SSAT Reading Practice Worksheet - 68

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 night watchman’s lantern cast a pale circle on the warehouse floor as Thomas descended the iron staircase. He had been working at the Bellingham Textile Company for only three weeks, yet already he knew the rhythm of the looms, the way (5) the shuttles clattered in patterns that changed with each new bolt. Tonight the vast room lay silent, the machines hulking in shadow like sleeping animals. He had come to retrieve the ledger he’d left near the dyeing vats, but now, pausing by the great (10) windows that faced the river, he found himself arrested by the scene outside. Ice had begun to form along the pilings, and the water moved sluggishly beneath the December moon.     His brother would be leaving for Montreal in the morning. That (15) much was certain. James had shown him the steamship ticket at supper, had spoken with a forced brightness about opportunities in the furniture trade, about how their uncle had already secured him a position. But Thomas had seen the tightness around James’s (20) mouth, the way his hands worried the edge of the ticket. They both knew what the departure meant: an acknowledgment that the New Hampshire mills could no longer sustain two young men with ambitions beyond the clatter of machinery.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. describe the physical appearance of a textile warehouse
2. reveal the economic pressures affecting a family
3. explain the operations of a nineteenth-century factory
4. criticize working conditions in industrial New England
5. celebrate the bond between two brothers

2. As used in line 10, the word “arrested” most nearly means

1. detained by legal authority
2. stopped in motion
3. captured and held
4. prevented from continuing
5. seized by disease

3. The description of the machines as “hulking in shadow like sleeping animals” (lines 7-8) primarily serves to

1. suggest the warehouse is poorly maintained
2. emphasize the contrast between day and night in the factory
3. imply that the machines are dangerous when operating
4. create a sense of temporary quiet in an ordinarily loud space
5. indicate that Thomas fears the machinery

4. The passage suggests that Thomas came to the warehouse at night primarily to

1. avoid speaking with his brother
2. retrieve a forgotten ledger
3. inspect the looms for damage
4. watch the river freeze
5. meet with the night watchman

5. The detail about James’s “forced brightness” (line 16) suggests that he

1. is genuinely excited about his new position
2. wants to convince Thomas to accompany him
3. is concealing his true feelings about leaving
4. dislikes their uncle in Montreal
5. has always wanted to work in the furniture trade

6. According to the passage, Thomas has been employed at the Bellingham Textile Company for

1. one week
2. three weeks
3. one month
4. three months
5. the entire winter

7. The final sentence of the passage indicates that both brothers understand that

1. their uncle’s offer is not genuine
2. the local economy cannot support their shared aspirations
3. Thomas should be the one to leave instead of James
4. the textile industry is about to collapse completely
5. they will never see each other again

Passage 2

The following passage is adapted from a science magazine article about animal behavior.

    For decades, ornithologists dismissed the complex vocalizations of the Australian magpie as mere instinctive calls, no different from the warning cries of crows or the territorial songs of robins. Recent field studies, however, have revealed that these (5) birds possess a vocal sophistication that rivals some of the most celebrated songbirds. Magpies in different regions of Australia have been observed producing distinct dialects, with neighboring groups maintaining recognizable acoustic boundaries. More remarkably, researchers at the University of Western Australia documented instances (10) of individual magpies improvising new melodic phrases and teaching them to younger birds, who then incorporated these innovations into the local repertoire.     This capacity for cultural transmission of learned vocalizations places magpies in a select category of avian species. Unlike the largely (15) innate songs of chickens or the fixed calls of owls, magpie vocalizations develop through a process of social learning that begins when chicks are still in the nest. Juveniles appear to practice extensively, producing what researchers call “subsong” – a kind of vocal (20) rehearsal marked by tentative, fragmentary sounds. Only after months of imitation and refinement do young magpies master the full complexity of their group’s dialect, a progression that suggests the presence of cognitive mechanisms once thought unique to mammals.

8. The main idea of the passage is that

1. Australian magpies are more intelligent than other birds
2. ornithologists have historically underestimated magpie vocal abilities
3. magpies teach their young through a process of social learning
4. recent research has revealed unexpected complexity in magpie vocalizations
5. animal communication should be studied more systematically

9. As used in line 6, the word “celebrated” most nearly means

1. honored with festivities
2. widely praised
3. commemorated annually
4. recognized in ceremonies
5. observed with parties

10. According to the passage, magpies in different regions of Australia

1. cannot communicate with each other
2. have entirely different vocal abilities
3. produce distinct regional dialects
4. migrate to find better territories
5. compete aggressively for food sources

11. The passage suggests that the vocalizations of chickens and owls differ from those of magpies in that they are

1. less frequent and harder to record
2. primarily innate rather than learned
3. used only for warning rather than communication
4. incapable of regional variation
5. simpler in their melodic structure

12. The author’s attitude toward the recent magpie research can best be described as

1. skeptical and questioning
2. enthusiastic but cautious
3. impressed and engaged
4. neutral and detached
5. critical and dismissive

13. The term “subsong” (line 19) refers to

1. a secondary melody sung beneath the primary song
2. a quiet vocalization used only at night
3. the practice vocalizations of juvenile magpies
4. a call used to communicate with other species
5. the simplified songs of older magpies

14. The passage indicates that young magpies achieve full mastery of their dialect

1. within days of hatching
2. before they leave the nest
3. only after months of practice
4. by instinct rather than learning
5. through competition with adults

Passage 3

The following passage is adapted from an essay by Chief Seattle (Sealth) of the Duwamish people, as recorded in 1854.

    Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished. Even (5) the rocks, which seem to be dumb and dead as they swelter in the sun along the silent shore, thrill with memories of stirring events connected with the lives of my people, and the very dust upon which you now stand responds more lovingly to (10) their footsteps than yours, because it is rich with the blood of our ancestors, and our bare feet are conscious of the sympathetic touch. Our departed braves, fond mothers, glad, happy hearted maidens, and even the little children who lived here (15) and rejoiced here for a brief season, will love these somber solitudes and at eventide they greet shadowy returning spirits. And when the last Red Man shall have perished, and the memory of my tribe shall have become a myth among the (20) White Men, these shores will swarm with the invisible dead of my tribe, and when your children’s children think themselves alone in the field, the store, the shop, upon the highway, or in the silence of the pathless woods, they will not be alone.

15. The primary purpose of this passage is to

1. describe the geographical features of the Pacific Northwest
2. express the spiritual connection between the speaker’s people and their land
3. negotiate a favorable treaty with the United States government
4. warn settlers about the dangers of settling in the territory
5. provide a historical account of tribal conflicts

16. As used in line 4, the word “hallowed” most nearly means

1. made hollow or empty
2. called out to loudly
3. made sacred or holy
4. marked with signs
5. carved with symbols

17. The speaker suggests that rocks along the shore (lines 5-7)

1. are literally alive and capable of speech
2. are connected to the history and memory of his people
3. should be removed by the new settlers
4. mark the boundaries of tribal territories
5. are valuable sources of minerals

18. The statement that the dust “responds more lovingly” to the footsteps of the speaker’s people (lines 9-10) primarily suggests that

1. the soil has different physical properties in different locations
2. the land recognizes and favors those with ancestral connections to it
3. the settlers walk too heavily on the ground
4. indigenous people have better knowledge of safe paths
5. the soil contains literal traces of blood

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

1. angry and confrontational
2. detached and scientific
3. solemn and prophetic
4. cheerful and optimistic
5. confused and uncertain

20. In the final sentence (lines 18-24), the speaker suggests that future generations of settlers will

1. face retribution from indigenous spirits
2. be haunted by feelings of guilt
3. share the land with the spiritual presence of his people
4. abandon the territory and return to their homelands
5. forget entirely about the indigenous population

■ ■ ■   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) – reveal the economic pressures affecting a family
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage centers on Thomas’s reflection about his brother’s imminent departure, which is driven by the reality that “the New Hampshire mills could no longer sustain two young men with ambitions” (lines 21-23). Choice (A) is too narrow, focusing only on the setting description rather than the passage’s central concern. Choice (E) is too positive in tone and misses the underlying economic struggle that drives the narrative.

2. Ans: (C) – captured and held
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 10, Thomas is “arrested by the scene outside,” meaning his attention was captured and held by what he saw. Choice (A) uses the legal meaning of “arrested,” which is incorrect in this context. Choice (B) is close but less precise than (C) in conveying the sense that his attention was seized and held, not merely stopped.

3. Ans: (D) – create a sense of temporary quiet in an ordinarily loud space
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The simile emphasizes that the machines are currently silent and still, which contrasts with their usual active state, established earlier when Thomas notes he “knew the rhythm of the looms” and “the way the shuttles clattered” (lines 4-6). Choice (A) is not supported by the passage. Choice (E) misreads the image; there is no indication Thomas fears the machinery.

4. Ans: (B) – retrieve a forgotten ledger
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states that Thomas “had come to retrieve the ledger he’d left near the dyeing vats” (lines 8-9). Choice (D) reverses cause and effect; he notices the river after arriving, but that was not his purpose. Choice (A) is not supported by any evidence in the passage.

5. Ans: (C) – is concealing his true feelings about leaving
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The phrase “forced brightness” (line 16) suggests artificiality, and the passage goes on to note the “tightness around James’s mouth” and his nervous gesture (lines 18-19), indicating his cheerfulness is not genuine. Choice (A) contradicts this evidence. Choice (B) is not supported; there is no indication James wants Thomas to join him.

6. Ans: (B) – three weeks
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage directly states that Thomas “had been working at the Bellingham Textile Company for only three weeks” (lines 2-3). This is straightforward factual information with no interpretation required. The other choices simply provide incorrect time periods not mentioned in the text.

7. Ans: (B) – the local economy cannot support their shared aspirations
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. The final sentence explains that the departure is “an acknowledgment that the New Hampshire mills could no longer sustain two young men with ambitions beyond the clatter of machinery” (lines 21-23). Choice (D) is too broad; the passage suggests limitation, not total collapse. Choice (E) is too extreme and not supported by the text.

8. Ans: (D) – recent research has revealed unexpected complexity in magpie vocalizations
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage opens by noting that ornithologists previously dismissed magpie calls, but “recent field studies…have revealed” sophisticated vocal abilities (lines 3-6), and the rest of the passage details these findings. Choice (C) is too narrow, covering only part of the passage. Choice (A) makes a comparison not supported by the text.

9. Ans: (B) – widely praised
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 6, “celebrated songbirds” refers to bird species that are widely praised or renowned for their singing. Choice (A) uses a literal meaning of “celebrated” that doesn’t fit the context. Choice (C) similarly mistakes the word for a reference to annual commemoration rather than reputation.

10. Ans: (C) – produce distinct regional dialects
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states that “Magpies in different regions of Australia have been observed producing distinct dialects, with neighboring groups maintaining recognizable acoustic boundaries” (lines 5-8). Choice (A) is too extreme; having dialects doesn’t mean they cannot communicate. Choice (B) distorts what the passage says about variation.

11. Ans: (B) – primarily innate rather than learned
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage contrasts “the largely innate songs of chickens or the fixed calls of owls” with magpie vocalizations that “develop through a process of social learning” (lines 14-17). Choice (C) is not supported; the passage doesn’t discuss the functions of chicken and owl calls. Choice (E) may be true but is not what the passage emphasizes as the key difference.

12. Ans: (C) – impressed and engaged
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The author uses words like “remarkably” (line 9) and describes findings that challenge previous assumptions, showing interest and positive regard for the research. Choice (A) is incorrect; the author presents the findings as credible, not questionable. Choice (D) is too neutral given the enthusiastic language used.

13. Ans: (C) – the practice vocalizations of juvenile magpies
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage defines subsong as “a kind of vocal rehearsal marked by tentative, fragmentary sounds” (lines 19-20) produced by juveniles who “appear to practice extensively” (line 18). Choice (A) misinterprets the prefix “sub-” as meaning “beneath” in a musical sense. Choice (E) reverses the facts; subsong is associated with young, not older, birds.

14. Ans: (C) – only after months of practice
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states that “Only after months of imitation and refinement do young magpies master the full complexity of their group’s dialect” (lines 20-22). Choice (D) directly contradicts the passage’s emphasis on learning rather than instinct. Choice (B) is contradicted by the timeline described.

15. Ans: (B) – express the spiritual connection between the speaker’s people and their land
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. Throughout the passage, Chief Seattle describes how “Every part of this soil is sacred” (lines 1-2) and is imbued with the memory and presence of his people. Choice (A) is too narrow; geographical description is secondary to the spiritual message. Choice (C) is not supported; while this was delivered in a treaty context, the passage itself focuses on spiritual themes.

16. Ans: (C) – made sacred or holy
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 4, places have been “hallowed by some sad or happy event,” meaning they have been made sacred through significant experiences. Choice (A) confuses “hallowed” with “hollowed.” Choice (B) confuses it with “hollered.” These are common vocabulary traps based on similar-sounding words.

17. Ans: (B) – are connected to the history and memory of his people
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The speaker says the rocks “thrill with memories of stirring events connected with the lives of my people” (lines 6-8), using figurative language to express their historical significance. Choice (A) takes the metaphor too literally. Choice (E) introduces a materialistic interpretation completely absent from the passage.

18. Ans: (B) – the land recognizes and favors those with ancestral connections to it
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The speaker uses figurative language to express the deep connection between his people and the land, suggesting the earth itself recognizes this bond (lines 8-12). Choice (E) takes the metaphor of blood too literally. Choice (C) misses the spiritual nature of the claim and focuses on a trivial physical detail.

19. Ans: (C) – solemn and prophetic
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The passage is serious in tone and looks to the future, predicting that “when the last Red Man shall have perished” the spirits will remain (lines 17-24). Choice (A) is too extreme; while serious, the tone is not angry or confrontational. Choice (D) contradicts the somber mood throughout.

20. Ans: (C) – share the land with the spiritual presence of his people
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. The speaker states that the shores “will swarm with the invisible dead of my tribe” and that future generations “will not be alone” (lines 20-24), suggesting a continuing spiritual presence. Choice (A) is too negative; the passage suggests presence, not retribution. Choice (E) contradicts the entire point of the final sentence.