How does Mei feel at the start of the story?
Read a Literary Passage · ELPAC Grade 2 reading. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
A short story or scene, with questions about characters, events and what words mean in context.
Read the story. Then answer the questions.
The Line Leader
Every day, one student in Room 9 leads the class to lunch. Today it was Mei's turn. Mei liked to stand at the back of the line, where nobody looked at her.
"I don't want to be first," she whispered to her friend Tomas.
"You know the way," Tomas said. "Just walk slowly so we can keep up."
Mei stood at the front of the line. Her cheeks felt hot. She walked down the hall, past the library, and around the corner. When she looked back, the whole class was right behind her in a neat line.
At lunch, Mr. Vega gave Mei a sticker. "Best line leader all week," he said. Mei sat up a little taller.
The question
Choose the best answer.
How does Mei feel at the start of the story?
- Excited to go first
- Nervous about leading the lineCorrect answer
- Angry at Tomas
- Too tired to walk
Why “Nervous about leading the line” is correct
The story shows Mei's feeling instead of naming it: she likes the back of the line where nobody looks at her, and she whispers that she does not want to be first. A feelings question at this grade asks the reader to put clues like these together. Ask your child why someone might want to stand where nobody looks at them.
Why the other answers are wrong
- Excited to go first — Mei says, "I don't want to be first," which is the opposite of excited.
- Angry at Tomas — Mei talks quietly to Tomas as a friend. Nothing shows she is angry with him.
- Too tired to walk — Nothing in the story says Mei is tired. She is worried about being in front.
Practice more of this
More reading 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.