What is the main point of the presentation? (Electricity at Sunset)
Listen to an Oral Presentation · ELPAC Grades 9–10 listening. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
A presentation on an academic topic, followed by three or four questions.
Listen to the student presentation. Then answer the questions.
Electricity at Sunset
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Show transcript
Good afternoon. My presentation is about why California asks people to shift electricity use toward the middle of the day.
Solar panels across the state produce the most power between about ten in the morning and three in the afternoon. During those hours there is often more power available than the state can use, and some of it is sold cheaply to other states.
The problem arrives at sunset. Solar output falls to nothing within about an hour, and that is the same hour when people come home, turn on lights, cook dinner and plug in their cars. Demand climbs at the exact moment supply drops.
To close that gap, the state depends on large batteries charged earlier in the day, and on prices that make electricity cost more between four and nine in the evening.
So the simplest thing a household can do is run the dishwasher and the laundry before four o'clock instead of after dinner.
The question
Choose the best answer.
What is the main point of the presentation?
- California produces more solar electricity than any other state.
- Large batteries are the only way to store electricity from solar panels.
- Electricity is plentiful at midday and scarce at sunset, so households should use it earlier.Correct answer
- Electricity prices in California are higher than they ought to be.
Why “Electricity is plentiful at midday and scarce at sunset, so households should use it earlier.” is correct
Main-idea questions ask which statement the whole talk exists to support. The speaker announces the purpose in the first line, spends the middle explaining the midday surplus and the sunset shortage, and closes with the advice that follows from it. A useful test is whether a choice covers both the explanation and the recommendation, or only one sentence of the talk.
Why the other answers are wrong
- California produces more solar electricity than any other state. — The talk describes solar output across the day and never compares California with other states.
- Large batteries are the only way to store electricity from solar panels. — Batteries are one of two tools mentioned, alongside evening pricing, and are not called the only option.
- Electricity prices in California are higher than they ought to be. — Higher evening prices are described as a deliberate tool, not criticized as unfair.
Practice more of this
More listening practice for Grades 9–10, or see the ELPAC practice test for grades 9–10. 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.