Reading Passage for HSPT - 9

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 at precisely half past six, and Margaret pressed her forehead against the cool glass, watching the Manchester platform recede into the fog. She had folded the telegram into quarters and tucked it inside her glove, (5) where it crinkled against her wrist with every movement. Her brother’s words had been characteristically terse: “Father gravely ill. Come at once.” No mention of the quarrel that had kept her away these three years, no acknowledgment of the letters she had sent and (10) he had never answered.     Across from her sat a young mother with two children, the smaller one fussing over a wooden horse with a broken leg. Margaret found herself envying the woman’s easy affection, the way she smoothed the child’s hair without seeming (15) to think about it. Her own mother had died when Margaret was twelve, and her father had retreated into a silence broken only by his increasingly rigid pronouncements about duty and respectability. It was one such pronouncement – his refusal to countenance her engagement to a railway clerk – (20) that had driven her to London, to the typewriting position that had become her entire world.

1. The primary purpose of this passage is to

1. describe the scenery visible from a train departing Manchester
2. introduce a character returning home during a family crisis
3. explain the history of a quarrel between siblings
4. criticize the social restrictions placed on women in earlier eras

2. According to the passage, Margaret has been away from home for

1. twelve years
2. three years
3. six months
4. an unspecified period

3. As used in line 8, the word terse most nearly means

1. angry
2. affectionate
3. brief
4. eloquent

4. The detail about the telegram being folded “into quarters” (line 4) suggests that Margaret

1. wants to hide the telegram from other passengers
2. has read and handled the telegram repeatedly
3. is concerned about losing important documents
4. follows precise habits in all her daily activities

5. The passage suggests that Margaret’s father disapproved of her engagement because

1. the railway clerk was from a different city
2. he considered a railway clerk beneath her social standing
3. her mother would have objected to the match
4. Margaret was too young to marry

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

1. bitter and resentful
2. reflective and melancholy
3. anxious and fearful
4. detached and objective

7. Margaret’s observation of the young mother and her children (lines 12-15) serves primarily to

1. illustrate the discomforts of train travel with children
2. highlight Margaret’s longing for maternal warmth she never received
3. suggest that Margaret wishes she had children of her own
4. demonstrate the differences between social classes

Passage 2

The following passage is adapted from a general-audience article about marine biology.

    Deep beneath the sunlit surface waters of the ocean lies a realm that seems inhospitable to life: the hadal zone, encompassing ocean trenches deeper than six thousand meters. Yet recent expeditions using remotely operated vehicles have revealed (5) thriving ecosystems at depths that were once presumed barren. The Mariana Trench, plunging to nearly eleven thousand meters at its deepest point, hosts species of amphipods – small crustaceans – that have adapted to pressures exceeding one thousand times that at sea level.     These (10) adaptations are remarkable. Hadal amphipods lack the gas-filled spaces that would collapse under such pressure. Their cell membranes contain specialized lipids that remain flexible despite the crushing force of the water above. Some species produce piezolytes, organic molecules that counteract the effects (15) of pressure on proteins, allowing metabolic processes to continue. Furthermore, the complete absence of sunlight means that hadal ecosystems cannot rely on photosynthesis. Instead, they depend on marine snow – a constant drift of organic particles falling from the upper ocean – and on chemosynthetic bacteria that (20) derive energy from chemical reactions involving hydrogen sulfide and methane seeping from the ocean floor.

8. The main idea of the passage is that

1. the Mariana Trench is the deepest point in the world’s oceans
2. life has successfully adapted to extreme conditions in the deepest ocean zones
3. remotely operated vehicles have revolutionized marine biology research
4. photosynthesis cannot occur in the absence of sunlight

9. According to the passage, the hadal zone includes ocean areas deeper than

1. one thousand meters
2. six thousand meters
3. eleven thousand meters
4. the passage does not specify a depth

10. As used in line 14, the word counteract most nearly means

1. oppose
2. enhance
3. measure
4. accelerate

11. The passage indicates that hadal amphipods survive extreme pressure in part by

1. migrating to shallower waters periodically
2. living in gas-filled chambers in the ocean floor
3. having cell membranes with specialized lipids
4. consuming chemosynthetic bacteria

12. The author’s primary purpose in this passage is to

1. advocate for increased funding for deep-sea research
2. describe how organisms survive in extreme deep-ocean environments
3. compare different ocean zones and their characteristics
4. explain the technological capabilities of remotely operated vehicles

13. The passage suggests that chemosynthetic bacteria differ from photosynthetic organisms in that chemosynthetic bacteria

1. can survive at much greater depths
2. obtain energy from chemical reactions rather than sunlight
3. are found only in the Mariana Trench
4. produce organic molecules called piezolytes

14. The structure of the passage can best be described as

1. presenting a problem and then proposing a solution
2. introducing an unexpected phenomenon and then explaining how it is possible
3. comparing two competing scientific theories
4. describing a historical discovery and its modern applications

Passage 3

The following passage is adapted from a speech delivered by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce in Washington, D.C., 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 men. (5) 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 of themselves.     I am tired of (10) talk that comes to nothing. It makes my heart sick when I remember all the good words and all the broken promises. There has been too much talking by men who had no right to talk. Too many misrepresentations have been made, too many misunderstandings have come up between the white men (15) about the Indians. 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 the same law. Give them all an even chance to live and grow. All men were made by the same Great Spirit Chief. They are all (20) brothers. The earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it.

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

1. request financial compensation for past injustices
2. express frustration with broken promises and demand equitable treatment
3. threaten violence if the government does not meet his demands
4. describe the traditional way of life of the Nez Perce people

16. According to the passage, Chief Joseph is most concerned about

1. preserving his father’s burial site
2. recovering his lost horses and cattle
3. securing a peaceful home where his people can support themselves
4. punishing those who made false promises

17. As used in line 13, the word misrepresentations most nearly means

1. delegations
2. false or misleading statements
3. diplomatic negotiations
4. legal documents

18. The repetition of the phrase “Good words” in lines 2-7 serves primarily to

1. emphasize the inadequacy of promises without action
2. praise the eloquence of government officials
3. suggest that Chief Joseph values rhetoric highly
4. demonstrate Chief Joseph’s limited vocabulary

19. Chief Joseph’s statement that “All men were made by the same Great Spirit Chief” (lines 18-19) supports his argument that

1. Native Americans are spiritually superior to white men
2. all people deserve equal treatment and rights
3. religious conversion is necessary for peace
4. the government should recognize Native American religious practices

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

1. hopeful and optimistic
2. weary but resolute
3. angry and vengeful
4. resigned and defeated

Answer Key

1. Ans: (B) – introduce a character returning home during a family crisis
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage establishes Margaret’s journey home by train after receiving a telegram about her father’s grave illness (lines 1-10), focusing on her emotional state and backstory. Choice (A) is too narrow, focusing only on one detail rather than the passage’s primary purpose. Choice (D) is not stated in the passage; while social restrictions are implied, criticizing them is not the author’s primary purpose.

2. Ans: (B) – three years
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states that the quarrel “had kept her away these three years” (line 9). Choice (A) incorrectly references the age when Margaret’s mother died, confusing two different time references. Choice (D) is incorrect because the passage provides a specific timeframe.

3. Ans: (C) – brief
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. The telegram is described as containing characteristically terse words (line 8), followed by a short quotation demonstrating its brevity. Choice (A) is incorrect because while the brother may be distant, “terse” refers to the length and style of communication, not emotion. Choice (D) is the opposite of the intended meaning, as eloquent suggests elaborate expression.

4. Ans: (B) – has read and handled the telegram repeatedly
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The detail that Margaret has folded the telegram “into quarters” and keeps it in her glove where “it crinkled against her wrist with every movement” (lines 4-6) suggests repeated handling and close keeping. Choice (A) is not supported because the telegram is hidden in her glove for practical reasons, not secrecy from passengers. Choice (D) is too broad an inference from a single detail about one document.

5. Ans: (B) – he considered a railway clerk beneath her social standing
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage states the father issued “rigid pronouncements about duty and respectability” and refused to “countenance her engagement to a railway clerk” (lines 17-19), implying class-based objection. Choice (A) is not mentioned in the passage. Choice (C) contradicts the passage, which indicates the mother died when Margaret was twelve, before the engagement issue arose.

6. Ans: (B) – reflective and melancholy
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The passage presents Margaret contemplating her past through details like the telegram, the quarrel, and her observations of the mother and children (lines 1-20), creating a thoughtful, sad atmosphere. Choice (A) is too strong; while Margaret has grievances, the tone is more sad than bitter. Choice (D) is incorrect because the narrative provides access to Margaret’s inner thoughts and emotions, making it subjective rather than detached.

7. Ans: (B) – highlight Margaret’s longing for maternal warmth she never received
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. Margaret envies the mother’s “easy affection” (line 13), directly followed by reflection on her own mother’s death and her father’s emotional distance (lines 14-17). Choice (C) makes an unsupported assumption; the passage suggests longing for affection, not specifically for having children. Choice (D) is not supported, as no class distinctions are drawn between Margaret and the other passengers.

8. Ans: (B) – life has successfully adapted to extreme conditions in the deepest ocean zones
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage describes the hadal zone as seemingly inhospitable yet hosting thriving ecosystems (lines 1-5), then explains various adaptations that make this possible (lines 10-20). Choice (A) is a supporting detail, not the main idea. Choice (C) is mentioned only briefly in line 4 as a tool, not the passage’s focus.

9. Ans: (B) – six thousand meters
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly defines the hadal zone as “encompassing ocean trenches deeper than six thousand meters” (lines 2-3). Choice (C) incorrectly cites the depth of the Mariana Trench specifically, not the minimum depth of the hadal zone. Choice (D) is incorrect because the passage provides a specific definition.

10. Ans: (A) – oppose
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. The passage states that piezolytes “counteract the effects of pressure on proteins” (lines 14-15), meaning they work against these effects. Choice (B) suggests the opposite relationship, that piezolytes would increase pressure effects. Choice (D) also suggests increasing rather than opposing the effects.

11. Ans: (C) – having cell membranes with specialized lipids
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states that hadal amphipods’ “cell membranes contain specialized lipids that remain flexible despite the crushing force” (lines 11-13). Choice (B) contradicts the passage, which states that these amphipods “lack the gas-filled spaces that would collapse under such pressure” (lines 10-11). Choice (D) reverses the relationship; the amphipods do not consume the bacteria.

12. Ans: (B) – describe how organisms survive in extreme deep-ocean environments
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The passage focuses on adaptations allowing life to thrive in the hadal zone (lines 10-20), including specialized membranes, piezolytes, and chemosynthetic food sources. Choice (A) is not supported; the author presents information but makes no advocacy argument. Choice (C) is too broad; only one ocean zone is discussed in detail.

13. Ans: (B) – obtain energy from chemical reactions rather than sunlight
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage states that the absence of sunlight means ecosystems “cannot rely on photosynthesis” but instead depend on chemosynthetic bacteria that “derive energy from chemical reactions” (lines 16-20). Choice (C) is too narrow; the passage does not limit chemosynthetic bacteria exclusively to the Mariana Trench. Choice (D) incorrectly attributes piezolyte production to bacteria when the passage indicates amphipods produce them (line 14).

14. Ans: (B) – introducing an unexpected phenomenon and then explaining how it is possible
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The passage begins by presenting the seemingly inhospitable hadal zone that actually hosts thriving ecosystems (lines 1-8), then explains the adaptations that allow this (lines 10-20). Choice (A) is incorrect because no problem requiring a solution is presented. Choice (C) is wrong because only one explanation is provided, not competing theories.

15. Ans: (B) – express frustration with broken promises and demand equitable treatment
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. Chief Joseph emphasizes that “good words” without action are meaningless (lines 2-8), expresses being “tired of talk that comes to nothing” (lines 9-10), and calls for equal treatment (lines 17-20). Choice (A) is too narrow; while compensation is mentioned, it is one example among broader concerns. Choice (C) is contradicted by the passage, which advocates for peace (line 15).

16. Ans: (C) – securing a peaceful home where his people can support themselves
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Chief Joseph states that good words “will not get my people a home where they can live in peace and take care of themselves” (lines 7-8), presenting this as the ultimate need. Choice (A) is mentioned but as one item in a list, not the primary concern. Choice (B) similarly is one detail among many in lines 3-7.

17. Ans: (B) – false or misleading statements
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. The passage refers to “too many misrepresentations” in the context of “broken promises” and “talk that comes to nothing” (lines 10-13), indicating false statements. Choice (A) refers to groups of people, not statements. Choice (C) is too narrow and does not capture the negative connotation of falsehood.

18. Ans: (A) – emphasize the inadequacy of promises without action
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The repetition of “Good words do not” followed by various things they fail to accomplish (lines 2-7) creates emphasis on the gap between promises and results. Choice (B) contradicts the passage’s critical tone toward these words. Choice (D) is insulting and unsupported; the repetition is a rhetorical device, not a vocabulary limitation.

19. Ans: (B) – all people deserve equal treatment and rights
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. Chief Joseph follows the statement about the Great Spirit Chief with “They are all brothers” and “all people should have equal rights” (lines 19-21), using spiritual equality to argue for social equality. Choice (A) claims superiority, which contradicts the argument for equality. Choice (C) is not mentioned; the passage advocates equal treatment, not religious conversion.

20. Ans: (B) – weary but resolute
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. Chief Joseph expresses exhaustion (“I am tired of talk,” line 9) but continues to demand justice and equal rights (lines 15-21), showing determination despite weariness. Choice (A) is contradicted by statements like “It makes my heart sick” (line 10). Choice (D) is incorrect because the final paragraph’s call for equal treatment shows continued determination, not defeat.