Why did Mia walk around the puddle?
Listen to a Story · ELPAC Grade 1 listening. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
A multiple-turn conversation or narrative, followed by three questions.
Listen to the story. Then answer the questions.
The Big Puddle
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Show transcript
Mia walked to school in her new boots. Rain fell all night. A big puddle sat by the gate.
Mia stopped. She wanted to jump in it. Then she saw her friend Sam. Sam's shoes were thin.
Mia took Sam's hand. They walked around the puddle.
At lunch, Mia jumped in the puddle by herself.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Why did Mia walk around the puddle?
- Her boots were new.
- Sam's shoes were thin.Correct answer
- The gate was closed.
- She did not like the rain.
Why “Sam's shoes were thin.” is correct
The story places two facts next to each other — Mia wants to jump, and Sam's shoes are thin — and leaves the listener to connect them. That is the standard move in a listening story at this grade, so it is worth teaching directly. Ask the child what we learn about Sam's shoes right before Mia takes his hand.
Why the other answers are wrong
- Her boots were new. — New boots are exactly why Mia wanted to jump in, so they cannot be the reason she stayed out.
- The gate was closed. — The gate is only mentioned as the place the puddle sat; nothing says it was closed.
- She did not like the rain. — Mia is happy to jump in a puddle at lunch, so she does not mind the rain.
Practice more of this
More listening practice for Grade 1, or see the ELPAC practice test for grade 1. For other grades, see free ELPAC practice tests by grade.
This is an independent study resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the California Department of Education or the official ELPAC program. All questions here are original practice material written to match the published task formats.