SSAT Reading Practice Worksheet - 44

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 auction house smelled of old paper and the faint must of a century’s worth of accumulated belongings. Marianne stood before Lot 47, a tarnished brass telescope mounted on a tripod of dark wood, its joints loose with age. She had come to the estate sale with no particular intention, merely (5) seeking distraction from the unfinished dissertation that sat, accusatory, on her desk at home. Now, staring at the telescope, she felt a peculiar tug of recognition.     Her grandfather had owned an instrument much like this one. She remembered summer evenings on his porch in Vermont, the way he’d adjust (10) the focus with infinite patience, muttering about atmospheric interference. He had been a surveyor by profession, but astronomy was his private devotion. After he died, her grandmother had sold everything quickly, eager to move into a managed care facility. Marianne had been too young then to claim anything, (15) too uncertain of what mattered.     The auctioneer’s voice cut through her reverie. “Lot 47, antique brass telescope, circa 1890. Do I hear fifty?” Marianne’s hand rose before she could reconsider. Around her, other bidders appraised the piece with the cool (20) calculation of dealers. She knew she should withdraw, but memory held her fast, and when the gavel finally fell, the telescope was hers.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. describe the operations of a professional auction house
2. illustrate a moment when personal memory influences an impulsive decision
3. argue for the preservation of historical scientific instruments
4. trace the history of a particular telescope from manufacture to sale
5. explain why estate sales attract a variety of buyers

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

1. unusual
2. specific
3. fussy
4. detailed
5. demanding

3. The passage suggests that Marianne’s dissertation is

1. nearly complete and awaiting final revisions
2. a source of guilt or avoidance for her
3. related to the study of antique instruments
4. the reason she attended the auction
5. more important to her than family memories

4. The narrator’s description of Marianne’s grandfather suggests that he was

1. professionally involved in astronomy at a university
2. impatient with technical difficulties
3. dedicated to a hobby separate from his career
4. opposed to selling his possessions
5. uninterested in sharing his telescope with others

5. Marianne did not claim any of her grandfather’s belongings after his death primarily because she

1. was living too far away to attend the sale
2. had a strained relationship with her grandmother
3. was too young and lacked confidence about what to keep
4. did not learn about the sale until it was over
5. preferred to remember him without physical objects

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

1. objective and analytical
2. nostalgic and contemplative
3. critical and disapproving
4. humorous and lighthearted
5. ominous and foreboding

7. The phrase “memory held her fast” (line 20) suggests that Marianne

1. was physically unable to leave the auction
2. had a more accurate memory than other bidders
3. was compelled to continue bidding by emotional associations
4. remembered the exact value of her grandfather’s telescope
5. was trying to forget a painful experience

Passage 2

The following passage is adapted from an article on animal behavior and ecology.

    The Clark’s nutcracker, a bird native to the mountainous regions of western North America, possesses one of the most remarkable spatial memories documented in the animal kingdom. Each autumn, a single nutcracker collects and caches up to 30,000 pine (5) seeds across an area that may span several square miles. The bird buries these seeds in thousands of separate locations, typically placing four or five seeds in each cache beneath soil, rocks, or forest litter. What makes this behavior extraordinary is not merely the scale of the operation, but the (10) bird’s ability to relocate these hidden stores with astonishing accuracy throughout the winter and following spring.     Researchers studying this phenomenon have discovered that Clark’s nutcrackers rely on a cognitive map constructed from visual landmarks. In controlled experiments, when researchers altered or removed key (15) environmental features, the birds’ retrieval accuracy declined significantly. The nutcracker’s hippocampus – the brain region associated with spatial memory – is notably enlarged compared to bird species that do not cache food, suggesting evolutionary adaptation has optimized this neural architecture for information storage. Moreover, (20) nutcrackers demonstrate flexibility in their memory strategies, adjusting cache density and distribution based on seed abundance and predation risk. This cognitive sophistication enables not only individual survival but also plays a crucial ecological role: the seeds that go unretrieved often germinate, making the nutcracker an unwitting but (25) essential agent of forest regeneration across high-altitude ecosystems.

8. The main idea of the passage is that

1. all bird species possess spatial memory capabilities
2. the Clark’s nutcracker has evolved exceptional memory abilities that serve both survival and ecological functions
3. removing environmental landmarks permanently impairs a nutcracker’s memory
4. forest regeneration depends entirely on the Clark’s nutcracker
5. cognitive maps are the only method birds use to locate food

9. According to the passage, each cache typically contains

1. exactly 30,000 seeds
2. seeds from multiple tree species
3. approximately four or five seeds
4. more seeds in winter than in autumn
5. one seed buried very deeply

10. As used in line 9, the word “operation” most nearly means

1. surgery
2. business
3. process
4. function
5. mission

11. The passage indicates that the size of the nutcracker’s hippocampus is

1. smaller than that of birds with better memory
2. unrelated to its caching behavior
3. larger than that of non-caching bird species
4. the same size in all bird species
5. reduced by environmental alterations

12. The author’s description of the nutcracker as “unwitting” (line 23) suggests that the bird

1. lacks intelligence compared to other birds
2. does not intentionally plant forests but does so as a consequence of its behavior
3. is aware of its role in forest ecology
4. purposely leaves seeds behind for future generations
5. cannot remember where most of its caches are located

13. The passage suggests that if all environmental landmarks were removed from an area, nutcrackers would most likely

1. find their caches with the same accuracy as before
2. create new caches in different locations
3. experience a decrease in their ability to locate stored seeds
4. migrate to a different region permanently
5. rely entirely on their hippocampus instead of visual cues

14. The author’s primary purpose in this passage is to

1. argue for greater protection of nutcracker habitats
2. explain the remarkable memory abilities of the Clark’s nutcracker and their ecological significance
3. compare the intelligence of different bird species
4. describe the appearance and diet of mountain birds
5. criticize previous research on animal cognition

Passage 3

The following passage is adapted from Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s address “The Solitude of Self,” delivered before the United States House Committee on the Judiciary in 1892.

    The point I wish plainly to bring before you on this occasion is the individuality of each human soul; our Protestant idea, the right of individual conscience and judgment; our republican idea, individual citizenship. In discussing the rights of woman, we are (5) to consider, first, what belongs to her as an individual, in a world of her own, the arbiter of her own destiny, an imaginary Robinson Crusoe, with her woman, Friday, on a solitary island. Her rights under such circumstances are to use all her faculties for her own safety and happiness.     Secondly, if we consider her (10) as a citizen, as a member of a great nation, she must have the same rights as all other members, according to the fundamental principles of our Government. Thirdly, viewed as a woman, an equal factor in civilization, her rights and duties are still the same – individual happiness and development. (15) Fourthly, it is only the incidental relations of life, such as mother, wife, sister, daughter, which may involve some special duties and training.     To throw obstacles in the way of a complete education is like putting out the eyes; to deny the rights of property is like cutting off (20) the hands. To refuse political equality is to rob the ostracized of all self-respect, of credit in the market place, of recompense in the world of work, of a voice in choosing those who make and administer the law, a choice in the jury before whom they are tried, and in the judge (25) who decides their destiny.

15. The primary purpose of this passage is to

1. describe the daily challenges faced by women in the nineteenth century
2. argue that women’s rights derive from their fundamental individuality and citizenship
3. propose specific legislation to the House Committee
4. compare the legal systems of different nations
5. celebrate the achievements of women in American history

16. Stanton’s reference to “Robinson Crusoe” (line 6) serves to

1. suggest that women should live in isolation from society
2. illustrate the idea of an individual confronting existence with inherent rights
3. recommend a particular novel for women to read
4. criticize the portrayal of women in literature
5. describe the actual living conditions of most women

17. As used in line 7, the word “arbiter” most nearly means

1. judge
2. mediator
3. observer
4. victim
5. critic

18. According to the passage, which of the following does Stanton consider “incidental relations”?

1. Individual conscience and judgment
2. Citizenship in a republic
3. Roles such as mother and sister
4. Property ownership
5. Political equality

19. The series of metaphors in lines 18-20 (“putting out the eyes,” “cutting off the hands”) primarily serves to

1. describe actual physical violence against women
2. emphasize the severity of denying women education and property rights
3. suggest that women are physically weaker than men
4. propose medical regulations for worker safety
5. illustrate common injuries in nineteenth-century factories

20. Stanton’s tone in this passage can best be described as

1. apologetic and uncertain
2. humorous and lighthearted
3. passionate and argumentative
4. detached and objective
5. bitter 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) – illustrate a moment when personal memory influences an impulsive decision
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage centers on Marianne’s unexpected emotional response to seeing a telescope that reminds her of her grandfather, leading her to bid impulsively at an auction (lines 16-21). Choice (A) is too narrow, as the passage focuses on Marianne’s personal experience rather than auction operations generally. Choice (C) introduces an argument about preservation that is not present in the text.

2. Ans: (B) – specific
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 4, Marianne came to the auction “with no particular intention,” meaning she had no specific or definite purpose in mind. Choice (C), “fussy,” refers to a different meaning of “particular” that does not fit the context. Choice (A), “unusual,” distorts the intended meaning of the sentence.

3. Ans: (B) – a source of guilt or avoidance for her
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage describes the dissertation as “unfinished” and sitting “accusatory” on her desk (lines 5-6), and Marianne seeks “distraction” from it, suggesting she is avoiding it and feels guilty. Choice (A) contradicts the description of the dissertation as “unfinished.” Choice (D) reverses the relationship – she attended to escape the dissertation, not because of it.

4. Ans: (C) – dedicated to a hobby separate from his career
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage states that Marianne’s grandfather “had been a surveyor by profession, but astronomy was his private devotion” (lines 11-12). Choice (A) contradicts this by claiming astronomy was his profession. Choice (B) contradicts the description of him adjusting the telescope “with infinite patience” (lines 9-10).

5. Ans: (C) – was too young and lacked confidence about what to keep
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage explicitly states that Marianne “had been too young then to claim anything, too uncertain of what mattered” (lines 13-15). Choice (A) is not mentioned in the passage. Choice (E) may be plausible but is not stated or implied in the text.

6. Ans: (B) – nostalgic and contemplative
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The passage’s focus on memory, the detailed recollection of her grandfather (lines 8-15), and Marianne’s reflective state create a nostalgic, contemplative mood. Choice (A) is incorrect because the narrator’s descriptions are emotionally colored rather than objective. Choice (D) is wrong because there is no humor in the passage.

7. Ans: (C) – was compelled to continue bidding by emotional associations
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The phrase “memory held her fast” (line 20) comes after the description of her memories and indicates that these emotional associations prevented her from withdrawing from the bidding. Choice (A) interprets “held her fast” too literally as a physical restraint. Choice (D) distorts the meaning – she is held by emotional memory, not factual recall of value.

8. Ans: (B) – the Clark’s nutcracker has evolved exceptional memory abilities that serve both survival and ecological functions
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage discusses the nutcracker’s remarkable spatial memory (lines 1-11), its evolutionary basis (lines 16-19), and its ecological role in forest regeneration (lines 22-25). Choice (D) is too extreme, using “entirely” when the passage says the bird is “essential” but not the sole factor. Choice (A) is too broad and contradicts the passage’s focus on this particular species.

9. Ans: (C) – approximately four or five seeds
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage directly states that the bird places “four or five seeds in each cache” (line 7). Choice (A) confuses the total number of seeds collected (30,000) with the number per cache. Choice (D) is not stated in the passage.

10. Ans: (C) – process
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 9, “the scale of the operation” refers to the scope of the caching process or activity that the bird undertakes. Choice (A), “surgery,” is a common meaning of “operation” but does not fit this context. Choice (E), “mission,” suggests intentionality that is inappropriate for an instinctive behavior.

11. Ans: (C) – larger than that of non-caching bird species
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage states that the nutcracker’s hippocampus “is notably enlarged compared to bird species that do not cache food” (lines 17-18). Choice (A) reverses this relationship. Choice (B) contradicts the passage’s explanation that the enlargement is an evolutionary adaptation for caching behavior (lines 18-19).

12. Ans: (B) – does not intentionally plant forests but does so as a consequence of its behavior
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. “Unwitting” (line 23) means unaware or unintentional; the bird aids forest regeneration not by design but because unretrieved seeds germinate (lines 22-24). Choice (A) distorts “unwitting” to mean unintelligent, which is not supported by the passage’s emphasis on the bird’s cognitive sophistication. Choice (C) directly contradicts the meaning of “unwitting.”

13. Ans: (C) – experience a decrease in their ability to locate stored seeds
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage states that when researchers “altered or removed key environmental features, the birds’ retrieval accuracy declined significantly” (lines 14-16). Choice (A) contradicts this experimental finding. Choice (E) misunderstands the relationship – the hippocampus works in conjunction with visual landmarks, not as a replacement for them.

14. Ans: (B) – explain the remarkable memory abilities of the Clark’s nutcracker and their ecological significance
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The passage presents scientific information about the nutcracker’s memory (lines 1-16) and explains its role in forest ecology (lines 22-25). Choice (A) is not supported – the passage is explanatory rather than argumentative and makes no calls for habitat protection. Choice (C) is too narrow, as the passage focuses on one species rather than comparing multiple species.

15. Ans: (B) – argue that women’s rights derive from their fundamental individuality and citizenship
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. Stanton opens by emphasizing “the individuality of each human soul” and “individual citizenship” (lines 1-4) and develops the argument through multiple frameworks. Choice (C) is too narrow; while this is addressed to a committee, the passage makes a philosophical argument rather than proposing specific legislation. Choice (A) is incorrect because Stanton focuses on rights and principles rather than describing daily challenges.

16. Ans: (B) – illustrate the idea of an individual confronting existence with inherent rights
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. Stanton uses Robinson Crusoe as a thought experiment to consider woman “as an individual, in a world of her own” with inherent rights to “use all her faculties” (lines 5-8). Choice (A) misinterprets the analogy, which is hypothetical rather than prescriptive. Choice (E) confuses an illustrative analogy with a description of reality.

17. Ans: (A) – judge
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 7, “arbiter of her own destiny” means the one who judges or decides her own fate. Choice (C), “observer,” is too passive for the context of controlling one’s own destiny. Choice (D), “victim,” contradicts the empowering tone of the sentence.

18. Ans: (C) – Roles such as mother and sister
Explanation: This is a Detail question. Stanton explicitly lists “the incidental relations of life, such as mother, wife, sister, daughter” (lines 15-17). Choice (A) is described as a fundamental “Protestant idea” (line 2), not an incidental relation. Choice (B) is also presented as fundamental rather than incidental (lines 10-11).

19. Ans: (B) – emphasize the severity of denying women education and property rights
Explanation: This is a Structure question. Stanton uses vivid metaphors of physical injury to convey how damaging these denials are to women’s agency and potential (lines 18-20). Choice (A) interprets the metaphors literally rather than figuratively. Choice (E) is wrong because these are metaphors for rights deprivation, not descriptions of workplace accidents.

20. Ans: (C) – passionate and argumentative
Explanation: This is a Tone question. Stanton’s forceful language, emphatic structure, and powerful metaphors (lines 18-25) create a passionate, argumentative tone appropriate for persuasive oratory. Choice (A) is contradicted by the confident, assertive nature of the argument. Choice (D) is incorrect because the passage is clearly advocating a position rather than maintaining objective detachment.