SSAT Reading Practice Worksheet - 3

Read each passage carefully and then answer the questions about it. For each question, decide on the basis of the passage which one of the choices best answers the question.

Passage 1

The following passage is adapted from a work of narrative fiction.

    The afternoon sun slanted through the tall windows of the conservatory, illuminating dust motes that drifted like tiny planets in their own slow orbits. Celeste sat at the piano, her fingers resting on the ivory keys without pressing them. She had not played (5) in three months, not since the telegram arrived from Paris with news of her brother’s death. The piano had been his gift to her on her sixteenth birthday, selected during one of his rare visits home from the continent, and now it seemed to her a monument rather than an instrument.     Her mother had been (10) urging her to resume her practice, insisting that music would provide solace, but Celeste found the suggestion almost offensive. How could her mother imagine that Mozart or Chopin could fill the void left by Julian’s absence? Still, she had come to the conservatory this afternoon, driven by (15) something she could not name – not duty, not grief exactly, but perhaps the faint hope that her fingers might remember what her heart had forgotten.     She pressed down on middle C, and the single note rang out clear and true. It hung in the air, neither sad nor joyful, (20) simply present. Celeste closed her eyes and let her hands find the opening measures of the Prelude in D Minor, the piece Julian had loved best.

1. The passage is narrated from which point of view?

1. First person, from Celeste’s perspective
2. Second person, addressing the reader directly
3. Third person limited, focused on Celeste’s thoughts and feelings
4. Third person omniscient, revealing all characters’ inner lives
5. First person, from the mother’s perspective

2. According to the passage, Celeste has not played the piano because

1. the instrument was damaged during her brother’s absence
2. her mother forbade her from playing after receiving bad news
3. she has been mourning her brother’s death
4. she lost interest in music after her sixteenth birthday
5. she found the conservatory too dusty and neglected

3. As used in line 7, the word “monument” most nearly means

1. sculpture
2. memorial
3. achievement
4. building
5. decoration

4. The passage suggests that Celeste’s mother believes that

1. Celeste should sell the piano and buy a new one
2. grief should be expressed through silence and stillness
3. playing music could help Celeste heal emotionally
4. Julian would have wanted Celeste to stop playing
5. three months is too soon to resume normal activities

5. The description of dust motes as “tiny planets in their own slow orbits” (lines 3-4) primarily serves to

1. establish the scientific interests of the narrator
2. suggest the passage of time and Celeste’s sense of isolation
3. indicate that the conservatory has not been cleaned properly
4. foreshadow Celeste’s eventual decision to study astronomy
5. contrast the beauty of nature with the ugliness of grief

6. It can be inferred from the passage that Julian

1. was an accomplished pianist who taught Celeste to play
2. spent considerable time away from home before his death
3. died in a accident while visiting the conservatory
4. disapproved of his mother’s approach to mourning
5. purchased the piano without consulting Celeste’s preferences

7. The tone of the final paragraph (lines 18-20) can best be described as

1. triumphant and celebratory
2. bitter and resentful
3. cautiously hopeful
4. darkly humorous
5. coldly analytical

Passage 2

The following passage is adapted from an article about cognitive psychology.

    For decades, psychologists believed that human memory operated much like a video recorder, faithfully preserving experiences that could be replayed with reasonable accuracy. This model has been thoroughly dismantled by research showing that memory is reconstructive rather than reproductive. Each time we recall (5) an event, we do not merely retrieve a stored file; instead, we actively rebuild the memory from fragments, filling gaps with inferences, expectations, and details from other experiences.     Elizabeth Loftus’s pioneering experiments in the 1970s demonstrated how easily memories could be altered through suggestion. In one study, participants watched footage (10) of a traffic accident and were then asked either “How fast were the cars going when they hit each other?” or “How fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other?” Those who heard the word “smashed” not only estimated higher speeds but were also more likely to (15) report seeing broken glass in the footage – even though no broken glass appeared. The language used in questioning had literally rewritten their visual memories.     This reconstructive nature has profound implications for eyewitness testimony in legal proceedings. Studies indicate that confident witnesses are no more accurate than (20) hesitant ones, yet juries tend to find confidence persuasive. Moreover, repeated questioning, suggestive interview techniques, and exposure to information after an event can all contaminate memories without the witness’s awareness.

8. The primary purpose of this passage is to

1. describe Elizabeth Loftus’s entire career in psychology
2. argue for the elimination of eyewitness testimony in trials
3. explain how human memory reconstructs rather than reproduces experiences
4. compare video recording technology with human brain function
5. criticize juries for being unable to assess witness credibility

9. According to the passage, the earlier model of human memory suggested that it

1. was reconstructive and changed with each recall
2. functioned like a video recorder preserving experiences accurately
3. could be easily altered through questioning techniques
4. was unreliable for eyewitness testimony purposes
5. operated differently in confident versus hesitant individuals

10. As used in line 6, the word “fragments” most nearly means

1. broken pieces
2. incomplete portions
3. destroyed evidence
4. glass shards
5. video recordings

11. In Loftus’s experiment, participants who heard the word “smashed”

1. refused to estimate the speed of the vehicles
2. were shown different footage than the other group
3. estimated lower speeds than those who heard “hit”
4. were more likely to falsely remember seeing broken glass
5. had actually witnessed a real traffic accident

12. The passage suggests that jurors

1. are trained to ignore confident witnesses
2. tend to be persuaded by a witness’s confidence level
3. always reject eyewitness testimony as unreliable
4. can accurately determine which memories have been contaminated
5. prefer hesitant witnesses to confident ones

13. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as a factor that can alter memories?

1. The language used when asking questions
2. Information encountered after the original event
3. Suggestive interview techniques
4. The emotional state of the person during recall
5. Repeated questioning about the event

14. The author’s statement that confident witnesses are “no more accurate than hesitant ones” (lines 19-20) serves to

1. contradict the common assumption that confidence indicates accuracy
2. prove that all eyewitness testimony should be dismissed
3. suggest that hesitant witnesses are always wrong
4. explain why Elizabeth Loftus conducted her experiments
5. demonstrate that memory works like a video recorder

Passage 3

The following is excerpted from Chief Joseph’s surrender speech, delivered in 1877 in the Bear Paw Mountains of Montana.

    Tell General Howard I know his heart. What he told me before, I have it in my heart. I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed; Looking Glass is dead, Too-hul-hul-sote is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who (5) say yes or no. He who led on the young men is dead. It is cold, and we have no blankets; the little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are – perhaps (10) freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children, and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands (15) I will fight no more forever.

15. The primary purpose of Chief Joseph’s speech is to

1. declare his unconditional surrender and end the fighting
2. negotiate better terms for a peace treaty
3. celebrate the victories his people have achieved
4. request reinforcements from neighboring tribes
5. challenge General Howard to single combat

16. According to the passage, Chief Joseph wants time to

1. plan a new military strategy against the army
2. search for his children who may be lost or dead
3. bury the chiefs who died in battle
4. gather blankets and food for the winter
5. negotiate with General Howard in person

17. As used in line 2, the phrase “I have it in my heart” most nearly means

1. I feel emotional pain
2. I remember and believe it
3. I have suffered a heart attack
4. I am deeply offended
5. I disagree strongly

18. The tone of the speech can best be described as

1. defiant and aggressive
2. weary and mournful
3. optimistic and cheerful
4. sarcastic and bitter
5. indifferent and detached

19. Chief Joseph mentions that “the old men are all dead” (line 4) in order to

1. explain why young men now make decisions for the tribe
2. blame General Howard for killing tribal elders
3. suggest that the tribe has no leadership remaining
4. indicate his own advanced age and poor health
5. prove that the battle was unfair from the beginning

20. It can be inferred from the speech that Chief Joseph’s people are suffering from

1. disease and contaminated water
2. internal conflicts about whether to surrender
3. cold weather, lack of supplies, and separation from family
4. betrayal by General Howard and broken promises
5. attacks from multiple enemy tribes

■ ■ ■   STOP   ■ ■ ■

IF YOU FINISH BEFORE TIME IS CALLED, YOU MAY CHECK YOUR WORK ON THIS SECTION ONLY. DO NOT TURN TO ANY OTHER SECTION OF THE TEST.

Answer Key

1. Ans: (C) – Third person limited, focused on Celeste’s thoughts and feelings
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The passage uses third-person pronouns (“she,” “her”) and reveals only Celeste’s inner thoughts and feelings, such as “it seemed to her a monument” (line 7) and “she could not name” (line 14), which is characteristic of third-person limited narration. Choice (A) is incorrect because the passage uses third-person pronouns, not first-person “I” or “me.” Choice (D) is incorrect because the passage does not reveal the mother’s inner thoughts, only Celeste’s interpretation of her mother’s suggestions.

2. Ans: (C) – she has been mourning her brother’s death
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states that Celeste “had not played in three months, not since the telegram arrived from Paris with news of her brother’s death” (lines 4-6). Choice (A) is incorrect because there is no mention of the piano being damaged. Choice (D) is incorrect because the piano was given to her on her sixteenth birthday as a gift from Julian, and her avoidance began only after his death, not after the birthday itself.

3. Ans: (B) – memorial
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 7, Celeste views the piano as “a monument rather than an instrument,” meaning she sees it as something that commemorates or memorializes her deceased brother rather than as a functional musical tool. Choice (A) is incorrect because while a monument can be a sculpture, the context here emphasizes remembrance, not physical form. Choice (C) is incorrect because “achievement” does not capture the commemorative meaning intended in the passage.

4. Ans: (C) – playing music could help Celeste heal emotionally
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage states that Celeste’s mother “had been urging her to resume her practice, insisting that music would provide solace” (lines 9-11), indicating the mother believes music can offer comfort and emotional healing. Choice (B) is incorrect because it reverses the mother’s actual belief; the mother encourages music, not silence. Choice (E) is incorrect because the mother is urging Celeste to play now, after three months, suggesting she does not think it is too soon.

5. Ans: (B) – suggest the passage of time and Celeste’s sense of isolation
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The image of dust motes drifting “like tiny planets in their own slow orbits” (lines 3-4) evokes a sense of stillness, suspended time, and lonely isolation that mirrors Celeste’s emotional state in the conservatory. Choice (D) is incorrect because there is no indication anywhere in the passage that Celeste will study astronomy; this is an unsupported inference. Choice (A) is incorrect because the metaphor serves a literary, emotional purpose rather than establishing scientific interests.

6. Ans: (B) – spent considerable time away from home before his death
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage mentions that the piano was “selected during one of his rare visits home from the continent” (lines 6-7) and that the telegram with news of his death came “from Paris” (line 5), both indicating Julian was frequently away from home. Choice (A) is incorrect because there is no evidence Julian was a pianist or taught Celeste. Choice (C) is incorrect because Julian died in Paris, not at the conservatory.

7. Ans: (C) – cautiously hopeful
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The final paragraph (lines 18-20) describes the note as “neither sad nor joyful, simply present,” and shows Celeste beginning to play “the piece Julian had loved best,” suggesting a tentative, careful movement toward healing and reconnection. Choice (A) is incorrect because the tone is restrained and tentative, not triumphant or celebratory. Choice (B) is incorrect because there is no bitterness or resentment expressed in these lines.

8. Ans: (C) – explain how human memory reconstructs rather than reproduces experiences
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage focuses on the central concept that memory is “reconstructive rather than reproductive” (line 4) and provides evidence from Loftus’s research to support this claim. Choice (B) is incorrect because the passage discusses implications for eyewitness testimony but does not argue for its elimination. Choice (D) is incorrect because the video recorder comparison is mentioned only as an outdated model that has been “thoroughly dismantled” (line 3), not as the main focus.

9. Ans: (B) – functioned like a video recorder preserving experiences accurately
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states that “psychologists believed that human memory operated much like a video recorder, faithfully preserving experiences that could be replayed with reasonable accuracy” (lines 1-3). Choice (A) is incorrect because it describes the current understanding, not the earlier model. Choice (C) is incorrect because the earlier model assumed accuracy, not easy alteration.

10. Ans: (B) – incomplete portions
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 6, the passage describes memory as being “actively rebuilt” from “fragments,” meaning incomplete pieces of information that must be supplemented with inferences and expectations. Choice (A) is incorrect because while “broken pieces” is a literal definition of fragments, “incomplete portions” better captures the cognitive context of partial memories. Choice (D) is incorrect because although broken glass is mentioned later in the passage, “fragments” here refers to memory elements, not physical objects.

11. Ans: (D) – were more likely to falsely remember seeing broken glass
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states that those who heard “smashed” “were also more likely to report seeing broken glass in the footage – even though no broken glass appeared” (lines 14-16). Choice (C) is incorrect because it reverses what happened; participants who heard “smashed” estimated higher speeds, not lower. Choice (B) is incorrect because both groups watched the same footage.

12. Ans: (B) – tend to be persuaded by a witness’s confidence level
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage states that “confident witnesses are no more accurate than hesitant ones, yet juries tend to find confidence persuasive” (lines 19-21), indicating jurors are influenced by confidence despite its lack of correlation with accuracy. Choice (A) is incorrect because it contradicts the passage; jurors are persuaded by confidence, not trained to ignore it. Choice (E) is incorrect because it reverses the stated preference.

13. Ans: (D) – The emotional state of the person during recall
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage mentions “the language used in questioning” (line 16), “repeated questioning, suggestive interview techniques, and exposure to information after an event” (lines 21-22) as factors that can alter memory, but does not mention emotional state. Choice (A) is incorrect because language in questioning is explicitly discussed in Loftus’s experiment (lines 10-16). Choice (B) is incorrect because “exposure to information after an event” is mentioned in lines 22-23.

14. Ans: (A) – contradict the common assumption that confidence indicates accuracy
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. By stating that confident witnesses are “no more accurate than hesitant ones, yet juries tend to find confidence persuasive” (lines 19-21), the author highlights the disconnect between the common belief and the research findings. Choice (B) is incorrect because the passage discusses problems with eyewitness testimony but does not argue it should all be dismissed. Choice (E) is incorrect because this statement actually contradicts the video recorder model of memory.

15. Ans: (A) – declare his unconditional surrender and end the fighting
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. Chief Joseph’s speech culminates in the declaration “From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever” (lines 14-15), clearly indicating his surrender and intention to end hostilities. Choice (B) is incorrect because he is not negotiating terms; he is announcing his decision to stop fighting. Choice (D) is incorrect because he mentions his chiefs are dead and makes no request for reinforcements.

16. Ans: (B) – search for his children who may be lost or dead
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Chief Joseph explicitly states, “I want to have time to look for my children, and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead” (lines 10-12). Choice (A) is incorrect because he has declared he will fight no more, not plan new strategy. Choice (D) is incorrect because while he mentions the lack of blankets and food, his stated desire for time is specifically to search for his children.

17. Ans: (B) – I remember and believe it
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. When Chief Joseph says “What he told me before, I have it in my heart” (lines 1-2), he means he remembers and holds onto General Howard’s previous words, keeping them as truth. Choice (A) is incorrect because the phrase refers to remembering words, not experiencing physical or emotional pain. Choice (E) is incorrect because the phrase indicates acceptance and remembrance, not disagreement.

18. Ans: (B) – weary and mournful
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The speech repeatedly emphasizes exhaustion and grief: “I am tired of fighting,” “I am tired; my heart is sick and sad” (lines 3, 13-14), and catalogs the dead chiefs and suffering children, creating an overwhelmingly weary and sorrowful tone. Choice (A) is incorrect because Chief Joseph is surrendering, not being defiant or aggressive. Choice (C) is incorrect because the tone is somber and resigned, not optimistic.

19. Ans: (A) – explain why young men now make decisions for the tribe
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. Chief Joseph states “The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say yes or no” (lines 4-5), directly connecting the death of the elders to the shift in decision-making authority to younger men. Choice (C) is incorrect because Chief Joseph himself is speaking as a leader, so the tribe has not lost all leadership. Choice (D) is incorrect because there is no indication Chief Joseph is claiming to be old himself.

20. Ans: (C) – cold weather, lack of supplies, and separation from family
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Chief Joseph mentions “It is cold, and we have no blankets; the little children are freezing to death” (lines 6-7) and “My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food” (lines 7-9), indicating suffering from cold, lack of supplies, and scattered families. Choice (A) is incorrect because disease and contaminated water are not mentioned in the speech. Choice (E) is incorrect because there is no mention of attacks from other tribes; the conflict described is with the army.