SSAT Reading Practice Worksheet - 62

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 train lurched forward as Mei pressed her forehead against the cool window, watching the Shanghai skyline dissolve into farmland. In her lap sat a wooden box her uncle had given her that morning, its lacquered surface worn smooth by decades of handling. (5) “Your grandmother’s calligraphy brushes,” he had said, his voice catching. “She would have wanted you to have them now that you’re going to art school.”     Mei had never met her grandmother, who had died before Mei was born, but she had grown up surrounded by her paintings — delicate scrolls of bamboo and (10) plum blossoms that hung in every room of the family apartment. Her mother spoke rarely of the older woman, and when she did, her words were clipped, factual: your grandmother taught literature, your grandmother studied in Beijing, your grandmother believed in old ways. There was an edge to these statements, a boundary Mei (15) had learned not to cross.     Now, opening the box, Mei found not only brushes but a thin notebook, its pages yellowed and brittle. The characters inside were written in a script so elegant it seemed to dance across the page. Mei recognized a poem she had memorized in school, but here the familiar (20) words carried a weight they never had in her textbook. Her grandmother had copied it during the worst years, her uncle had whispered, when such things were dangerous.

1. The passage is primarily concerned with

1. Mei’s journey to attend art school in a distant city
2. a young woman’s discovery of a connection to her grandmother
3. the historical significance of traditional Chinese calligraphy
4. the strained relationship between Mei and her mother
5. the process of preserving family heirlooms across generations

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

1. grasping
2. faltering
3. contagious
4. trapping
5. understanding

3. The description of Mei’s mother’s words as “clipped” (line 13) suggests that she

1. speaks with a noticeable accent
2. is deliberately withholding information
3. has forgotten details about her own mother
4. prefers to communicate through writing rather than speech
5. is proud of her mother’s accomplishments

4. The passage suggests that Mei’s grandmother lived during a time when

1. traditional art forms were widely celebrated
2. travel between Shanghai and Beijing was difficult
3. certain cultural activities were prohibited
4. calligraphy was no longer taught in schools
5. women were not permitted to study literature

5. The “boundary” mentioned in lines 14-15 most likely refers to

1. the physical distance between Shanghai and the art school
2. the difference between modern and traditional Chinese art
3. topics about her grandmother that Mei avoids discussing with her mother
4. the generational gap between Mei and her relatives
5. the line separating professional and amateur artists

6. The contrast between the poem in Mei’s textbook and in her grandmother’s notebook emphasizes

1. Mei’s improved understanding of classical literature
2. the superior quality of older educational materials
3. the difference between academic study and personal expression
4. her grandmother’s expertise as a literature teacher
5. the changes in written Chinese characters over time

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

1. celebratory and triumphant
2. contemplative and poignant
3. anxious and apprehensive
4. bitter and resentful
5. detached and clinical

Passage 2

The following passage is adapted from an article about environmental archaeology.

For decades, archaeologists assumed that the collapse of the ancient Maya civilization resulted from a combination of warfare, overpopulation, and drought. Recent advances in paleoclimatology, however, have revealed a more complex picture. By analyzing (5) chemical signatures in cave formations called stalagmites, researchers can now reconstruct rainfall patterns with remarkable precision, sometimes down to individual years.     These records show that the Maya region experienced a series of severe droughts between 800 and 1000 CE, coinciding with the abandonment of major cities. But the stalagmite data also (10) reveal something unexpected: smaller droughts had occurred centuries earlier without triggering societal collapse. What made the later droughts catastrophic was not their severity alone but their timing. By the ninth century, the Maya had transformed their landscape through intensive agriculture, clearing forests and building elaborate systems of reservoirs and terraces. These (15) modifications had made the region more productive in normal years but also more vulnerable to climate extremes.     The implications extend beyond understanding the ancient Maya. Modern societies similarly engineer their environments to maximize short-term productivity, often at the cost of resilience. Agricultural systems optimized for average conditions may be (20) ill-equipped to handle the droughts and floods projected under climate change. The Maya case study suggests that vulnerability arises not from environmental stress alone but from the intersection of human land use and natural variability.

8. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. describe new methods for analyzing ancient climate patterns
2. explain how recent research has complicated understanding of the Maya collapse
3. argue that drought was not a factor in the decline of Maya civilization
4. compare ancient and modern agricultural practices
5. advocate for changes to contemporary farming methods

9. As used in line 4, the word “signatures” most nearly means

1. autographs
2. endorsements
3. indicators
4. contracts
5. styles

10. According to the passage, stalagmite analysis allows scientists to

1. determine the exact population of ancient Maya cities
2. reconstruct historical rainfall with high temporal accuracy
3. predict future drought patterns in Central America
4. identify the locations of Maya agricultural terraces
5. measure the rate of deforestation in the Maya region

11. The passage suggests that earlier droughts did not cause the Maya civilization to collapse because

1. they were less severe than the droughts of 800-1000 CE
2. the Maya had not yet modified their landscape as extensively
3. the population was smaller and required less food
4. warfare had not yet become widespread in the region
5. the Maya had developed better water storage technology

12. The author mentions “reservoirs and terraces” (line 14) primarily to

1. illustrate the sophistication of Maya engineering
2. provide examples of how the Maya altered their environment
3. explain why the Maya civilization grew so rapidly
4. contrast Maya technology with modern agricultural methods
5. demonstrate the effectiveness of ancient water management

13. The passage implies that agricultural systems designed for “average conditions” (line 19)

1. are more productive than traditional farming methods
2. will become obsolete due to climate change
3. were not used by ancient civilizations
4. may lack the flexibility to cope with extreme weather
5. require elaborate irrigation infrastructure

14. The tone of the final paragraph is best described as

1. dismissive and critical
2. cautionary and reflective
3. optimistic and enthusiastic
4. uncertain and tentative
5. urgent and alarmist

Passage 3

The following passage is adapted from Chief Joseph’s surrender speech, delivered in 1877 in Montana Territory.

Tell General Howard I know his heart. What he told me before, I have it in my heart. I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed; Looking Glass is dead. Toohoolhoolzote is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the (5) young men who say yes or no. He who led the young men is dead. It is cold, and we have no blankets; the little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are — perhaps (10) freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children, and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight (15) no more forever.

15. The primary purpose of this speech is to

1. negotiate the terms of a peace treaty
2. announce the speaker’s decision to surrender
3. memorialize the chiefs who died in battle
4. request supplies for the coming winter
5. explain the reasons the conflict began

16. As used in line 2, the phrase “I have it in my heart” most nearly means

1. I have memorized it
2. I remember and believe it
3. I feel emotional about it
4. I keep it secret
5. I treasure it above all else

17. The detail that “It is the young men who say yes or no” (lines 5-6) suggests that

1. traditional leadership structures have broken down
2. the speaker disapproves of the younger generation
3. young warriors are more aggressive than older chiefs
4. decisions are now made democratically
5. General Howard prefers to negotiate with younger men

18. The repetition of the word “dead” in lines 3-6 primarily serves to

1. emphasize the extent of losses suffered
2. express anger at General Howard
3. justify the decision to continue fighting
4. demonstrate the speaker’s grief over one particular death
5. contrast the fate of old and young warriors

19. The speaker’s statement that he wants “to look for my children” (line 11) conveys

1. uncertainty about whether his own children have survived
2. hope that the scattered people can be reunited
3. determination to rescue those trapped in the hills
4. a request for General Howard’s assistance in the search
5. regret for leading his people into a disastrous war

20. The tone of the final sentence (lines 13-15) can best be described as

1. defiant and unrepentant
2. resigned and resolute
3. hopeful and optimistic
4. bitter and accusatory
5. uncertain and questioning

■ ■ ■   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) – a young woman’s discovery of a connection to her grandmother
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage centers on Mei receiving her grandmother’s belongings and discovering the notebook, which creates an unexpected connection to an ancestor she never met (lines 16-20). Choice (A) is too narrow, as the journey to art school is only the setting, not the focus. Choice (D) is incorrect because while the mother’s reticence is mentioned, the relationship between Mei and her mother is not the primary subject.

2. Ans: (B) – faltering
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. The uncle’s voice “catching” indicates an emotional break or hesitation while speaking about the grandmother (line 6). Choice (A) uses the most common meaning of “catching” but does not fit the context of a voice. Choice (C) distorts the meaning entirely, as a voice cannot be contagious.

3. Ans: (B) – is deliberately withholding information
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The description of the mother’s words as “clipped, factual” with “an edge” and a “boundary” Mei learned not to cross (lines 13-15) suggests intentional emotional distance and selective sharing. Choice (A) is incorrect because “clipped” refers to brevity and tone, not accent. Choice (E) reverses the passage’s meaning, as the tone suggests discomfort, not pride.

4. Ans: (C) – certain cultural activities were prohibited
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The uncle’s whispered comment that the grandmother copied poems “during the worst years” when “such things were dangerous” (lines 19-20) indicates a period of cultural suppression. Choice (A) contradicts the passage, which indicates the opposite. Choice (E) is too broad and not supported, as the grandmother herself taught literature (line 12).

5. Ans: (C) – topics about her grandmother that Mei avoids discussing with her mother
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. The “boundary” is described immediately after the mother’s clipped statements about the grandmother, indicating a limit Mei has “learned not to cross” (lines 14-15) in conversation. Choice (A) misapplies “boundary” to physical rather than emotional space. Choice (D) is too vague and does not connect to the specific context of the mother’s reticence.

6. Ans: (C) – the difference between academic study and personal expression
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. The poem in the textbook lacks the “weight” it carries in the grandmother’s hand-copied version created during dangerous times (lines 18-20), contrasting impersonal study with meaningful personal act. Choice (A) is incorrect because the contrast is not about Mei’s understanding improving. Choice (E) is factually wrong, as the passage states the poem is the same, just written differently.

7. Ans: (B) – contemplative and poignant
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The passage’s reflective focus on family memory, the emotional weight of the discovered notebook, and the somber references to the grandmother’s difficult era create a thoughtful, emotionally touching atmosphere (lines 16-20). Choice (A) is incorrect because there is nothing celebratory in the subdued mood. Choice (D) misreads the tone entirely, as there is no bitterness expressed.

8. Ans: (B) – explain how recent research has complicated understanding of the Maya collapse
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The passage moves from older assumptions to new stalagmite evidence revealing unexpected complexity about drought timing and landscape vulnerability (lines 1-16). Choice (C) contradicts the passage, which confirms drought was a factor. Choice (E) is too broad, as the passage draws lessons but does not explicitly advocate policy changes.

9. Ans: (C) – indicators
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. “Chemical signatures” refers to distinctive chemical markers in stalagmites that indicate past climate conditions (lines 4-6). Choice (A) uses the common meaning of “signatures” but is completely inappropriate in a scientific context. Choice (D) also misapplies a different definition of the word.

10. Ans: (B) – reconstruct historical rainfall with high temporal accuracy
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states that stalagmite analysis allows researchers to “reconstruct rainfall patterns with remarkable precision, sometimes down to individual years” (lines 5-6). Choice (A) is incorrect because the passage does not mention population determination. Choice (C) confuses past reconstruction with future prediction.

11. Ans: (B) – the Maya had not yet modified their landscape as extensively
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage states that earlier droughts occurred “without triggering societal collapse” and explains that by the ninth century the Maya had transformed their landscape, making it “more vulnerable” (lines 10-15). Choice (A) is contradicted, as the passage says severity alone was not the determining factor (line 11). Choice (E) invents information not present in the passage.

12. Ans: (B) – provide examples of how the Maya altered their environment
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The reservoirs and terraces are cited as specific instances of the “elaborate systems” through which “the Maya had transformed their landscape” (lines 13-14). Choice (A) is too narrow, focusing only on sophistication rather than the point about environmental modification. Choice (D) is incorrect because no direct comparison to modern methods appears in that section.

13. Ans: (D) – may lack the flexibility to cope with extreme weather
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage states that systems “optimized for average conditions may be ill-equipped to handle the droughts and floods” of climate change (lines 19-21), directly implying reduced flexibility. Choice (B) is too extreme; the passage suggests vulnerability, not obsolescence. Choice (C) contradicts the passage, which describes the Maya doing exactly this.

14. Ans: (B) – cautionary and reflective
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The final paragraph draws thoughtful parallels between ancient and modern societies, warning that current practices may create similar vulnerabilities (lines 17-22). Choice (A) is incorrect because the tone is not dismissive. Choice (E) overstates the tone, which is measured rather than alarmist.

15. Ans: (B) – announce the speaker’s decision to surrender
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The speech builds to the explicit declaration “I will fight no more forever” (lines 14-15), clearly announcing surrender. Choice (C) is too narrow, as memorializing the dead is part of the explanation but not the primary purpose. Choice (D) is incorrect because while supplies are mentioned, the speech does not request them.

16. Ans: (B) – I remember and believe it
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. The phrase indicates the speaker recalls and holds faith in General Howard’s earlier words (line 2). Choice (A) is too narrow, capturing only memory without the element of trust. Choice (E) goes too far, as “above all else” is not suggested by the context.

17. Ans: (A) – traditional leadership structures have broken down
Explanation: This is an Inference question. After stating that “the old men are all dead” and “he who led the young men is dead,” the speaker notes that now young men make decisions (lines 4-6), indicating disrupted hierarchy. Choice (B) is incorrect because the speaker expresses no disapproval, only fact. Choice (D) misinterprets the statement as describing democracy rather than the breakdown of traditional authority.

18. Ans: (A) – emphasize the extent of losses suffered
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. Repeating “dead” after naming multiple leaders and groups (“Looking Glass,” “Toohoolhoolzote,” “the old men,” the young men’s leader) stresses the cumulative toll (lines 3-6). Choice (B) is incorrect because no anger is directed at General Howard in this section. Choice (C) reverses the logic, as these deaths explain surrender, not continued fighting.

19. Ans: (A) – uncertainty about whether his own children have survived
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The speaker states he wants time to “look for my children, and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead” (lines 11-12), indicating he does not know their fate. Choice (B) is too broad, referring to all people rather than specifically his children. Choice (C) overstates certainty about their location.

20. Ans: (B) – resigned and resolute
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The final statement combines weary acceptance (“I am tired; my heart is sick and sad”) with firm determination in the decisive pledge never to fight again (lines 13-15). Choice (A) contradicts the surrender being announced. Choice (C) is incorrect because there is no optimism in the somber conclusion.