counted cars on Mesquite Road between 3:30 and 4:30 on five school days. We counted more than 400 cars an hour. On one afternoon alone, we saw students run between moving cars eleven times.
Some people say students should just walk to Oak Street. I agree that it would be safer. But people choose the shortest path, especially when they are carrying heavy backpacks and are late for practice. A rule that people do not follow does not protect anyone. A crosswalk where students actually cross would.
I understand that the city has a limited budget. But a crosswalk is a one-time cost, and hundreds of students would use it every week for years.
Please visit Mesquite Road on a school afternoon and see for yourselves. I would be glad to show you where we cross.
Sincerely, Héctor Valdez
The question
Choose the best answer.
How does Hector answer people who say students should walk to Oak Street?
- He agrees it is safer but says students will not do it.Correct answer
- He says Oak Street is more dangerous.
- He says students should not cross at all.
- He says those people do not live near the park or the school.
Why “He agrees it is safer but says students will not do it.” is correct
This item asks how an author handles an opposing view. Hector first agrees ("I agree that it would be safer") and then explains why the idea fails in real life: "A rule that people do not follow does not protect anyone." Admitting part of the other side before answering it is a common persuasive move.
Why the other answers are wrong
- He says Oak Street is more dangerous. — He says walking to Oak Street "would be safer."
- He says students should not cross at all. — He wants a safe place for students to cross.
- He says those people do not live near the park or the school. — He never questions who those people are.
Practice more of this
More reading 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.