SSAT Reading Practice Worksheet - 29

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 pines as Mei Lin approached the weathered cabin her uncle had built beside the lake. She had not been here in seven years, not since the summer her mother had forbidden any further visits. The path was overgrown (5) now, choked with blackberry vines that caught at her sleeves. She remembered this trail as wide and clear, a route she had run down barefoot every morning to reach the dock.     Inside, the cabin smelled of damp wood and time. Dust hung suspended in the strips of light that fell between the shutters. (10) Her uncle’s fishing rods still leaned in the corner, and the iron skillet still rested on the wood stove. Everything was exactly as it had been, yet utterly changed by absence. Mei Lin set down her bag and crossed to the window that overlooked the water.     The lake was smaller than she remembered, (15) its surface dimpled by a light wind. A heron stood motionless in the shallows. She had expected to feel sadness here, or anger at the years lost to her mother’s stubborn silence. Instead, she felt only a quiet curiosity, as though she were reading a book (20) she had abandoned mid-chapter and was now discovering what came next.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. describe the natural beauty of a lakeside setting
2. portray a character’s return to a place from her past
3. explain the reasons for a family conflict
4. criticize a mother’s decision to separate family members
5. celebrate the enduring strength of childhood memories

2. The description of the path as “overgrown” and “choked with blackberry vines” (lines 4-5) primarily suggests

1. the dangers of walking in unfamiliar wilderness
2. the passage of time since Mei Lin’s last visit
3. the uncle’s neglect of the property
4. the hostile nature of the environment
5. Mei Lin’s fear of returning to this location

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

1. postponed
2. hanging
3. expelled
4. denied
5. cancelled

4. The statement that everything in the cabin was “exactly as it had been, yet utterly changed by absence” (lines 12-13) suggests that

1. someone had rearranged the furniture without Mei Lin’s knowledge
2. the physical objects remained the same but their meaning had shifted
3. the cabin had deteriorated significantly over seven years
4. Mei Lin’s memory of the cabin was completely inaccurate
5. the uncle had removed all the items of sentimental value

5. The passage suggests that Mei Lin had not visited the cabin in seven years because

1. she had lost interest in spending time at the lake
2. her uncle had moved away and abandoned the property
3. her mother had prohibited her from going there
4. the path had become too dangerous to travel
5. she had been living too far away to make the trip

6. The mood of the passage as a whole can best be described as

1. bitter and resentful
2. joyful and celebratory
3. reflective and subdued
4. anxious and fearful
5. indifferent and detached

7. The comparison of Mei Lin’s feelings to “reading a book she had abandoned mid-chapter” (lines 19-20) emphasizes her sense of

1. confusion about what had happened in her absence
2. eagerness to discover what will happen next in her life
3. regret for not finishing what she had started
4. frustration with her inability to remember the past
5. disappointment that the experience is less exciting than expected

Passage 2

The following passage is from an article on anthropology and human evolution.

    The discovery of ancient fire pits at Qesem Cave in Israel has reignited debate over when humans first gained mastery over flame. While scattered evidence of fire use dates back as far as 1.5 million years, the hearths at Qesem – which burned continuously (5) between 400,000 and 300,000 years ago – suggest something more significant: the routine, controlled use of fire as a central feature of daily life. This distinction matters because occasional fire use, perhaps scavenged from natural blazes, differs fundamentally from the ability to create and maintain fire at will.     The implications (10) of this mastery extended far beyond mere warmth. Cooking food with fire rendered previously indigestible plants edible and broke down tough meat fibers, effectively externalizing part of the digestive process. This allowed human ancestors to extract more calories from less food, which in turn may have (15) supported the evolution of smaller teeth and jaws and a more energy-demanding brain. Some researchers argue that controlled fire also fundamentally altered social structures, creating a focal point around which communities gathered after dark, extending the day and enabling new forms of communication and cultural transmission.     Yet (20) the archaeological record remains frustratingly incomplete. Fire leaves ephemeral traces, and distinguishing between natural fires and human-made ones requires careful analysis of ash chemistry, burned bone patterns, and spatial organization.

8. The main idea of the passage is that

1. the Qesem Cave hearths are the oldest evidence of fire ever discovered
2. controlled fire use had profound effects on human physical and social evolution
3. cooking food was the primary reason humans learned to control fire
4. natural fires were more important than human-made fires in early history
5. archaeologists have definitively proven when humans first used fire

9. According to the passage, the hearths at Qesem Cave are significant because they indicate

1. the very first instance of human use of fire
2. that fire was scavenged from natural sources
3. the regular, controlled use of fire in daily life
4. that humans lived in caves for warmth
5. the earliest evidence of cooking meat

10. As used in line 2, the word “mastery” most nearly means

1. domination
2. expertise
3. control
4. victory
5. teaching

11. The passage suggests that cooking food with fire allowed human ancestors to

1. gather in communities for the first time
2. obtain more nutrition from the same amount of food
3. develop larger teeth and jaws for chewing
4. eliminate the need for a digestive system
5. discover new sources of edible plants

12. The author describes the archaeological record as “frustratingly incomplete” (line 20) most likely because

1. no ancient fire pits have ever been discovered
2. fire leaves limited physical evidence that is difficult to analyze
3. researchers refuse to study ancient fire sites
4. all evidence of fire has been destroyed by time
5. human-made fires are identical to natural fires

13. The passage indicates that controlled fire may have altered social structures by

1. providing warmth during cold seasons
2. creating a gathering place that extended the usable day
3. allowing humans to cook all their meals together
4. forcing communities to move into caves
5. eliminating the need for spoken language

14. Which of the following best describes the structure of the passage?

1. A scientific theory is presented and then completely disproven
2. A discovery is introduced, its implications explored, then limitations noted
3. Multiple competing theories are compared and one is declared superior
4. A historical narrative is told in strict chronological order
5. An argument is made and then supported with statistical evidence

Passage 3

The following is excerpted from Chief Seattle’s reply to the U.S. government’s offer to purchase tribal lands, delivered in 1854.

    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 (5) sacred to my people. 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 (10) the country of their birth when they go to walk 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 (15) 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 Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land, he asks much of us.

15. The primary purpose of this speech is to

1. accept the government’s offer to purchase the land
2. express a fundamentally different view of land ownership
3. describe the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest
4. request more money for the tribal territories
5. declare war against the United States government

16. The opening question “How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land?” (lines 1-2) primarily serves to

1. request information about the government’s purchasing process
2. emphasize the speaker’s belief that nature cannot be owned
3. suggest that the price offered is too low
4. indicate confusion about legal property transactions
5. propose an alternative method of payment

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

1. religious
2. expensive
3. holy
4. mysterious
5. forbidden

18. The statement that “The sap which courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man” (lines 7-8) suggests that

1. the speaker’s people have a literal biological connection to trees
2. tribal history and identity are inseparable from the natural world
3. the trees were planted by the speaker’s ancestors
4. memories can be physically stored in plant tissue
5. the speaker has studied the scientific properties of tree sap

19. The contrast drawn between the white man’s dead and the speaker’s dead (lines 9-12) emphasizes

1. the superior religious beliefs of the speaker’s people
2. the different ways the two cultures relate to the land
3. the white man’s lack of respect for ancestors
4. the speaker’s people’s fear of death
5. the greater number of white settlers in the territory

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

1. angry and threatening
2. reverent and imploring
3. objective and scientific
4. cheerful and optimistic
5. indifferent and resigned

■ ■ ■   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 character’s return to a place from her past
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage focuses on Mei Lin’s return to her uncle’s cabin after seven years away, describing both the physical setting and her emotional response to being back (lines 1-3, 13-20). Choice (A) is too narrow because while the setting is described, it is not the primary purpose. Choice (C) is wrong because the passage mentions the conflict but does not explain its reasons.

2. Ans: (B) – the passage of time since Mei Lin’s last visit
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The overgrown path contrasts with Mei Lin’s memory of it as “wide and clear” (line 6), indicating neglect during her seven-year absence (lines 2-3). Choice (A) is wrong because the passage presents no actual danger, only overgrowth. Choice (D) is too extreme; the environment is not described as hostile, merely neglected.

3. Ans: (B) – hanging
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. The dust is described as “suspended in the strips of light” (line 9), meaning it hangs or floats in the air beams. Choice (A) uses another meaning of “suspended” but does not fit the physical context of dust in light. Choice (C) is incorrect because “expelled” would mean the dust was forced out, opposite of floating in place.

4. Ans: (B) – the physical objects remained the same but their meaning had shifted
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The paradox indicates that while the cabin’s contents are physically unchanged (lines 10-12), their significance to Mei Lin has been altered by time and absence (lines 12-13). Choice (A) is contradicted by the statement that everything was “exactly as it had been.” Choice (C) is wrong because the passage emphasizes that things remained the same physically, not that they deteriorated.

5. Ans: (C) – her mother had prohibited her from going there
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage explicitly states that Mei Lin had not been to the cabin “since the summer her mother had forbidden any further visits” (lines 2-3). Choice (A) is not supported by any evidence in the passage. Choice (B) is wrong because the uncle’s current whereabouts are never mentioned, and his belongings remain in the cabin.

6. Ans: (C) – reflective and subdued
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The passage’s tone is contemplative and quiet, with Mei Lin examining the cabin and her feelings with “quiet curiosity” rather than strong emotion (lines 17-20). Choice (A) is wrong because Mei Lin explicitly does not feel “anger” (line 17). Choice (D) is incorrect because there is no indication of anxiety or fear in her observations.

7. Ans: (B) – eagerness to discover what will happen next in her life
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. The book metaphor suggests Mei Lin is curious about continuing a story she left unfinished, emphasizing her forward-looking “quiet curiosity” about what comes next (lines 18-20). Choice (A) is too negative; she feels curiosity, not confusion. Choice (C) misreads the comparison; the emphasis is on discovering what’s next, not regret for abandoning something.

8. Ans: (B) – controlled fire use had profound effects on human physical and social evolution
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage discusses how mastery of fire affected human diet, anatomy, and social organization (lines 10-18), making this the central focus. Choice (A) is factually wrong; the passage states evidence of fire use dates back 1.5 million years (line 3). Choice (E) is contradicted by the statement that the archaeological record “remains frustratingly incomplete” (line 20).

9. Ans: (C) – the regular, controlled use of fire in daily life
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage states the Qesem hearths suggest “routine, controlled use of fire as a central feature of daily life” (lines 5-7). Choice (A) is contradicted by the mention of earlier fire evidence dating to 1.5 million years ago (line 3). Choice (B) reverses the point; the hearths suggest controlled use, not scavenged fire.

10. Ans: (C) – control
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. The passage discusses “mastery over flame” in the context of “controlled use of fire” and “the ability to create and maintain fire at will” (lines 2-8), making “control” the best fit. Choice (A), while related, is too strong and suggests conquest rather than skilled use. Choice (E) is wrong because “mastery” here refers to skill in using fire, not teaching others about it.

11. Ans: (B) – obtain more nutrition from the same amount of food
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage states that cooking “allowed human ancestors to extract more calories from less food” (lines 13-15). Choice (C) reverses what the passage says; it states fire may have led to “smaller teeth and jaws,” not larger (line 15). Choice (D) is an extreme distortion; externalizing “part of” the digestive process does not eliminate the need for digestion.

12. Ans: (B) – fire leaves limited physical evidence that is difficult to analyze
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage explains that “fire leaves ephemeral traces” and requires “careful analysis” to distinguish from natural fires (lines 20-23). Choice (A) is contradicted by the entire passage, which discusses discovered fire pits. Choice (E) is wrong because the passage states that distinguishing between natural and human-made fires is possible but requires careful analysis.

13. Ans: (B) – creating a gathering place that extended the usable day
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage states that fire created “a focal point around which communities gathered after dark, extending the day” (lines 17-18). Choice (A) is mentioned but is not connected to social structure changes. Choice (E) reverses the passage’s point; fire enabled “new forms of communication,” not the elimination of language (line 18).

14. Ans: (B) – A discovery is introduced, its implications explored, then limitations noted
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The passage begins with the Qesem Cave discovery (lines 1-8), explores its implications for human evolution (lines 10-18), then notes limitations in the archaeological record (lines 20-23). Choice (A) is wrong because no theory is disproven. Choice (C) is incorrect because the passage presents one discovery and its implications, not competing theories.

15. Ans: (B) – express a fundamentally different view of land ownership
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The speech articulates a worldview in which land cannot be bought or sold because it is sacred and inseparable from the people (lines 1-7, 11-13). Choice (A) is contradicted by the questioning tone and the statement that the request “asks much of us” (line 18). Choice (D) is wrong because no request for money is made.

16. Ans: (B) – emphasize the speaker’s belief that nature cannot be owned
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The rhetorical question challenges the very concept of buying and selling natural elements, introducing the theme that these things cannot be possessed (lines 1-4). Choice (A) misreads the rhetorical question as a literal request for information. Choice (C) is wrong because the issue is not price but the philosophical impossibility of the transaction.

17. Ans: (C) – holy
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. “Sacred” describes how “every part of this earth” is regarded with reverence, and is reinforced by the subsequent use of “holy” to describe natural elements (line 7). Choice (A) is too narrow; while “sacred” can relate to religion, “holy” better captures the spiritual reverence in context. Choice (B) is completely unrelated to the meaning of sacred.

18. Ans: (B) – tribal history and identity are inseparable from the natural world
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The metaphor suggests that the speaker’s people and the land share a deep, intertwined connection through memory and experience (lines 7-8). Choice (A) takes the metaphor too literally. Choice (D) misinterprets the figurative language as a claim about physical memory storage.

19. Ans: (B) – the different ways the two cultures relate to the land
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. The contrast shows that white settlers forget their birthplace after death while the speaker’s people remain spiritually connected to the earth, illustrating fundamentally different relationships with land (lines 9-12). Choice (A) is too broad and judgmental; the passage presents differences, not claims of superiority. Choice (C) distorts the passage; forgetting is presented as a cultural difference, not disrespect.

20. Ans: (B) – reverent and imploring
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The speech expresses deep reverence for the earth through sacred imagery (lines 4-7) while implicitly asking the government to understand this perspective (lines 17-18). Choice (A) is too extreme; while the speech is serious, it is not threatening. Choice (E) is wrong because the passionate description of the land’s sacredness shows anything but indifference or resignation.