SSAT Reading Practice Worksheet - 30

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 canoe cut through the dark water without a sound, and Mei-Lin watched the mist rise from the surface like breath. Her grandfather sat in the stern, his paddle moving in small, economical strokes that barely disturbed the lake. They had left before dawn, when the mountains (5) were still black shapes against a gray sky, and now the first light was touching the tops of the pines on the far shore.     “This is where I brought your father,” her grandfather said quietly. “When he was your age.” Mei-Lin nodded, though she wasn’t sure what to say. Her father lived in Seattle now, in an apartment (10) building with a doorman and an elevator that rose thirty floors. He sent money every month, and called on birthdays, but he hadn’t been back to the lake in five years.     “Look there,” her grandfather whispered, pointing. A heron stood motionless in the shallows, its neck curved like a question mark. As they drifted closer, the bird suddenly (15) straightened and stabbed its beak into the water, emerging with a silver fish. Mei-Lin felt something tighten in her chest-not quite sadness, not quite joy, but a fierce awareness that this moment would not come again. Next summer she would be in high school, probably working at the grocery store in town. Her grandfather would be (20) another year older, moving a little slower, remembering a little less clearly.

1. The primary purpose of this passage is to

1. describe the techniques used in traditional canoe fishing
2. capture a moment of connection between generations in a changing world
3. explain why Mei-Lin’s father moved away from his childhood home
4. contrast the beauty of nature with the ugliness of urban life
5. celebrate the joy Mei-Lin feels about beginning high school

2. As used in line 4, the word “economical” most nearly means

1. inexpensive
2. thrifty
3. efficient
4. frugal
5. careful

3. The description of Mei-Lin’s father’s apartment building (lines 9-11) serves primarily to

1. emphasize the financial success he has achieved in the city
2. suggest the physical and emotional distance between his current life and the lake
3. criticize his choice to live in a tall building rather than near nature
4. explain why he cannot afford to visit his family more often
5. illustrate the kind of lifestyle Mei-Lin hopes to have someday

4. The passage suggests that Mei-Lin’s grandfather takes her to the lake in order to

1. teach her the traditional methods of catching fish
2. persuade her not to move away like her father did
3. share an experience that connects her to family tradition
4. demonstrate his superior knowledge of the natural world
5. provide her with peaceful moments before the stress of high school

5. The heron’s neck is compared to “a question mark” (line 14) most likely to suggest

1. the bird’s confusion about the presence of the canoe
2. Mei-Lin’s uncertainty about her own future
3. the mysterious quality of the natural world
4. the grandfather’s hesitation about speaking to Mei-Lin
5. the curved shape of the bird’s posture while hunting

6. The emotion Mei-Lin experiences while watching the heron (lines 15-18) can best be described as

1. pure happiness at witnessing a beautiful natural event
2. deep sadness about her grandfather’s advancing age
3. bitter resentment toward her absent father
4. a complex mixture of appreciation and awareness of impermanence
5. anxious worry about the responsibilities of high school

7. The final sentence of the passage (lines 18-20) suggests that Mei-Lin

1. is looking forward eagerly to the independence of working
2. resents having to take a job instead of enjoying her summer
3. recognizes that circumstances will soon make such moments rare
4. believes her grandfather is suffering from memory loss
5. wishes she could remain a child forever

Passage 2

The following passage is adapted from an article on linguistics and cognitive science.

The human capacity for language has long been considered one of our species’ defining characteristics, yet the question of whether animals possess anything resembling true linguistic ability remains hotly debated. In recent decades, research on prairie dogs has revealed a communication system of surprising (5) sophistication, challenging our assumptions about the boundary between human language and animal calls.     Prairie dogs are highly social rodents that live in elaborate underground colonies called towns, some of which historically covered thousands of square miles. These animals face constant predation from hawks, coyotes, badgers, and other threats, (10) and they have evolved an alarm call system that goes far beyond simple warnings. Biologist Con Slobodchikoff has spent more than thirty years studying Gunnison’s prairie dogs in Arizona, using sophisticated recording equipment and carefully controlled experiments to decode their vocalizations.     What Slobodchikoff discovered is remarkable: prairie dogs don’t simply have different (15) calls for different predators. Instead, their chirps contain specific information about the type, size, shape, and even color of approaching threats. In one experiment, Slobodchikoff had four individuals of different heights walk through a prairie dog colony, each wearing a different colored shirt. Analysis of the recorded alarm calls revealed that the prairie dogs (20) produced distinctly different vocalizations for each person, with the calls encoding both the person’s size and shirt color. The animals could even communicate about unprecedented threats: when Slobodchikoff introduced a wooden silhouette of an oval shape that the colony had never encountered, the prairie dogs produced a novel call that, when later analyzed, appeared to describe the object’s unfamiliar shape.

8. The main idea of the passage is that

1. prairie dogs are more intelligent than most other rodent species
2. animal communication systems are essentially identical to human language
3. prairie dog vocalizations demonstrate unexpectedly complex communicative abilities
4. Con Slobodchikoff has revolutionized the entire field of biology
5. predators pose the greatest threat to prairie dog survival

9. According to the passage, prairie dog “towns” are

1. above-ground structures built from mud and grass
2. small colonies containing fewer than twenty individuals
3. underground networks that can extend over vast areas
4. temporary shelters used only during winter months
5. simple burrows dug by solitary animals

10. As used in line 16, the word “chirps” most nearly means

1. songs
2. squeaks
3. vocalizations
4. melodies
5. whistles

11. The experiment with people wearing different colored shirts (lines 17-20) was designed to test whether prairie dogs could

1. distinguish between friends and enemies
2. encode specific visual details about threats in their calls
3. learn to ignore harmless humans over time
4. communicate more effectively than other rodent species
5. produce louder alarm calls for larger threats

12. The author’s tone in describing Slobodchikoff’s research can best be characterized as

1. skeptical and dismissive
2. enthusiastically impressed
3. completely neutral and detached
4. mildly amused
5. cautiously critical

13. The passage indicates that when prairie dogs encountered the wooden oval silhouette, they

1. remained silent because they had never seen such a shape before
2. used the same alarm call they would use for a coyote
3. fled immediately without making any sound
4. created a new vocalization that seemed to describe its unusual form
5. ignored it because it was not a real predator

14. Which of the following claims about prairie dog communication is best supported by the passage?

1. Prairie dogs can discuss abstract philosophical concepts.
2. Prairie dog calls contain detailed descriptive information about specific threats.
3. Prairie dogs have a larger vocabulary than any other animal species.
4. Prairie dog communication is identical in structure to human language.
5. Prairie dogs can understand human speech when trained properly.

Passage 3

The following is adapted from a speech delivered by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce in Washington, D.C., in 1879.

I have heard talk and talk, but nothing is done. Good words do not last long unless they amount to something. Words do not pay for my dead people. They do not pay for my country, now overrun by white men. They do not protect my father’s grave. They do not pay for (5) my horses and cattle. Good words will not give my people good health and stop them from dying. Good words will not get my people a home where they can live in peace and take care of themselves.     I am tired of talk that comes to nothing. It makes my heart sick when I remember all the good words and broken promises. There has been too much talking by men who had no right to (10) talk. Too many misrepresentations have been made, too many misunderstandings have come up between the white men about the Indians. If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian, he can live in peace. There need be no trouble. Treat all men alike. Give them all the same law. Give them all an even chance to live and grow. All men were made by the same Great Spirit Chief. They are all (15) brothers. The earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it. You might as well expect the rivers to run backward as that any man who was born free should be contented when penned up and denied liberty to go where he pleases.     Let me be a free man-free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade where I choose, free to choose my own teachers, free to follow the (20) religion of my fathers, free to think and talk and act for myself-and I will obey every law, or submit to the penalty.

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

1. declare war on the United States government
2. request financial compensation for land and livestock
3. demand justice and equal treatment for his people
4. describe the traditional customs of the Nez Perce
5. thank government officials for their assistance

16. As used in line 2, the phrase “amount to something” most nearly means

1. add up to a large number
2. result in meaningful action
3. equal a fair price
4. seem important
5. sound impressive

17. The repetition of “They do not pay” and “Good words will not” in lines 2-6 serves primarily to

1. demonstrate Chief Joseph’s limited vocabulary
2. create a rhythmic, poetic effect for aesthetic purposes
3. emphasize the inadequacy of promises without concrete action
4. confuse the audience with complex sentence structures
5. suggest that Chief Joseph is too angry to speak clearly

18. According to the passage, Chief Joseph believes that peace between white men and Indians requires

1. complete separation of the two groups into different territories
2. equal treatment under a single system of law
3. the removal of all white settlers from Indian lands
4. financial payments to compensate for past wrongs
5. the adoption of white customs by Indian peoples

19. The statement that “All men were made by the same Great Spirit Chief” (lines 14-15) is used to support the argument that

1. all people should convert to the same religion
2. the government should appoint one supreme leader
3. all human beings deserve equal rights and treatment
4. Native American spiritual beliefs are superior to others
5. men are more important than women in society

20. The tone of the final paragraph (lines 18-21) can best be described as

1. resigned and defeated
2. angry and threatening
3. hopeful and naïve
4. dignified and resolute
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: (B) – capture a moment of connection between generations in a changing world
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage focuses on a shared experience between Mei-Lin and her grandfather against the backdrop of family separation and the passage of time, as evidenced by the references to her father’s absence (lines 9-11) and Mei-Lin’s awareness that “this moment would not come again” (line 16). Choice (A) is too narrow, as fishing is not the focus. Choice (D) is incorrect because the passage does not make negative judgments about urban life.

2. Ans: (C) – efficient
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 4, “economical” describes paddle strokes that are small and purposeful, indicating efficiency of movement rather than financial thrift. Choice (A) “inexpensive” relates only to the monetary meaning of economical. Choice (B) “thrifty” also refers to financial matters rather than the quality of physical movement.

3. Ans: (B) – suggest the physical and emotional distance between his current life and the lake
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The detailed description of the modern apartment building contrasts sharply with the natural setting of the lake and emphasizes that the father “hadn’t been back to the lake in five years” (line 11). Choice (A) is too narrow, focusing only on success. Choice (C) is wrong because the passage does not criticize the father’s choices.

4. Ans: (C) – share an experience that connects her to family tradition
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The grandfather explicitly states, “This is where I brought your father...When he was your age” (lines 7-8), indicating he is continuing a multigenerational tradition. Choice (A) is incorrect because there is no actual fishing instruction in the passage. Choice (B) is wrong because the grandfather makes no attempt to persuade Mei-Lin to stay.

5. Ans: (E) – the curved shape of the bird’s posture while hunting
Explanation: This is an Inference question. In line 14, the comparison describes the heron’s physical appearance as it stands “motionless in the shallows,” with its neck literally curved in the shape of a question mark. Choice (B) is incorrect because it imposes symbolic meaning not supported by the immediate context. Choice (A) is wrong because the heron shows no confusion-it successfully catches a fish.

6. Ans: (D) – a complex mixture of appreciation and awareness of impermanence
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The passage states that Mei-Lin feels “not quite sadness, not quite joy, but a fierce awareness that this moment would not come again” (lines 15-17), indicating a nuanced emotional response. Choice (A) is too simple and ignores the bittersweet quality. Choice (C) is unsupported, as Mei-Lin shows no resentment toward her father.

7. Ans: (C) – recognizes that circumstances will soon make such moments rare
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Mei-Lin’s thoughts about working next summer and her grandfather aging (lines 18-20) directly follow her realization that “this moment would not come again” (line 16), showing her awareness that changing circumstances will limit future opportunities. Choice (A) is incorrect because the passage gives no indication she is eager to work. Choice (E) is wrong because she accepts rather than resists growing up.

8. Ans: (C) – prairie dog vocalizations demonstrate unexpectedly complex communicative abilities
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage discusses how prairie dog calls contain “specific information about the type, size, shape, and even color” of threats (lines 16-17), which represents “surprising sophistication” (lines 4-5). Choice (B) is too extreme, as the passage questions boundaries but does not claim identity. Choice (D) is too broad and overstates Slobodchikoff’s impact.

9. Ans: (C) – underground networks that can extend over vast areas
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states that prairie dogs “live in elaborate underground colonies called towns, some of which historically covered thousands of square miles” (lines 7-8). Choice (A) contradicts “underground.” Choice (B) contradicts the description of towns covering thousands of square miles.

10. Ans: (C) – vocalizations
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 16, “chirps” refers to the alarm calls prairie dogs produce, making “vocalizations” the most accurate general term in this scientific context. Choice (A) “songs” is too specific and suggests musical quality not indicated. Choice (D) “melodies” similarly imposes musical characteristics not supported by the passage.

11. Ans: (B) – encode specific visual details about threats in their calls
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The passage states that “analysis of the recorded alarm calls revealed that the prairie dogs produced distinctly different vocalizations for each person, with the calls encoding both the person’s size and shirt color” (lines 18-20). Choice (A) is incorrect because the people were strangers, not friends. Choice (C) reverses the experiment’s purpose-it tested discrimination, not habituation.

12. Ans: (B) – enthusiastically impressed
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The author uses phrases like “surprising sophistication” (lines 4-5) and “What Slobodchikoff discovered is remarkable” (line 14) to convey admiration for the research findings. Choice (A) is contradicted by the positive language throughout. Choice (C) is incorrect because words like “remarkable” show clear approval rather than neutrality.

13. Ans: (D) – created a new vocalization that seemed to describe its unusual form
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states that when the wooden oval was introduced, “the prairie dogs produced a novel call that, when later analyzed, appeared to describe the object’s unfamiliar shape” (lines 21-23). Choice (A) contradicts this by stating they remained silent. Choice (B) is incorrect because they created a novel call, not a familiar one.

14. Ans: (B) – Prairie dog calls contain detailed descriptive information about specific threats.
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. The passage provides experimental evidence that prairie dog “chirps contain specific information about the type, size, shape, and even color of approaching threats” (lines 16-17). Choice (A) is unsupported and extreme. Choice (D) overstates the comparison, as the passage only says prairie dogs “challenge our assumptions about the boundary” (line 5) between animal and human communication.

15. Ans: (C) – demand justice and equal treatment for his people
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. Chief Joseph repeatedly calls for equal rights, stating “Treat all men alike. Give them all the same law” (lines 12-13) and requesting freedom with a promise to “obey every law” (line 21). Choice (A) is contradicted by his statement that “the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian, he can live in peace” (lines 11-12). Choice (B) is too narrow, as compensation is mentioned but is not the primary purpose.

16. Ans: (B) – result in meaningful action
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 2, Chief Joseph contrasts words that “amount to something” with empty talk, as evidenced by his statement that “nothing is done” (line 1) and that words “do not pay” for various wrongs (lines 2-6). Choice (A) focuses on the literal numerical meaning rather than the figurative sense. Choice (D) is too weak, as he wants actual results, not just apparent importance.

17. Ans: (C) – emphasize the inadequacy of promises without concrete action
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The anaphoric repetition reinforces Chief Joseph’s opening statement that “talk and talk” leads to nothing being done (line 1) and that “Good words do not last long unless they amount to something” (lines 1-2). Choice (A) is insulting and unsupported. Choice (E) is incorrect because the repetition shows rhetorical control, not loss of composure.

18. Ans: (B) – equal treatment under a single system of law
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Chief Joseph explicitly states, “If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian, he can live in peace...Treat all men alike. Give them all the same law” (lines 11-13). Choice (A) contradicts his call for living together under the same law. Choice (C) is not stated in the passage.

19. Ans: (C) – all human beings deserve equal rights and treatment
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. Immediately after stating that all men were made by the same Great Spirit Chief, Chief Joseph says “They are all brothers” and “all people should have equal rights upon it [the earth]” (lines 14-16). Choice (A) misinterprets the spiritual reference as a call for religious conversion. Choice (D) reverses the meaning-he uses shared spirituality to argue for equality, not superiority.

20. Ans: (D) – dignified and resolute
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The final paragraph presents Chief Joseph’s demands for freedom with calm determination, culminating in his promise to “obey every law, or submit to the penalty” (line 21), which shows both dignity and firm resolve. Choice (A) is incorrect because his demands show strength, not defeat. Choice (B) is wrong because despite his firmness, he makes no threats.