Why does Grant think the nineteen-meal plan could be a mistake for Hana?
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 Hana and Grant. Then answer the question.
Choosing a Meal Plan
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Hana: Grant, the housing form wants me to choose a meal plan, either fourteen meals a week or nineteen. Nineteen is every single meal, so that seems safer.
Grant: My sister chose nineteen her first year, and she says it was the most expensive mistake she made.
Hana: Why? Was the food bad?
Grant: The food was fine. But the meals reset every Sunday night, and whatever she had not used that week just disappeared. She almost never got up in time for breakfast, so she was paying for five meals a week that she never ate.
Hana: So I should think about which meals I will actually show up for, not every meal there is.
Grant: Exactly. And most colleges let you add meals later in the term, but they will not give you money back for the ones you did not use.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Why does Grant think the nineteen-meal plan could be a mistake for Hana?
- Unused meals disappear each week, so she could pay for meals she never eats.Correct answer
- The food on the larger plan is worse than on the smaller one.
- Students on the larger plan cannot add meals later.
- First-year students are required to choose the smaller plan.
Why “Unused meals disappear each week, so she could pay for meals she never eats.” is correct
This tests understanding an argument made through a personal example. Grant's sister paid for meals that reset every week, and since she skipped breakfast, she paid for five unused meals a week; his last line adds that colleges will not refund unused meals. Hana's summary, choosing by the meals she will actually attend, confirms she has understood the point.
Why the other answers are wrong
- The food on the larger plan is worse than on the smaller one. — Grant says the food was fine, so quality is not his reason.
- Students on the larger plan cannot add meals later. — Grant says most colleges let students add meals later, which is a reason to start small.
- First-year students are required to choose the smaller plan. — No requirement is mentioned; Hana is free to choose either plan.
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.
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