ELPAC Practice

According to the notice, what must happen?

Read a Short Informational Passage · ELPAC Grades 9–10 reading. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.

A brief factual text — a notice, a label, a set of instructions — followed by questions.

Read the notice. Then answer the questions.

Borrowing a Laptop from the Library

Library card holders aged fourteen and older may borrow a laptop for up to three weeks. Borrowers under eighteen need a parent or guardian to sign the lending agreement in person the first time; after that, the student may check out laptops alone. There is no charge for borrowing, and a laptop may be renewed once if no one is waiting for it. Laptops must be returned to the service desk, not to the outdoor book drop, because the drop can crack the screen. Every laptop erases all saved files as soon as it is checked back in, so save your work to a USB drive or an online account before you return it. A laptop that is still out one week after its due date is reported as lost, and the borrower's card is blocked until the laptop is returned or replaced.

The question

Choose the best answer.

A fifteen-year-old with a library card wants to borrow a laptop for the first time. According to the notice, what must happen?

  • The student must wait until turning eighteen.
  • A parent or guardian must sign the lending agreement in person.Correct answer
  • The student must pay a fee before taking the laptop home.
  • The student must bring a USB drive to the service desk.

Why “A parent or guardian must sign the lending agreement in person.” is correct

This tests applying a rule to a specific person, which means checking every condition in the notice against the case. A fifteen-year-old meets the age limit of fourteen but is under eighteen, and the notice requires a parent or guardian to sign in person the first time. The words 'the first time' matter too: they explain why the rule does not apply forever.

Why the other answers are wrong

  • The student must wait until turning eighteen. — Eighteen is the age at which a parent no longer has to sign; the minimum age to borrow is fourteen.
  • The student must pay a fee before taking the laptop home. — The notice says plainly that there is no charge for borrowing.
  • The student must bring a USB drive to the service desk. — A USB drive is suggested for saving work before a laptop is returned, not required to borrow one.

Practice more of this

More reading 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.