TELPAS Listening and Speaking, Grades 9–12 Practice Tests

Part 1 — Listen and Choose

Listen to the description. Then choose the correct picture.

1. Which picture shows what the speaker describes?

Part 2 — Listen and Choose

Listen to the description. Then choose the correct picture.

1. Which picture shows what the speaker describes?

Part 3 — A Conversation: Megan’s Big Question

Listen to the conversation. You may listen again. Then answer the questions.

1. Why does Megan want to get a job? (A) to spend more time with Chloe (B) to pay for her swim team costs (C) to save money for a car (D) to learn how to stock shelves
2. Megan says she has wanted to “bring it up” all week. What does “bring it up” mean? (A) to start talking about a subject (B) to carry something up the stairs (C) to raise a grade in a class (D) to wake someone up early
3. Why is Megan’s mother worried at first? (A) She thinks the grocery store is too far away. (B) She thinks Chloe is not a good friend for Megan. (C) She thinks a job may make Megan’s grades drop. (D) She thinks Megan is too young to have a job.
4. What does Megan say she will do during her free period at school? (A) study instead of talking with friends (B) work a few extra hours at the grocery store (C) practice for her next swim meet (D) call the manager about her shifts
5. Why does Megan say that getting a car by summer might be “a long shot”? (A) She has not found a car that she really likes yet. (B) Her parents have said she can never buy a car. (C) She thinks the store will not hire her in time. (D) She will earn money more slowly on weekends only.
6. Which sentence best tells how Megan and her mother solve their problem? (A) They decide that Megan should quit swimming so she has time for work. (B) They agree that Megan should wait until summer vacation before she looks for a job. (C) They agree that Megan can work weekends for now if her grades stay strong. (D) They decide that Megan will borrow her dad’s truck instead of working.

Part 7 — Listen and Choose

Listen to the description. Then choose the correct picture.

1. Which picture shows what the speaker describes?

Part 8 — A Talk: Harvesting the Wind in West Texas

Listen to the talk. You may listen again. Then answer the questions.

1. What is this section mostly about? (A) why engineers like working in Texas (B) how the sun’s heat causes wind (C) how solar panels collect sunlight (D) why wind turbines are painted white
2. What happens when wind flows over the turbine blades? (A) It heats the blades so that they grow longer. (B) It creates lift that makes the blades spin. (C) It pushes the tower slowly across the ground. (D) It cools the magnets inside the gearbox.
3. According to the talk, what is the nacelle? (A) the steel base that keeps the tower in the ground (B) a sensor that measures how fast the blades turn (C) the large box at the top that holds the machinery (D) a power line that carries electricity to cities
4. Why do many ranchers agree to have wind turbines on their land? (A) The turbines give shade to their cattle in summer. (B) They earn money and can still use most of the land. (C) The turbines pump water to their cotton fields. (D) A state law says every ranch must have one.
5. What is the speaker’s main purpose in this talk? (A) to persuade listeners to become engineers at a wind farm in West Texas (B) to compare the cost of wind power and solar power (C) to explain how turbines make power and why West Texas suits them (D) to warn listeners about the dangers of very strong winds

Part 11 — Listen and Choose

Listen to the description. Then choose the correct picture.

1. Which picture shows what the speaker describes?

Part 12 — Look, Listen and Choose

Look at the picture. Listen to the sentences. Then choose the sentence that matches the picture.

1. Which sentence best matches the picture? (A) A boy is playing the drums while a girl claps her hands. (B) A boy is playing the guitar while a girl claps her hands. (C) A boy is playing the guitar while a girl sings into a microphone. (D) A girl is playing the guitar while a boy claps his hands.

Part 13 — A Talk: Route 66, the Mother Road

Listen to the talk. You may listen again. Then answer the questions.

1. According to the speaker, why was driving long distances difficult in the early 1900s? (A) Gas stations were not allowed on most roads. (B) Cars were too slow to drive up steep hills. (C) Many roads were dirt and turned to mud in the rain. (D) Drivers needed a different license in every state they crossed.
2. Which Texas city did Route 66 pass through? (A) Amarillo (B) Houston (C) El Paso (D) San Antonio
3. The speaker says the road was a “lifeline” for many small towns. What does this mean? (A) The road brought the travelers and money the towns needed. (B) The road was a long line where people waited in order to get help. (C) The road was used to rescue drivers who were lost. (D) The road divided each town into two separate parts.
4. Why did many families drive west on Route 66 in the 1930s? (A) They wanted to see the bright neon signs. (B) They were going on summer vacations. (C) They wanted to meet the writer John Steinbeck. (D) They hoped to find work in California.
5. Which sentence best describes how the speaker feels about Route 66? (A) He thinks the old road should be removed completely. (B) He admires the road and is glad people still protect it. (C) He believes the road was never important to small towns. (D) He feels the road is interesting only to truck drivers.

Part 16 — Listen and Choose

Listen to the description. Then choose the TWO correct pictures.

1. Which TWO pictures show what the speaker describes?

Part 17 — Listen and Choose

Listen to the description. Then choose the correct picture.

1. Which picture shows what the speaker describes?

Part 18 — A Talk: Why Teenagers Stay Up Late

Listen to the talk. You may listen again. Then answer the questions.

1. According to the speaker, what is melatonin? (A) a part of the brain that stores memories (B) a kind of light that comes from screens (C) a hormone that helps a person feel sleepy (D) a clock that wakes people in the morning
2. What does the speaker mean by “sleep debt”? (A) sleep a person has missed over many nights (B) money that people borrow to buy a new bed (C) the feeling of being too awake at night (D) the time a person spends dreaming each night
3. Why does the speaker suggest putting phones away before bed? (A) Phone alarms are too loud in the morning. (B) Texting friends makes people feel irritable. (C) Phones make it harder to keep a weekend schedule. (D) Light from screens can delay melatonin even more.
4. Which sentence best summarizes the talk? (A) Teens’ body clocks shift later, so good habits help them get enough sleep. (B) Teens should sleep late on weekends to make up for school nights. (C) Teens feel sleepy early in the evening because they eat large, late dinners. (D) Teens need less sleep than children because their brains are grown.

Part 4 — Speaking: Explain the Conversation

1. Explain what problem Megan and her mother had at the beginning of the conversation and how they solved it by the end.

Part 5 — Speaking: Ask a Question

1. Look at the picture. The girl wants to get a job at this store. What question could she ask the manager?

Part 6 — Speaking: Give Your Opinion

1. Some people think every high school student should have to complete community service hours, like helping at an animal shelter or cleaning up a park, before they can graduate. Do you agree or disagree? Explain why.

Part 9 — Speaking: Tell What You Learned

1. Tell what you learned about wind power in West Texas. Be sure to talk about —

Part 10 — Speaking: Tell About a Time

1. Tell about a time when you learned to do something that was difficult at first. Be sure to tell —

Part 14 — Speaking: Tell What You Learned

1. Tell what you learned about Route 66. Be sure to talk about —

Part 15 — Speaking: Make a Choice

1. Would you rather travel across the United States by car on a road trip or by train? Tell which you would choose and explain why.

Part 19 — Speaking: Tell What You Learned

1. Tell what you learned about sleep and the teenage brain. Be sure to talk about —

Part 20 — Speaking: Compare Two Pictures

1. First, describe these two pictures. Next, tell all the ways the pictures are similar. Then, tell all the ways the pictures are different.

Part 21 — Speaking: What Would You Say?

1. Look at the picture. The boy is new at your school, and he is looking for a place to sit at lunch. What could you say to invite him to sit with you?