Why did Rosa put the mitten up high on the fence?
Read a Literary Passage · ELPAC Grade 1 reading. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
A short story or scene, with questions about characters, events and what words mean in context.
Read the story. Then answer the questions.
The Lost Mitten
Ben lost one red mitten. He looked under his bed. He looked in his backpack. He did not find it.
At school, Ben saw a red mitten on the fence. It was his!
His friend Rosa waved. "I found it by the gate," she said. "I put it up high for you."
Ben said thank you. He put the mitten on.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Why did Rosa put the mitten up high on the fence?
- She wanted to keep the mitten.
- The mitten was wet and dirty.
- She wanted Ben to see it.Correct answer
- Her hands were cold.
Why “She wanted Ben to see it.” is correct
This is an inference question. The story never says 'so Ben could find it'; it gives Rosa's two words, 'for you', and leaves the reader to join them to the action of putting the mitten up high. Ask the child why a high spot helps someone spot a lost thing. Connecting an action to a reason is the main skill literary passages test at this level.
Why the other answers are wrong
- She wanted to keep the mitten. — Rosa gives the mitten back, so keeping it is the opposite of what she does.
- The mitten was wet and dirty. — The story never says the mitten was wet or dirty, and that would not explain putting it up high.
- Her hands were cold. — The mitten belongs to Ben, and nothing in the story says Rosa was cold or wore it.
Practice more of this
More reading 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.