SSAT Reading Practice Worksheet - 66

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 first time Mariko saw the Pacific from the Oregon coast, she did not cry, though she had expected to. Her father had driven them twelve hours from Boise in near silence, (5) stopping only for gasoline and once for sandwiches that tasted of their plastic wrapping. She had imagined this moment for months: the recognition, the homecoming, the surge of genetic memory that would tell her (10) she belonged to this ocean, even if she had never seen it before. Her parents had left Osaka when she was two months old, and she remembered nothing of Japan, nothing of the typhoon (15) season or the particular weight of Pacific air. But the water before her now looked gray and furious, nothing like the postcard seas of her imagination, and the wind stung her face with salt and sand.     Her father stood beside her, hands (20) in his pockets, looking not at the waves but at the parking lot behind them. “Cold,” he said finally. It was July. Mariko turned from him and walked closer to the surf, letting (25) the noise of it drown his silence.

1. The passage is narrated from which point of view?

1. First person
2. Second person
3. Third person limited
4. Third person omniscient
5. Stream of consciousness

2. As used in line 8, the word “recognition” most nearly means

1. acknowledgment of achievement
2. identification of something previously known
3. formal acceptance into a group
4. reward for service
5. public honor or acclaim

3. The detail about the sandwiches tasting “of their plastic wrapping” (lines 6-7) primarily serves to

1. criticize the quality of roadside food
2. emphasize the length and bleakness of the journey
3. reveal Mariko’s sensitivity to textures and flavors
4. suggest that the father is careless about his daughter’s nutrition
5. explain why they stopped only once for food

4. Mariko had expected to feel a connection to the Pacific Ocean because

1. she had visited Japan as a child
2. her father had described it to her many times
3. she believed she would experience an inherited memory
4. she had read extensively about Osaka and its coastline
5. her parents had promised her a meaningful experience

5. The passage suggests that Mariko’s father is

1. eager to reconnect with his Japanese heritage
2. emotionally distant and uncomfortable with the visit
3. angry about having to take the long drive
4. talkative and overly sentimental about the past
5. proud of his daughter’s interest in her ancestry

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

1. celebratory and triumphant
2. bitter and resentful
3. reflective and disappointed
4. humorous and ironic
5. anxious and fearful

7. Mariko walks closer to the surf at the end of the passage primarily to

1. examine the waves more carefully
2. escape her father’s lack of emotional engagement
3. test her courage against the cold water
4. fulfill the purpose of their long journey
5. prove to her father that she is independent

Passage 2

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

    The phenomenon of synesthesia, in which stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory pathway, has long fascinated researchers (5) of perception and cognition. The most common form, grapheme-color synesthesia, causes individuals to perceive specific letters or numbers as inherently colored: the letter A might always appear red, while the number (10) 5 might be consistently green. Although dismissed for decades as mere imagination or artistic affectation, synesthesia is now understood to be a genuine neurological phenomenon affecting approximately four percent of the (15) population.     Recent neuroimaging studies have revealed that when grapheme-color synesthetes view black letters on a white background, their brains show activation not only in areas associated with letter recognition but also (20) in the V4 region of the visual cortex, which processes color information in all individuals. This cross-activation theory, proposed by neuroscientist V. S. Ramachandran, suggests that synesthesia results from (25) excess neural connections between adjacent brain regions that are normally more strictly segregated. In most people, these connections are pruned during development, but in synesthetes they persist, creating (30) permanent sensory linkages. The condition appears to run in families, suggesting a genetic component, though the exact mechanisms of inheritance remain unclear.

8. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. argue that synesthesia should be treated as a medical disorder
2. describe a neurological phenomenon and explain current scientific understanding of it
3. compare different forms of sensory perception in humans
4. advocate for more funding for synesthesia research
5. challenge the theories of V. S. Ramachandran

9. As used in line 11, the word “affectation” most nearly means

1. genuine emotion
2. pretense or false display
3. strong preference
4. artistic talent
5. inherited trait

10. According to the passage, grapheme-color synesthesia causes people to

1. see colors more vividly than non-synesthetes
2. associate particular letters or numbers with specific colors
3. confuse letters with numbers
4. experience heightened activity in all sensory pathways
5. perceive sounds as having colors

11. The passage indicates that the V4 region of the visual cortex

1. functions only in people with synesthesia
2. processes letter recognition in most individuals
3. is adjacent to areas involved in letter recognition
4. develops abnormally in four percent of the population
5. is inactive when synesthetes view colored letters

12. The cross-activation theory suggests that synesthesia occurs because

1. synesthetes have more developed visual cortexes than other people
2. certain neural connections that usually disappear during development remain intact
3. the brain creates new sensory pathways in response to artistic training
4. genetic mutations cause the V4 region to malfunction
5. synesthetes perceive colors that do not exist in reality

13. The author’s attitude toward synesthesia research can best be characterized as

1. skeptical and dismissive
2. enthusiastic but uncritical
3. objective and informative
4. passionate and advocating
5. confused and uncertain

14. The passage suggests that the genetic basis of synesthesia is

1. completely understood by modern science
2. proven to be nonexistent
3. supported by evidence but not yet fully explained
4. controversial among researchers
5. identical to the inheritance pattern of color blindness

Passage 3

The following is adapted from a speech delivered by Chief Seattle of the Suquamish tribe to Governor Isaac Stevens of Washington Territory in 1854.

    The Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. The Great Chief also sends us words of friendship and good will. This is kind of him, since we know (5) he has little need of our friendship in return. But we will consider your offer. For we know that if we do not sell, the white man may come with guns and take our land. How can you buy or sell the (10) sky, the warmth of 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? Every part of this earth is sacred to my (15) people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. The sap which courses through the trees carries the (20) memories of the red man. So, when the Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land, he asks much of us.

15. The main purpose of this passage is to

1. accept the government’s offer to purchase tribal land
2. express the spiritual significance of the land to the speaker’s people
3. threaten military resistance against encroachment
4. negotiate a higher price for the land in question
5. request friendship and alliance with the United States government

16. As used in line 9, the word “strange” most nearly means

1. unusual or unfamiliar
2. foreign
3. bizarre and disturbing
4. incomprehensible and offensive
5. mysterious

17. Chief Seattle suggests that the Great Chief’s expressions of friendship are ironic because

1. the two leaders have never met in person
2. the government has superior military power and does not need the tribe’s goodwill
3. the tribe has previously rejected similar offers
4. Governor Stevens is not sincere in his intentions
5. the Suquamish have always been hostile to outsiders

18. The questions “How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land?” (lines 8-9) primarily serve to

1. request clarification of the government’s proposal
2. highlight the fundamental difference between Native and European American concepts of land ownership
3. suggest that the offered price is insufficient
4. mock the government’s representatives for their ignorance
5. introduce a discussion of property law

19. The passage suggests that the relationship between Chief Seattle’s people and the land is best characterized as

1. economic and practical
2. spiritual and deeply interconnected
3. distant and respectful
4. competitive and territorial
5. fearful and superstitious

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

1. angry and defiant
2. resigned and despairing
3. dignified and mournful
4. optimistic and welcoming
5. condescending and superior

■ ■ ■   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) – Third person limited
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The passage is told by an outside narrator who has access to Mariko’s thoughts and feelings (lines 7-10) but not to her father’s internal state, which is characteristic of third person limited point of view. (A) is wrong because the narrator is not a character using “I.” (D) is wrong because the narrator does not reveal the father’s thoughts or emotions.

2. Ans: (B) – identification of something previously known
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 8, Mariko expects “recognition” as part of a “homecoming” and “genetic memory,” meaning she hopes to identify or recognize the ocean as something familiar from her heritage. (A) is wrong because it refers to acknowledging achievement rather than identifying something. (E) is wrong because it refers to public honor, which does not fit the context of personal, internal experience.

3. Ans: (B) – emphasize the length and bleakness of the journey
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The unpleasant detail about the sandwiches contributes to the overall atmosphere of the “near silence” and minimal stops during the twelve-hour drive (lines 4-7), emphasizing how joyless the trip is. (A) is wrong because the purpose is not to criticize food quality but to characterize the journey’s emotional tone. (C) is wrong because nothing in the passage suggests Mariko has particular sensitivity to food.

4. Ans: (C) – she believed she would experience an inherited memory
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Lines 8-10 explicitly state that Mariko imagined “the surge of genetic memory that would tell her she belonged to this ocean.” (A) is wrong because the passage states she left Japan at two months old and “remembered nothing of Japan” (lines 11-13). (B) is wrong because there is no indication her father described the ocean to her.

5. Ans: (B) – emotionally distant and uncomfortable with the visit
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The father drives in “near silence” (lines 4-5), looks at the parking lot rather than the ocean (lines 20-21), and offers only the single word “Cold” (line 22), all suggesting emotional distance and discomfort. (A) is wrong because his behavior shows avoidance rather than eagerness. (D) is wrong because he is notably silent, not talkative.

6. Ans: (C) – reflective and disappointed
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The passage reflects on Mariko’s expectations (lines 7-10) and conveys her disappointment when the ocean looks “gray and furious, nothing like the postcard seas of her imagination” (lines 15-17). (A) is wrong because the experience is clearly disappointing rather than triumphant. (B) is wrong because while there is disappointment, there is no bitterness or resentment expressed.

7. Ans: (B) – escape her father’s lack of emotional engagement
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. After her father’s dismissive one-word comment, Mariko walks away and lets “the noise of it drown his silence” (lines 24-25), suggesting she is escaping his emotional unavailability. (A) is wrong because the text emphasizes drowning out his silence, not examining waves. (D) is wrong because her disappointment suggests the journey’s purpose has already failed.

8. Ans: (B) – describe a neurological phenomenon and explain current scientific understanding of it
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage defines synesthesia (lines 1-7), explains that it is now understood as genuine and neurological (lines 10-15), and describes current scientific theories about its causes (lines 16-32). (A) is wrong because the passage never suggests synesthesia should be treated as a disorder. (E) is wrong because the passage presents Ramachandran’s theory without challenging it.

9. Ans: (B) – pretense or false display
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 11, “affectation” appears alongside “mere imagination,” referring to past dismissals of synesthesia as fake or pretended rather than real. (A) is wrong because affectation means the opposite of genuine emotion. (D) is wrong because it refers to talent, not pretense.

10. Ans: (B) – associate particular letters or numbers with specific colors
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Lines 6-10 explicitly state that in grapheme-color synesthesia, “individuals perceive specific letters or numbers as inherently colored: the letter A might always appear red, while the number 5 might be consistently green.” (E) is wrong because that describes sound-color synesthesia, not grapheme-color synesthesia. (C) is wrong because nothing in the passage suggests confusion between letters and numbers.

11. Ans: (C) – is adjacent to areas involved in letter recognition
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Lines 22-25 explain that synesthesia results from “excess neural connections between adjacent brain regions,” and lines 17-21 indicate V4 and letter recognition areas are both activated, implying they are adjacent. (A) is wrong because lines 20-21 state V4 “processes color information in all individuals.” (B) is wrong because V4 processes color, not letters.

12. Ans: (B) – certain neural connections that usually disappear during development remain intact
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Lines 26-29 state that “In most people, these connections are pruned during development, but in synesthetes they persist.” (A) is wrong because the theory involves persistent connections, not more developed cortexes. (C) is wrong because the passage suggests synesthesia results from development, not training.

13. Ans: (C) – objective and informative
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The author presents factual information about synesthesia, statistics (line 14), and scientific theories (lines 22-25) without expressing personal opinions or emotions. (A) is wrong because the author presents synesthesia as a “genuine neurological phenomenon” (lines 12-13), not skeptically. (B) is wrong because while informative, the tone is measured rather than enthusiastic.

14. Ans: (C) – supported by evidence but not yet fully explained
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Lines 29-32 state that synesthesia “appears to run in families, suggesting a genetic component, though the exact mechanisms of inheritance remain unclear.” (A) is wrong because the passage explicitly states mechanisms “remain unclear.” (B) is wrong because family patterns suggest a genetic component exists.

15. Ans: (B) – express the spiritual significance of the land to the speaker’s people
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage emphasizes that “Every part of this earth is sacred to my people” (lines 13-15) and describes the land’s holiness in memory and experience (lines 15-20), making spiritual significance the central purpose. (A) is wrong because Chief Seattle questions rather than accepts the offer (lines 8-9, 21-22). (D) is wrong because he never discusses price.

16. Ans: (D) – incomprehensible and offensive
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In context, “strange” follows the rhetorical questions about buying sky and air (lines 8-12) and precedes the explanation of the land’s sacredness (lines 13-15), suggesting the concept is not merely unfamiliar but fundamentally incomprehensible to his worldview. (A) is wrong because it is too weak; the concept challenges core beliefs, not just familiarity. (B) is wrong because “foreign” does not capture the moral dimension of the objection.

17. Ans: (B) – the government has superior military power and does not need the tribe’s goodwill
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Lines 3-6 state the Great Chief “sends us words of friendship,” which is “kind of him, since we know he has little need of our friendship in return,” and lines 6-8 mention the white man may “come with guns,” indicating power imbalance. (C) is wrong because there is no mention of previous rejections. (D) is wrong because Chief Seattle comments on the power dynamic, not Stevens’s sincerity.

18. Ans: (B) – highlight the fundamental difference between Native and European American concepts of land ownership
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The rhetorical questions (lines 8-12) contrast the idea of buying and selling natural elements with the Native view that these cannot be owned, emphasizing incompatible worldviews. (A) is wrong because these are rhetorical questions expressing philosophical opposition, not requests for clarification. (C) is wrong because the objection is conceptual, not financial.

19. Ans: (B) – spiritual and deeply interconnected
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Lines 13-20 describe every part of earth as “sacred,” “holy in the memory and experience of my people,” and state that even tree sap “carries the memories of the red man,” indicating profound spiritual connection. (A) is wrong because the passage emphasizes sacredness over economic value. (D) is wrong because the passage describes connection, not competition.

20. Ans: (C) – dignified and mournful
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. Chief Seattle speaks formally and eloquently about sacred land while acknowledging the likelihood of losing it (lines 6-8, 21-22), creating a tone that is both dignified and sorrowful. (A) is wrong because while he objects to the sale, his language is measured rather than angry. (B) is wrong because though he recognizes likely outcomes, he maintains dignity rather than despair.