SSAT Reading Practice Worksheet - 35

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 Aunt Celestine arrived from New Orleans, the kitchen filled with the scent of chicory and something else – a perfume I couldn’t name but that made me think of velvet and stage lights. She stood at the counter in a dress the color of plums, her fingers (5) moving over the coffee press with the precision of a pianist. My mother hovered near the doorway, arms crossed, her mouth set in that thin line I knew meant trouble.     “You didn’t write,” my mother said. “Three years, Celestine.”     “I was occupied,” Aunt Celestine replied, not turning. She poured the coffee into two cups, (10) then added cream that swirled like smoke. “Besides, you know I detest letters. All that false sentiment pressed onto paper.”     I sat at the table, pretending to read the newspaper but watching everything. Aunt Celestine had left our town the summer I turned seven, gone off to sing in what my mother called “establishments of dubious (15) character.” Now I was ten, and she looked different – thinner, with shadows under her eyes that makeup couldn’t quite hide.     “Mama’s ring,” my mother said suddenly, her voice sharp. “You’re wearing it.”     Aunt Celestine touched the garnet on her finger, and for the first time, her expression softened. “She gave it to me (20) before she died, Claire. You know she did.”

1. The primary purpose of the first paragraph is to

1. establish the time and place of the narrative
2. introduce a character through sensory details and contrast
3. explain the reasons for Aunt Celestine’s departure
4. describe the narrator’s feelings about coffee
5. reveal the mother’s disapproval of chicory

2. As used in line 5, the word “precision” most nearly means

1. carefulness
2. speed
3. difficulty
4. elegance
5. exactness

3. The narrator’s mother’s posture and expression in lines 5-6 suggest that she feels

1. eager anticipation about her sister’s visit
2. confusion about Aunt Celestine’s reasons for returning
3. resentment and tension toward Aunt Celestine
4. physical exhaustion from preparing for a guest
5. indifference about family relationships

4. Aunt Celestine’s statement about letters in lines 10-11 suggests that she

1. lacks the education to write properly
2. prefers honest face-to-face communication
3. values artificiality over authenticity
4. has difficulty expressing her emotions
5. believes written correspondence is insincere

5. The narrator’s description of Aunt Celestine’s appearance in lines 15-17 primarily conveys

1. admiration for her aunt’s beauty
2. concern about her aunt’s health
3. disappointment that her aunt has aged
4. awareness that her aunt has endured hardship
5. confusion about her aunt’s profession

6. The phrase “establishments of dubious character” in lines 14-15 most likely refers to

1. music conservatories with poor reputations
2. venues the mother considers morally questionable
3. theaters that have financial difficulties
4. buildings in dangerous neighborhoods
5. concert halls with uncomfortable seating

7. The passage as a whole is best described as

1. a detailed character study of a professional singer
2. an objective account of a family reunion
3. a nostalgic recollection of childhood innocence
4. a scene revealing family conflict through observed details
5. a complete resolution of a long-standing dispute

Passage 2

The following passage is adapted from an article about linguistics and communication.

    Whistled languages, found in communities from the Canary Islands to the mountains of northern Turkey, represent one of the most ingenious adaptations of human communication to environmental challenge. Unlike the high-pitched signals used to hail a taxi or call a dog, (5) these are complete languages, capable of conveying any message that could be spoken in words. Each whistled language transposes the phonemes and tones of a spoken language into whistled frequencies, preserving the linguistic structure while dramatically increasing the distance over which communication can occur.     In mountainous or densely forested terrain, whistled speech can carry (10) up to ten times farther than shouted words – sometimes across distances exceeding two kilometers. This extended range arises from the acoustic properties of whistle tones, which contain fewer harmonics than voiced speech and thus suffer less degradation as sound waves travel through air. The whistle occupies a frequency band, typically between 1 and 4 kilohertz, where atmospheric absorption is minimal and (15) background noise from wind and wildlife less intrusive.     Recent neurological studies have revealed that the brain processes whistled language in the same regions used for spoken language, suggesting that these are not merely codes but genuine linguistic systems. However, whistled languages face extinction as modern telecommunications reduce (20) their practical necessity, and younger generations migrate to urban centers where such skills hold little value.

8. The main idea of the passage is that whistled languages

1. are primitive forms of communication used before spoken language developed
2. are sophisticated linguistic systems adapted to specific environmental needs
3. will soon replace spoken language in mountainous regions
4. are simpler than spoken languages and easier to learn
5. originated exclusively in the Canary Islands

9. According to the passage, whistled languages differ from ordinary whistles used for signaling in that whistled languages

1. are louder and more piercing
2. can only be used in mountainous terrain
3. convey complete linguistic messages rather than simple alerts
4. are easier for children to learn
5. require less breath control

10. As used in line 7, the word “transposes” most nearly means

1. translates
2. converts
3. eliminates
4. complicates
5. reverses

11. The passage indicates that whistled speech can travel farther than shouted speech primarily because

1. whistles require more air pressure than shouts
2. people who whistle have greater lung capacity
3. whistle tones have acoustic properties that resist degradation
4. mountains create natural amplification for whistled sounds
5. shouted words are always too quiet to be understood

12. The author mentions neurological studies in lines 16-18 in order to

1. prove that whistled languages are superior to spoken languages
2. demonstrate that whistled languages are processed as genuine language systems
3. argue that all humans should learn to whistle
4. explain why whistled languages are becoming extinct
5. show that the brain cannot distinguish between whistles and speech

13. According to the passage, which of the following contributes to the decline of whistled languages?

1. The difficulty of teaching whistled languages in schools
2. The availability of modern telecommunications technology
3. The lack of mountainous terrain in most countries
4. The discovery that whistled languages damage hearing
5. Government prohibitions against using whistled speech

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

1. alarmed and urgent
2. skeptical and dismissive
3. informative and appreciative
4. humorous and lighthearted
5. angry and accusatory

Passage 3

The following is excerpted from Chief Seattle’s 1854 speech upon the signing of a treaty transferring Native American land to the U.S. government.

    There was a time when our people covered the land as the waves of a wind-ruffled sea cover its shell-paved floor, but that time long since passed away with the greatness of tribes that are now but a mournful memory. I will not dwell on, nor mourn over, our (5) untimely decay, nor reproach my paleface brothers with hastening it, as we too may have been somewhat to blame.     Your God is not our God! Your God loves your people and hates mine! He folds his strong protecting arms lovingly about the paleface and leads him by the hand as a father leads an infant son. But He has forsaken His red children. (10) We are orphans who can look nowhere for help. Our God, the Great Spirit, seems also to have forsaken us. Your God makes your people wax stronger every day. Soon they will fill all the land. Our people are ebbing away like a rapidly receding tide that will never return. The white man’s God cannot love our people or He would protect them. (15) They seem to be orphans who can look nowhere for help.     How then can we be brothers? How can your God become our God and renew our prosperity and awaken in us dreams of returning greatness? Your God seems to us to be partial. He came to the white man. We never saw Him, never (20) even heard His voice.

15. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. celebrate the military victories of Native American tribes
2. request financial compensation for lost land
3. express the profound loss and spiritual separation felt by Native peoples
4. argue that all religions teach the same fundamental truths
5. encourage Native Americans to adopt Christianity

16. The metaphor comparing the Native people to “waves of a wind-ruffled sea” in lines 1-2 primarily emphasizes

1. the violent nature of tribal warfare
2. the nomadic lifestyle of all Native peoples
3. the vast numbers and vitality of the population in the past
4. the unpredictable behavior of Native communities
5. the preference of Native peoples for living near oceans

17. As used in line 5, the word “reproach” most nearly means

1. approach
2. blame
3. question
4. thank
5. imitate

18. Chief Seattle’s acknowledgment in lines 5-6 that “we too may have been somewhat to blame” suggests that he

1. believes Native peoples bear complete responsibility for their decline
2. recognizes some complexity in the causes of his people’s situation
3. feels his people have been entirely blameless
4. intends to launch a military campaign against settlers
5. rejects all treaties with the U.S. government

19. The comparison between God’s treatment of white people and Native peoples in lines 6-15 primarily conveys a sense of

1. gratitude for religious instruction
2. bitter awareness of abandonment and inequality
3. calm acceptance of natural events
4. eager anticipation of future conversion
5. confusion about theological doctrine

20. The questions posed in lines 16-20 serve primarily to

1. request specific information about Christian practices
2. challenge the possibility of genuine unity given deep spiritual differences
3. propose a new form of shared religious worship
4. express curiosity about European history
5. suggest that Native peoples have no spiritual beliefs

■ ■ ■   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) – introduce a character through sensory details and contrast
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The first paragraph introduces Aunt Celestine through rich sensory details (scent of chicory, plum-colored dress, perfume) and contrasts her relaxed, precise manner with the mother’s tense posture (lines 5-6). Choice (A) is too narrow because establishing setting is secondary to character introduction. Choice (C) is wrong because the reasons for her departure are not explained in the first paragraph.

2. Ans: (E) – exactness
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 5, “precision” describes Aunt Celestine’s controlled, exact movements over the coffee press, compared to a pianist’s skill, suggesting exactness. Choice (A) “carefulness” is close but lacks the connotation of measured accuracy. Choice (B) “speed” contradicts the controlled nature of the description.

3. Ans: (C) – resentment and tension toward Aunt Celestine
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The mother’s crossed arms and thin-line mouth (lines 5-6) are physical indicators of displeasure and tension, confirmed by her complaint about the lack of letters (line 8). Choice (A) is contradicted by the tense body language. Choice (E) “indifference” is wrong because the mother’s posture shows strong negative feelings, not lack of feeling.

4. Ans: (E) – believes written correspondence is insincere
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Aunt Celestine’s description of letters as containing “false sentiment pressed onto paper” (lines 10-11) directly indicates she views written correspondence as insincere. Choice (B) distorts her meaning; she doesn’t necessarily prefer honesty but rather dislikes what she perceives as artificiality in letters. Choice (A) is unsupported and implausible given her sophisticated vocabulary.

5. Ans: (D) – awareness that her aunt has endured hardship
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The narrator notes that Aunt Celestine looks “different – thinner, with shadows under her eyes that makeup couldn’t quite hide” (lines 15-17), suggesting she has experienced difficulty. Choice (B) “concern about her aunt’s health” is too specific and medicalized. Choice (C) “disappointment that her aunt has aged” misreads the tone; the narrator observes hardship, not aging.

6. Ans: (B) – venues the mother considers morally questionable
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The phrase “dubious character” (lines 14-15) used by the disapproving mother suggests she views the singing establishments as morally suspect, fitting her judgmental attitude shown throughout. Choice (A) is too neutral and doesn’t capture the moral disapproval implied. Choice (C) focuses on finances rather than moral character.

7. Ans: (D) – a scene revealing family conflict through observed details
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The entire passage presents a tense encounter between sisters, with conflict revealed through the narrator’s observations of gestures, tone, and dialogue (lines 1-20). Choice (A) is too narrow; Celestine’s profession is secondary to the family tension. Choice (E) is wrong because the conflict is not resolved; the passage ends with continued tension over the ring.

8. Ans: (B) – are sophisticated linguistic systems adapted to specific environmental needs
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage emphasizes that whistled languages are “complete languages” (line 5) and “genuine linguistic systems” (line 18) adapted to challenging terrain (lines 9-10). Choice (A) reverses the passage’s claim; whistled languages are sophisticated, not primitive. Choice (D) contradicts the passage; no claim is made about ease of learning.

9. Ans: (C) – convey complete linguistic messages rather than simple alerts
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Lines 3-5 explicitly state that whistled languages are “complete languages, capable of conveying any message that could be spoken in words,” unlike simple signals. Choice (A) is not stated in the passage. Choice (B) is too narrow; the passage mentions mountains as one example but also mentions forests and islands.

10. Ans: (B) – converts
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 7, “transposes” describes how whistled languages transform spoken phonemes into whistled frequencies, meaning converts from one form to another. Choice (A) “translates” suggests changing between languages rather than between sound forms. Choice (E) “reverses” is wrong because the process transforms rather than inverts.

11. Ans: (C) – whistle tones have acoustic properties that resist degradation
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Lines 11-13 explain that whistle tones “contain fewer harmonics than voiced speech and thus suffer less degradation as sound waves travel,” directly supporting this answer. Choice (A) is not mentioned in the passage. Choice (D) distorts the passage; mountains are where whistled languages are used, but they don’t create amplification.

12. Ans: (B) – demonstrate that whistled languages are processed as genuine language systems
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The neurological studies are cited (lines 16-18) to show that whistled languages are “not merely codes but genuine linguistic systems,” processed in the same brain regions as spoken language. Choice (A) is too extreme; the passage never claims superiority. Choice (E) contradicts the passage; the brain distinguishes them but processes them similarly.

13. Ans: (B) – The availability of modern telecommunications technology
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Lines 18-20 state that “modern telecommunications reduce their practical necessity,” contributing to extinction. Choice (A) is not mentioned anywhere in the passage. Choice (D) is entirely fabricated and contradicts the passage’s respectful tone toward whistled languages.

14. Ans: (C) – informative and appreciative
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The passage presents factual information about whistled languages while describing them as “ingenious adaptations” (line 2), showing appreciation for their sophistication. Choice (A) is too extreme; while the passage mentions extinction, the tone remains measured. Choice (B) contradicts the passage’s respectful treatment of the subject.

15. Ans: (C) – express the profound loss and spiritual separation felt by Native peoples
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The speech centers on the decline of Native peoples (lines 1-6) and their sense of abandonment by both the Christian God and their own Great Spirit (lines 6-15), expressing profound loss. Choice (A) contradicts the passage; Chief Seattle speaks of decline, not victories. Choice (E) reverses the speech’s meaning; he questions how conversion could occur given the spiritual divide.

16. Ans: (C) – the vast numbers and vitality of the population in the past
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The image of people covering the land “as the waves of a wind-ruffled sea cover its shell-paved floor” (lines 1-2) emphasizes abundance and vitality through the countless waves metaphor. Choice (A) misreads the metaphor entirely; waves suggest abundance, not violence. Choice (E) is too literal; the metaphor is figurative, not about actual ocean proximity.

17. Ans: (B) – blame
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 5, Chief Seattle says he will not “reproach my paleface brothers with hastening” the decline, meaning he will not blame them, though he could. Choice (A) “approach” is a similar-sounding word but contextually wrong. Choice (D) “thank” contradicts the negative connotation of the sentence.

18. Ans: (B) – recognizes some complexity in the causes of his people’s situation
Explanation: This is an Inference question. By saying “we too may have been somewhat to blame” (lines 5-6), Chief Seattle acknowledges that multiple factors, including Native actions, contributed to the decline. Choice (A) is too extreme; “somewhat” indicates partial, not complete responsibility. Choice (C) contradicts the quoted phrase directly.

19. Ans: (B) – bitter awareness of abandonment and inequality
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The repeated imagery of God loving whites while forsaking Natives, calling them “orphans who can look nowhere for help” (lines 9-10, 14-15), conveys bitter awareness of unequal treatment. Choice (A) contradicts the passage entirely; there is no gratitude expressed. Choice (C) misreads the emotional intensity; the tone is bitter, not calm.

20. Ans: (B) – challenge the possibility of genuine unity given deep spiritual differences
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The rhetorical questions “How then can we be brothers? How can your God become our God” (lines 16-17) challenge whether true unity is possible when Native peoples have never experienced this God (lines 19-20). Choice (A) misidentifies rhetorical questions as literal requests for information. Choice (E) contradicts the passage; Chief Seattle references “Our God, the Great Spirit” (line 10), showing Native spiritual beliefs exist.