What does Ms. Whitaker identify as the cause of the missing hours?
Listen to a Short Exchange · ELPAC Grades 11–12 listening. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
A two-turn exchange between two speakers, followed by a question about it.
Listen to the conversation between Tomas and Ms. Whitaker at the store where he works. Then answer the question.
A Question About Hours
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Tomas: Ms. Whitaker, my paycheck shows twenty-six hours, but I wrote down thirty on my own calendar.
Ms. Whitaker: Let me open the timesheet. It shows two shifts where you clocked in and never clocked out.
Tomas: That would be the two Saturdays I left through the loading door.
Ms. Whitaker: The system closes an open shift at four hours automatically, so you were paid for four when you worked seven.
Tomas: Can that be fixed now, or do I wait for the next check?
Ms. Whitaker: I will file a correction today and the difference goes onto next Friday's deposit. But get into the habit of clocking out at the terminal by the break room. The one at the loading door only reads badges for deliveries.
The question
Choose the best answer.
What does Ms. Whitaker identify as the cause of the missing hours?
- Two shifts were closed automatically because Tomas did not clock out.Correct answer
- Tomas worked fewer hours than he recorded on his calendar.
- Tomas was paid at the wrong hourly rate for his Saturday shifts.
- The company pays a maximum of four hours for any weekend shift.
Why “Two shifts were closed automatically because Tomas did not clock out.” is correct
This tests following a cause that is explained in workplace language rather than named plainly. Ms. Whitaker finds two shifts with a clock-in and no clock-out, then explains that the system closes an open shift at four hours, which is how seven worked hours became four paid ones. Students tend to catch the numbers and miss the mechanism, so the question worth asking afterwards is why the hours went missing, not how many did.
Why the other answers are wrong
- Tomas worked fewer hours than he recorded on his calendar. — She accepts that the shifts were worked; it is the timesheet, not his calendar, that is wrong.
- Tomas was paid at the wrong hourly rate for his Saturday shifts. — Pay rate never comes up. The dispute is about hours recorded, not dollars per hour.
- The company pays a maximum of four hours for any weekend shift. — Four hours is what the system pays out on a shift nobody closed, not a company limit on weekend work.
Practice more of this
More listening practice for Grades 11–12, or see the ELPAC practice test for grades 11–12. 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.