What was wrong with Luis's first tamal?
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.
Making Tamales
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Every December, Luis helped his grandma make tamales. This year his job was to spread the masa on the corn husks.
His first tamal was lumpy. The masa was too thick, and it squeezed out the sides. Luis frowned and pushed the bowl away.
Grandma did not fix it for him. Instead, she held up her own first tamal of the day. It was lumpy too. "Mine always look like that at first," she said. "Use the back of the spoon, and go slowly."
Luis tried again. This time the masa was thin and smooth. By the end of the day he had made twenty tamales, and Grandma said his were the best ones on the plate.
The question
Choose the best answer.
What was wrong with Luis's first tamal?
- The masa was too thin.
- The corn husk tore in half.
- The masa was too thick and lumpy.Correct answer
- It fell on the floor.
Why “The masa was too thick and lumpy.” is correct
The problem in the story is stated early and clearly: the masa was too thick and squeezed out the sides. The wrong answer 'too thin' is the opposite of the problem, and it describes how his later tamales turned out. Ask your child what the first tamal looked like and what changed the second time.
Why the other answers are wrong
- The masa was too thin. — Thin and smooth is how Luis's masa looked after he tried again. The first one was too thick.
- The corn husk tore in half. — The story does not say a husk tore.
- It fell on the floor. — Nothing falls in the story. Luis pushes the bowl away, but the tamal does not drop.
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.