SSAT Reading Practice Worksheet - 85

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 train to Edinburgh rattled through the Scottish countryside, and Margaret pressed her forehead against the cold glass, watching stone farmhouses blur into grey smudges. She had left London before dawn, carrying only a canvas satchel and a letter she had not yet (5) opened. Her brother James had written it three weeks earlier, but she had kept it sealed, as though the paper itself might burn her fingers if she broke the wax too soon.     Now, with the Highlands rising in the distance, she slid her thumb beneath the seal. The wax crumbled. James’s handwriting, always slanted and hurried, covered both sides of the (10) page. He wrote of their father’s failing health, of the estate falling into disrepair, of creditors who came weekly to the door. But it was the final paragraph that made Margaret fold the letter closed again and tuck it into her coat: “You were always the clever one, Meg. If anyone can salvage what remains, it is you.”     She had not been home in (15) seven years. Seven years since the argument that had sent her south to find work as a governess, swearing she would never return to that cold house with its creaking floors and her father’s silent disapproval. And yet here she was, hurtling northward, already composing in her mind the lists and calculations that might save them all.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. describe the scenic beauty of the Scottish countryside
2. portray a character reluctantly returning to confront family difficulties
3. explain the economic challenges facing landowners in Scotland
4. celebrate the bond between siblings separated by distance
5. criticize a father’s treatment of his daughter

2. As used in line 5, the word “seal” most nearly means

1. aquatic mammal
2. official approval
3. wax closure
4. waterproof coating
5. hidden compartment

3. Margaret delays opening the letter primarily because she

1. cannot read her brother’s handwriting
2. fears the contents will demand something difficult of her
3. is distracted by the view from the train window
4. wants to wait until she arrives in Edinburgh
5. has already been told the news by another family member

4. The description of James’s handwriting as “slanted and hurried” (line 10) suggests that he

1. wrote the letter while traveling on a train
2. lacks proper education in penmanship
3. composed the message urgently or under stress
4. deliberately tried to make the letter difficult to read
5. always writes carelessly regardless of the situation

5. The passage indicates that Margaret left home seven years earlier because of

1. her desire to see the Scottish Highlands
2. a conflict with her father
3. her brother’s encouragement
4. financial difficulties on the estate
5. her ambition to become a governess

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

1. bitterly resentful
2. cautiously hopeful
3. pensively apprehensive
4. warmly nostalgic
5. darkly humorous

7. The final sentence suggests that Margaret is already

1. regretting her decision to return home
2. planning how to address the family’s problems
3. composing a reply to her brother’s letter
4. remembering happy moments from her childhood
5. calculating the cost of her train journey

Passage 2

The following passage is adapted from an article about behavioral ecology.

    Among the most remarkable navigators in the animal kingdom are the desert ants of the genus Cataglyphis, which forage across the featureless sand and gravel plains of North Africa and the Middle East. Unlike many insects that rely on pheromone trails to find their way home, these ants (5) traverse distances of up to two hundred meters from their nests in search of food, zigzagging across terrain devoid of landmarks, yet return to their nest entrances with astonishing precision.     For decades, researchers attributed this navigational feat to path integration, a process also called dead reckoning. As the ant wanders outward from the nest, it continuously monitors the (10) angles and distances of each leg of its journey, integrating this information to calculate a direct route home. The ant’s compound eyes track the position of the sun, even when only a small patch of blue sky is visible, using polarized light patterns as a celestial compass. Simultaneously, the ant counts its steps – a discovery confirmed through ingenious experiments in which researchers (15) attached tiny stilts to the ants’ legs or trimmed their limbs slightly to alter stride length. Ants on stilts overshot their nests, while those with shortened legs stopped short, demonstrating that these insects possess an internal pedometer of extraordinary accuracy.     Recent studies have revealed additional layers of complexity. When familiar landmarks are available, Cataglyphis ants incorporate visual (20) snapshots into their navigation, storing mental images of rocks, plants, or other features and using these memories to calibrate their path integration system. This redundancy – the coupling of multiple navigational strategies – ensures that even when one system fails, the ant can still find its way home across one of Earth’s most inhospitable environments.

8. The main idea of the passage is that Cataglyphis ants

1. survive in harsh desert climates by working cooperatively
2. employ sophisticated and multiple methods to navigate back to their nests
3. rely exclusively on polarized light to orient themselves
4. have been the subject of extensive scientific research
5. possess better navigational abilities than any other insect species

1. cross
2. reverse
3. measure
4. avoid
5. search

10. According to the passage, path integration involves

1. following pheromone trails left by other ants
2. memorizing visual landmarks along the route
3. calculating a direct return path by monitoring angles and distances traveled
4. using the Earth’s magnetic field for orientation
5. flying above the terrain to get a better view

11. The experiments with stilts and trimmed legs (lines 14-16) were designed to test whether ants

1. could adapt to physical disabilities
2. use step counting as part of their navigation
3. rely on the sun’s position to find their nests
4. travel faster with longer legs
5. remember the location of food sources

12. The passage suggests that Cataglyphis ants differ from many other insects in that they

1. live in desert environments
2. do not use pheromone trails for navigation
3. have compound eyes
4. forage for food during daylight hours
5. work individually rather than in colonies

13. The author’s attitude toward the navigational abilities of Cataglyphis ants can best be described as

1. skeptical and questioning
2. impressed and appreciative
3. indifferent and detached
4. concerned and worried
5. amused and entertained

14. The passage indicates that the use of multiple navigational strategies by Cataglyphis ants serves to

1. confuse predators that might follow them
2. allow different ants to use different methods
3. provide backup systems in case one method fails
4. increase the distance they can travel from the nest
5. help them find food sources more efficiently

Passage 3

The following is excerpted from Chief Joseph’s surrender speech, delivered in the Bear Paw Mountains of Montana Territory on 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, Too-hul-hul-sote is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say yes or no. He who led (5) 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 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 (10) 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 no more forever.

15. The primary purpose of this speech is to

1. announce the speaker’s decision to end armed resistance
2. praise the military leadership of General Howard
3. describe the geographic features of the Bear Paw Mountains
4. request additional supplies for the coming winter
5. inspire his people to continue fighting

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

1. I have memorized his words
2. I remember and honor what he said
3. I feel physical pain
4. I disagree with his position
5. I have written it down

17. The repetition of “is dead” and “are dead” (lines 2-4) serves primarily to

1. emphasize the devastating losses suffered by his people
2. celebrate the warriors who died in battle
3. blame General Howard for the deaths
4. explain why younger men now make decisions
5. request a formal burial ceremony

18. The speaker’s statement that “Maybe I shall find them among the dead” (lines 9-10) conveys

1. certainty that his children have been killed
2. anger at those responsible for the conflict
3. the grim possibility that his children may have perished
4. relief that the fighting has finally ended
5. confusion about what has happened to his people

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

1. defiant and unrepentant
2. sorrowful and resigned
3. optimistic and hopeful
4. angry and accusatory
5. cold and unemotional

20. The final sentence (“From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever”) is effective primarily because it

1. uses poetic language to mark a solemn and final decision
2. refers to the exact time of day when the speech was delivered
3. contradicts everything the speaker has said previously
4. appeals to General Howard’s sense of mercy
5. describes the weather conditions in the mountains

■ ■ ■   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) – portray a character reluctantly returning to confront family difficulties
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage centers on Margaret’s train journey back to Scotland and her internal conflict about returning to face family problems she left behind seven years ago, as evidenced by her delayed opening of the letter and her memories of the argument that drove her away (lines 15-18). Choice (A) is incorrect because the countryside is mentioned only briefly as background detail, not as the passage’s focus. Choice (C) is too narrow, as the economic troubles are only one element of the larger family crisis Margaret must confront.

2. Ans: (C) – wax closure
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 5, Margaret breaks “the seal” of the letter, and line 9 clarifies that “the wax crumbled,” indicating that the seal is the wax closure used to secure letters in this historical period. Choice (B) is incorrect because while “seal” can mean official approval, the context describes a physical object that crumbles. Choice (A) is incorrect because the aquatic mammal meaning is unrelated to the context of opening a letter.

3. Ans: (B) – fears the contents will demand something difficult of her
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage states Margaret kept the letter sealed “as though the paper itself might burn her fingers if she broke the wax too soon” (lines 5-6), suggesting she anticipated painful or demanding contents, which is confirmed when the letter asks her to save the failing estate (line 13). Choice (A) is incorrect because Margaret successfully reads the handwriting once she opens the letter. Choice (D) is incorrect because she opens the letter while still on the train, before reaching Edinburgh (line 8).

4. Ans: (C) – composed the message urgently or under stress
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The description of the handwriting as “always slanted and hurried” (line 10), combined with the serious content about their father’s failing health and financial ruin, suggests James wrote under stressful circumstances requiring urgency. Choice (E) is incorrect because the word “always” indicates this is his habitual style, not necessarily carelessness. Choice (A) is wrong because there is no evidence in the passage that James was traveling when he wrote.

5. Ans: (B) – a conflict with her father
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states Margaret left “seven years since the argument that had sent her south” and mentions “her father’s silent disapproval” (lines 15-18) as the reason for her departure. Choice (E) is incorrect because while she did become a governess, the passage presents this as what she did after leaving, not the reason for leaving. Choice (D) reverses the chronology, as the financial difficulties are current, not the cause of her departure seven years ago.

6. Ans: (C) – pensively apprehensive
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The passage conveys Margaret’s thoughtful anxiety through details like her delayed opening of the letter, her memories of leaving home, and her ambivalent feelings about returning, creating a tone that is both reflective (pensive) and worried (apprehensive). Choice (D) is incorrect because while Margaret remembers the past, the memories of “that cold house” and her father’s “silent disapproval” (lines 17-18) are not warm or nostalgic. Choice (A) is too strongly negative, as Margaret does not express bitter resentment but rather reluctant obligation.

7. Ans: (B) – planning how to address the family’s problems
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The final sentence states Margaret is “already composing in her mind the lists and calculations that might save them all” (lines 18-19), indicating she is mentally preparing solutions to the family’s financial and estate problems. Choice (A) is incorrect because the passage shows her accepting the responsibility and planning, not regretting. Choice (C) misinterprets what she is “composing,” which is lists and calculations, not a letter reply.

8. Ans: (B) – employ sophisticated and multiple methods to navigate back to their nests
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage systematically describes several navigational methods used by Cataglyphis ants: path integration (lines 8-11), celestial compass using polarized light (lines 11-13), step counting (lines 13-16), and visual landmarks (lines 19-21), emphasizing the sophistication and redundancy of their systems. Choice (C) is too narrow because polarized light is only one of several methods discussed. Choice (E) is incorrect because the passage does not compare Cataglyphis to all other insect species, only notes they differ from “many insects” (line 4).

9. Ans: (A) – cross
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 4, “traverse” describes the ants traveling across (“traverse distances of up to two hundred meters”) the desert terrain, making “cross” the closest synonym in this context. Choice (B) is incorrect because “reverse” means to go backward, not to travel across a distance. Choice (E) is wrong because while the ants do search for food, “traverse” specifically describes their movement across space, not the searching activity itself.

10. Ans: (C) – calculating a direct return path by monitoring angles and distances traveled
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly defines path integration as occurring when “the ant continuously monitors the angles and distances of each leg of its journey, integrating this information to calculate a direct route home” (lines 9-11). Choice (A) is incorrect because the passage specifically contrasts Cataglyphis ants with insects that “rely on pheromone trails” (line 4). Choice (B) confuses path integration with the visual snapshot method mentioned later in the passage (lines 19-21).

11. Ans: (B) – use step counting as part of their navigation
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The passage states the experiments with stilts and trimmed legs were conducted after the discovery that “the ant counts its steps” (line 13), and the results – ants overshooting or stopping short – “demonstrat[ed] that these insects possess an internal pedometer” (lines 16-17), confirming step counting. Choice (A) is incorrect because adaptation to disability was not being tested; the alterations were temporary experimental conditions. Choice (C) is wrong because sun position and polarized light are discussed separately from the stilt experiments (lines 11-13).

12. Ans: (B) – do not use pheromone trails for navigation
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage explicitly states that “Unlike many insects that rely on pheromone trails to find their way home, these ants traverse distances” using other methods (lines 4-5), establishing this as a distinguishing characteristic. Choice (C) is incorrect because compound eyes are common to many insects, not a distinguishing feature of Cataglyphis. Choice (E) is wrong because the passage refers to “nests,” indicating colonial living, which is typical of ants.

13. Ans: (B) – impressed and appreciative
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The author’s word choices such as “most remarkable navigators” (line 1), “astonishing precision” (line 6), and “extraordinary accuracy” (line 17) reveal admiration for the ants’ abilities, while the detailed explanation of their methods shows appreciation for their complexity. Choice (A) is incorrect because the author presents the research findings as established fact, not with skepticism. Choice (C) is wrong because the enthusiastic descriptive language contradicts indifference.

14. Ans: (C) – provide backup systems in case one method fails
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states that “This redundancy – the coupling of multiple navigational strategies – ensures that even when one system fails, the ant can still find its way home” (lines 21-23), directly answering the question. Choice (A) is incorrect because predator confusion is never mentioned in the passage. Choice (D) is wrong because the passage does not link multiple strategies to increased distance traveled; the two-hundred-meter distance (line 5) is mentioned before the discussion of multiple methods.

15. Ans: (A) – announce the speaker’s decision to end armed resistance
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The entire speech builds to Chief Joseph’s declaration that “From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever” (lines 11-12), with the preceding sentences explaining the circumstances – deaths of leaders, suffering of his people – that led to this decision to surrender. Choice (E) is incorrect because it directly contradicts the speech’s purpose; the speaker is ending the fight, not continuing it. Choice (D) is too narrow because while he mentions lacking blankets and food (lines 6-7), requesting supplies is not the primary purpose but rather evidence supporting his surrender decision.

16. Ans: (B) – I remember and honor what he said
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 Chief Joseph remembers General Howard’s previous words and takes them seriously, holding them as something meaningful. Choice (A) is too literal and narrow, focusing only on memory without the connotation of respect and seriousness. Choice (D) reverses the meaning, as the context of knowing Howard’s heart suggests understanding and acceptance, not disagreement.

17. Ans: (A) – emphasize the devastating losses suffered by his people
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The repetition of “is dead” and “are dead” creates a somber drumbeat effect, listing Looking Glass, Too-hul-hul-sote, the old men, and the leader of young men (lines 2-5) to stress the catastrophic toll on the leadership and people. Choice (B) is incorrect because the tone is mournful rather than celebratory, and celebration is inappropriate in a surrender speech. Choice (D) is too narrow; while he does mention that young men now decide (line 4), the primary function of the repetition is emotional emphasis of loss, not logical explanation of leadership succession.

18. Ans: (C) – the grim possibility that his children may have perished
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The word “Maybe” (line 9) indicates uncertainty, while “among the dead” (line 10) acknowledges the possibility of their deaths, creating a tone of grim fear rather than certainty, especially following his statement that some people have “run away to the hills” and “perhaps freezing to death” (lines 7-8). Choice (A) is incorrect because “maybe” expresses possibility, not certainty. Choice (E) is wrong because the speaker clearly understands what has happened – war, death, scattering of his people – and is uncertain only about his children’s specific fate.

19. Ans: (B) – sorrowful and resigned
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. Chief Joseph’s statements “I am tired of fighting” (line 3), “my heart is sick and sad” (line 11), and his catalogue of deaths and suffering throughout create a sorrowful tone, while his final declaration to “fight no more forever” (line 12) conveys resignation to ending the resistance. Choice (A) is incorrect because defiance would involve continued resistance, which he explicitly renounces. Choice (D) is wrong because while there is sadness, he does not accuse or blame General Howard; he says “I know his heart” (line 1) in a tone of understanding rather than anger.

20. Ans: (A) – uses poetic language to mark a solemn and final decision
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. The phrase “From where the sun now stands” (line 11) uses figurative, ceremonial language instead of simply stating “from now on,” giving the moment gravity and finality appropriate to such a momentous decision, while “forever” emphasizes the permanence of his surrender. Choice (B) is too literal; while the phrase does reference the sun’s position, its effectiveness comes from its poetic quality, not from precisely marking the time. Choice (E) is incorrect because the sun reference is metaphorical and ceremonial, not a weather description.