Reading Passage for HSPT - 13

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 Clarice arrived from Montreal, she brought with her three leather trunks and a canary that would not sing. My mother stood at the front door of our Boston townhouse, her hands pressed into (5) her apron, watching as the driver unloaded each piece with exaggerated care. I was nine that summer, old enough to sense that this visit was not the cheerful reunion my mother had described at breakfast.     Clarice swept (10) into the foyer with a rustle of silk, her perfume arriving several seconds before she did. She kissed my mother once on each cheek in what I assumed was the European fashion, though she had never left North America. “Margaret,” she said, (15) her voice low and musical, “you look tired.” My mother stiffened but said nothing, gesturing instead toward the staircase where I stood half-hidden behind the banister.     The canary’s cage sat in the drawing room for three weeks, draped with (20) a linen cloth each evening and uncovered each dawn. Not once did the bird make a sound, though Aunt Clarice would pause beside it daily and whisper in French.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. describe the narrator’s childhood home in detail
2. introduce a visiting relative and the tension surrounding her arrival
3. explain the customs and manners of early twentieth-century Boston
4. illustrate the bond between the narrator and Aunt Clarice

2. The detail that Aunt Clarice brought “three leather trunks” (line 2) suggests that

1. she planned to stay for an extended period
2. she was moving permanently to Boston
3. the family was expecting her to bring gifts
4. she had recently purchased new luggage

3. The narrator describes herself as “old enough to sense that this visit was not the cheerful reunion my mother had described” (lines 7-9) in order to

1. criticize her mother for lying to her
2. establish her own perceptiveness about the adults’ true feelings
3. show that she was mature for her age in all respects
4. introduce a conflict between herself and Aunt Clarice

4. As used in line 10, the word swept most nearly means

1. cleaned
2. moved dramatically
3. searched thoroughly
4. glanced quickly

5. The narrator’s observation that Aunt Clarice’s greeting was “in what I assumed was the European fashion, though she had never left North America” (lines 12-14) suggests that

1. the narrator admired her aunt’s sophistication
2. Aunt Clarice was pretending to be more worldly than she actually was
3. the narrator was confused about geography
4. Montreal was considered a European city

6. The mother’s reaction to Aunt Clarice’s comment “you look tired” (line 16) can best be described as

1. grateful and relieved
2. hurt and defensive
3. amused and dismissive
4. angry and confrontational

7. The detail about the silent canary most likely serves to

1. symbolize the strained atmosphere in the household
2. demonstrate Aunt Clarice’s skill with animals
3. show that the family did not properly care for pets
4. prove that the bird was ill and needed medical attention

Passage 2

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

    In the arid highlands of central Peru, archaeologists have recently uncovered evidence of a previously unknown irrigation system that challenges conventional understandings of pre-Columbian agricultural technology. The site, located near the modern village of (5) Huancavelica, contains a network of stone-lined channels that date to approximately 800 CE, several centuries before the rise of the Inca Empire.     What distinguishes this system from other ancient Andean waterworks is its remarkable (10) integration of astronomical observation into agricultural planning. Carved markers positioned along the main channel align precisely with the position of the sun during the equinoxes. Researchers believe these markers helped farmers determine optimal planting times for (15) quinoa and potatoes, the staple crops of the region.     The engineering required to construct such a system was formidable. Water had to be diverted from mountain streams located more than three kilometers away, flowing through channels that maintained (20) a consistent gradient across uneven terrain. Chemical analysis of mineral deposits within the channels indicates that the system remained operational for at least two centuries, a testament to both its initial design and ongoing maintenance by successive generations.

8. The main idea of the passage is that

1. the Inca Empire developed the most advanced irrigation systems in South America
2. a newly discovered irrigation system reveals sophisticated pre-Columbian engineering
3. astronomical knowledge was more important than engineering in ancient Peru
4. farmers in ancient Peru grew primarily quinoa and potatoes

9. According to the passage, the irrigation system near Huancavelica was built

1. by the Inca Empire
2. before the Inca Empire rose to power
3. after the Spanish conquest
4. during the equinoxes

10. As used in line 9, the word integration most nearly means

1. combination
2. separation
3. calculation
4. rejection

11. The carved markers along the channel were most likely used to

1. measure the flow rate of water
2. mark property boundaries between farmers
3. help determine when to plant crops
4. worship the sun during religious ceremonies

12. The passage indicates that constructing the irrigation system was challenging primarily because

1. the farmers lacked knowledge of astronomy
2. water sources were located far from the fields
3. the Inca Empire opposed the project
4. quinoa and potatoes require different amounts of water

13. The author mentions “chemical analysis of mineral deposits” (line 21) in order to

1. prove that the channels were made of stone
2. determine what crops were grown in the region
3. establish how long the system was used
4. show that the water came from mountain streams

14. The author’s tone in describing the irrigation system can best be characterized as

1. skeptical and dismissive
2. admiring and informative
3. nostalgic and sentimental
4. critical and argumentative

Passage 3

The following passage is adapted from a letter written by Abigail Adams to her husband John Adams in 1776.

    I long to hear that you have declared an independency. And, by the way, in the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies and be more generous (5) and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined (10) to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.     That your sex are naturally tyrannical is a truth so thoroughly established as to admit of no dispute; but such (15) of you as wish to be happy willingly give up the harsh title of master for the more tender and endearing one of friend. Why, then, not put it out of the power of the vicious and the lawless to use us with cruelty and (20) indignity with impunity? Men of sense in all ages abhor those customs which treat us only as the vassals of your sex.

15. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. request that women be considered in new American laws
2. threaten violent revolution against all men
3. praise John Adams for his support of women’s rights
4. describe the daily hardships faced by colonial women

16. As used in line 10, the word foment most nearly means

1. prevent
2. ignore
3. incite
4. document

17. Adams suggests that women will rebel if they

1. are not allowed to vote in elections
2. are governed by laws they had no part in creating
3. do not receive the same education as men
4. are prevented from owning property

18. In lines 13-17, Adams argues that men who wish to be happy should

1. maintain complete authority over their wives
2. adopt a more equal relationship with women
3. avoid marriage entirely
4. follow the customs of previous generations

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

1. bitter and resentful
2. playful yet serious
3. formal and detached
4. apologetic and uncertain

20. Adams’s statement that “all men would be tyrants if they could” (line 8) suggests that she believes

1. all men are equally cruel by nature
2. power without restraint leads to abuse
3. the American Revolution will fail
4. women are morally superior to men

Answer Key

1. Ans: (B) – introduce a visiting relative and the tension surrounding her arrival
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage focuses on Aunt Clarice’s arrival and the underlying tension evident in the mother’s body language (lines 3-5) and stiffened reaction (line 16). Choice (A) is too narrow, as the home itself is not described in detail. Choice (D) is incorrect because the narrator hides from Aunt Clarice (line 17) rather than showing a bond.

2. Ans: (A) – she planned to stay for an extended period
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Three trunks suggest a lengthy visit rather than a brief one, which is confirmed by the later detail that the canary’s cage sat in the drawing room “for three weeks” (lines 19-20). Choice (B) goes too far, as there is no indication of permanent relocation. Choice (C) is not supported by any detail in the passage.

3. Ans: (B) – establish her own perceptiveness about the adults’ true feelings
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The narrator demonstrates her ability to sense the reality beneath her mother’s description (lines 7-9), establishing her as an observant witness. Choice (A) is too harsh, as sensing tension is not the same as accusing someone of lying. Choice (D) is incorrect because the conflict is between the mother and aunt, not between the narrator and Clarice.

4. Ans: (B) – moved dramatically
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 10, “swept into the foyer with a rustle of silk” describes a grand, theatrical entrance consistent with Aunt Clarice’s pretentious character. Choice (A) uses the most common meaning of “swept” but does not fit the context of entering a room. Choice (C) is unrelated to the context of physical movement.

5. Ans: (B) – Aunt Clarice was pretending to be more worldly than she actually was
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The narrator’s comment “though she had never left North America” (lines 13-14) undercuts Aunt Clarice’s affected European manners, suggesting pretension. Choice (A) reverses the narrator’s implied judgment, which is critical rather than admiring. Choice (D) contradicts the fact that Montreal is in North America.

6. Ans: (B) – hurt and defensive
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The mother “stiffened but said nothing” (line 16) after being told she looked tired, indicating she took offense but restrained herself from responding. Choice (A) contradicts the physical response of stiffening. Choice (D) is too extreme, as the mother does not actually confront Clarice.

7. Ans: (A) – symbolize the strained atmosphere in the household
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. The silent canary (lines 19-22) mirrors the tension and lack of genuine communication in the house, functioning as a symbolic detail. Choice (B) contradicts the fact that the bird never sings despite Clarice’s daily efforts. Choice (D) is not supported, as there is no mention of illness.

8. Ans: (B) – a newly discovered irrigation system reveals sophisticated pre-Columbian engineering
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage describes a recently uncovered system (lines 1-6) and details its sophisticated astronomical integration (lines 9-15) and engineering challenges (lines 17-23). Choice (A) contradicts the passage, which states the system predates the Inca Empire (lines 5-7). Choice (C) is too narrow and distorts the relationship between astronomy and engineering described.

9. Ans: (B) – before the Inca Empire rose to power
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states the system “date[s] to approximately 800 CE, several centuries before the rise of the Inca Empire” (lines 5-7). Choice (A) directly contradicts this timeline. Choice (D) confuses the equinoxes, which were observed using the markers, with the construction period.

10. Ans: (A) – combination
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 9, “integration” refers to how astronomical observation was combined with agricultural planning in the system’s design. Choice (B) is the opposite of the intended meaning. Choice (C) relates to mathematics rather than the bringing together of two elements.

11. Ans: (C) – help determine when to plant crops
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states that markers aligned with equinox sun positions “helped farmers determine optimal planting times” (lines 13-15). Choice (A) is not mentioned in the passage. Choice (D) may be true but is not stated in the passage.

12. Ans: (B) – water sources were located far from the fields
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states that “water had to be diverted from mountain streams located more than three kilometers away” (lines 18-20), identifying distance as a primary challenge. Choice (A) contradicts the passage’s emphasis on astronomical knowledge. Choice (C) is incorrect because the system was built before the Inca Empire existed (lines 5-7).

13. Ans: (C) – establish how long the system was used
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The chemical analysis of mineral deposits “indicates that the system remained operational for at least two centuries” (lines 21-23), providing evidence of duration. Choice (A) is stated earlier and does not require chemical analysis. Choice (B) confuses what was determined; crops are mentioned earlier (lines 15-16) without reference to chemical analysis.

14. Ans: (B) – admiring and informative
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The author describes the system with phrases like “remarkable integration” (line 9) and “formidable” engineering (line 17) while providing factual information throughout. Choice (A) contradicts the admiring language used. Choice (C) is incorrect because the tone is analytical rather than sentimental.

15. Ans: (A) – request that women be considered in new American laws
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. Adams asks her husband to “remember the ladies” in the “new code of laws” (lines 3-5) and argues for legal protections (lines 17-20). Choice (B) is too extreme; Adams mentions potential rebellion but in a measured, rhetorical way. Choice (C) is incorrect because Adams is making a request, not offering praise.

16. Ans: (C) – incite
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 10, “foment a rebellion” means to stir up or provoke resistance if women are not given representation. Choice (A) is the opposite of the intended meaning. Choice (B) does not fit the context of active response Adams describes.

17. Ans: (B) – are governed by laws they had no part in creating
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Adams states women “will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation” (lines 9-11). Choice (A) is too specific and not mentioned in the passage. Choice (D), while historically relevant, is not stated in this passage.

18. Ans: (B) – adopt a more equal relationship with women
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Adams suggests that men who wish happiness “willingly give up the harsh title of master for the more tender and endearing one of friend” (lines 15-17), advocating for partnership. Choice (A) contradicts this statement about giving up the title of master. Choice (C) is not suggested anywhere in the passage.

19. Ans: (B) – playful yet serious
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. Adams uses light touches like “by the way” (line 3) and mock-threatening language about rebellion (lines 9-11), but her underlying argument about legal protection (lines 17-22) is earnest. Choice (A) is too harsh for the affectionate context of a letter to her husband. Choice (D) contradicts Adams’s confident, assertive language throughout.

20. Ans: (B) – power without restraint leads to abuse
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Adams’s statement (line 8) supports her argument that laws must restrain husbands’ “unlimited power” (line 7) to prevent tyranny. Choice (A) is too broad and absolute; Adams distinguishes between “men of sense” (line 20) and others. Choice (D) reverses Adams’s point about power rather than inherent moral character.