Kayla says the office can pass a message along, but that it is slower. Why does she bring this up?
Listen to a Speaker Support an Opinion · ELPAC Grades 6–8 listening. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
An extended conversation in which one classmate argues for an opinion, followed by four questions.
Listen to the conversation between Luis and Kayla. Then answer the questions.
Phones in the Lockers
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Show transcript
Luis: Kayla, did you see the notice about the phone lockers? Every phone goes in a locker from the first bell until lunch.
Kayla: I saw it, and I think the school should do it.
Luis: You? You are on your phone more than anybody.
Kayla: That is why I believe it. Mr. Ellis put our phones in a box for two weeks, just in his class. I finished the reading during class every single day. I had not done that all year.
Luis: One class for two weeks is not proof of anything.
Kayla: By itself, no. But he asked us afterward, and almost two thirds of the class said they got more done. That is worth something.
Luis: What if my mom needs to reach me during third period?
Kayla: That part is fair, and the school has not answered it. The office can pass a message along, but it is slower, and somebody should say so before the rule starts.
Luis: So you want the rule, and you want that fixed.
Kayla: Both. I would rather argue for a good version of the rule than pretend I get more done with my phone in my pocket.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Kayla says the office can pass a message along, but that it is slower. Why does she bring this up?
- To show that the trial in Mr. Ellis's class did not really work.
- To explain why she uses her phone more than other students do.
- To argue that the rule should begin after lunch instead.
- To admit a real weakness in the rule she supports and say it should be dealt with first.Correct answer
Why “To admit a real weakness in the rule she supports and say it should be dealt with first.” is correct
This tests how an argument is built rather than what it concludes, which is the harder half of this task type. Kayla raises the message problem against her own position, grants that Luis's worry is fair, and asks the school to answer it before the rule starts. Recognizing a concession as part of an argument, rather than as a change of mind, is the skill being checked.
Why the other answers are wrong
- To show that the trial in Mr. Ellis's class did not really work. — She offers the trial as her strongest evidence and never walks it back.
- To explain why she uses her phone more than other students do. — Luis is the one who raises her phone use, and she turns it into a reason to trust her own experience.
- To argue that the rule should begin after lunch instead. — No alternative schedule is proposed by either speaker.
Practice more of this
More listening practice for Grades 6–8, or see the ELPAC practice test for grades 6–8. 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.