According to Imani, when is the best time to see poppies with their petals open?

Listen to an Oral Presentation · ELPAC Grades 3–5 listening. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.

A presentation on an academic topic, followed by three or four questions.

Listen to Imani give her report to the class. Then answer the questions.

Poppies That Close

Listen to Poppies That Close0:45

Press play to listen. You can pause, rewind, and replay as often as you like.

Show transcript

Imani: Hello, everyone. My name is Imani, and my report is about the California poppy, our state flower.

Imani: If you walk past a field of poppies in the evening, you might think the flowers are gone. They are still there, but their orange petals are folded up tight, like a closed umbrella.

Imani: Poppies close at night, and they also close on cold, cloudy days. Scientists think this helps keep the pollen inside the flower dry and safe.

Imani: When the sun comes out and the air warms up, the petals open again. That is also when bees are out flying, so the open flower is ready for visitors. If you want to see poppies at their best, go on a sunny afternoon.

The question

Choose the best answer.

According to Imani, when is the best time to see poppies with their petals open?

Late in the evening
On a sunny afternoonCorrect answer
On a cold, cloudy morning
Right after a rainstorm

Why “On a sunny afternoon” is correct

This is a supporting-detail question, and Imani states the answer in her last sentence: "If you want to see poppies at their best, go on a sunny afternoon." Two wrong choices describe the times when she says the flowers close, so a student has to keep "open" and "closed" straight.

Why the other answers are wrong

Late in the evening — Imani says that in the evening the petals are folded up tight.
On a cold, cloudy morning — She says poppies close on cold, cloudy days.
Right after a rainstorm — Rain is not mentioned in the report, and wet weather would not match the sunny weather she describes.

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.