SSAT Reading Practice Worksheet - 76

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 just as Keiko pressed her forehead against the cold window glass, watching the platform of Kyoto Station recede into the November mist. Her father’s figure, motionless in his dark overcoat, grew smaller until (5) she could no longer distinguish him from the other waiting forms. She had promised him she would return for New Year’s, but even as the words left her mouth that morning, she knew they rang hollow. Tokyo was only two hours away by the Shinkansen, yet it might as well have been (10) across an ocean.     In her lap lay the leather portfolio her mother had given her three years ago, before the illness took hold. Inside were her acceptance letter to the architecture firm and a single photograph: her mother standing before the (15) half-completed wooden frame of a house, saw in hand, grinning with a confidence Keiko had never managed to inherit. Her mother had been one of only two women in her carpentry program in 1984, a fact she mentioned rarely but which seemed to (20) hover over every conversation about Keiko’s own career.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. describe the technological advances of Japanese rail systems
2. contrast the architecture of Kyoto with that of Tokyo
3. portray a young woman’s conflicted emotions as she leaves home
4. celebrate the achievements of women in carpentry
5. criticize traditional family expectations in modern Japan

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

1. empty
2. echoing
3. insubstantial
4. concave
5. resonant

3. The detail that Tokyo is “only two hours away” (line 9) serves primarily to emphasize

1. the efficiency of Japanese transportation infrastructure
2. the contrast between physical and emotional distance
3. Keiko’s impatience with slow travel
4. the father’s unreasonable expectations
5. the short duration of Keiko’s journey

4. The passage suggests that Keiko’s promise to return for New Year’s was

1. made enthusiastically and sincerely
2. a commitment she fully intends to keep
3. spoken to comfort her father despite her own doubts
4. rejected by her father as unrealistic
5. based on her employer’s holiday schedule

5. The photograph described in lines 14-17 reveals that Keiko’s mother was

1. a professional photographer specializing in construction
2. actively involved in building trades
3. opposed to Keiko’s career in architecture
4. the owner of a successful construction company
5. uncertain about her own career choices

6. The phrase “a confidence Keiko had never managed to inherit” (lines 17-18) most strongly suggests that Keiko

1. lacks legal claim to her mother’s estate
2. feels inadequate compared to her mother
3. has chosen a completely different profession
4. was not close to her mother
5. prefers her father’s personality to her mother’s

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

1. bitterly resentful
2. cautiously optimistic
3. quietly melancholic
4. sharply humorous
5. urgently anxious

Passage 2

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

    The mycorrhizal network beneath a forest floor functions as a kind of biological internet, connecting trees and plants through an intricate web of fungal threads thinner than human hairs. These fungi, which colonize plant roots in (5) a mutually beneficial arrangement, extend far beyond individual root systems to create what ecologist Suzanne Simard has termed the “wood wide web.” Through this network, a mature Douglas fir can share carbon with a young seedling struggling in deep shade, (10) or a dying birch can transmit nitrogen to neighboring conifers.     The mechanisms underlying this resource transfer challenge conventional notions of plant competition. Rather than existing as isolated individuals competing for limited nutrients, trees engage in (15) what appears to be cooperative behavior, mediated entirely by their fungal partners. The fungi receive carbohydrates from the trees’ photosynthesis in exchange for minerals extracted from the soil—a transaction millions of years old. Recent isotope-tracing experiments (20) have demonstrated that this exchange is not random; “mother trees,” the largest specimens in a stand, preferentially direct nutrients toward their own genetic offspring, even while supporting unrelated seedlings.

8. The main idea of the passage is that

1. fungi pose a significant threat to forest ecosystems
2. trees communicate through underground fungal networks in ways that suggest cooperation
3. Douglas firs are more generous than other tree species
4. photosynthesis provides trees with all necessary nutrients
5. mycorrhizal networks have only recently evolved in forests

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

1. invade
2. establish residence in
3. conquer
4. migrate to
5. rule over

10. According to the passage, fungi receive which of the following from trees?

1. nitrogen and minerals
2. carbohydrates produced by photosynthesis
3. protection from forest predators
4. genetic information
5. isotopes for scientific experiments

11. The passage suggests that the term “wood wide web” (line 7) is appropriate because

1. trees are made of wood and grow to be wide
2. the network connects multiple organisms like the internet connects computers
3. Suzanne Simard discovered the internet
4. fungal threads are wider than human hairs
5. the system is entirely above ground

12. The author mentions isotope-tracing experiments (lines 18-19) primarily to

1. prove that all trees are related genetically
2. provide scientific evidence for selective nutrient distribution
3. demonstrate that fungi are radioactive
4. show that mycorrhizal networks are harmful
5. explain how photosynthesis works

13. The passage indicates that “mother trees” (line 21) differ from other trees in that they

1. refuse to share nutrients with any other plants
2. are always Douglas firs
3. direct more resources toward their genetic descendants
4. do not participate in mycorrhizal networks
5. grow exclusively in shaded areas

14. The author’s attitude toward mycorrhizal networks can best be described as

1. dismissive skepticism
2. informed fascination
3. indifferent neutrality
4. passionate advocacy
5. severe criticism

Passage 3

The following passage is adapted from Chief Joseph’s surrender speech, delivered in the Bear Paw Mountains, Montana Territory, October 5, 1877.

    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, Ta Hool Hool Shute is dead. The old men are (5) all dead. It is the young men who say yes or no. He who led on 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 (10) no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are—perhaps 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! (15) I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever.

15. The primary purpose of this speech is to

1. declare victory over General Howard’s forces
2. announce the speaker’s surrender and explain his reasons
3. request additional supplies for the coming winter
4. celebrate the bravery of fallen warriors
5. recruit new fighters for continued resistance

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 value it
3. I disagree with it
4. I have forgotten it
5. I question its sincerity

17. The speaker lists the deaths of Looking Glass and Ta Hool Hool Shute (lines 3-4) primarily to

1. blame General Howard for murder
2. illustrate the heavy losses his people have suffered
3. prove that young men are better leaders than old men
4. explain why he personally must take command
5. justify continued military resistance

18. According to the passage, some of the speaker’s people have

1. joined General Howard’s forces
2. fled to the hills without supplies
3. returned to their original homeland
4. been taken prisoner by the young men
5. chosen to continue fighting

19. The statement “Maybe I shall find them among the dead” (lines 12-13) suggests that the speaker

1. believes his children are hiding with the deceased chiefs
2. fears that his children may have already perished
3. plans to search a battlefield for survivors
4. knows exactly where his children are located
5. refuses to look for his missing family members

20. The tone of the final sentence (lines 15-16) can best be described as

1. defiant and threatening
2. resigned and sorrowful
3. joyful and celebratory
4. angry and vengeful
5. uncertain and confused

■ ■ ■   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) – portray a young woman’s conflicted emotions as she leaves home
Explanation: This is a Main Idea/Author’s Purpose question. The passage focuses on Keiko’s departure from Kyoto and her mixed feelings about leaving her father, carrying her mother’s legacy, and moving to Tokyo (lines 1-22). Choice (A) is wrong because technological advances are mentioned only as context, not as the primary focus. Choice (D) is too narrow, as the mother’s carpentry career is just one element of Keiko’s emotional conflict.

2. Ans: (C) – insubstantial
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 8, Keiko’s words “rang hollow” because she doubted her own promise, meaning the words lacked substance or sincerity. Choice (A) is a common meaning of “hollow” but does not fit the context of spoken words lacking genuine commitment. Choice (B) refers to acoustic properties rather than the credibility of a promise.

3. Ans: (B) – the contrast between physical and emotional distance
Explanation: This is a Structure/Author’s Purpose question. The passage states Tokyo is “only two hours away” but then immediately says “yet it might as well have been across an ocean” (lines 9-10), highlighting emotional rather than geographic separation. Choice (A) is true but not the reason this detail is included. Choice (E) is too literal and misses the metaphorical significance.

4. Ans: (C) – spoken to comfort her father despite her own doubts
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage states that Keiko’s promise to return “rang hollow” even as she spoke it (lines 6-8), suggesting she made the promise knowing it was uncertain. Choice (A) contradicts the description of the words as “hollow.” Choice (B) is contradicted by her awareness that the promise rang hollow.

5. Ans: (B) – actively involved in building trades
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The photograph shows Keiko’s mother “standing before the half-completed wooden frame of a house, saw in hand” (lines 15-16), and the passage states she was in a carpentry program (line 19). Choice (A) misinterprets the photograph as evidence of photography rather than carpentry. Choice (C) contradicts the passage, which suggests the mother’s career influences Keiko’s own career conversations.

6. Ans: (B) – feels inadequate compared to her mother
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The statement that Keiko “never managed to inherit” her mother’s confidence (lines 17-18) suggests she feels she lacks her mother’s self-assurance. Choice (A) misinterprets “inherit” literally rather than figuratively. Choice (C) is incorrect because Keiko works in architecture, which is related to her mother’s carpentry.

7. Ans: (C) – quietly melancholic
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The passage describes Keiko’s departure, her deceased mother, her uncertain promise, and the emotional weight of her mother’s legacy, all conveyed in subdued, reflective language (lines 1-22). Choice (A) is too strong; there is sadness but not bitterness. Choice (D) is incorrect as there is no humor in the passage.

8. Ans: (B) – trees communicate through underground fungal networks in ways that suggest cooperation
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage describes mycorrhizal networks that connect trees, allow resource sharing, and challenge ideas of pure competition (lines 1-23). Choice (A) reverses the passage’s meaning; fungi are presented as beneficial partners, not threats. Choice (E) is contradicted by the statement that the fungal-tree transaction is “millions of years old” (line 18).

9. Ans: (B) – establish residence in
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 4, “colonize” describes how fungi inhabit plant roots in “a mutually beneficial arrangement,” indicating settlement rather than conquest. Choice (A) is too negative given the “mutually beneficial” context. Choice (C) implies hostile takeover, which contradicts the cooperative relationship described.

10. Ans: (B) – carbohydrates produced by photosynthesis
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states that “fungi receive carbohydrates from the trees’ photosynthesis” (lines 16-17). Choice (A) reverses the exchange; fungi provide minerals to trees, not the reverse. Choice (D) is not mentioned in the passage as something exchanged.

11. Ans: (B) – the network connects multiple organisms like the internet connects computers
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage describes the mycorrhizal network as “a kind of biological internet” (line 2) because it connects trees and plants through fungal threads. Choice (A) makes a superficial word-association error unrelated to the functional comparison. Choice (E) contradicts the passage, which describes an underground network.

12. Ans: (B) – provide scientific evidence for selective nutrient distribution
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. Isotope-tracing experiments are mentioned to demonstrate that mother trees “preferentially direct nutrients toward their own genetic offspring” (lines 19-22). Choice (C) misunderstands isotope tracing, which uses traceable markers, not radioactivity as a characteristic of fungi. Choice (A) is too broad and not supported by the passage.

13. Ans: (C) – direct more resources toward their genetic descendants
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states that mother trees “preferentially direct nutrients toward their own genetic offspring” (lines 21-22). Choice (A) contradicts the passage, which says mother trees support unrelated seedlings “even while” favoring their offspring. Choice (B) is too narrow; Douglas firs are mentioned as examples but not identified as the only mother trees.

14. Ans: (B) – informed fascination
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The author presents detailed scientific information with language suggesting interest, such as describing mechanisms that “challenge conventional notions” (line 13). Choice (A) is contradicted by the respectful, detailed treatment of the subject. Choice (C) is incorrect because the author’s engaged, informative presentation suggests more than neutrality.

15. Ans: (B) – announce the speaker’s surrender and explain his reasons
Explanation: This is a Main Idea/Author’s Purpose question. Chief Joseph states “I am tired of fighting” and “I will fight no more forever” (lines 2-3, 15-16), explaining reasons including dead chiefs, freezing children, and missing people. Choice (A) reverses the meaning entirely; this is a surrender speech. Choice (E) contradicts the explicit statement that he will “fight no more.”

16. Ans: (B) – I remember and value it
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. The phrase “I have it in my heart” (line 2) follows “I know his heart” and “What he told me before,” suggesting the speaker holds General Howard’s words in esteem and memory. Choice (C) contradicts the respectful tone of the opening. Choice (A) is too narrow, focusing only on memorization rather than the emotional valuing suggested by “heart.”

17. Ans: (B) – illustrate the heavy losses his people have suffered
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. Chief Joseph lists specific dead leaders (lines 3-5) as part of explaining why he can no longer continue fighting. Choice (E) contradicts the purpose; the deaths support surrender, not continued resistance. Choice (C) distorts the passage; the statement “It is the young men who say yes or no” describes a situation, not a value judgment.

18. Ans: (B) – fled to the hills without supplies
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states “My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food” (lines 8-10). Choice (A) is not mentioned anywhere in the passage. Choice (E) contradicts the speaker’s declaration that he will “fight no more forever.”

19. Ans: (B) – fears that his children may have already perished
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The statement “Maybe I shall find them among the dead” (lines 12-13) expresses Chief Joseph’s fear that his search for his children may end in finding their bodies. Choice (D) contradicts the passage, which states “No one knows where they are” (line 10). Choice (E) reverses the meaning; he explicitly wants “to look for my children” (line 11).

20. Ans: (B) – resigned and sorrowful
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The final sentence “From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever” (lines 15-16) follows “I am tired; my heart is sick and sad,” expressing acceptance and grief. Choice (A) contradicts the surrender being announced. Choice (C) is completely inconsistent with the sorrowful content of the entire speech.