Why does Dana think her experiment did not work?
Listen to a Classroom Conversation · ELPAC Grades 6–8 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 Dana and Mr. Salazar. Then answer the questions.
When the Hypothesis Is Wrong
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Dana: Mr. Salazar, our plant experiment didn't work. We thought the plants under the blue light would grow the tallest, but the ones under the white light did.
Mr. Salazar: That doesn't mean it didn't work. It means your hypothesis wasn't supported. That's a result, and it's worth reporting.
Dana: But won't I lose points for being wrong?
Mr. Salazar: Not for being wrong. You lose points if your conclusion ignores your data. Scientists are wrong all the time. The useful ones explain what they found.
Dana: So should I change my hypothesis so it matches what happened?
Mr. Salazar: No. Leave it exactly the way you wrote it. In your conclusion, say what you predicted, what actually happened, and one reason the results might have turned out that way. Then suggest what you would test next.
Dana: Like checking whether the white lamp was brighter than the blue one?
Mr. Salazar: That's exactly the kind of thing I mean.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Why does Dana think her experiment did not work?
- Her plants died before the experiment was over.
- She forgot to measure the plants under the white light.
- Mr. Salazar told her the experiment was set up wrong.
- The plants under the white light grew tallest, not the ones under the blue light.Correct answer
Why “The plants under the white light grew tallest, not the ones under the blue light.” is correct
This tests the opening detail of the conversation, which sets up everything after it. Dana predicted the plants under the blue light would grow tallest, "but the ones under the white light did". The rest of the conversation depends on understanding that her result was real but did not match her prediction.
Why the other answers are wrong
- Her plants died before the experiment was over. — Nothing is said about plants dying; some grew taller than others.
- She forgot to measure the plants under the white light. — She knows the white-light plants grew tallest, so she did measure them.
- Mr. Salazar told her the experiment was set up wrong. — Mr. Salazar says the opposite: that the experiment produced a result worth reporting.
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.