SSAT Reading Practice Worksheet - 57

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 Celeste arrived from Kingston, the entire household seemed to tilt on its axis. My mother, who prided herself on her composure, spent the previous evening rearranging furniture and re-pressing linens that had (5) already been pressed twice. My father retreated to his study with unusual haste, citing urgent correspondence that I suspected did not exist. I watched from the upstairs window as the hired car pulled into the gravel drive, and even from that distance I could see the elegant tilt of her hat, the (10) sharp angle of her chin.     She swept into the foyer trailing the scent of jasmine and something darker, perhaps clove. “Delia,” she said, assessing me with eyes that seemed to catch every wrinkle in my dress, every imperfectly pinned curl. “You’ve grown.” It was not quite a compliment. (15) She handed her coat to our housekeeper without looking at her, a gesture I found both fascinating and troubling.     At dinner that evening, Aunt Celeste dominated the conversation with stories of her travels through the interior – remote villages where she had documented traditional weaving techniques, mountain passes (20) she had crossed on horseback. My mother’s responses grew increasingly clipped. When Aunt Celeste described bartering for supplies in patois, my father finally looked up from his plate, his expression unreadable. I realized then that my aunt represented something my parents had deliberately left behind, a world they had chosen not to inhabit.

1. The primary focus of the passage is on

1. the narrator’s conflicting feelings about her aunt’s arrival
2. the differences between urban and rural life in Jamaica
3. the tension Aunt Celeste’s visit creates in the household
4. the narrator’s desire to travel like her aunt
5. the mother’s inability to maintain her usual composure

2. As used in line 6, the word “citing” most nearly means

1. quoting
2. mentioning
3. summoning
4. documenting
5. referencing

3. The narrator’s observation that her father’s correspondence “did not exist” (line 7) suggests that

1. the father is forgetful about his business obligations
2. the father is avoiding Aunt Celeste’s arrival
3. the narrator dislikes her father’s work habits
4. the family is experiencing financial difficulties
5. the father prefers writing letters to receiving visitors

4. The description of Aunt Celeste’s gesture toward the housekeeper (lines 15-16) is “troubling” to the narrator most likely because it reveals

1. the aunt’s unfamiliarity with the household staff
2. a casual disregard for someone the narrator respects
3. the housekeeper’s incompetence at her duties
4. the aunt’s exotic habits from her travels
5. the narrator’s jealousy of her aunt’s confidence

5. The mother’s “increasingly clipped” responses (line 19) suggest that she

1. is tired from preparing for the visit
2. disapproves of her sister’s lifestyle choices
3. is jealous of Aunt Celeste’s adventures
4. finds the dinner conversation boring
5. is worried about her husband’s reaction

6. The author’s tone in describing Aunt Celeste can best be characterized as

1. openly critical and disapproving
2. warmly affectionate and admiring
3. fascinated but slightly uneasy
4. indifferent and detached
5. resentful and hostile

7. The final sentence of the passage (lines 22-24) suggests that the narrator’s parents

1. regret leaving Jamaica for a new country
2. have consciously adopted a different way of life
3. disapprove of all traditional Jamaican customs
4. are planning to travel with Aunt Celeste
5. have never visited the Jamaican interior

Passage 2

The following passage is adapted from an article about archaeology and food history.

    Among the most revealing artifacts recovered from ancient sites are not golden treasures or monumental inscriptions, but the charred remains of everyday meals. Paleoethnobotany – the study of ancient plant remains – has transformed (5) our understanding of how early civilizations developed. By analyzing microscopic fragments of seeds, grain husks, and pollen preserved in cooking vessels and refuse pits, researchers can reconstruct not only what people ate, but also how they organized their societies.     Recent excavations at a site in Anatolia have (10) yielded particularly compelling evidence about the transition from nomadic hunting and gathering to settled agriculture. The lowest occupation layers, dating to approximately 12,000 years ago, contain the remains of wild einkorn wheat and barley, suggesting that these grains were harvested from naturally occurring stands. However, in layers deposited (15) just five hundred years later, the grain morphology changes dramatically. The seeds grow larger and more uniform, and the rachis – the part of the plant that holds the seeds to the stalk – shows clear signs of having lost its natural shattering mechanism. This biological change could only result from deliberate cultivation and (20) selection by humans who saved seeds from the most desirable plants.     The implications extend far beyond diet. Once communities committed to cultivating crops, they necessarily became sedentary, investing labor in field preparation and remaining in one location through growing and harvest seasons. This permanence enabled the accumulation of (25) material goods, the specialization of labor, and ultimately the emergence of social hierarchies – transformations that would have been impossible for mobile hunter-gatherers.

8. The main purpose of the passage is to

1. describe the methods used in modern archaeological excavation
2. explain how the study of ancient plant remains illuminates social development
3. argue that agriculture originated in Anatolia rather than other regions
4. compare nomadic and sedentary lifestyles in the ancient world
5. demonstrate that golden treasures are less valuable than organic remains

9. According to the passage, paleoethnobotanists study plant remains in order to understand

1. only the dietary habits of ancient peoples
2. how to cultivate ancient varieties of wheat
3. both nutrition and social organization
4. the climate conditions of prehistoric eras
5. modern agricultural techniques

10. As used in line 11, the word “compelling” most nearly means

1. forceful
2. convincing
3. obligatory
4. fascinating
5. urgent

11. The passage indicates that wild einkorn wheat differs from cultivated varieties in that wild varieties

1. grow in Anatolia rather than other regions
2. have a rachis designed to scatter seeds naturally
3. cannot be harvested by humans
4. contain less nutritional value
5. require more labor to process

12. The author mentions “the most desirable plants” (line 21) in order to

1. suggest that ancient peoples had sophisticated aesthetic preferences
2. explain the mechanism by which deliberate cultivation altered plant biology
3. demonstrate that agriculture began accidentally
4. prove that wild grains were inferior to cultivated ones
5. describe the complete diet of early Anatolian communities

13. The passage suggests that social hierarchies could not develop among mobile hunter-gatherers primarily because such groups

1. lacked the specialized knowledge necessary for agriculture
2. could not accumulate substantial material possessions
3. did not have access to domesticable plant species
4. were too small to support complex social structures
5. refused to remain in permanent settlements

14. The organizational structure of the passage is best described as

1. a chronological narrative of human development
2. a general claim supported by specific archaeological evidence and its broader implications
3. a comparison between two competing scientific theories
4. a problem followed by multiple proposed solutions
5. a series of questions answered through experimental research

Passage 3

The following passage is excerpted from Chief Seattle’s reply to a proposed treaty, delivered in 1854.

    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 (5) buy them?     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 (10) courses through our veins. We are part 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 (15) moves in the streams and rivers is not 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.     If we sell you our land, (20) you must remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also receives his last sigh. You must keep it apart and sacred, as a place where man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow flowers.

15. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. negotiate the financial terms of a land sale
2. express a worldview fundamentally different from that of the proposed buyer
3. describe the natural beauty of the speaker’s homeland
4. refuse to sell any land under any circumstances
5. request better treatment for Native American peoples

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

1. request information about the President’s intentions
2. highlight the absurdity of treating nature as property
3. suggest that the proposed price is too low
4. indicate confusion about legal procedures
5. propose an alternative form of payment

17. As used in line 8, the word “holy” most nearly means

1. religious
2. perfect
3. ancient
4. sacred
5. moral

18. The comparison between sap in trees and blood in veins (lines 9-10) emphasizes the

1. biological similarities between plants and animals
2. speaker’s knowledge of natural science
3. interconnectedness of humans and nature
4. medicinal properties of tree sap
5. importance of trees to the speaker’s people

19. According to the passage, the “ghostly reflection in the clear waters” (line 16) represents

1. spirits that haunt the lakes
2. the memories and history of the speaker’s people
3. dangerous supernatural forces
4. the physical beauty of the landscape
5. pollution from outside settlers

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

1. angry and confrontational
2. resigned and defeated
3. solemn and reverent
4. optimistic and cheerful
5. detached and analytical

■ ■ ■   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: (C) – the tension Aunt Celeste’s visit creates in the household
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage focuses on how Aunt Celeste’s arrival disrupts the family dynamic, from the mother’s nervous preparations to the father’s retreat and the strained dinner conversation (lines 1-24). Answer (A) is too narrow because while the narrator observes the tension, her own feelings are not the primary focus. Answer (E) is too narrow because the mother’s behavior is only one aspect of the broader household tension.

2. Ans: (B) – mentioning
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 6, the father gives a reason for retreating to his study, which means he is “mentioning” or stating the urgent correspondence as his excuse. Answer (A) “quoting” implies repeating someone else’s exact words, which doesn’t fit the context. Answer (D) “documenting” suggests creating a formal record, which is too specific for simply giving a reason.

3. Ans: (B) – the father is avoiding Aunt Celeste’s arrival
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The narrator suspects the correspondence doesn’t exist (line 7) and notes the father retreated “with unusual haste” (line 6), suggesting he is making an excuse to avoid the visitor. Answer (A) contradicts the passage because the father is deliberately avoiding the situation, not being forgetful. Answer (C) is not supported by the passage, which focuses on this specific instance of avoidance.

4. Ans: (B) – a casual disregard for someone the narrator respects
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The narrator finds the gesture “troubling” (line 16) because Aunt Celeste hands over her coat “without looking” at the housekeeper (line 15), showing disrespect for someone who works in the household. Answer (A) is wrong because unfamiliarity doesn’t explain why the gesture would be troubling. Answer (E) focuses on jealousy, which is not suggested by the passage’s language about finding the gesture “troubling.”

5. Ans: (B) – disapproves of her sister’s lifestyle choices
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The mother’s increasingly short responses (line 19) occur as Aunt Celeste describes her unconventional travels, and the passage concludes that the aunt “represented something my parents had deliberately left behind” (lines 22-23). Answer (A) is too simple an explanation given the final paragraph’s revelation about deeper differences. Answer (D) contradicts the passage because the mother’s reaction intensifies specifically during the travel stories.

6. Ans: (C) – fascinated but slightly uneasy
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The narrator describes Aunt Celeste with detailed, admiring observations (lines 7-9) but also finds some behaviors “troubling” (line 16) and realizes the aunt represents something unsettling to the family (lines 22-24). Answer (A) is too negative because the narrator shows interest and attention to detail. Answer (B) is too positive because the narrator expresses discomfort alongside fascination.

7. Ans: (B) – have consciously adopted a different way of life
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The narrator realizes her parents “had deliberately left behind” and “had chosen not to inhabit” the world Aunt Celeste represents (lines 23-24), indicating an intentional decision. Answer (A) distorts the passage because there’s no indication they regret their choice. Answer (C) is too extreme because the passage only suggests they chose a different path, not that they disapprove of all traditions.

8. Ans: (B) – explain how the study of ancient plant remains illuminates social development
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage discusses how paleoethnobotany reveals not just diet but social organization (lines 1-8), provides specific evidence from Anatolia (lines 9-21), and explains how agriculture led to social hierarchies (lines 21-27). Answer (A) is too narrow because excavation methods are not the focus. Answer (C) is wrong because the passage uses Anatolia as an example but doesn’t argue it was the only origin point of agriculture.

9. Ans: (C) – both nutrition and social organization
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states that researchers can reconstruct “not only what people ate, but also how they organized their societies” (lines 6-8). Answer (A) contradicts this statement by saying “only” dietary habits. Answer (B) is not mentioned in the passage as a goal of the research.

10. Ans: (B) – convincing
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 11, “compelling evidence” refers to archaeological findings that strongly support a conclusion about agricultural transition, meaning the evidence is “convincing.” Answer (A) “forceful” describes physical force or aggressive personality, not the strength of evidence. Answer (C) “obligatory” means required, which doesn’t fit the context of describing evidence quality.

11. Ans: (B) – have a rachis designed to scatter seeds naturally
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states that cultivated grain “lost its natural shattering mechanism” (lines 18-19), implying that wild varieties had a rachis that would shatter to scatter seeds. Answer (C) contradicts the passage, which states wild grains “were harvested” (line 13). Answer (D) is not mentioned anywhere in the passage.

12. Ans: (B) – explain the mechanism by which deliberate cultivation altered plant biology
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The phrase appears in a sentence explaining that biological changes resulted from humans who “saved seeds from the most desirable plants” (lines 20-21), describing the selective breeding process. Answer (A) misinterprets “desirable” as aesthetic preference when it means agriculturally useful traits. Answer (C) contradicts the passage, which emphasizes deliberate rather than accidental cultivation.

13. Ans: (B) – could not accumulate substantial material possessions
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage states that permanence “enabled the accumulation of material goods” and other developments (lines 24-26), implying mobile groups could not accumulate such goods. Answer (D) uses “too small” which is not mentioned or implied in the passage. Answer (E) reverses causation – they didn’t refuse to settle; rather, they couldn’t settle until they committed to agriculture.

14. Ans: (B) – a general claim supported by specific archaeological evidence and its broader implications
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The passage opens with a general claim about paleoethnobotany (lines 1-8), provides specific evidence from Anatolia (lines 9-21), then discusses broader social implications (lines 21-27). Answer (A) is incorrect because the passage is not organized chronologically throughout, but rather by logical argumentation. Answer (C) is wrong because no competing theories are presented.

15. Ans: (B) – express a worldview fundamentally different from that of the proposed buyer
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. Throughout the passage, Chief Seattle articulates a perspective in which land cannot truly be owned because humans are inseparable from nature (lines 2-24), contrasting with the Western concept of land as purchasable property. Answer (D) is too extreme because the passage includes conditional statements “If we sell you our land” (lines 16, 19-20), suggesting the possibility is being considered. Answer (C) is too narrow because description of beauty is a means to the larger purpose of expressing a philosophical perspective.

16. Ans: (B) – highlight the absurdity of treating nature as property
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The rhetorical question in lines 2-3 emphasizes that the concept of buying sky or land is “strange” (line 3) to the speaker’s worldview, making the very idea seem illogical. Answer (A) misreads the rhetorical question as a literal request for information. Answer (C) focuses on price rather than the fundamental philosophical objection being expressed.

17. Ans: (D) – sacred
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 8, “holy” describes how natural elements are regarded “in the memory and experience” of the speaker’s people, in a context emphasizing reverence for nature, making “sacred” the best synonym. Answer (A) “religious” is too narrow and institutional. Answer (B) “perfect” focuses on flawlessness rather than spiritual significance.

18. Ans: (C) – interconnectedness of humans and nature
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. The sap/blood comparison appears in a sentence stating “We are part of the earth and it is part of us” (lines 10-11), emphasizing the unity between humans and the natural world. Answer (A) is too literal and scientific, missing the philosophical point. Answer (E) is too narrow because the comparison encompasses all of nature, not just trees specifically.

19. Ans: (B) – the memories and history of the speaker’s people
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states that each reflection “tells of events and memories in the life of my people” (lines 16-17), directly connecting the reflections to communal history. Answer (A) distorts “ghostly” to mean literal haunting spirits rather than the metaphorical sense of historical presence. Answer (D) is too superficial because the passage emphasizes meaning over mere beauty.

20. Ans: (C) – solemn and reverent
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The passage treats the relationship between people and land with deep respect, using religious language like “sacred” (line 6, 17) and “holy” (line 8) in a serious, dignified manner throughout. Answer (A) is too negative because while the speaker disagrees with the Western perspective, the tone is respectful rather than angry. Answer (B) is incorrect because the speaker asserts values confidently rather than with resignation.