Why did Zara not eat her carrot?
Listen to a Story · ELPAC Grade 2 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 Loose Tooth
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Show transcript
Zara had a loose tooth. It wiggled when she ate. On Tuesday her class had carrot sticks for snack.
Zara did not want to bite down. She held her carrot and waited.
Her friend Marcus pushed his own snack across the table. It was a slice of soft bread. He did not say a word about the tooth.
Zara ate the bread. The next morning the tooth came out on its own.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Why did Zara not eat her carrot?
- She does not like carrots.
- She gave it to Marcus.
- She did not want to hurt her loose tooth.Correct answer
- Snack time was already over.
Why “She did not want to hurt her loose tooth.” is correct
The story never says the words 'because of her tooth'. It opens with the loose tooth, says it wiggles when she eats, and then shows her holding the carrot without biting. The child has to put those pieces together. Ask what the first two sentences tell us, and then why a hard carrot would be a problem.
Why the other answers are wrong
- She does not like carrots. — The story says nothing about what Zara likes to eat, only about her tooth.
- She gave it to Marcus. — Marcus gives his snack to Zara. The story never says she hands the carrot over.
- Snack time was already over. — Snack time is still going on; Marcus is sitting at the table with her.
Practice more of this
More listening practice for Grade 2, or see the ELPAC practice test for grade 2. 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.