SSAT Reading Practice Worksheet - 42

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 train to Kyoto left precisely at six, and Fumiko had been awake since four, watching the darkness thin beyond her window. Her grandmother’s lacquered box sat heavy in her lap, the corners sharp through the silk wrapping. She had not opened it since (5) the funeral, three weeks past, when the priest had handed it to her with a slight bow and a caution that its contents were hers alone to interpret.     Across the aisle, a salaryman dozed with his briefcase clutched to his chest, and a young mother coaxed her son to finish his rice ball. Fumiko envied them their (10) ordinary errands, their purposeful journeys to workplaces and schools. Her own destination felt simultaneously urgent and unclear – a house she had visited only twice as a child, now standing empty on a hillside where plum trees bloomed early and withered fast.     Her grandmother had been a woman of (15) silences, the kind that suggested not absence but density, as though words were stones she had long ago decided were too cumbersome to carry. In all of Fumiko’s twenty-four years, the old woman had told perhaps three stories about her own youth, and those reluctantly, with the curtains drawn and (20) the tea growing cold. Now there was only the box, and the key sewn into the silk lining of the wrapping.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. describe a train journey through the Japanese countryside
2. introduce a character embarking on a mysterious personal quest
3. explain the customs surrounding Japanese funeral rites
4. contrast modern urban life with traditional rural values
5. celebrate the relationship between a grandmother and granddaughter

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

1. translate
2. understand
3. perform
4. mediate
5. judge

3. The detail about the salaryman and the young mother (lines 8–10) serves primarily to

1. provide realistic background detail about train passengers
2. emphasize Fumiko’s sense of isolation and uncertainty
3. suggest that Fumiko wishes she had chosen a different career
4. demonstrate that Japanese trains are always crowded in the morning
5. introduce characters who will become important later in the narrative

4. The passage suggests that Fumiko’s feelings about her journey are best characterized as

1. eager and optimistic
2. fearful and reluctant
3. conflicted and tentative
4. resigned and indifferent
5. confused and angry

5. The description of the grandmother as a “woman of silences” (lines 14–15) suggests that she was

1. unable to speak due to a medical condition
2. deliberately withholding information from her family
3. deeply reserved but not without substance
4. cold and unaffectionate toward her granddaughter
5. suffering from memory loss in her final years

6. As used in line 16, the word “density” most nearly means

1. thickness
2. stupidity
3. compactness
4. weight
5. complexity

7. The image of the plum trees that “bloomed early and withered fast” (line 13) most likely suggests

1. the poor quality of the soil on the hillside
2. the transience of beauty and life
3. Fumiko’s eagerness to complete her errand quickly
4. the changing seasons in the Kyoto region
5. the neglect of the property since the grandmother’s death

Passage 2

The following passage is adapted from an article about archaeology and cultural anthropology.

    For much of the twentieth century, archaeologists assumed that the construction of monumental architecture required centralized political authority – a king, a priesthood, or at minimum a council of elders capable of marshaling labor and resources. The stepped pyramids of Mesoamerica, the stone circles (5) of prehistoric Europe, and the ceremonial mounds of the North American Midwest were all interpreted through this lens of hierarchy and coercion. Recent excavations at Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey, however, have complicated this narrative considerably.     Dated to approximately 9500 BCE, Göbekli Tepe predates the advent of agriculture, settled villages, (10) and pottery in the region by more than a millennium. Yet the site features massive T-shaped limestone pillars, some weighing twenty tons, arranged in circular enclosures and carved with elaborate reliefs of animals – foxes, scorpions, vultures, and serpents. The precision and scale of the work suggest a coordinated effort involving hundreds of laborers, yet (15) there is no evidence of permanent habitation at the site, no granaries or storage pits, no defensive walls or elite residences.     This absence has led some researchers to propose that Göbekli Tepe was constructed not by a stratified society but by bands of nomadic hunter-gatherers who convened periodically for ritual purposes. If this interpretation holds, it (20) implies that the human capacity for large-scale cooperation and artistic expression may precede – and perhaps even enable – the social hierarchies we have long considered prerequisites for such achievements.

8. The main idea of the passage is that

1. Göbekli Tepe is the oldest archaeological site ever discovered
2. twentieth-century archaeologists were biased against nomadic cultures
3. recent discoveries challenge assumptions about the origins of monumental architecture
4. agriculture and settled life are not necessary for human survival
5. the people of Göbekli Tepe worshiped foxes, scorpions, and vultures

9. According to the passage, the traditional archaeological view held that monumental architecture required

1. advanced agricultural techniques
2. centralized political authority
3. knowledge of pottery-making
4. a written language
5. contact with neighboring civilizations

10. As used in line 4, the word “marshaling” most nearly means

1. displaying
2. organizing
3. conquering
4. celebrating
5. defending

11. The passage indicates that Göbekli Tepe is unusual because it

1. is located in a region with no natural resources
2. features architecture more advanced than later structures
3. was built before agriculture was practiced in the region
4. contains evidence of human sacrifice
5. has never been visited by professional archaeologists

12. The author’s tone in describing the discoveries at Göbekli Tepe can best be characterized as

1. skeptical and dismissive
2. enthusiastic but objective
3. alarmed and cautionary
4. nostalgic and sentimental
5. hostile and defensive

13. The absence of “granaries or storage pits” (line 16) at Göbekli Tepe suggests that

1. the site was built very quickly without adequate planning
2. food was never consumed at the site during construction
3. the builders did not live at the site permanently
4. agriculture had not yet been invented anywhere in the world
5. the archaeologists have not yet excavated the entire site

14. The passage suggests that the findings at Göbekli Tepe may indicate that

1. complex cooperation can occur without rigid social hierarchies
2. nomadic peoples are more artistic than settled peoples
3. religion was more important in ancient times than it is today
4. hunter-gatherers had better nutrition than early farmers
5. limestone is easier to carve than other types of stone

Passage 3

The following is adapted from a letter written by Chief Seattle to President Franklin Pierce in 1855, responding to an offer to purchase tribal lands.

    The President in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. But how can you buy or sell the sky? 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? (5) Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every meadow, every humming insect. All are holy in the memory and experience of my people.     We know the sap which courses through the trees as we know the blood that courses through our veins. We are part (10) of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters. The bear, the deer, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the juices in the meadow, the body heat of the pony, and man, all belong to the same family.     The shining water that moves in the streams and rivers is not (15) just water, but the blood of our ancestors. If we sell you our land, you must remember that it is sacred. Each ghostly reflection in the clear waters of the lakes tells of events and memories in the life of my people. The water’s murmur is the voice of my father’s father. (20) This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth.

15. The primary purpose of this letter is to

1. formally accept the President’s offer to purchase the land
2. express a worldview fundamentally different from that of the U.S. government
3. provide a detailed history of Chief Seattle’s people
4. request financial compensation for past injustices
5. describe the natural resources available on the tribal lands

16. The opening question “But how can you buy or sell the sky?” (lines 2–3) primarily serves to

1. request clarification of the government’s legal procedures
2. highlight the absurdity of ownership from the speaker’s perspective
3. suggest that the price offered is too low
4. indicate confusion about the terms of the proposed sale
5. demonstrate the speaker’s lack of formal education

17. As used in line 6, the word “sacred” most nearly means

1. profitable
2. mysterious
3. worthy of reverence
4. forbidden
5. difficult to understand

18. In lines 10–12, the author describes the bear, deer, and eagle as “brothers” in order to

1. explain the primary food sources of his people
2. emphasize the interconnectedness of all living things
3. describe the tribal system of totem animals
4. suggest that animals are more important than plants
5. indicate that these animals are unusually intelligent

19. The statement “the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth” (lines 20–21) reverses the assumption that

1. human beings have superior intelligence to animals
2. land can be owned as property by individuals
3. the earth is larger than human civilizations
4. natural resources should be used sustainably
5. future generations deserve environmental protection

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

1. angry and confrontational
2. sorrowful and resigned
3. reverent and philosophical
4. practical and businesslike
5. playful and ironic

■ ■ ■   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 embarking on a mysterious personal quest
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage focuses on Fumiko’s journey to Kyoto carrying her grandmother’s lacquered box, whose contents remain unknown and mysterious (lines 4–6). Choice (A) is too narrow because the passage focuses on Fumiko’s internal state rather than describing scenery. Choice (E) is wrong because the grandmother is already dead and the passage emphasizes distance and silence rather than celebrating their relationship.

2. Ans: (B) – understand
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 5, the priest tells Fumiko that the box’s contents are “hers alone to interpret,” meaning she must figure out their meaning or understand their significance. Choice (A) is a trap answer using another meaning of “interpret” that does not fit this context. Choice (C) refers to performing or acting, which is irrelevant here.

3. Ans: (B) – emphasize Fumiko’s sense of isolation and uncertainty
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The passage states that Fumiko “envied them their ordinary errands” and that her own destination felt “simultaneously urgent and unclear” (lines 9–11), using the other passengers as a contrast. Choice (A) is too narrow, as the detail serves a deeper purpose than mere realism. Choice (E) is wrong because these characters are never mentioned again and serve only as contrast.

4. Ans: (C) – conflicted and tentative
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage describes Fumiko’s destination as “simultaneously urgent and unclear” (lines 10–11), indicating internal conflict and uncertainty. Choice (A) is wrong because the passage emphasizes her uncertainty rather than optimism. Choice (D) is incorrect because her early waking and the weight of the box suggest emotional investment, not indifference.

5. Ans: (C) – deeply reserved but not without substance
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage explains that the grandmother’s silences suggested “not absence but density, as though words were stones she had long ago decided were too cumbersome to carry” (lines 15–17), indicating depth rather than emptiness. Choice (B) distorts the passage by suggesting deliberate deception rather than reserved character. Choice (A) is contradicted by the passage, which indicates the grandmother chose silence rather than being unable to speak.

6. Ans: (E) – complexity
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 16, “density” contrasts with “absence,” suggesting richness or complexity of thought and experience that the grandmother chose not to express verbally. Choice (A) is a trap answer using the physical meaning of “density” rather than the metaphorical meaning required here. Choice (B) is completely incorrect and contradicts the passage’s portrayal of the grandmother as thoughtful.

7. Ans: (B) – the transience of beauty and life
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The image of flowers that bloom early and wither fast (line 13) is a traditional symbol of life’s brevity, especially appropriate in a passage about death and inheritance. Choice (A) takes the image too literally, missing its symbolic function. Choice (C) incorrectly connects the image to Fumiko’s intentions rather than recognizing it as symbolic of mortality.

8. Ans: (C) – recent discoveries challenge assumptions about the origins of monumental architecture
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage opens by describing traditional assumptions (lines 1–7) and then explains how Göbekli Tepe “complicated this narrative considerably” (line 7), challenging those assumptions. Choice (A) uses a detail from the passage but is too narrow to be the main idea. Choice (D) is not stated or suggested anywhere in the passage.

9. Ans: (B) – centralized political authority
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states in lines 1–4 that archaeologists assumed monumental architecture required “centralized political authority – a king, a priesthood, or at minimum a council of elders.” Choice (A) is mentioned later but not as part of the traditional view of what monuments required. Choice (D) is never mentioned in the passage at all.

10. Ans: (B) – organizing
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 4, “marshaling labor and resources” refers to organizing or coordinating workers and materials for construction projects. Choice (C) is a trap answer that confuses “marshal” with “martial” or military conquest. Choice (A) is too weak to convey the active coordination implied by the context.

11. Ans: (C) – was built before agriculture was practiced in the region
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states that Göbekli Tepe “predates the advent of agriculture, settled villages, and pottery in the region by more than a millennium” (lines 9–10). Choice (B) is not stated in the passage and makes an unsupported comparison. Choice (D) is never mentioned anywhere in the passage.

12. Ans: (B) – enthusiastic but objective
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The author presents the discoveries as significant (“complicated this narrative considerably,” line 7) but maintains a scholarly, measured tone throughout, using phrases like “some researchers propose” (line 18). Choice (A) is wrong because the author clearly finds the discoveries important and worth discussing. Choice (C) is incorrect because there is no sense of alarm or warning in the passage.

13. Ans: (C) – the builders did not live at the site permanently
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage lists the absence of granaries, storage pits, and other signs of permanent habitation (lines 15–17) as evidence that the site was not permanently occupied. Choice (B) goes too far – the passage suggests no permanent habitation, not that no food was ever consumed there. Choice (E) is a trap answer that is possibly true but not what the passage suggests.

14. Ans: (A) – complex cooperation can occur without rigid social hierarchies
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. The final paragraph (lines 17–22) states that the findings “impl[y] that the human capacity for large-scale cooperation and artistic expression may precede – and perhaps even enable – the social hierarchies” previously thought necessary. Choice (B) makes an unsupported comparison not present in the passage. Choice (C) introduces a modern comparison that the passage never makes.

15. Ans: (B) – express a worldview fundamentally different from that of the U.S. government
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. Throughout the letter, Chief Seattle articulates a perspective in which land cannot be owned (lines 2–4) and humans belong to the earth rather than the reverse (lines 20–21), contrasting sharply with the government’s assumption that land can be bought and sold. Choice (A) contradicts the entire tone and content of the letter. Choice (C) is too narrow, as the letter focuses on philosophy rather than historical narrative.

16. Ans: (B) – highlight the absurdity of ownership from the speaker’s perspective
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The rhetorical question in lines 2–3 immediately follows the President’s offer and emphasizes that the very concept of buying sky or land seems impossible and strange from the speaker’s worldview (line 3). Choice (A) takes the question literally rather than recognizing it as rhetorical. Choice (E) is insulting and completely misreads the sophisticated philosophical argument being made.

17. Ans: (C) – worthy of reverence
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 6, “sacred” describes how every part of the earth is holy and deeply meaningful in “the memory and experience” of the speaker’s people, indicating spiritual reverence. Choice (A) completely contradicts the spiritual meaning of the passage. Choice (D) confuses “sacred” with “taboo,” which is a related but distinct concept.

18. Ans: (B) – emphasize the interconnectedness of all living things
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The passage states that the animals, along with rocky crests and humans, “all belong to the same family” (lines 11–12), emphasizing connection and kinship among all parts of nature. Choice (A) misinterprets the metaphor literally and ignores the spiritual meaning. Choice (D) contradicts the passage, which earlier called flowers “our sisters” (line 10), giving equal importance to plants.

19. Ans: (B) – land can be owned as property by individuals
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. The statement in lines 20–21 directly inverts the ownership relationship, challenging the assumption underlying the President’s offer to purchase land – that land can be owned at all. Choice (A) addresses human intelligence but not ownership, missing the point of the reversal. Choice (D) is a positive environmental value but does not represent the assumption being reversed here.

20. Ans: (C) – reverent and philosophical
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The passage consistently treats the land and nature with deep spiritual respect (“sacred,” “holy”) and presents philosophical arguments about the relationship between humanity and earth (lines 20–21). Choice (A) is wrong because while the speaker disagrees with the government, the tone is measured and thoughtful rather than angry. Choice (D) contradicts the spiritual and poetic language used throughout.