What happened the next morning?

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

Listen to The Loose Tooth0:29

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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.

What happened the next morning?

  • Zara ate carrot sticks.
  • Marcus lost a tooth.
  • Zara went to the school nurse.
  • Zara's tooth came out by itself.Correct answer

Why “Zara's tooth came out by itself.” is correct

A straightforward sequence question that gives the child an easier item after two inference questions on the same story. The answer is the final sentence, and the phrase 'on its own' matters, because children often assume someone pulled the tooth out. Ask how the story ends, then ask who pulled the tooth.

Why the other answers are wrong

  • Zara ate carrot sticks. — The carrots were Tuesday's snack, and Zara left hers alone.
  • Marcus lost a tooth. — Marcus is in the story, but it is Zara who has the loose tooth.
  • Zara went to the school nurse. — No nurse appears, and the story ends at school the next morning with the tooth already out.

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.