SSAT Reading Practice Worksheet - 24

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 after the storm, I found my father in the boat shed, kneeling beside the overturned dinghy. His hands moved slowly across the hull, fingertips tracing the split in the wood where the dock piling had punched through. He didn’t look up when I came in, though the door hinges (5) announced me with their familiar squeal.     “Can it be fixed?” I asked.     He sat back on his heels and wiped his palms on his trousers. “Everything can be fixed,” he said. “Question is whether it’s worth the fixing.”     I knew he wasn’t talking only about the boat. The shed still (10) smelled of varnish and oakum from the summer we’d built her together, back when he’d believed the resort might actually work. That was before the highway had been rerouted, before the guests stopped coming, before my mother started taking the bus into town three days a week for a job she never discussed (15) at dinner.     “I can help,” I offered.     “You’ve got school.”     “Not until Monday.”     He stood and walked to the workbench, running his hand along the row of chisels he’d inherited from his own father. Each tool hung in its proper place, (20) outlined in pencil on the pegboard. “Then I suppose we’d better get started,” he said.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. describe the technical process of repairing a damaged boat
2. reveal a moment of connection between a father and child amid difficult circumstances
3. explain why the family resort business ultimately failed
4. celebrate the craftsmanship involved in traditional woodworking
5. criticize the economic policies that led to the rerouting of the highway

2. As used in line 8, the word “worth” most nearly means

1. monetary value
2. deserving of
3. moral virtue
4. reputation
5. equivalent to

3. The narrator’s observation that the father “wasn’t talking only about the boat” (line 9) suggests that

1. the father is also concerned about repairing other damaged property
2. the boat is less important to the father than his other possessions
3. the father’s comment reflects broader worries about the family’s situation
4. the narrator misunderstands the father’s intentions
5. the father plans to sell the boat rather than repair it

4. The detail that the mother “never discussed” her job “at dinner” (lines 14-15) most strongly implies that

1. the mother works in a classified government position
2. the family avoids talking about their financial difficulties
3. the narrator is too young to understand adult conversations
4. the mother enjoys keeping secrets from her family
5. dinner conversations focus exclusively on the resort business

5. The passage suggests that the resort failed primarily because

1. the father lacked the necessary business skills
2. the boat was damaged beyond repair
3. a storm destroyed most of the property
4. access to the location became less convenient for travelers
5. the mother took a job in town

6. The description of the tools “outlined in pencil on the pegboard” (line 20) serves primarily to

1. demonstrate the father’s meticulous and orderly nature
2. illustrate the narrator’s interest in carpentry
3. explain how the grandfather organized his workshop
4. show that the tools are valuable antiques
5. suggest that the father is reluctant to use the inherited tools

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

1. bitter and resentful
2. detached and analytical
3. quietly melancholic yet hopeful
4. urgently anxious
5. sarcastically humorous

Passage 2

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

When we forget where we placed our keys or struggle to recall a neighbor’s name, we typically blame our memory for failing us. But memory, neuroscientists now understand, is not designed to preserve information with perfect fidelity. Rather, it evolved to extract meaning, to identify patterns, and to (5) guide future behavior – functions that sometimes require discarding details.     This perspective challenges the popular metaphor of memory as a video recording that can be played back intact. Research using functional magnetic resonance imaging reveals that each time we retrieve a memory, we reconstruct it from fragments stored across different (10) brain regions. The hippocampus coordinates this reconstruction, but the process is inherently creative. Details may be altered, borrowed from other experiences, or filled in based on our current knowledge and expectations.     Far from being a flaw, this reconstructive quality allows memory to serve (15) adaptive purposes. A person who remembers the general location of fruit-bearing trees will fare better than one who recalls the exact position of every fallen branch along the path. Our ancestors didn’t need flawless historical records; they needed systems that could extract generalizable lessons and apply them flexibly to novel situations.     The (20) legal system, however, has been slow to incorporate these findings. Eyewitness testimony remains persuasive in courtrooms despite decades of research demonstrating its unreliability. Studies show that confident witnesses are no more accurate than hesitant ones, and that memory can be distorted by suggestive questioning, post-event information, and the mere passage of time.

8. The main idea of the passage is that

1. human memory is severely flawed and cannot be trusted
2. memory evolved to serve practical purposes rather than to record events precisely
3. the legal system should eliminate all eyewitness testimony
4. functional magnetic resonance imaging has revolutionized neuroscience
5. forgetting names and losing keys are signs of serious cognitive decline

9. According to the passage, the hippocampus functions primarily to

1. store complete video-like recordings of experiences
2. organize the reconstruction of memories from distributed fragments
3. determine which witnesses are confident and which are hesitant
4. preserve details with perfect accuracy over time
5. prevent suggestive questioning from distorting memories

10. As used in line 14, the word “adaptive” most nearly means

1. flexible
2. beneficial for survival
3. capable of changing
4. creative
5. adjustable

11. The example of remembering “the general location of fruit-bearing trees” (lines 16-17) serves to

1. illustrate how ancient humans navigated through forests
2. demonstrate that botanical knowledge was crucial to early societies
3. show how remembering broad patterns can be more useful than retaining exact details
4. prove that human memory has deteriorated over evolutionary time
5. explain why some people have better memories than others

12. The passage suggests that confident eyewitnesses are

1. always more reliable than hesitant witnesses
2. usually testifying about crimes they did not actually observe
3. no more accurate than witnesses who express uncertainty
4. better at resisting suggestive questioning
5. less likely to have their memories distorted by time

13. The author’s attitude toward the legal system’s use of eyewitness testimony can best be described as

1. enthusiastically supportive
2. mildly amused
3. critically concerned
4. completely neutral
5. angrily hostile

14. Which of the following statements about memory would the author most likely agree with?

1. Memory should be improved through technology until it functions like a video recording.
2. The reconstructive nature of memory, while sometimes inaccurate, serves important functions.
3. Memory failures are always signs of neurological disease.
4. Ancient humans had more reliable memories than modern people do.
5. The hippocampus is the only brain region involved in storing memories.

Passage 3

The following passage is adapted from Chief Seattle’s 1854 speech responding to the U.S. government’s offer to purchase tribal lands in the Pacific Northwest.

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? Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every (5) 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 (10) among the stars. Our dead 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 (15) the pony, and man – all belong to the same family.     So, when the Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land, he asks much of us. The Great Chief sends word he will reserve us a place so that we can live comfortably to ourselves. He will be our father and we will be his (20) children. So we will consider your offer to buy our land. But it will not be easy. For this land is sacred to us.

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

1. accept the government’s offer immediately and without conditions
2. express the profound spiritual connection his people have with the land while addressing the proposed purchase
3. describe the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest for future tourists
4. threaten military resistance if the land sale proceeds
5. request more money in exchange for the tribal lands

16. As used in line 4, the word “sacred” most nearly means

1. expensive
2. religiously important and worthy of reverence
3. belonging to a church
4. mysterious
5. forbidden

17. The rhetorical questions in lines 1-3 (“How can you buy...buy them?”) function primarily to

1. request specific information about the purchase price
2. highlight the fundamental difference between the two cultures’ views of land ownership
3. suggest that the air and water are too polluted to have value
4. prove that the speaker lacks understanding of basic economics
5. indicate that the speaker is willing to negotiate a higher price

18. According to the passage, the key difference between the white man’s dead and the speaker’s dead is that

1. only the white man’s dead go to walk among the stars
2. the speaker’s people bury their dead differently
3. the speaker’s dead maintain a lasting connection to the earth
4. the white man’s dead return to haunt the living
5. the speaker’s dead never truly die

19. The passage suggests that Chief Seattle views the offer from “the Great Chief in Washington” as

1. a generous opportunity that should be accepted eagerly
2. an insignificant matter not worth serious consideration
3. a request that demands much and presents a difficult decision
4. an insult that must be rejected immediately
5. a chance to become wealthy beyond imagination

20. The organizational structure of the passage can best be described as

1. a chronological narrative of historical events
2. a scientific argument supported by empirical evidence
3. an explanation of spiritual beliefs followed by a response to a specific proposal
4. a comparison of two equal alternatives with no clear preference
5. a detailed economic analysis of land values

■ ■ ■   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) – reveal a moment of connection between a father and child amid difficult circumstances
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage centers on the interaction between narrator and father in the boat shed, culminating in the father’s decision to accept the narrator’s help (lines 18-20), all set against a backdrop of family financial struggle. Choice (A) is too narrow, focusing only on the boat repair rather than the relationship. Choice (C) is a detail mentioned but not the primary focus of the passage.

2. Ans: (B) – deserving of
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 8, the father says “whether it’s worth the fixing,” meaning whether it deserves or merits the effort of repair. Choice (A) is a common meaning of “worth” but doesn’t fit the grammatical structure “worth the fixing.” Choice (C) confuses “worth” with “worthiness” as a moral quality rather than merit.

3. Ans: (C) – the father’s comment reflects broader worries about the family’s situation
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The narrator immediately follows this observation with details about the failed resort and the mother’s job (lines 9-15), suggesting the father’s comment applies to larger family problems. Choice (A) is too literal and misses the metaphorical meaning. Choice (E) is contradicted by the father’s decision to repair the boat (line 20).

4. Ans: (B) – the family avoids talking about their financial difficulties
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The mother’s job is mentioned in the context of the family’s economic struggles (lines 12-15), and the fact that it’s never discussed suggests it’s an uncomfortable topic. Choice (A) is not supported by any evidence in the passage. Choice (D) distorts the implication by suggesting deliberate secrecy rather than avoidance of a painful subject.

5. Ans: (D) – access to the location became less convenient for travelers
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage explicitly states the resort failed “before the highway had been rerouted, before the guests stopped coming” (lines 12-13), establishing a causal relationship. Choice (B) reverses the timeline; the boat damage is recent from a storm, not a cause of the earlier resort failure. Choice (E) confuses cause and effect; the mother’s job was a response to, not a cause of, the resort’s failure.

6. Ans: (A) – demonstrate the father’s meticulous and orderly nature
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The detail that each tool hangs “in its proper place, outlined in pencil” (lines 19-20) reveals the father’s careful, organized character. Choice (C) is too broad; while the tools were inherited, the organization system reflects the father’s own habits. Choice (E) contradicts the passage, as the father is about to use the tools to repair the boat.

7. Ans: (C) – quietly melancholic yet hopeful
Explanation: This is a Tone question. The passage conveys sadness about the family’s circumstances but ends with the father’s decision to begin repairs together (line 20), suggesting cautious optimism. Choice (A) is too extreme; the narrator shows understanding rather than bitterness. Choice (D) misreads the mood as urgent when the passage is reflective and measured.

8. Ans: (B) – memory evolved to serve practical purposes rather than to record events precisely
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage consistently argues that memory evolved “to extract meaning, to identify patterns, and to guide future behavior” (lines 4-5) rather than preserve perfect records. Choice (A) is too negative and misses the point that memory’s imprecision is functional, not merely flawed. Choice (C) is too extreme; the passage critiques eyewitness testimony but doesn’t call for its elimination.

9. Ans: (B) – organize the reconstruction of memories from distributed fragments
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage states “The hippocampus coordinates this reconstruction” of memories from “fragments stored across different brain regions” (lines 10-11). Choice (A) contradicts the passage’s argument against the video recording metaphor (lines 6-7). Choice (E) misattributes a function; the hippocampus reconstructs memories but doesn’t prevent distortion.

10. Ans: (B) – beneficial for survival
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 14, “adaptive purposes” refers to evolutionary advantages, as illustrated by the example of remembering fruit tree locations (lines 16-18) helping ancestors survive. Choice (A) is a related but less precise meaning; “adaptive” here specifically means conferring survival benefits. Choice (C) focuses on the ability to change rather than the survival advantage.

11. Ans: (C) – show how remembering broad patterns can be more useful than retaining exact details
Explanation: This is a Structure question. The example contrasts remembering general locations (useful) with recalling “the exact position of every fallen branch” (less useful) to demonstrate memory’s adaptive function (lines 16-18). Choice (A) is too narrow and literal, missing the broader point about memory function. Choice (D) reverses the passage’s argument; the passage doesn’t claim memory has deteriorated.

12. Ans: (C) – no more accurate than witnesses who express uncertainty
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage explicitly states that “confident witnesses are no more accurate than hesitant ones” (lines 22-23). Choice (A) directly contradicts this statement. Choice (D) is not supported; the passage mentions suggestive questioning (line 24) but doesn’t link resistance to it with witness confidence.

13. Ans: (C) – critically concerned
Explanation: This is a Tone question. The author states the legal system “has been slow to incorporate these findings” (line 21) and notes eyewitness testimony “remains persuasive” despite research showing “its unreliability” (lines 21-23), expressing concern. Choice (D) is incorrect; the author takes a clear critical position. Choice (E) is too extreme; the tone is measured and scholarly, not angry.

14. Ans: (B) – The reconstructive nature of memory, while sometimes inaccurate, serves important functions.
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. This statement aligns with the passage’s argument that memory’s reconstructive quality is “not a flaw” but serves “adaptive purposes” (lines 14-15). Choice (A) contradicts the passage’s point that video-like recording is neither how memory works nor what it should do. Choice (E) contradicts the statement that memories are stored “across different brain regions” (lines 9-10).

15. Ans: (B) – express the profound spiritual connection his people have with the land while addressing the proposed purchase
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. Most of the speech describes the sacred relationship with the land (lines 1-15), then addresses the purchase offer (lines 16-21), combining both purposes. Choice (A) contradicts the speech; Chief Seattle says considering the offer “will not be easy” (line 21), not that he accepts immediately. Choice (E) is not mentioned; no request for different compensation appears in the passage.

16. Ans: (B) – religiously important and worthy of reverence
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 4, “sacred” describes the earth in spiritual terms, reinforced by “holy in the memory and experience of my people” (lines 5-6). Choice (A) confuses the context; while the land has value, “sacred” here means spiritually significant, not expensive. Choice (E) is too narrow; sacred things command respect but aren’t necessarily forbidden.

17. Ans: (B) – highlight the fundamental difference between the two cultures’ views of land ownership
Explanation: This is a Structure question. The rhetorical questions emphasize that the concept of buying sky and water is “strange” (line 2), revealing incompatible worldviews about ownership. Choice (A) misunderstands rhetorical questions; they’re not seeking information but making a point. Choice (E) contradicts the passage; the questions challenge the premise of the purchase, not negotiate price.

18. Ans: (C) – the speaker’s dead maintain a lasting connection to the earth
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage contrasts the white man’s dead, who “forget the country of their birth” (line 9), with “Our dead” who “never forget this beautiful earth” (line 10). Choice (A) is true but not stated as the key difference; both groups’ dead walk among stars, but only one forgets the earth. Choice (D) is not mentioned anywhere in the passage.

19. Ans: (C) – a request that demands much and presents a difficult decision
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Chief Seattle says the Great Chief “asks much of us” (line 17) and “it will not be easy” (line 21), indicating the difficulty of the decision. Choice (A) contradicts these statements of difficulty. Choice (B) is incorrect; the speech’s length and seriousness show the matter is very significant.

20. Ans: (C) – an explanation of spiritual beliefs followed by a response to a specific proposal
Explanation: This is a Structure question. The first two paragraphs (lines 1-15) explain the spiritual relationship with the land, while the third paragraph (lines 16-21) addresses the government’s purchase offer. Choice (A) is incorrect; no chronological narrative of events appears. Choice (D) misrepresents the structure; Chief Seattle presents his worldview and responds to an offer, not comparing equal alternatives.