Practice Worksheet - 9

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 morning my father left for the oil fields of West Texas, I watched from the porch as his truck disappeared into a ribbon of dust along the county road. Mother stood beside me, her hand resting on my shoulder, neither of us speaking. It was 1955, and the drought had cracked our farm (5) into a thousand pieces like a dropped plate. The cotton had shriveled before it bloomed, and the cattle we hadn’t already sold stood gaunt and hollow-eyed near the dry stock tank.     Inside, Mother moved through the kitchen with a new efficiency, as if motion itself could fill the silence Father had left behind. She (10) set me to work inventorying the pantry, counting jars of tomatoes and beans we’d put up the previous summer, back when the rains still came. I called out numbers while she scratched them into a composition book, her pencil moving in quick, decisive strokes.     “Thirty-two quarts of green beans,” I said.     “We’ll (15) make them last,” she replied, not looking up.     That evening, she taught me how to check the henhouse for eggs in the failing light, how to scatter feed in a wide arc so the weaker birds wouldn’t go hungry. She showed me the trick of priming the pump when the water ran slow, working the handle in a (20) rhythm she said her own father had taught her as a girl in Oklahoma. For the first time, I understood that she had lived a whole life before I was born, before this farm, before Father—a life she was now retrieving piece by piece from memory, like tools from a shed.

1. The passage is primarily concerned with

1. a young person’s growing awareness of a parent’s resilience
2. the economic hardships caused by drought in rural America
3. the relationship between a father and child before a long separation
4. the daily routines of farm life in the 1950s
5. a mother’s struggle to maintain hope during difficult times

2. As used in line 7, the word “gaunt” most nearly means

1. angry
2. emaciated
3. restless
4. sickly
5. wild

3. The description of the mother’s pencil moving in “quick, decisive strokes” (line 12) suggests that she

1. is angry about her husband’s departure
2. has always been responsible for the farm’s record-keeping
3. is approaching her new responsibilities with determination
4. lacks confidence in her ability to manage alone
5. is trying to distract herself from worry

4. The narrator’s observation that the mother “had lived a whole life” before the narrator was born (lines 21-22) indicates

1. resentment toward the mother’s past
2. a new recognition of the mother as a complete person with her own history
3. confusion about the mother’s childhood in Oklahoma
4. regret that the family had moved to the farm
5. admiration for the mother’s farming skills

5. The simile comparing the cracked farm to “a dropped plate” (line 5) primarily emphasizes

1. the fragility of the family’s situation
2. the extent of the drought’s damage
3. the mother’s domestic concerns
4. the narrator’s youth and inexperience
5. the irreparable nature of the land’s condition

6. The passage suggests that before his father’s departure, the narrator

1. had been primarily responsible for feeding the chickens
2. had limited knowledge of essential farm tasks
3. frequently worked alongside his mother in the kitchen
4. had never been told about his mother’s childhood
5. understood the severity of the family’s financial difficulties

7. The overall tone of the passage can best be described as

1. bitter and resentful
2. nostalgic and uncertain
3. reflective and quietly admiring
4. anxious and fearful
5. detached and analytical

Passage 2

The following passage is adapted from an article about archaeological research.

The discovery of a Roman-era shipwreck off the coast of Antikythera in 1900 yielded an object so anomalous that it would take more than a century to understand its purpose. Among the amphorae and marble statues lay a corroded bronze mechanism of astonishing complexity: (5) a series of interlocking gears, inscriptions, and dials that appeared entirely inconsistent with the technological capabilities attributed to ancient Mediterranean civilizations. For decades, the Antikythera mechanism languished in museum storage, dismissed by some scholars as a medieval astrolabe that had somehow contaminated an ancient site.     Modern imaging technology has (10) revolutionized our understanding of this device. X-ray tomography revealed that the mechanism contained at least thirty bronze gears arranged in a configuration that tracked celestial movements with extraordinary precision. The device could predict solar eclipses, chart the positions of the five planets known to ancient astronomers, and model the elliptical orbit of the Moon—a level of (15) astronomical knowledge not generally associated with the Hellenistic period. Inscriptions on the mechanism reference the Corinthian calendar and the Olympic Games, suggesting it was manufactured somewhere in the Greek world, possibly Rhodes or Corinth, around 100 BCE.     The implications of the Antikythera mechanism extend far beyond its immediate function as an (20) astronomical calculator. It demonstrates that ancient engineers possessed sophisticated knowledge of differential gearing—a technology that would not reappear in European devices until the fourteenth century. This raises profound questions about the continuity of technological knowledge and what innovations may have been lost during periods of political upheaval and economic decline.

8. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. explain how X-ray tomography is used in archaeological research
2. describe a discovery that challenges assumptions about ancient technology
3. argue that ancient civilizations were more advanced than modern ones
4. chronicle the complete history of the Antikythera excavation
5. compare Greek and Roman contributions to astronomy

9. As used in line 3, the word “anomalous” most nearly means

1. valuable
2. irregular
3. ancient
4. mysterious
5. beautiful

10. According to the passage, some scholars initially believed the Antikythera mechanism was

1. a Roman navigation device
2. a medieval instrument that did not belong to the ancient wreck
3. a modern forgery planted at the site
4. a Greek calendar used to track the Olympic Games
5. an astronomical device from the fourteenth century

11. The passage indicates that the Antikythera mechanism could do all of the following EXCEPT

1. predict when solar eclipses would occur
2. track the movements of five planets
3. account for the Moon’s elliptical orbit
4. measure the distance between celestial bodies
5. function as an astronomical calculator

12. The author mentions “differential gearing” (line 22) primarily to

1. illustrate a specific technology that was lost and later rediscovered
2. explain how the mechanism predicted eclipses
3. prove that ancient Greeks invented the astrolabe
4. describe the function of X-ray tomography
5. argue that the mechanism was created in the fourteenth century

13. The passage suggests that the significance of the Antikythera mechanism lies in its

1. monetary value to museums and collectors
2. revelation of gaps in the historical record of technological development
3. confirmation of previously held beliefs about ancient astronomy
4. demonstration that ancient Greeks traveled extensively by sea
5. proof that medieval scholars studied ancient artifacts

14. The tone of the final paragraph can best be described as

1. celebratory and triumphant
2. skeptical and dismissive
3. contemplative and thought-provoking
4. urgent and alarmed
5. technical and impersonal

Passage 3

The following is excerpted from Chief Seattle’s reply to the U.S. government regarding the proposed purchase of Native American lands in the Pacific Northwest, delivered in 1854.

The Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. The Great Chief also sends us words of friendship and good will. This is kind of him, since we know he has little need of our friendship in return. But we will consider your offer, for we (5) know that if we do not sell, the white man may come with guns and take our land. How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them from us?     Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. (10) Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. The sap which courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man. The white man’s dead forget the country of their birth when they go to walk among the stars. Our dead (15) never forget this beautiful earth, for it is the mother of the red man. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters; the deer, the horse, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the juices in the meadows, the body heat of the pony, and man—all belong to the same family.     So, when the Great (20) Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land, he asks much of us.

15. The main purpose of Chief Seattle’s speech is to

1. accept the government’s offer with gratitude
2. express the fundamental difference between his people’s relationship to land and that of the white settlers
3. threaten military resistance if the land is taken by force
4. request a higher price for the land being sold
5. describe the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest

16. As used in line 7, the word “freshness” most nearly means

1. novelty
2. coldness
3. purity
4. youth
5. dampness

17. The rhetorical question “How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land?” (lines 5-6) serves to

1. request specific information about the transaction
2. highlight the absurdity of commodifying nature from the speaker’s perspective
3. suggest that the price being offered is insufficient
4. indicate confusion about the legal process of land purchase
5. propose an alternative form of payment

18. Chief Seattle’s statement that “we know he has little need of our friendship in return” (lines 4-5) implies that

1. his people prefer isolation to friendship with settlers
2. the Great Chief in Washington already has many allies
3. the power imbalance makes the offer of friendship somewhat hollow
4. his people have offended the government in the past
5. friendship is less important than legal agreements

19. According to the passage, Chief Seattle’s people believe that after death

1. they will be reunited with their ancestors in the sky
2. they will walk among the stars like white men do
3. their spirits will continue to remember and inhabit the land
4. they will forget their earthly experiences
5. they will become part of the trees and animals

20. The overall tone of the passage can best be characterized as

1. angry and defiant
2. resigned and sorrowful
3. dignified and instructive
4. hopeful and optimistic
5. bitter and sarcastic

■ ■ ■   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: (A) – a young person’s growing awareness of a parent’s resilience
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage focuses on the narrator’s evolving understanding of the mother’s strength and capabilities, particularly in the final paragraph where the narrator recognizes the mother’s past life and retrieved skills (lines 20-23). Choice (B) is too narrow, as the drought is context rather than the primary focus. Choice (D) is too broad and misses the emotional core of the narrative.

2. Ans: (B) – emaciated
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 7, “gaunt” describes cattle that have suffered from drought and lack of food, making “emaciated” (extremely thin from starvation) the best match. Choice (D) “sickly” is too vague and doesn’t specifically convey the thinness implied. Choice (C) “restless” describes behavior rather than physical appearance.

3. Ans: (C) – is approaching her new responsibilities with determination
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The description of “quick, decisive strokes” in line 12, combined with her “new efficiency” (line 9), suggests purposeful, determined action as she takes charge. Choice (A) reverses the emotional tone suggested by her productive behavior. Choice (D) contradicts the “decisive” nature of her actions.

4. Ans: (B) – a new recognition of the mother as a complete person with her own history
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The phrase “For the first time, I understood” (lines 20-21) signals a revelatory moment about the mother’s independent identity and past. Choice (A) contradicts the admiring tone of the passage. Choice (E) is too narrow, focusing only on skills rather than the fuller recognition of her personhood.

5. Ans: (B) – the extent of the drought’s damage
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The simile in line 5 describes how the drought “cracked our farm into a thousand pieces,” emphasizing the comprehensive physical destruction. Choice (A) is too broad and symbolic; the passage uses the simile literally to describe physical damage. Choice (E) goes beyond what the simile states, as “dropped plate” doesn’t necessarily mean irreparable.

6. Ans: (B) – had limited knowledge of essential farm tasks
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The mother teaching the narrator “how to check the henhouse” and “how to scatter feed” (lines 16-18) as new information implies prior inexperience with these tasks. Choice (A) contradicts the evidence that the mother is teaching him for the first time. Choice (E) is not directly supported; the narrator observes but doesn’t indicate prior full understanding.

7. Ans: (C) – reflective and quietly admiring
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The narrator looks back with mature understanding and appreciation for the mother’s strength, particularly evident in lines 20-23. Choice (A) contradicts the gentle, appreciative observations throughout. Choice (D) overstates any anxiety; the tone remains measured and contemplative.

8. Ans: (B) – describe a discovery that challenges assumptions about ancient technology
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The passage focuses on how the mechanism appeared “inconsistent with the technological capabilities attributed to ancient Mediterranean civilizations” (lines 5-7) and raises “profound questions” (line 23). Choice (A) is too narrow; X-ray tomography is a detail, not the main purpose. Choice (C) distorts the passage; it doesn’t claim ancient civilizations were more advanced overall.

9. Ans: (B) – irregular
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 3, “anomalous” describes something that didn’t fit expectations, making “irregular” (deviating from the norm) the closest match. Choice (D) “mysterious” describes a result of being anomalous but isn’t the definition itself. Choice (A) “valuable” is discussed separately in the passage but doesn’t capture the meaning of not fitting expected patterns.

10. Ans: (B) – a medieval instrument that did not belong to the ancient wreck
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Lines 7-9 explicitly state that some scholars dismissed it as “a medieval astrolabe that had somehow contaminated an ancient site.” Choice (C) goes beyond what the passage states; contamination suggests accidental mixing, not deliberate forgery. Choice (E) reverses the chronology mentioned in line 23.

11. Ans: (D) – measure the distance between celestial bodies
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage mentions predicting eclipses, charting planetary positions, and modeling the Moon’s orbit (lines 13-15), but never mentions measuring distances between celestial bodies. Choice (A) is explicitly stated in line 13. Choice (C) is directly mentioned in lines 14-15.

12. Ans: (A) – illustrate a specific technology that was lost and later rediscovered
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The passage states differential gearing “would not reappear in European devices until the fourteenth century” (lines 22-23), demonstrating technological discontinuity. Choice (B) confuses different details; the gearing relates to the mechanism’s construction, not specifically eclipse prediction. Choice (E) contradicts the passage; the mechanism was ancient, while differential gearing reappeared in the fourteenth century.

13. Ans: (B) – revelation of gaps in the historical record of technological development
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. The final paragraph emphasizes that the mechanism “raises profound questions about the continuity of technological knowledge and what innovations may have been lost” (lines 23-25). Choice (C) contradicts the passage; the mechanism challenged rather than confirmed previous beliefs. Choice (A) is never mentioned or implied in the passage.

14. Ans: (C) – contemplative and thought-provoking
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The final paragraph poses “profound questions” (line 23) about lost knowledge and technological continuity (lines 20-25), inviting reflection. Choice (B) contradicts the serious, respectful treatment of the mechanism’s importance. Choice (D) overstates the emotional register; the tone is measured, not urgent.

15. Ans: (B) – express the fundamental difference between his people’s relationship to land and that of the white settlers
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. Chief Seattle’s central argument contrasts the impossibility of selling sky and land (lines 5-8) with the spiritual connection his people have to earth (lines 9-19). Choice (A) contradicts the questioning, critical tone throughout. Choice (D) is not suggested anywhere in the passage.

16. Ans: (C) – purity
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 7, “freshness of the air” refers to its clean, untainted quality, making “purity” the best match. Choice (A) “novelty” relates to newness in time, not quality. Choice (B) “coldness” is a possible physical property but misses the qualitative meaning in context.

17. Ans: (B) – highlight the absurdity of commodifying nature from the speaker’s perspective
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The rhetorical question in lines 5-6 emphasizes that the concept of selling natural elements is “strange to us” (line 7), underscoring philosophical differences. Choice (A) misidentifies the rhetorical question as literal. Choice (D) misreads the objection as procedural rather than fundamental.

18. Ans: (C) – the power imbalance makes the offer of friendship somewhat hollow
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The acknowledgment that “the white man may come with guns” (line 6) combined with noting the Great Chief has “little need of our friendship” (lines 4-5) suggests awareness of unequal power. Choice (B) is too literal and misses the ironic tone. Choice (E) introduces a distinction not made in the passage.

19. Ans: (C) – their spirits will continue to remember and inhabit the land
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Lines 14-16 state “Our dead never forget this beautiful earth” and contrast this with white men’s dead who “forget the country of their birth.” Choice (B) describes what white men’s dead do, not Chief Seattle’s people. Choice (D) reverses what is stated about his people’s dead.

20. Ans: (C) – dignified and instructive
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. Chief Seattle maintains respectful, measured language while teaching about his people’s worldview (lines 9-19), even when addressing an unjust situation. Choice (A) overstates the emotional tenor; the speech is firm but not angry. Choice (E) misreads the serious, earnest explanations as sarcasm.