Session 2: Listening Section
Answer Key

Directions:  In this part of the test, you are going to listen to a story called " The Good Seed ." Then you will answer some questions about the story.
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You will listen to the story twice. The first time you hear the story, listen carefully but do not take notes.  As you listen to the story the second time, you may use the space below for your notes.  You may use your notes to help you answer the questions that follow.

Notes
Your notes might look like this!

Character:   Ping,  Father, The Emperor
Setting:  Long Ago in China
Problem:  

-Ping wanted to grow a beautiful plant
from the Emperor's seeds.
-Ping couldn't get a beautiful plant to grow and was very upset. 
-He tried hard to make the seeds grow.
 
Solution:  

-Ping went to the Emperor with the empty pot and told the truth.
-Everyone else pretended to grow a plant and lied to the Emperor. 
-Ping was chosen to be the new Emperor because he was brave enough to tell the truth.

 
Lesson:  

-It is always better to tell the truth.
-Always try your hardest.

 

Explain what these two lines from the story mean.

Line From the Story Meaning

     Ping's father said, "You did
     your best and your best is
      good enough."      

Ping's father didn't want Ping to worry. His father knew he tried very hard to make the seeds grow. As long as he tried his hardest, it would be okay.
     Then he exclaimed, "I have
     found a person worthy of
     being Emperor!"     
The Emperor thought that Ping was worthy because he was brave enough to tell the truth about the flower seeds.

Explain why all the other children had beautiful flowers to show the Emperor.
Use details from the story in your answer.

 
All the other children had beautiful flowers to show the Emperor because they had switched the seeds.  The other children had the same problems as Ping but they were afraid to show the Emperor. So when the big day came, they put beautiful fake flowers in the pots. Even Ping's friend used a fake plant. No one wanted to admit to the Emperor that they could not grow a beautiful plant because they wanted to be chosen to be the next Emperor.

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