How does Imani respond when Grant says the custodians already have enough work?
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 Grant and Imani. Then answer the questions.
Compost in the Cafeteria
Press play to listen. You can pause, rewind, and replay as often as you like.
Show transcript
Grant: Imani, I heard you're going to the student council meeting to talk about composting in the cafeteria.
Imani: I am. I think we should put compost bins next to the trash cans at lunch.
Grant: Why? Isn't the food going to rot anyway?
Imani: It rots either way, but where it rots matters. Buried in a landfill, food breaks down without air and gives off methane, a gas that traps heat in the atmosphere. In a compost bin, it turns into soil.
Grant: Okay, but who's going to deal with the bins? The custodians already have enough work.
Imani: That's the strongest argument against it, and I'm not going to pretend it isn't. So in my plan, the environmental club empties the bins and carries them to the school garden every afternoon. No extra work for the custodians.
Grant: Does the garden even need that much compost?
Imani: Our garden teacher buys bags of soil every spring. And when our club weighed the food thrown away at lunch for one week, it came to more than two hundred pounds. We are paying for soil while we throw away what makes it.
Grant: Fine. You've convinced me. Mostly.
The question
Choose the best answer.
How does Imani respond when Grant says the custodians already have enough work?
- She says the custodians will be paid extra to empty the bins.
- She says the bins will hardly ever need to be emptied.
- She says the problem does not matter compared with methane.
- She agrees it is a real concern and gives the job to the environmental club.Correct answer
Why “She agrees it is a real concern and gives the job to the environmental club.” is correct
This tests how a speaker handles an objection, which is the core skill of this task type. Imani calls Grant's point "the strongest argument against it" and then answers it with a specific plan: the environmental club empties the bins every afternoon, so the custodians get no extra work. Granting a point and then answering it is a stronger move than dismissing it.
Why the other answers are wrong
- She says the custodians will be paid extra to empty the bins. — Pay is never mentioned; her plan keeps the custodians out of it altogether.
- She says the bins will hardly ever need to be emptied. — She says the club empties the bins every afternoon, so they are emptied often.
- She says the problem does not matter compared with methane. — She takes the concern seriously instead of brushing it aside.
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.