SSAT Reading Practice Worksheet - 26

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 set in rural Japan.

The apprentice potter had been awake since before dawn, watching the kiln. Kenji knew that his master, old Takahashi-san, would arrive at sunrise to inspect the firing, and he hoped desperately that this time (5) the glazes would not crack. Three times already this month his work had emerged from the kiln crazed with hairline fractures, each piece fit only for the scrap heap behind the workshop. His hands, stained permanently with iron oxide (10) and cobalt, trembled slightly as he added another bundle of pine to the firebox.     Through the workshop’s open door, Kenji could see the persimmon tree in the courtyard, its leaves just beginning to turn. He had (15) been with Takahashi-san for two years now, ever since his father had arranged the apprenticeship, and in that time he had learned to wedge clay until his shoulders ached, to center even the most stubborn lump on the wheel, and to paint (20) decoration with a brush made from a single cat hair. But the mysteries of the kiln still eluded him. Takahashi-san said that fire was a teacher more patient than any human master, yet Kenji felt only its indifference to his efforts. (25)     When the old man finally appeared, moving slowly across the frost-touched grass, he said nothing at first. He simply placed his palm against the kiln’s brick wall, closed his eyes, and stood motionless (30) for what seemed an eternity. Then he nodded once. “We wait,” he said. “Another hour. You have been too eager, Kenji-kun. The fire must breathe at its own pace.” The apprentice bowed, ashamed and (35) grateful at once, understanding that this small correction was itself a kind of faith in his eventual mastery.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. describe the technical process of pottery firing in traditional Japanese kilns
2. portray a young apprentice’s struggle to master a difficult craft
3. contrast modern and traditional methods of ceramic production
4. criticize the harshness of the apprenticeship system in rural Japan
5. explain why Kenji’s father chose pottery as his son’s profession

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

1. insane
2. cracked
3. enthusiastic
4. decorated
5. polished

3. The detail about Kenji’s hands being “stained permanently with iron oxide and cobalt” (lines 9-10) suggests that

1. he has been injured in a kiln accident
2. he is careless about his personal hygiene
3. he has been working with pottery materials for some time
4. Takahashi-san requires apprentices to mix all glazes by hand
5. he is anxious about the current firing

4. Kenji’s observation of the persimmon tree (lines 14-15) primarily serves to

1. indicate the passage of time during his apprenticeship
2. show his tendency to become distracted from his work
3. prove that he longs to return to his father’s home
4. describe the natural beauty of the Japanese countryside
5. foreshadow a change in the relationship between master and apprentice

5. According to the passage, which of the following has Kenji NOT yet mastered?

1. wedging clay
2. centering clay on the wheel
3. painting fine decoration
4. controlling the kiln firing
5. selecting proper materials

6. Takahashi-san’s statement that “fire is a teacher more patient than any human master” (lines 23-24) suggests that

1. the kiln will eventually teach Kenji if he continues to practice
2. Takahashi-san has grown impatient with Kenji’s failures
3. fire is easier to control than human emotions
4. pottery masters should be more patient with their students
5. Kenji should spend more time studying the kiln than working with clay

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

1. bitter and resentful
2. detached and clinical
3. contemplative and sympathetic
4. humorous and lighthearted
5. anxious and foreboding

Passage 2

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

In 1998, a threatening letter arrived at a British university, prompting police to seek assistance from an unlikely source: a professor of linguistics. The case marked one of the early successes of forensic linguistics, a field that applies (5) the scientific study of language to legal investigations. By analyzing patterns in word choice, sentence structure, punctuation, and even spelling errors, forensic linguists can sometimes identify authors of anonymous texts or determine whether a confession was genuinely (10) written by a suspect.     The theoretical foundation of forensic linguistics rests on the principle that every person possesses an idiolect-a unique linguistic fingerprint as distinctive as the whorls on their thumbs. Just as no two individuals (15) share identical fingerprints, no two people use language in exactly the same way. These variations emerge from countless influences: regional dialect, educational background, professional jargon, reading habits, even the rhythm of speech absorbed from family members during childhood. When (20) we write, we unconsciously encode these patterns into our text.     Consider, for instance, the use of contractions. Some writers habitually use “don’t” and “can’t,” while others prefer the more formal “do not” and “cannot.” Some writers favor (25) semicolons; others avoid them entirely. Some begin sentences with conjunctions-“And” or “But”-while others consider this grammatically unacceptable. These choices, multiplied across thousands of linguistic variables, create a pattern that can be remarkably consistent within a single author’s (30) work.     However, forensic linguistics is not infallible. Unlike DNA analysis, which can provide statistical probabilities, linguistic analysis yields findings that are inherently more subjective. A skilled writer might deliberately alter their style, or two (35) writers from similar backgrounds might share enough linguistic features to make definitive attribution impossible. Courts have sometimes accepted linguistic evidence, but judges remain appropriately cautious, typically admitting such testimony only when corroborated by other forms of evidence.

8. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. argue that forensic linguistics should be used more widely in criminal trials
2. explain the principles and limitations of forensic linguistics
3. describe a specific case in which linguistic analysis solved a crime
4. compare forensic linguistics to DNA analysis
5. criticize courts for their reluctance to accept linguistic evidence

9. As used in line 13, the word “idiolect” most nearly means

1. a regional accent
2. an individual’s distinctive language patterns
3. a professional vocabulary
4. a grammatical error
5. a foreign language influence

10. The passage suggests that an individual’s idiolect is shaped by all of the following EXCEPT

1. educational background
2. regional dialect
3. reading habits
4. DNA sequence
5. family speech patterns

11. The author’s comparison between idiolects and fingerprints (lines 13-16) serves to

1. prove that linguistic analysis is as accurate as fingerprint analysis
2. illustrate the unique and consistent nature of individual language use
3. suggest that forensic linguistics should replace traditional forensic methods
4. demonstrate that both methods are equally unreliable in court
5. show that language patterns are determined by biological factors

12. According to the passage, which statement about forensic linguistics is true?

1. It provides statistical probabilities comparable to DNA evidence.
2. It has been rejected by all courts as unreliable.
3. It analyzes patterns such as word choice and punctuation.
4. It was first developed in the early twentieth century.
5. It can only be applied to handwritten documents.

13. The third paragraph (lines 22-30) primarily functions to

1. provide concrete examples of linguistic variables that create individual patterns
2. argue that some writing styles are superior to others
3. prove that contractions should not be used in formal writing
4. explain how forensic linguists are trained in their profession
5. describe the historical development of punctuation rules

14. The passage suggests that courts are cautious about linguistic evidence because

1. forensic linguists lack proper scientific training
2. linguistic analysis is more subjective than methods like DNA testing
3. judges do not understand how language patterns work
4. no court case has ever been successfully resolved using linguistic evidence
5. writers never alter their linguistic styles deliberately

Passage 3

The following is adapted from Rachel Carson’s testimony before the Senate Subcommittee on Reorganization and International Organizations, June 4, 1963.

Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, I appreciate this opportunity to present my views on the biological problems created by (5) the widespread use of chemical pesticides. The problem is not a simple one, and there are no simple answers. Yet certain facts stand clear, and it is with these I should like to deal today.     The most alarming of all man’s assaults upon the environment is the contamination of air, earth, (10) rivers, and sea with dangerous and even lethal materials. This pollution is for the most part irrecoverable; the chain of evil it initiates not only in the world that must support life but in living tissues is for (15) the most part irreversible. In this now universal contamination of the environment, chemicals are the sinister partners of radiation in changing the very nature of the world-the very nature of its life.     It took hundreds of millions of years to produce the (20) life that now inhabits the earth. Given time not in years but in millennia, life adjusts and a balance has been reached. But in the modern world there is no time. The rapidity of change follows the impetuous pace of man rather than the deliberate pace of (25) nature. Radiation is now the unnatural creation of man’s tampering with the atom. The chemicals are the synthetic creations of man’s inventive mind, having no counterparts in nature.     We are told that without pesticides we should return to the (30) Dark Ages of agriculture, that we should be overrun by insects. Yet the problem that concerns us is not whether we shall use chemicals, but whether we can use them with proper safeguards for the preservation of life on earth.

15. The primary purpose of Carson’s testimony is to

1. call for the complete elimination of all chemical pesticides
2. warn about the dangers of pesticides while acknowledging the complexity of the issue
3. prove that agriculture was more successful before the invention of pesticides
4. describe the specific chemical composition of dangerous pesticides
5. argue that radiation is more dangerous than chemical contamination

16. As used in line 11, the word “irrecoverable” most nearly means

1. impossible to find
2. not able to be reversed
3. difficult to measure
4. expensive to repair
5. hidden from view

17. Carson describes chemicals as “sinister partners of radiation” (line 16) in order to

1. suggest that pesticides are radioactive
2. emphasize the severity of chemical contamination by comparing it to a known danger
3. prove that radiation and chemicals always occur together
4. argue that radiation is less dangerous than previously believed
5. recommend that the subcommittee also address radiation hazards

18. According to the passage, the relationship between the pace of environmental change and the pace of natural adaptation is problematic because

1. life has never been able to adapt to any environmental changes
2. modern changes occur too rapidly for natural adaptation to keep pace
3. nature changes more quickly than human technology can develop
4. scientists cannot measure the rate of natural adaptation
5. insects adapt more quickly than other forms of life

19. Carson’s tone in this testimony can best be described as

1. hysterical and panicked
2. detached and indifferent
3. grave and measured
4. optimistic and cheerful
5. sarcastic and dismissive

20. In the final paragraph, Carson indicates that her concern is primarily with

1. whether chemicals should be used at all in agriculture
2. whether we will return to agricultural methods of the Dark Ages
3. whether insects will overrun human civilization
4. whether chemicals can be used safely
5. whether farmers will accept government regulation

■ ■ ■   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) – portray a young apprentice’s struggle to master a difficult craft
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage focuses throughout on Kenji’s efforts to learn pottery, his repeated failures with the kiln, and his relationship with his master (lines 1-35). Choice (A) is too narrow; while pottery techniques are mentioned, they serve to illustrate Kenji’s struggle, not to provide technical instruction. Choice (C) is not supported by the passage, which never mentions modern methods.

2. Ans: (B) – cracked
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. The passage states that pieces emerged “crazed with hairline fractures” (lines 7-8), indicating that “crazed” refers to a cracked surface condition in pottery. Choice (A) uses the common meaning of “crazed” but distorts its technical meaning in this context. Choice (D) is incorrect because the crazing represents a defect, not decoration.

3. Ans: (C) – he has been working with pottery materials for some time
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The word “permanently” (line 9) suggests long-term exposure to these materials, consistent with the passage’s statement that Kenji has been apprenticed for two years (line 15). Choice (A) is not supported; staining from materials is different from injury. Choice (E) reverses causation-the staining indicates duration of work, not current anxiety.

4. Ans: (A) – indicate the passage of time during his apprenticeship
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The persimmon tree’s leaves “just beginning to turn” (line 15) marks the season, and this observation appears immediately before the passage mentions his two years of apprenticeship (lines 15-16), connecting natural cycles to time’s passage. Choice (B) is incorrect; Kenji observes the tree while waiting, not instead of working. Choice (C) is unsupported-nothing suggests he wants to leave.

5. Ans: (D) – controlling the kiln firing
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states that “the mysteries of the kiln still eluded him” (line 22) and describes his repeated failures with firing. Choices (A), (B), and (C) are all listed as skills he has learned (lines 17-20). Choice (E) is not mentioned in the passage at all.

6. Ans: (A) – the kiln will eventually teach Kenji if he continues to practice
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Takahashi-san describes fire as “more patient than any human master” (lines 23-24), implying that the kiln will teach through repeated experience. Choice (B) contradicts the passage-the master is patient, offering “a kind of faith in his eventual mastery” (lines 35-36). Choice (D) distorts the statement, which praises fire’s patience, not criticizes human impatience.

7. Ans: (C) – contemplative and sympathetic
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The narrator presents Kenji’s internal thoughts and struggles with understanding and without judgment, as seen in descriptions of his trembling hands (line 11) and feeling “ashamed and grateful at once” (lines 34-35). Choice (A) is incorrect-neither Kenji nor the narrator expresses bitterness. Choice (D) is wrong because the passage treats the subject seriously, not with humor.

8. Ans: (B) – explain the principles and limitations of forensic linguistics
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage describes how forensic linguistics works (lines 5-21), provides examples (lines 22-30), and then discusses its limitations (lines 31-38). Choice (A) is incorrect-the passage presents information objectively without arguing for wider use. Choice (C) is too narrow; the 1998 case is mentioned only as an introduction (lines 1-4).

9. Ans: (B) – an individual’s distinctive language patterns
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. The passage defines idiolect as “a unique linguistic fingerprint” (line 13) and explains that “no two people use language in exactly the same way” (lines 15-16). Choice (A) is too narrow-regional dialect is mentioned as only one influence on idiolect (line 17). Choice (C) is similarly too narrow-professional jargon is one component, not the whole concept.

10. Ans: (D) – DNA sequence
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage lists regional dialect, educational background, professional jargon, reading habits, and family speech patterns as influences (lines 16-20) but never suggests biological or genetic factors. Choice (A), (B), (C), and (E) are all explicitly mentioned in lines 16-20. This question also tests careful reading, as DNA is mentioned elsewhere in the passage but in a different context (line 32).

11. Ans: (B) – illustrate the unique and consistent nature of individual language use
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The comparison emphasizes that idiolects, like fingerprints, are unique to each individual (lines 14-16). Choice (A) goes too far-the passage later states that linguistic analysis is NOT as definitive as fingerprint analysis (lines 31-33). Choice (E) is incorrect; the passage never suggests language patterns are biological.

12. Ans: (C) – It analyzes patterns such as word choice and punctuation.
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states that forensic linguists analyze “patterns in word choice, sentence structure, punctuation, and even spelling errors” (lines 6-8). Choice (A) contradicts the passage, which states that unlike DNA, linguistic analysis does NOT provide statistical probabilities (lines 32-33). Choice (B) is too extreme-the passage says courts are cautious but sometimes accept such evidence (lines 36-38).

13. Ans: (A) – provide concrete examples of linguistic variables that create individual patterns
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The third paragraph offers specific examples like contraction use, semicolon preferences, and sentence-initial conjunctions to illustrate the concept of idiolect (lines 22-30). Choice (B) distorts the passage-the examples show variation, not superiority of one style. Choice (C) is too narrow and misses the paragraph’s purpose; contractions are just one example among many.

14. Ans: (B) – linguistic analysis is more subjective than methods like DNA testing
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage states that “unlike DNA analysis, which can provide statistical probabilities, linguistic analysis yields findings that are inherently more subjective” (lines 31-34), explaining judicial caution. Choice (A) is not supported-the passage never questions linguists’ training. Choice (E) directly contradicts the passage, which notes that “a skilled writer might deliberately alter their style” (lines 34-35).

15. Ans: (B) – warn about the dangers of pesticides while acknowledging the complexity of the issue
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. Carson opens by stating “the problem is not a simple one, and there are no simple answers” (lines 5-6) and closes by clarifying that the issue is not whether to use chemicals but how to use them safely (lines 30-33). Choice (A) is too extreme-Carson explicitly rejects this absolutist position in the final paragraph. Choice (C) distorts her argument-she never claims agriculture was better before pesticides.

16. Ans: (B) – not able to be reversed
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. Carson follows “irrecoverable” (line 11) immediately with “irreversible” (line 14), using the terms as synonyms to describe permanent environmental damage. Choice (A) uses a different meaning of “recover” unrelated to the context. Choice (D) is not supported; Carson discusses permanence, not cost.

17. Ans: (B) – emphasize the severity of chemical contamination by comparing it to a known danger
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. By linking chemicals to radiation, Carson invokes a danger her 1963 audience would recognize as serious, thereby emphasizing chemicals’ comparable threat (lines 16-18). Choice (A) misreads the comparison-Carson means the dangers are parallel, not that pesticides contain radiation. Choice (C) distorts “partners” to mean they occur together physically rather than as comparable threats.

18. Ans: (B) – modern changes occur too rapidly for natural adaptation to keep pace
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. Carson contrasts the “hundreds of millions of years” (line 19) life took to reach balance with “the impetuous pace of man” versus “the deliberate pace of nature” (lines 24-25), arguing there is “no time” (line 22) for adaptation now. Choice (A) is too extreme-Carson says life adjusts “given time” (lines 20-21). Choice (C) reverses the relationship described in lines 23-25.

19. Ans: (C) – grave and measured
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. Carson uses serious language like “alarming,” “sinister,” and “lethal” (lines 8, 16, 10) but maintains formal, controlled testimony style appropriate to Senate proceedings. Choice (A) is too extreme-Carson is serious but not panicked or out of control. Choice (E) is incorrect; Carson shows no sarcasm, treating the subject with earnest concern.

20. Ans: (D) – whether chemicals can be used safely
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Carson explicitly states: “the problem that concerns us is not whether we shall use chemicals, but whether we can use them with proper safeguards” (lines 30-33). Choice (A) contradicts this statement-she accepts chemical use if done safely. Choice (B) distorts her reference to “the Dark Ages of agriculture” (lines 29-30), which she presents as others’ argument, not her concern.