What should Amara do tonight?
Listen to a Classroom Conversation · ELPAC Grades 3–5 listening. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
A multiple-turn conversation between two speakers, followed by three questions.
Listen to the conversation between Mr. Salazar and Amara. Then answer the questions.
Amara's Animal Report
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Mr. Salazar: Amara, I read the first page of your animal report. You wrote about desert animals, but the assignment asked for one animal.
Amara: I know. I started with lizards, and then I found a lot about kangaroo rats, so I put both in.
Mr. Salazar: That is why the report feels crowded. When you write about two animals in two pages, you only have room for facts everyone already knows.
Amara: So should I take the lizards out?
Mr. Salazar: Pick the one you found the most surprising facts about, and rewrite the first paragraph tonight. Bring it to me tomorrow before we go to the computer lab.
The question
Choose the best answer.
What should Amara do tonight?
- Read her whole report aloud to the class
- Go to the computer lab and look for new sources
- Rewrite her first paragraph about a single animalCorrect answer
- Remove every fact about kangaroo rats
Why “Rewrite her first paragraph about a single animal” is correct
This tests listening for an instruction, which usually lands at the end of a classroom conversation. Mr. Salazar says, "Pick the one you found the most surprising facts about, and rewrite the first paragraph tonight." Two instructions are packed into one sentence, so a student has to hold both — choose one animal, and rewrite the opening.
Why the other answers are wrong
- Read her whole report aloud to the class — Reading to the class is never mentioned anywhere in the conversation.
- Go to the computer lab and look for new sources — The computer lab is where the class goes tomorrow, after she brings the paragraph back.
- Remove every fact about kangaroo rats — He tells her to keep whichever animal has the best facts, which could well be the kangaroo rats.
Practice more of this
More listening practice for Grades 3–5, or see the ELPAC practice test for grades 3–5. 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.