SSAT Reading Practice Worksheet - 81

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 Clara arrived, the rain had turned the whole valley into a gray sheet of mist. I watched from the kitchen window as her taxi labored up the gravel drive, its headlights cutting weak yellow cones through the downpour. She emerged slowly, a tall figure in a burgundy coat, (5) pausing to survey the house as though appraising its worth. My mother had been scrubbing the floors since dawn.     “She’ll expect everything just so,” Mother had said, her voice tight with an anxiety I didn’t understand. Aunt Clara was her older sister, (10) a woman I had met only twice before, both times at funerals where she had seemed more monument than person. Now she was here for an entire month, fleeing, as Mother put it, “certain unpleasantness” in Philadelphia.     At dinner that first evening, Aunt Clara (15) held court at the head of our modest table, recounting stories of her travels through Morocco the previous spring. Her hands moved with theatrical precision as she described the marketplace in Marrakech, the calls of vendors hawking saffron and silver, the impossible blue (20) of the desert sky. My father listened with polite detachment, but I found myself mesmerized. Here was a woman who had seen things beyond the rim of our valley, who spoke of the world as though it were a book she had read cover to cover.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. describe the narrator’s first significant impression of a visiting relative
2. explain the reasons for Aunt Clara’s departure from Philadelphia
3. contrast the narrator’s mother with her older sister
4. illustrate the effects of rain on a rural valley community
5. argue that travel broadens a person’s perspective on life

2. The narrator’s mother’s behavior in lines 7-9 suggests that she

1. resents having to clean the house for her sister’s arrival
2. feels pressure to meet her sister’s high standards
3. doubts that Aunt Clara will actually arrive on time
4. wants to impress her daughter with her work ethic
5. believes cleanliness is more important than hospitality

3. As used in line 10, the word “monument” most nearly means

1. statue
2. memorial
3. someone impressive but distant
4. someone made of stone
5. historical landmark

4. The description of Aunt Clara’s emergence from the taxi (lines 3-6) primarily emphasizes her

1. discomfort with rural environments
2. commanding and evaluative presence
3. concern about the weather conditions
4. eagerness to reunite with her sister
5. disapproval of the narrator’s home

5. The narrator’s reaction to Aunt Clara’s stories (lines 20-24) can best be described as

1. skeptical curiosity
2. polite boredom
3. captivated fascination
4. envious resentment
5. amused tolerance

6. The phrase “certain unpleasantness” (line 13) suggests that

1. Aunt Clara had a disagreement with the narrator’s mother
2. the mother is deliberately vague about Aunt Clara’s reasons for visiting
3. Aunt Clara dislikes living in Philadelphia
4. the narrator’s family is unwelcoming to visitors
5. the weather in Philadelphia is worse than in the valley

7. The contrast between the father’s response and the narrator’s response to Aunt Clara’s stories (lines 20-24) serves to

1. show that the father is less educated than his daughter
2. suggest a generational difference in appreciation for travel
3. highlight the narrator’s unique receptiveness to Aunt Clara’s worldliness
4. demonstrate that Aunt Clara prefers the narrator to the father
5. prove that the father has also traveled extensively

Passage 2

The following passage is adapted from an article about the science of memory formation.

    For decades, neuroscientists believed that memories were stored in the brain much like files in a cabinet, each experience neatly tucked away in a specific location awaiting retrieval. This model, appealing in its simplicity, has proven (5) to be fundamentally flawed. Contemporary research reveals that memory is not a static recording but a dynamic reconstruction, altered subtly each time we recall it.     The process begins with encoding, when sensory information is converted into a form the brain can process. (10) The hippocampus, a seahorse-shaped structure deep within the brain, plays a crucial role in this initial stage, binding together disparate elements of an experience-sights, sounds, emotions-into a cohesive whole. But this binding is temporary. Over time, through a process called consolidation, (15) memories become less dependent on the hippocampus and more distributed across the cortex, the brain’s outer layer.     What makes memory truly remarkable, however, is its malleability. Each act of remembering is also an act of reconsolidation. When we retrieve a memory, we (20) briefly destabilize it, rendering it vulnerable to modification before it is stored again. This means that our recollections are not faithful reproductions of the past but rather narratives we continuously revise, often without awareness. The implications are profound, particularly for eyewitness testimony in (25) legal settings, where confidence in a memory bears little relation to its accuracy.

8. The main idea of the passage is that

1. the hippocampus is the most important structure for memory formation
2. memories are dynamic reconstructions rather than static recordings
3. eyewitness testimony should never be trusted in legal proceedings
4. sensory information must be encoded before it can become memory
5. neuroscientists have recently discovered where memories are stored

9. According to the passage, the hippocampus is responsible for

1. permanently storing memories in the brain’s outer layer
2. preventing memories from being altered during recall
3. binding together different elements of an experience initially
4. ensuring that eyewitness testimony remains accurate
5. consolidating memories across multiple brain regions

10. As used in line 18, the word “malleability” most nearly means

1. strength
2. complexity
3. changeability
4. reliability
5. fragility

11. The passage suggests that the “file cabinet” model of memory (lines 1-3) was

1. based on extensive research conducted over many decades
2. an oversimplified view that has been disproven by recent findings
3. accurate for short-term memories but not long-term memories
4. proposed by neuroscientists who studied the hippocampus
5. still accepted by most contemporary memory researchers

12. The author’s primary purpose in the final paragraph (lines 17-26) is to

1. explain the biological mechanism of memory consolidation
2. criticize the use of eyewitness testimony in courts
3. describe how memory reconstruction has practical consequences
4. prove that human memory is completely unreliable
5. compare short-term memory with long-term memory

13. The passage indicates that consolidation involves

1. transferring memories from the cortex to the hippocampus
2. strengthening the hippocampus’s control over memories
3. shifting memory storage from the hippocampus to the cortex
4. preventing memories from being modified during recall
5. encoding sensory information into processable forms

14. The statement that “confidence in a memory bears little relation to its accuracy” (lines 25-26) implies that

1. people who are confident are always wrong about their memories
2. accuracy can be improved by repeatedly recalling a memory
3. being certain about a memory does not guarantee it is correct
4. eyewitnesses intentionally lie in legal settings
5. the hippocampus makes people overconfident about past events

Passage 3

The following is adapted from Chief Joseph’s surrender speech, delivered in 1877 at the conclusion of the Nez Perce War.

    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 all dead. It is the young men (5) 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 no blankets, no food. No one knows (10) 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! I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands (15) I will fight no more forever.

15. The primary purpose of Chief Joseph’s speech is to

1. negotiate better terms of surrender from General Howard
2. announce his decision to end hostilities and surrender
3. honor the memory of the chiefs who died in battle
4. request assistance in locating his missing people
5. express anger at the injustices committed against his people

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

1. I feel emotional pain
2. I remember and value it
3. I disagree with it
4. I am uncertain about it
5. I have forgotten it

17. The repetition of “is dead” and “are all dead” (lines 3-5) primarily serves to

1. emphasize the devastating losses the Nez Perce have suffered
2. blame General Howard for the deaths of the chiefs
3. show that Chief Joseph is the only remaining leader
4. prove that the young men are now in charge of decisions
5. suggest that Looking Glass was the most important chief

18. Chief Joseph’s concerns about the children (lines 6-12) reveal his

1. belief that General Howard will help find them
2. hope that they have successfully escaped to safety
3. deep worry about their immediate physical survival
4. anger that they ran away during the battle
5. certainty that most of them have already died

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

1. bitter and accusatory
2. resigned and sorrowful
3. hopeful and optimistic
4. defiant and proud
5. confused and uncertain

20. The final sentence (lines 14-16) suggests that Chief Joseph’s decision is

1. temporary until he can regroup his forces
2. conditional upon finding his children
3. final and permanent
4. dependent on General Howard’s response
5. supported by all the young men

■ ■ ■   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: (A) – describe the narrator’s first significant impression of a visiting relative
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage focuses on the narrator’s observations and growing fascination with Aunt Clara during her arrival and first evening, as shown in lines 20-24 where the narrator becomes “mesmerized” by her stories. Choice (B) is wrong because the passage only vaguely references “certain unpleasantness” without explaining the reasons. Choice (E) is wrong because the passage narrates an experience rather than making an argument.

2. Ans: (B) – feels pressure to meet her sister’s high standards
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The mother’s early morning scrubbing and her anxious statement that Aunt Clara “will expect everything just so” (lines 8-9) indicate she feels pressure to meet certain expectations. Choice (A) is wrong because the passage shows anxiety, not resentment. Choice (C) is wrong because there is no indication the mother doubts Aunt Clara’s arrival.

3. Ans: (C) – someone impressive but distant
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 10, the narrator describes Aunt Clara as seeming “more monument than person” at funerals, suggesting she appeared imposing but emotionally remote. Choice (A) is wrong because it takes the literal meaning of monument rather than the figurative sense. Choice (D) is wrong because it is too literal and misses the metaphorical meaning.

4. Ans: (B) – commanding and evaluative presence
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Aunt Clara’s slow, deliberate emergence and her pause to survey the house “as though appraising its worth” (lines 5-6) emphasize her authoritative, judgmental demeanor. Choice (A) is wrong because nothing in the description suggests discomfort. Choice (D) is wrong because the passage shows her evaluating the house, not expressing eagerness to see her sister.

5. Ans: (C) – captivated fascination
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The narrator explicitly states “I found myself mesmerized” (line 21) and describes Aunt Clara as someone “who had seen things beyond the rim of our valley” (lines 22-23), showing clear fascination. Choice (A) is wrong because the narrator shows no skepticism. Choice (B) is wrong because it contradicts the narrator’s mesmerized state.

6. Ans: (B) – the mother is deliberately vague about Aunt Clara’s reasons for visiting
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The euphemistic phrase “certain unpleasantness” (line 13) suggests the mother is avoiding specifics about why Aunt Clara left Philadelphia. Choice (A) is wrong because the unpleasantness was in Philadelphia, not between the sisters. Choice (C) is wrong because it is too broad and not supported by the vague phrase.

7. Ans: (C) – highlight the narrator’s unique receptiveness to Aunt Clara’s worldliness
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The contrast between the father’s “polite detachment” and the narrator’s mesmerized state (lines 20-21) emphasizes the narrator’s special openness to Aunt Clara’s experiences. Choice (B) is wrong because the contrast is individual, not generational. Choice (D) is wrong because nothing suggests Aunt Clara’s preference for either person.

8. Ans: (B) – memories are dynamic reconstructions rather than static recordings
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage opens by rejecting the “file cabinet” model (lines 1-3) and emphasizes throughout that “memory is not a static recording but a dynamic reconstruction” (lines 5-6). Choice (A) is wrong because it is too narrow, focusing only on one detail. Choice (C) is wrong because it distorts the passage’s more nuanced point about eyewitness testimony.

9. Ans: (C) – binding together different elements of an experience initially
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Lines 10-13 state that the hippocampus “plays a crucial role in this initial stage, binding together disparate elements of an experience-sights, sounds, emotions-into a cohesive whole.” Choice (A) is wrong because the passage says memories move from the hippocampus to the cortex, not that the hippocampus stores them permanently. Choice (D) is wrong because the hippocampus is not described as ensuring accuracy.

10. Ans: (C) – changeability
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. Line 18 introduces malleability as what “makes memory truly remarkable,” followed by explanation that memories are “vulnerable to modification” (line 21), indicating changeability. Choice (A) is wrong because strength is the opposite of the intended meaning. Choice (D) is wrong because reliability contradicts the passage’s point about memory being unreliable.

11. Ans: (B) – an oversimplified view that has been disproven by recent findings
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage describes the file cabinet model as “appealing in its simplicity” but “fundamentally flawed” (lines 4-5), indicating it was too simple and has been disproven. Choice (E) is wrong because it reverses the passage’s meaning-the model is no longer accepted. Choice (A) is wrong because the passage does not describe the research basis for the old model.

12. Ans: (C) – describe how memory reconstruction has practical consequences
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The final paragraph (lines 17-26) explains reconsolidation and then discusses “implications” for eyewitness testimony, showing practical applications. Choice (B) is wrong because the author raises concerns about eyewitness testimony but does not criticize its use outright. Choice (D) is wrong because it overstates the passage’s claim-the passage says memories are changeable, not completely unreliable.

13. Ans: (C) – shifting memory storage from the hippocampus to the cortex
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Lines 13-16 explain that through consolidation, “memories become less dependent on the hippocampus and more distributed across the cortex.” Choice (A) is wrong because it reverses the direction of the transfer. Choice (B) is wrong because it contradicts the passage-consolidation decreases hippocampal dependence.

14. Ans: (C) – being certain about a memory does not guarantee it is correct
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The statement that confidence “bears little relation to” accuracy (lines 25-26) means confidence and accuracy are independent, so being confident does not ensure correctness. Choice (A) is wrong because “little relation” does not mean confident people are “always wrong.” Choice (D) is wrong because it confuses malleability of memory with intentional deception.

15. Ans: (B) – announce his decision to end hostilities and surrender
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. Chief Joseph states “I am tired of fighting” (line 3) and concludes “I will fight no more forever” (lines 15-16), clearly announcing surrender. Choice (A) is wrong because he is not negotiating but declaring his decision. Choice (C) is wrong because honoring the dead is a supporting detail, not the primary purpose.

16. Ans: (B) – I remember and value it
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 2, “I have it in my heart” follows “What he told me before,” suggesting Chief Joseph remembers and treasures General Howard’s earlier words. Choice (A) is wrong because it takes “heart” too literally as an organ of emotion rather than understanding the idiom. Choice (C) is wrong because it contradicts the respectful tone of the opening.

17. Ans: (A) – emphasize the devastating losses the Nez Perce have suffered
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The repetition of death (lines 3-5) accumulates the sense of loss, emphasizing how many leaders have been killed. Choice (C) is wrong because Chief Joseph does not claim to be the only remaining leader. Choice (D) is wrong because the statement about young men deciding is presented as a consequence, not the primary point of the repetition.

18. Ans: (C) – deep worry about their immediate physical survival
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Chief Joseph describes children “freezing to death” (line 8) and expresses urgent need to “look for my children” (line 11), showing immediate survival concerns. Choice (A) is wrong because nothing suggests he expects Howard’s help finding them. Choice (E) is wrong because “maybe I shall find them among the dead” (lines 12-13) shows uncertainty, not certainty.

19. Ans: (B) – resigned and sorrowful
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. Chief Joseph states “I am tired; my heart is sick and sad” (lines 14-15), directly expressing sorrow and resignation. Choice (A) is wrong because the speech lacks accusatory language. Choice (D) is wrong because Chief Joseph is surrendering, which contradicts defiance.

20. Ans: (C) – final and permanent
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The phrase “I will fight no more forever” (lines 15-16) uses “forever” to emphasize the permanence of his decision. Choice (A) is wrong because “forever” contradicts temporary. Choice (B) is wrong because the decision to stop fighting is stated unconditionally, separate from his hope to find children.