Reading Passage for HSPT - 3

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 locomotive shuddered to a halt at Kandahar Station just as the sun broke over the Hindu Kush. Miriam pressed her face to the window, searching the platform for her uncle’s turban among the vendors hawking tea and flatbread. Three years had passed since she’d last (5) seen him, three years during which she’d studied medicine in Kabul while he’d remained here, tending his apricot groves and writing her letters full of gentle reproach about her unmarried state.     She spotted him finally, his beard whiter than she remembered, his shoulders stooped beneath his (10) wool shawl. He waved uncertainly, as if he might have mistaken some other young woman in a green headscarf for his niece. Miriam gathered her medical bag and descended onto the platform, where the smell of coal smoke mingled with the sweetness of overripe (15) melons. Her uncle embraced her formally, his hands barely touching her shoulders.     “You have become very modern,” he said, eyeing her practical boots and the stethoscope visible in her partially open bag. His voice carried neither approval nor condemnation, only a weary acceptance that puzzled her more than outright (20) criticism would have.

1. The primary purpose of this passage is to

1. describe the historic architecture of Kandahar Station
2. depict a reunion marked by familial distance and cultural change
3. argue for the importance of medical education for women
4. explain the agricultural economy of Afghanistan

2. According to the passage, Miriam has been away from Kandahar for

1. one year
2. two years
3. three years
4. five years

3. As used in line 6, the word reproach most nearly means

1. praise
2. gentle criticism
3. indifference
4. violent anger

4. It can be inferred from the passage that Miriam’s uncle

1. completely approves of her medical career
2. has never written to her during her absence
3. feels conflicted about the changes in his niece
4. plans to accompany her back to Kabul

5. The description of the uncle’s embrace as “formal” (line 16) suggests that

1. he is following proper etiquette for a public greeting
2. he feels emotional distance from Miriam
3. he is angry with her for becoming a doctor
4. he has forgotten who she is

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

1. cheerful and celebratory
2. bitter and resentful
3. reflective and bittersweet
4. humorous and lighthearted

7. The uncle’s comment that Miriam has “become very modern” (line 18) is best understood as

1. an enthusiastic compliment about her fashionable clothing
2. an observation about her education and changing role as a woman
3. a reference to her new political beliefs
4. a criticism of the train schedule

Passage 2

The following passage is adapted from a general-audience science article.

    For decades, marine biologists assumed that the deep scattering layer – a mysterious band of sonar reflections found in oceans worldwide – consisted primarily of fish. Daily, this layer rises from depths of 400 to 1000 meters toward (5) the surface at dusk and descends again at dawn, constituting the largest migration of biomass on Earth. Recent research using advanced imaging technology has revealed, however, that small crustaceans called krill may account for the majority of organisms in this zone, fundamentally altering (10) our understanding of oceanic food webs.     The ecological implications are substantial. Krill consume phytoplankton near the surface during nighttime hours, then transport carbon to the deep ocean through their vertical migration and excretion. Scientists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute estimate that this biological (15) pump sequesters approximately six billion tons of carbon annually, playing a significant role in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. The process operates continuously and autonomously, functioning as a natural climate regulation mechanism that costs humanity nothing while potentially mitigating the effects of fossil fuel emissions.     Nevertheless, (20) commercial fishing operations targeting krill for aquaculture feed threaten to disrupt this ancient cycle, with potentially catastrophic consequences for both marine ecosystems and global carbon budgets.

8. The main idea of this passage is that

1. krill populations are declining due to climate change
2. new research reveals krill’s central role in ocean ecology and carbon cycling
3. the deep scattering layer was discovered by marine biologists in recent years
4. fish are more important than krill in oceanic food webs

9. According to the passage, the deep scattering layer migrates vertically

1. once per month
2. only during winter months
3. daily, rising at dusk and descending at dawn
4. continuously without any pattern

10. As used in line 15, the word pump most nearly means

1. mechanical device
2. transportation mechanism
3. filtering system
4. storage container

11. The passage indicates that krill contribute to carbon sequestration by

1. consuming carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere
2. eating phytoplankton at the surface and excreting waste in deep water
3. building coral reefs that trap carbon
4. preventing fish from releasing carbon

12. The author’s attitude toward the biological pump can best be described as

1. dismissive and skeptical
2. appreciative of its environmental significance
3. neutral and detached
4. critical of its inefficiency

13. It can be inferred from the passage that commercial krill fishing

1. has already eliminated the deep scattering layer completely
2. poses a threat to natural carbon sequestration processes
3. helps reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide
4. occurs only in the Monterey Bay area

14. The author includes the phrase “costs humanity nothing” (line 18) primarily to

1. argue that krill fishing is economically unprofitable
2. suggest that governments should fund krill research
3. emphasize the natural, unassisted value of the biological pump
4. criticize scientific research as too expensive

Passage 3

The following passage is adapted from a speech delivered by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce in 1879.

    I have heard talk and talk, but nothing is done. Good words do not last long unless they amount to something. Words do not pay for my dead people. They do not pay for my country, now overrun by white (5) men. They do not protect my father’s grave. They do not pay for all my horses and cattle. Good words will not give my people good health and stop them from dying. Good words will not get my people a home where they can live in peace and take care (10) of themselves. I am tired of talk that comes to nothing. It makes my heart sick when I remember all the good words and all the broken promises.     If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian, he can live in peace. There need be no trouble. Treat all men alike. Give them (15) the same law. Give them an even chance to live and grow. All men were made by the same Great Spirit Chief. They are all brothers. The earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it. You might as well expect the rivers to run backward as that any man who was born (20) free should be contented when penned up and denied liberty to go where he pleases.

15. The primary purpose of this speech is to

1. express gratitude for government assistance
2. condemn broken promises and demand justice for his people
3. describe traditional Nez Perce customs
4. negotiate a treaty for additional land

16. According to the passage, Chief Joseph is tired of

1. traveling to distant places
2. words that are not followed by meaningful action
3. living in peace with white settlers
4. his role as tribal leader

17. As used in line 19, the phrase born free most nearly means

1. wealthy and privileged
2. naturally entitled to liberty
3. released from captivity
4. living without laws

18. It can be inferred from the speech that Chief Joseph believes

1. peace between Native Americans and white settlers is impossible
2. all human beings deserve equal treatment and freedom
3. his people should abandon their traditional lands
4. rivers can actually flow backward under certain conditions

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

1. hopeful and optimistic
2. mournful yet dignified and firm
3. humorous and ironic
4. confused and uncertain

20. Chief Joseph’s statement that “all men were made by the same Great Spirit Chief” (lines 16-17) serves to

1. establish a spiritual basis for human equality
2. describe Nez Perce religious ceremonies
3. criticize Christianity
4. request funding for a new church

Answer Key

1. Ans: (B) – depict a reunion marked by familial distance and cultural change
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage focuses on Miriam’s return to Kandahar after three years studying medicine and her awkward reunion with her uncle, who observes she has “become very modern” (line 18) and greets her with a formal, distant embrace. Choice (A) is too narrow, as the passage mentions the station only briefly in the opening. Choice (C) is not supported, as the passage does not argue for anything but simply depicts a scene.

2. Ans: (C) – three years
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage explicitly states that “Three years had passed since she’d last seen him, three years during which she’d studied medicine in Kabul” (lines 4-6). Choice (A) contradicts the passage by stating one year. Choice (D) contradicts the passage by stating five years.

3. Ans: (B) – gentle criticism
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In context, the uncle’s letters are described as “full of gentle reproach about her unmarried state” (lines 5-6), indicating mild disapproval or criticism. Choice (A) is the opposite of reproach. Choice (D) is far too extreme, as the reproach is described as “gentle.”

4. Ans: (C) – feels conflicted about the changes in his niece
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The uncle’s comment that Miriam has “become very modern” carries “neither approval nor condemnation, only a weary acceptance” (lines 18-20), suggesting internal conflict about her transformation. Choice (A) contradicts this description of his reaction. Choice (B) contradicts the passage, which states he wrote her letters (lines 5-6).

5. Ans: (B) – he feels emotional distance from Miriam
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The uncle’s formal embrace with “his hands barely touching her shoulders” (line 16) suggests emotional reserve or distance, consistent with his uncertain wave and weary acceptance of her changes. Choice (A) uses the word “formal” from the passage but applies it too narrowly to etiquette rather than emotional distance. Choice (D) contradicts the passage, as he clearly recognizes her after initially waving “uncertainly.”

6. Ans: (C) – reflective and bittersweet
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The passage conveys a reunion that is both meaningful and sad, with Miriam searching for her uncle, noticing his aged appearance (line 9), and experiencing his reserved greeting after years apart. Choice (A) contradicts the restrained, somber mood of the encounter. Choice (B) is too strong, as neither character expresses bitterness or resentment.

7. Ans: (B) – an observation about her education and changing role as a woman
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. The uncle’s comment follows his observation of “her practical boots and the stethoscope” (line 19), symbols of her medical education and professional identity as a woman. Choice (A) is too narrow, focusing only on clothing rather than her broader transformation. Choice (D) is unrelated to the context of the comment about Miriam herself.

8. Ans: (B) – new research reveals krill’s central role in ocean ecology and carbon cycling
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage discusses how recent research has shown that krill, not fish, dominate the deep scattering layer (lines 6-10) and play a major role in carbon sequestration (lines 14-18). Choice (A) is not discussed in the passage. Choice (D) reverses what the passage states about the relative importance of krill versus fish.

9. Ans: (C) – daily, rising at dusk and descending at dawn
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage explicitly states the layer “rises from depths of 400 to 1000 meters toward the surface at dusk and descends again at dawn” (lines 4-6). Choice (A) contradicts the daily pattern described. Choice (D) contradicts the clear pattern described in the passage.

10. Ans: (B) – transportation mechanism
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. The “biological pump” (lines 14-15) refers to the process by which krill transport carbon from the surface to the deep ocean through their migration and excretion. Choice (A) is a literal meaning of “pump” but not the contextual meaning here. Choice (D) is incorrect because the pump transports rather than stores carbon.

11. Ans: (B) – eating phytoplankton at the surface and excreting waste in deep water
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage states that “Krill consume phytoplankton near the surface during nighttime hours, then transport carbon to the deep ocean through their vertical migration and excretion” (lines 11-14). Choice (A) contradicts the mechanism described in the passage. Choice (C) is not mentioned in the passage.

12. Ans: (B) – appreciative of its environmental significance
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The author describes the biological pump as sequestering “approximately six billion tons of carbon annually” (line 15) and “functioning as a natural climate regulation mechanism that costs humanity nothing” (lines 17-18), showing clear appreciation. Choice (A) contradicts the positive description. Choice (D) is incorrect, as the author never criticizes the pump’s efficiency.

13. Ans: (B) – poses a threat to natural carbon sequestration processes
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage concludes that “commercial fishing operations targeting krill for aquaculture feed threaten to disrupt this ancient cycle, with potentially catastrophic consequences for both marine ecosystems and global carbon budgets” (lines 19-22). Choice (A) is too extreme, stating the layer has been eliminated when the passage only warns of a threat. Choice (C) reverses the relationship by suggesting krill fishing helps rather than harms carbon sequestration.

14. Ans: (C) – emphasize the natural, unassisted value of the biological pump
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. By stating the pump “costs humanity nothing” (line 18), the author emphasizes that this climate regulation occurs naturally without human intervention or expense. Choice (A) misapplies the phrase to krill fishing profitability rather than the biological pump itself. Choice (B) is not supported, as the author makes no argument about funding research.

15. Ans: (B) – condemn broken promises and demand justice for his people
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. Chief Joseph states “I am tired of talk that comes to nothing” (line 11) and “my heart sick when I remember all the good words and all the broken promises” (lines 11-12), clearly condemning unfulfilled commitments. Choice (A) reverses the tone of the speech, which expresses frustration, not gratitude. Choice (D) is not supported, as he does not negotiate but rather condemns the current situation.

16. Ans: (B) – words that are not followed by meaningful action
Explanation: This is a Detail question. Chief Joseph explicitly states “I am tired of talk that comes to nothing” (line 11) and “Good words do not last long unless they amount to something” (lines 2-3). Choice (C) reverses his position, as he states “If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian, he can live in peace” (lines 13-14). Choice (D) is not mentioned in the passage.

17. Ans: (B) – naturally entitled to liberty
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In context, Chief Joseph says “any man who was born free should be contented when penned up and denied liberty” (lines 19-20), using “born free” to mean naturally possessing freedom as a birthright. Choice (A) confuses freedom with economic status, which is not discussed. Choice (D) is incorrect because natural liberty does not mean living without laws.

18. Ans: (B) – all human beings deserve equal treatment and freedom
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Chief Joseph states “Treat all men alike. Give them the same law. Give them an even chance to live and grow” (lines 14-15) and “all men were made by the same Great Spirit Chief” (lines 16-17), establishing universal human equality. Choice (A) contradicts his statement that peace is possible if white men treat Indians fairly (lines 13-14). Choice (D) takes his metaphor literally rather than understanding it as figurative speech.

19. Ans: (B) – mournful yet dignified and firm
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. Chief Joseph expresses grief over “my dead people” (line 3) and says “It makes my heart sick” (line 11), yet speaks with dignity and conviction about justice and equality (lines 13-20). Choice (A) is too positive given his expressions of weariness and grief. Choice (C) is incorrect, as the speech contains no humor or irony.

20. Ans: (A) – establish a spiritual basis for human equality
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. Chief Joseph invokes the Great Spirit Chief (lines 16-17) immediately after calling for equal treatment of all people (lines 14-15), using spiritual authority to justify human equality. Choice (B) is too narrow, as he is making a political point about equality, not describing ceremonies. Choice (C) is not supported, as he does not criticize any religion.