SSAT Reading Practice Worksheet - 87

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 from San Francisco, she brought with her a steamer trunk that smelled of camphor and something sweeter – perhaps jasmine. My mother, who had not seen her sister in twelve years, stood on the porch (5) with her hands twisting the dishcloth into a tight rope. I watched from the parlor window as the taxi driver heaved the trunk onto our walkway, where it landed with a thud that seemed to shake the entire house.     Aunt Clara stepped out wearing a dress the color of (10) persimmons, her hair pinned beneath a hat that tilted at an angle my mother would have called “theatrical.” She paid the driver without glancing at the bills she pressed into his hand, then turned toward the house. For a moment, the two sisters simply stared at each other across the (15) distance of the yard. Then Aunt Clara smiled – a wide, reckless smile that showed all her teeth – and my mother’s face crumpled. She dropped the dishcloth and ran down the steps, and they collided in an embrace that looked almost like a fight, (20) both of them laughing and crying at once.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. describe the narrator’s relationship with Aunt Clara
2. capture the emotional reunion between two long-separated sisters
3. explain why the two sisters had been apart for twelve years
4. illustrate the differences in personality between the narrator’s mother and aunt
5. establish the setting of a family conflict

2. The detail about the mother twisting the dishcloth (lines 5-6) suggests that she is feeling

1. angry about her sister’s unannounced arrival
2. eager to help unload the steamer trunk
3. anxious about seeing her sister again
4. annoyed by the taxi driver’s careless handling of the luggage
5. indifferent to the upcoming reunion

3. As used in line 12, the word “theatrical” most nearly means

1. dramatic
2. professional
3. humorous
4. elegant
5. artificial

4. The passage suggests that Aunt Clara’s manner of paying the taxi driver reveals her

1. distrust of strangers
2. generosity toward service workers
3. carelessness with money
4. preoccupation with the reunion
5. wealthy lifestyle in San Francisco

5. The description of the sisters’ embrace as looking “almost like a fight” (line 19) primarily conveys

1. the physical awkwardness of their reunion
2. the lingering resentment between them
3. the intensity of their emotions
4. their inability to communicate effectively
5. the narrator’s misunderstanding of the situation

6. The narrator’s observation that the trunk “seemed to shake the entire house” (line 7) is best understood as

1. a factual description of structural damage
2. an expression of the narrator’s youth and inexperience
3. an exaggeration reflecting the event’s emotional impact
4. evidence that the trunk contained heavy objects
5. a criticism of the taxi driver’s rough handling

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

1. detached and analytical
2. nostalgic and observant
3. anxious and foreboding
4. humorous and satirical
5. bitter and resentful

Passage 2

The following passage is adapted from an article on evolutionary biology.

    The monarch butterfly’s annual migration spans multiple generations, a phenomenon that has puzzled researchers for decades. Unlike birds, which complete their migratory journeys within a single lifetime, monarchs east of the Rocky Mountains undertake (5) a multi-generational relay. The butterflies that arrive in the oyamel fir forests of central Mexico each November are not the same individuals that departed the previous spring. Instead, they are the great-great-grandchildren of those who left, navigating a route they have never traveled (10) to a destination they have never seen.     This migration depends on a unique generation known as the “Methuselah generation,” named for the biblical figure renowned for longevity. While spring and summer monarchs live only two to six weeks, the Methuselah monarchs that emerge (15) in late summer live up to eight months. These exceptional individuals remain reproductively dormant during their southward journey, conserving energy for the flight to Mexico. Once there, they cluster by the millions in high-altitude forests, their collective weight sometimes breaking tree branches. In (20) spring, they finally mate before beginning the northward journey, laying eggs along the way. Their offspring continue the migration in successive waves, each generation advancing farther north until the cycle begins anew.

8. The main idea of the passage is that

1. monarch butterflies live longer than most other insect species
2. the monarch migration is unique because it spans multiple generations
3. monarchs east and west of the Rocky Mountains follow different migration patterns
4. the oyamel fir forests provide essential habitat for monarch butterflies
5. environmental changes threaten the survival of monarch butterflies

9. According to the passage, the butterflies that arrive in Mexico in November are related to the butterflies that left in the previous spring as

1. parents to offspring
2. siblings from the same generation
3. descendants separated by four generations
4. unrelated members of the same species
5. grandchildren separated by two generations

10. As used in line 16, the word “dormant” most nearly means

1. inactive
2. hidden
3. damaged
4. delayed
5. sleeping

11. The passage indicates that Methuselah monarchs differ from spring and summer monarchs in their

1. ability to navigate using the sun
2. preference for oyamel fir trees
3. lifespan and reproductive timing
4. capacity to fly long distances
5. physical size and coloration

12. The comparison to bird migration (lines 2-4) serves primarily to

1. establish that monarchs are more advanced than birds
2. highlight an unusual feature of the monarch migration
3. prove that monarchs and birds evolved from common ancestors
4. explain why monarchs live shorter lives than birds
5. argue that bird migration is better understood than butterfly migration

13. The detail that monarch clusters sometimes break tree branches (lines 19-20) is included to emphasize

1. the fragility of the oyamel fir forests
2. the destructive impact of monarch migration
3. the enormous number of butterflies that congregate
4. the strength of individual monarch butterflies
5. the dangers monarchs face during winter

14. It can be inferred from the passage that the northward migration in spring

1. is completed by a single generation of monarchs
2. requires multiple generations to reach northern destinations
3. occurs more rapidly than the southward migration
4. involves only female butterflies
5. takes place entirely within Mexico

Passage 3

The following is adapted from “Self-Reliance,” an essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson published in 1841.

    To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men – that is genius. Speak your latent conviction, and it shall be the universal sense; for (5) the inmost in due time becomes the outmost, and our first thought is rendered back to us by the trumpets of the Last Judgment. Familiar as the voice of the mind is to each, the highest merit we ascribe to Moses, Plato, and Milton is that they set at naught books (10) and traditions, and spoke not what men, but what they thought. A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages. Yet he dismisses without notice his thought, (15) because it is his. In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty. Great works of art have no more affecting lesson for us than this. They teach us to abide by our spontaneous (20) impression with good-humored inflexibility then most when the whole cry of voices is on the other side.

15. The primary purpose of this passage is to

1. define the meaning of genius in artistic creation
2. compare ancient and modern philosophers
3. encourage readers to trust their own thoughts
4. criticize people who rely too heavily on tradition
5. explain why great works of art endure over time

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

1. delayed
2. hidden
3. final
4. obvious
5. mistaken

17. According to the passage, Moses, Plato, and Milton are most admirable because they

1. created works of lasting beauty
2. studied earlier books and traditions carefully
3. expressed their own original thoughts
4. appealed to the judgment of their contemporaries
5. achieved recognition during their lifetimes

18. The phrase “alienated majesty” (line 17) refers to

1. the isolation experienced by great thinkers
2. the grandeur of thoughts we once dismissed as our own
3. the foreign origins of classical philosophy
4. the stern judgment rendered by works of art
5. the distance between genius and ordinary people

19. Emerson suggests that people typically dismiss their own thoughts because

1. they lack confidence in their own judgment
2. those thoughts contradict established traditions
3. they prefer the ideas of famous philosophers
4. the thoughts are not original or important
5. they fear criticism from others

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

1. cautious and hesitant
2. scholarly and objective
3. urgent and exhortatory
4. melancholy and reflective
5. skeptical and questioning

■ ■ ■   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) – capture the emotional reunion between two long-separated sisters
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage focuses centrally on the moment when Aunt Clara arrives and the two sisters reunite after twelve years, culminating in their emotional embrace (lines 18-20). Choice (A) is too narrow because the narrator remains an observer and does not develop a relationship with Aunt Clara in this passage. Choice (C) is incorrect because the passage never explains why they were apart.

2. Ans: (C) – anxious about seeing her sister again
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The physical action of twisting the dishcloth into a tight rope (lines 5-6) is a classic gesture of nervous tension, suggesting the mother is anxious about the reunion. Choice (A) is wrong because nothing in the passage indicates anger, only nervous anticipation. Choice (E) contradicts the passage entirely, as the mother’s emotional response in lines 18-20 shows she is deeply affected.

3. Ans: (A) – dramatic
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 12, “theatrical” describes the tilted angle of Aunt Clara’s hat in a way that suggests showiness and drama, which aligns with “dramatic.” Choice (B) is a possible meaning of “theatrical” but doesn’t fit the context of describing a hat’s angle. Choice (E) is incorrect because “theatrical” here suggests flamboyance, not fakeness.

4. Ans: (D) – preoccupation with the reunion
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The detail that Aunt Clara pays “without glancing at the bills” (line 13) suggests her mind is elsewhere, focused on the upcoming reunion with her sister rather than the transaction. Choice (C) is too broad and unsupported; one instance doesn’t establish general carelessness with money. Choice (E) may be true but is not what this specific detail reveals about her state of mind.

5. Ans: (C) – the intensity of their emotions
Explanation: This is an Interpretation question. The simile comparing the embrace to a fight (line 19), combined with the description of them “laughing and crying at once” (lines 19-20), conveys overwhelming emotion. Choice (A) is incorrect because the comparison is metaphorical, not literal physical description. Choice (B) reverses the passage’s meaning; their reunion is joyful, not resentful.

6. Ans: (C) – an exaggeration reflecting the event’s emotional impact
Explanation: This is a Structure question. The phrase “seemed to shake the entire house” (line 7) is hyperbolic language reflecting how momentous Aunt Clara’s arrival feels to the narrator. Choice (A) takes the statement literally when it is clearly figurative. Choice (D) is too narrow and literal, missing the emotional significance of the exaggeration.

7. Ans: (B) – nostalgic and observant
Explanation: This is a Tone question. The narrator recalls this memory with detailed observation and a sense of looking back on a significant moment, creating a nostalgic, observant tone throughout. Choice (A) is incorrect because the passage conveys emotional warmth, not detachment. Choice (C) is wrong because the passage ends on a note of joy and reunion, not foreboding.

8. Ans: (B) – the monarch migration is unique because it spans multiple generations
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage’s central focus is on how monarch migration differs from other migrations by requiring multiple generations to complete (lines 2-10), a phenomenon the author calls puzzling and unique. Choice (A) is too narrow, focusing only on the Methuselah generation rather than the multi-generational aspect. Choice (E) is never mentioned in the passage.

9. Ans: (C) – descendants separated by four generations
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage explicitly states that November arrivals are “the great-great-grandchildren” (line 8) of those who left in spring, which means four generations separate them. Choice (A) is incorrect because it represents only one generation of separation. Choice (E) is wrong because grandchildren would be only two generations removed.

10. Ans: (A) – inactive
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 16, “reproductively dormant” describes the Methuselah monarchs’ state of not reproducing during migration, meaning their reproductive systems are inactive. Choice (E) is a common meaning of “dormant” but doesn’t fit the biological context of reproductive systems. Choice (C) is incorrect because “dormant” implies temporary inactivity, not damage.

11. Ans: (C) – lifespan and reproductive timing
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage explicitly contrasts the Methuselah generation’s eight-month lifespan with the two-to-six-week lifespan of other monarchs (lines 14-15), and notes they delay reproduction (line 16). Choice (D) is not supported; the passage doesn’t compare flight capacity between generations. Choice (E) is never mentioned in the passage.

12. Ans: (B) – highlight an unusual feature of the monarch migration
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The comparison to birds (lines 2-4) emphasizes that monarchs, unlike birds, require multiple generations to complete migration, establishing this as the passage’s central unusual feature. Choice (A) makes an unsupported value judgment; the passage doesn’t claim monarchs are “more advanced.” Choice (D) is incorrect because the comparison isn’t about lifespan differences.

13. Ans: (C) – the enormous number of butterflies that congregate
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The detail that collective weight breaks branches (lines 19-20) illustrates how many millions of butterflies cluster together, as stated in line 19. Choice (A) reverses the emphasis; the point is about butterfly numbers, not forest fragility. Choice (B) is incorrect because the passage presents this as a natural phenomenon, not destruction.

14. Ans: (B) – requires multiple generations to reach northern destinations
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage states that Methuselah monarchs begin the northward journey and lay eggs along the way, and “their offspring continue the migration in successive waves, each generation advancing farther north” (lines 21-23), implying multiple generations. Choice (A) contradicts the passage’s description of successive waves. Choice (E) is contradicted by the description of generations advancing farther north.

15. Ans: (C) – encourage readers to trust their own thoughts
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. Emerson’s entire argument urges readers to believe in their own thoughts rather than dismissing them, as seen in lines 1-4 and lines 18-20 where he advocates abiding by spontaneous impressions. Choice (A) is too narrow; genius is discussed as an example supporting the broader argument about self-trust. Choice (D) is incorrect because Emerson criticizes dismissing one’s own thoughts, not reliance on tradition per se.

16. Ans: (B) – hidden
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 4, “latent conviction” refers to beliefs held privately that have not yet been expressed outwardly, meaning they are hidden or concealed. Choice (A) relates to time rather than visibility, which doesn’t fit the context. Choice (D) contradicts the meaning; latent convictions are precisely not obvious.

17. Ans: (C) – expressed their own original thoughts
Explanation: This is a Detail question. Emerson explicitly states that the “highest merit” of Moses, Plato, and Milton is that they “spoke not what men, but what they thought” (lines 9-10), meaning they expressed original thoughts. Choice (B) directly contradicts lines 8-9, which state they “set at naught books and traditions.” Choice (D) is not mentioned in the passage.

18. Ans: (B) – the grandeur of thoughts we once dismissed as our own
Explanation: This is an Interpretation question. The phrase “alienated majesty” (line 17) describes how our own “rejected thoughts” (line 16) come back to us in works of genius with grandeur, but feel alien because we dismissed them when they were ours. Choice (A) misreads “alienated” as referring to the thinkers rather than to our relationship with the thoughts. Choice (C) wrongly connects “alienated” to foreign origins rather than to our dismissal of our own ideas.

19. Ans: (A) – they lack confidence in their own judgment
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Emerson states that a person “dismisses without notice his thought, because it is his” (lines 14-15), implying that people undervalue their own thoughts simply because they originated internally, suggesting lack of confidence. Choice (B) may be a contributing factor but isn’t what Emerson identifies as the reason in lines 14-15. Choice (D) contradicts the passage; Emerson argues these thoughts are valuable and become recognized in works of genius.

20. Ans: (C) – urgent and exhortatory
Explanation: This is a Tone question. Emerson uses imperative constructions and passionate language (“Speak your latent conviction,” line 4; “abide by our spontaneous impression,” lines 18-19) to urge readers to action, creating an urgent, exhortatory tone. Choice (B) is incorrect because the passage is highly subjective and persuasive, not objective. Choice (D) is wrong because the tone is energetic and commanding, not melancholy.