How does Jonah respond to Imani’s concern that a struggling student might fail a college course?
Listen to a Speaker Support an Opinion · ELPAC Grades 11–12 listening. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
An extended conversation in which one classmate argues for an opinion, followed by four questions.
Listen to the conversation between Imani and Jonah. Then answer the questions.
College Classes for Seniors
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Imani: Jonah, are you really going to speak at the board meeting in favor of letting more seniors take classes at the community college?
Jonah: I am. Right now only twelve students a year are allowed into the program, and the district chooses them by grade point average.
Imani: That seems sensible to me. A college class is a lot harder. If a student who is struggling here fails a college course, it stays on a college transcript for good.
Jonah: That is a real risk, and I am not going to pretend it is not. But look at what the rule actually does. The students with the highest grades are the ones who would go to college anyway. The students the program could help most are the ones who have never pictured themselves in a college classroom, and the rule keeps every one of them out.
Imani: So you would let anyone sign up?
Jonah: I would let anyone apply, and require every applicant to meet with a counselor first, so the student and the counselor decide together whether the timing is right. If the worry is that some students are not ready, the answer is better advising, not a cutoff that decides for them.
The question
Choose the best answer.
How does Jonah respond to Imani’s concern that a struggling student might fail a college course?
- He says college grades do not count toward a student’s future.
- He argues that no student who applies would ever fail.
- He changes his mind and agrees that the cutoff should stay.
- He admits the risk is real and proposes required counseling instead of a grade cutoff.Correct answer
Why “He admits the risk is real and proposes required counseling instead of a grade cutoff.” is correct
This tests how a speaker handles a counterargument, which separates a strong argument from a one-sided one. Jonah concedes first, 'That is a real risk', and then answers the concern with a different safeguard: every applicant meets a counselor. His last sentence frames the choice as advising versus 'a cutoff that decides for them'.
Why the other answers are wrong
- He says college grades do not count toward a student’s future. — Imani says a failed course stays on a college transcript, and Jonah never disputes it.
- He argues that no student who applies would ever fail. — He grants that some students may not be ready, so he does not claim no one would fail.
- He changes his mind and agrees that the cutoff should stay. — He keeps his position and argues for replacing the cutoff.
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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