SSAT Reading Practice Worksheet - 17

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 boat rocked gently as Mei Lin watched the fishermen haul their nets onto the dock. She had risen before dawn to accompany her uncle to the wharf, though he had not asked her to come. The smell of salt and diesel fuel (5) hung thick in the air, and gulls screamed overhead, diving for scraps. Her uncle moved with practiced efficiency, coiling rope and checking the ice in the hold, his movements as familiar to her as the rhythms of the tides.     “You should be studying,” he said without (10) looking up. His voice carried no reproach, only a statement of fact. Mei Lin knew he was right. The entrance exam was three weeks away, and her test scores would determine whether she could leave this coastal village for the university in Shanghai. Yet something had pulled her here this morning, (15) a need to fix the wharf in her memory before everything changed.     “I wanted to see it again,” she said quietly. Her uncle straightened and met her eyes. For a moment, his weathered face softened. “It will still be here when you come back,” he said. But they both knew (20) that was not entirely true. She would return, perhaps, but she would not be the same person who left.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. describe the daily operations of a fishing village
2. capture a moment of transition in a young woman’s life
3. criticize the education system in rural China
4. explain the relationship between fishing and local economy
5. celebrate the traditional way of life in coastal communities

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

1. rehearsed
2. skillful
3. repeated
4. attempted
5. cautious

3. The uncle’s statement “You should be studying” (lines 9-10) suggests that he

1. is angry that Mei Lin has come to the wharf
2. does not value education as much as fishing
3. understands the importance of Mei Lin’s upcoming exam
4. wants Mei Lin to become a fisherman like himself
5. believes Mei Lin is wasting her time at the university

4. Mei Lin’s reason for coming to the wharf is best described as

1. a desire to help her uncle with his work
2. an attempt to avoid her academic responsibilities
3. an impulse to preserve a memory before her life changes
4. a need to decide whether to attend university
5. a wish to learn more about the fishing industry

5. The tone of the passage can best be described as

1. celebratory and triumphant
2. reflective and bittersweet
3. anxious and fearful
4. detached and analytical
5. humorous and lighthearted

6. The final sentence (lines 19-21) suggests that

1. Mei Lin will never return to the village
2. the wharf will be destroyed while Mei Lin is away
3. attending university will fundamentally change Mei Lin
4. Mei Lin’s uncle does not want her to leave
5. the village will remain exactly as it is

7. The detail that Mei Lin “had risen before dawn” (line 2) primarily serves to emphasize

1. the early schedule that fishermen must keep
2. Mei Lin’s dedication to helping her uncle
3. the deliberate significance of her visit to the wharf
4. the amount of work required on a fishing boat
5. Mei Lin’s difficulty sleeping before the exam

Passage 2

The following passage is adapted from an article about historical linguistics.

    The decipherment of Linear B, an ancient script found on clay tablets in Crete and mainland Greece, stands as one of the great intellectual achievements of twentieth-century archaeology. For decades after British archaeologist Arthur Evans unearthed the first tablets in 1900, scholars assumed the script (5) recorded an unknown language unrelated to Greek. The symbols appeared utterly foreign, mixing pictographic signs with abstract linear marks. This assumption would prove spectacularly wrong.     In 1952, a young British architect and amateur linguist named Michael Ventris achieved what professionals had declared impossible. (10) By treating Linear B as a syllabic script rather than an alphabet, and by meticulously charting the frequency and position of each symbol, Ventris detected patterns that suggested an underlying structure. His crucial insight came when he hypothesized that certain recurring symbol groups might represent place names known from later Greek (15) sources. When he tested this hypothesis, the symbols suddenly resolved into archaic Greek words, pushing the documented history of the Greek language back by some five hundred years.     The implications extended far beyond linguistics. The tablets revealed that the Mycenaean civilization of Bronze Age (20) Greece possessed a sophisticated bureaucracy, recording everything from chariot inventories to religious offerings. The script captured a society in granular detail, yet it vanished completely after the civilization’s collapse around 1200 BCE, leaving later Greeks with no memory of their ancestors’ literacy.

8. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. compare different ancient writing systems
2. describe the decipherment of an ancient script and its significance
3. argue that Linear B is the oldest form of Greek
4. explain how archaeologists excavate ancient tablets
5. criticize scholars who misunderstood Linear B

9. According to the passage, scholars initially believed that Linear B

1. was a form of alphabetic writing
2. recorded a language unrelated to Greek
3. was created by Michael Ventris
4. originated in mainland Greece rather than Crete
5. could never be deciphered

10. As used in line 11, the word “meticulously” most nearly means

1. quickly
2. scientifically
3. carefully
4. creatively
5. randomly

11. The passage indicates that Ventris’s key breakthrough involved

1. discovering new tablets that contained familiar words
2. hypothesizing that certain symbols represented known place names
3. learning an unknown language from scratch
4. consulting with professional linguists about the script
5. comparing Linear B to other Mediterranean writing systems

12. The author describes Ventris as “a young British architect and amateur linguist” (line 9) in order to

1. explain why his decipherment was initially rejected
2. emphasize the unexpected nature of his achievement
3. suggest that architects make better code-breakers than linguists
4. criticize professional scholars for their failures
5. demonstrate that decipherment requires architectural training

13. According to the passage, the decipherment of Linear B revealed that Mycenaean civilization

1. had contact with later Greek societies
2. used writing primarily for religious purposes
3. maintained detailed bureaucratic records
4. collapsed because of illiteracy
5. invented the Greek alphabet

14. The passage suggests that the disappearance of Linear B after 1200 BCE was

1. complete enough that later Greeks had no memory of it
2. caused by the decipherment efforts of modern scholars
3. the result of a deliberate effort to destroy the tablets
4. temporary and reversed during the classical period
5. less significant than the collapse of Mycenaean civilization

Passage 3

The following passage is excerpted from Chief Joseph’s surrender speech, delivered in 1877 at the conclusion of the Nez Perce War.

    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, Toohoolhoolzote is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say yes or no. (5) 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 freezing to death. I want to have time (10) 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 I will fight no more forever.

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

1. negotiate better terms of surrender
2. announce his decision to end armed resistance
3. criticize General Howard for the war
4. celebrate the victories of the Nez Perce
5. request supplies for the coming winter

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

1. I feel emotional about it
2. I remember and value it
3. I disagree with it
4. I am saddened by it
5. I have forgotten it

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

1. explain the loss of traditional leadership among his people
2. suggest that only young warriors remain to fight
3. blame the deaths on General Howard
4. indicate that he is now the oldest member of the tribe
5. justify his own decision to continue fighting

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

1. defiant and angry
2. hopeful and optimistic
3. weary and sorrowful
4. bitter and vengeful
5. detached and formal

19. Chief Joseph’s statement that he wants “to look for my children” (lines 10-11) suggests that

1. he has lost track of his own family in the chaos of war
2. all of the children have been captured by the army
3. he plans to resume fighting once he finds them
4. the children are being held hostage by General Howard
5. he no longer cares about the outcome of the war

20. The final sentence of the speech (lines 12-13) is structured to convey

1. a temporary pause in military operations
2. a conditional surrender dependent on certain terms
3. an absolute and permanent end to resistance
4. a challenge to General Howard’s authority
5. uncertainty about future actions

■ ■ ■   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: (B) – capture a moment of transition in a young woman’s life
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage focuses on Mei Lin at a pivotal moment as she prepares to leave her village for university, depicting her desire to preserve memories before her life changes (lines 13-15). Choice (A) is too narrow, as the fishing operations are background detail rather than the primary focus. Choice (E) is wrong because the passage does not celebrate the traditional way of life but rather depicts Mei Lin’s departure from it.

2. Ans: (B) – skillful
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. The phrase “practiced efficiency” (line 7) describes the uncle’s expert, experienced movements, indicating skill developed through long repetition. Choice (A) is a trap answer that uses another meaning of “practiced” but does not fit the context of describing efficient work. Choice (D) is wrong because “attempted” suggests trying rather than the mastery indicated by “efficiency.”

3. Ans: (C) – understands the importance of Mei Lin’s upcoming exam
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage states that the uncle’s comment carried “no reproach, only a statement of fact” (line 10) and that Mei Lin acknowledges he is right about her need to study (line 11), indicating his awareness of the exam’s importance. Choice (A) is incorrect because the passage explicitly states his voice carried “no reproach.” Choice (D) contradicts the uncle’s acknowledgment that she should be studying for university.

4. Ans: (C) – an impulse to preserve a memory before her life changes
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states that Mei Lin felt “a need to fix the wharf in her memory before everything changed” (lines 14-15). Choice (A) is wrong because the passage notes her uncle “had not asked her to come” (line 3), suggesting help was not her purpose. Choice (B) is incorrect because while she knows she should be studying, the passage indicates a deeper emotional reason for her visit.

5. Ans: (B) – reflective and bittersweet
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The passage combines thoughtful observation with a sense of both anticipation and loss, particularly in the final lines about how Mei Lin will not be the same person when she returns (lines 19-21). Choice (A) is wrong because there is no celebration, only quiet contemplation. Choice (C) is incorrect because while there is some apprehension, the dominant tone is reflective rather than anxious.

6. Ans: (C) – attending university will fundamentally change Mei Lin
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage states that while the wharf will remain, “she would not be the same person who left” (lines 20-21), indicating personal transformation through education and experience. Choice (A) takes the statement too literally; the passage indicates she will return physically but be changed. Choice (E) contradicts the statement “that was not entirely true” (line 20) about things remaining the same.

7. Ans: (C) – the deliberate significance of her visit to the wharf
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The detail that Mei Lin rose before dawn emphasizes the intentional, meaningful nature of her visit, especially since her uncle had not asked her to come (lines 2-3). Choice (A) is wrong because the focus is on Mei Lin’s choice, not the fishermen’s schedule. Choice (B) is incorrect because the passage states the uncle did not ask her to come, so helping is not the emphasis.

8. Ans: (B) – describe the decipherment of an ancient script and its significance
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage narrates how Linear B was deciphered and explains both the linguistic breakthrough (lines 15-17) and broader implications for understanding Mycenaean civilization (lines 18-21). Choice (A) is too broad, as only Linear B is discussed in detail. Choice (C) is wrong because the passage states the decipherment pushed back Greek history by 500 years (line 17), not that it is the oldest form.

9. Ans: (B) – recorded a language unrelated to Greek
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states that scholars “assumed the script recorded an unknown language unrelated to Greek” (lines 4-5). Choice (A) reverses what the passage says; Ventris succeeded by treating it as syllabic rather than alphabetic (line 10). Choice (E) goes too far; the passage says professionals declared it impossible, but this is not the same as believing it could never be done.

10. Ans: (C) – carefully
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. The word “meticulously” in line 11 describes Ventris’s detailed, thorough approach to charting symbol frequency and position, indicating careful attention. Choice (A) contradicts the meaning, as meticulous work requires time and care. Choice (E) is the opposite of the systematic, detailed approach described in the passage.

11. Ans: (B) – hypothesizing that certain symbols represented known place names
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states that Ventris’s “crucial insight came when he hypothesized that certain recurring symbol groups might represent place names” (lines 13-15). Choice (A) is wrong because the breakthrough involved interpreting existing tablets, not discovering new ones. Choice (C) contradicts the passage, which explains he deciphered the symbols into Greek, a known language.

12. Ans: (B) – emphasize the unexpected nature of his achievement
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. By highlighting that Ventris was young, an architect by profession, and only an amateur linguist, the author underscores how remarkable it was that he succeeded where professional scholars had failed (lines 9-10). Choice (A) is not supported; the passage does not mention rejection of his work. Choice (C) makes an overgeneralization not supported by the passage about a single individual.

13. Ans: (C) – maintained detailed bureaucratic records
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states that the tablets “revealed that the Mycenaean civilization of Bronze Age Greece possessed a sophisticated bureaucracy, recording everything from chariot inventories to religious offerings” (lines 18-21). Choice (B) is too narrow, as religious offerings were only one type of record among many. Choice (D) reverses causation; the passage does not link the collapse to illiteracy.

14. Ans: (A) – complete enough that later Greeks had no memory of it
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage states that Linear B “vanished completely after the civilization’s collapse around 1200 BCE, leaving later Greeks with no memory of their ancestors’ literacy” (lines 21-23). Choice (D) contradicts the passage, which emphasizes the complete disappearance. Choice (C) is not supported; the passage does not suggest deliberate destruction.

15. Ans: (B) – announce his decision to end armed resistance
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. Chief Joseph explicitly states “I am tired of fighting” (line 3) and concludes “I will fight no more forever” (lines 12-13), making clear his purpose to declare surrender. Choice (A) is wrong because he does not negotiate or request specific terms. Choice (E) is too narrow; while he mentions the lack of blankets, this is a reason for surrender, not the speech’s primary purpose.

16. Ans: (B) – I remember and value it
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In the context of line 2, Chief Joseph is saying that he keeps General Howard’s earlier words in his heart, suggesting he remembers and respects what was said. Choice (A) is too vague and misses the element of remembrance. Choice (C) contradicts the respectful tone of “I know his heart” in line 1.

17. Ans: (A) – explain the loss of traditional leadership among his people
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. Chief Joseph lists the dead chiefs and old men (lines 3-4) to explain why “It is the young men who say yes or no” (line 4), indicating the traditional leadership structure has been destroyed. Choice (E) reverses the meaning; this detail supports his decision to stop fighting, not continue. Choice (D) is wrong because the passage does not suggest he is the oldest, only that the traditional leaders are dead.

18. Ans: (C) – weary and sorrowful
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. Chief Joseph repeatedly expresses exhaustion (“I am tired,” line 3; “I am tired,” line 12) and grief (“my heart is sick and sad,” line 12), with references to dead leaders and freezing children establishing deep sorrow. Choice (A) is wrong because there is no defiance, only resignation. Choice (B) contradicts the overwhelming sadness expressed throughout.

19. Ans: (A) – he has lost track of his own family in the chaos of war
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Chief Joseph says his people “have run away to the hills” and “No one knows where they are” (lines 7-9), then expresses his desire to find his children, possibly “among the dead” (line 11), indicating families were separated. Choice (C) contradicts his statement that he will “fight no more forever” (line 13). Choice (B) is not supported; he suggests they are scattered in the hills, not captured.

20. Ans: (C) – an absolute and permanent end to resistance
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The phrase “From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever” (lines 12-13) uses both a specific time marker and the word “forever” to convey finality and permanence. Choice (A) is contradicted by the word “forever,” which indicates permanence, not a temporary pause. Choice (B) is wrong because the statement is unconditional, with no terms mentioned.