Why could Ben not get the apples?
Listen to a Story · ELPAC Kindergarten listening. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
A multiple-turn conversation or narrative, followed by three questions.
Sit with your child. Play the story while your child listens. Then read each question and its three answers aloud. If your child looks lost, play the story again before you ask.
The Apple Tree
Press play to listen. You can pause, rewind, and replay as often as you like.
Show transcript
Ben went to his grandma's house. She had an apple tree in the yard. The apples were up high. Ben could not reach them. Grandma gave him a long stick. Ben shook a branch. Three apples fell on the grass. Ben and Grandma made apple cake.
The question
Read the question and the three answers aloud to your child.
Why could Ben not get the apples?
- They were up high.Correct answer
- The tree was wet.
- He was too tired.
Why “They were up high.” is correct
The reason is said plainly, but one sentence before the result, so your child has to join "the apples were up high" to "Ben could not reach them". Before you play the story, tell your child to listen for what Ben wanted — having a job makes a young listener far more accurate. Afterwards, ask them to show you with their arms how high the apples were; acting it out often gets the answer out of a child who cannot yet put it in words.
Why the other answers are wrong
- The tree was wet. — Nothing in the story is wet. Weather is a familiar reason for things going wrong, so children reach for it.
- He was too tired. — Ben is never described as tired. A child who picks this is inventing a reason rather than recalling one.
Practice more of this
More listening practice for Kindergarten, or see the ELPAC practice test for kindergarten. 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.