Reading Passage for HSPT - 14

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 with a screech that made Elena wince, though she kept her gaze fixed on the window. Outside, the platform at Firenze Santa Maria Novella began to slide away, and with it, the last glimpse of her uncle’s waving hand. She had promised him she would return (5) by Christmas, but even as the words left her mouth that morning, she knew they were hollow. The leather portfolio on her lap felt heavier than its contents warranted-three letters of introduction, a slim notebook, and the address of a pensione near the Piazza Navona that her professor had scrawled on the back of an envelope.     Across from her sat a woman in a dove-gray suit, (10) her gloved hands folded over a handbag that looked expensive enough to feed a family for a month. The woman had glanced at Elena once when she entered the compartment, taking in her worn coat and scuffed shoes with the kind of assessment that required no words. Elena turned back to the window. The Tuscan countryside was beginning to unfurl, (15) hills stitched with vineyards and scattered farmhouses that looked like toys from this distance. She thought of the studio awaiting her in Rome, if she could secure it-high ceilings, northern light, space enough to finally work on canvases larger than what her cramped room in Florence allowed. Her hands trembled slightly. Fear or excitement, she could not say. Perhaps both. (20)

1. The primary purpose of this passage is to

1. describe the landscape visible from a train traveling through Italy
2. portray a young woman’s emotional state as she embarks on an uncertain journey
3. criticize the social divisions evident in European train travel
4. explain the reasons Elena decided to leave her uncle’s home

2. As used in line 6, the word hollow most nearly means

1. insincere
2. echoing
3. empty
4. carved

3. The detail about the woman’s handbag in lines 10-11 suggests that

1. Elena admires the woman’s taste in fashion
2. the woman works in the luxury goods industry
3. Elena is aware of economic disparities between herself and the other passenger
4. the woman intends to help Elena financially

4. According to the passage, Elena’s portfolio contains all of the following EXCEPT

1. letters of introduction
2. a notebook
3. a map of Rome
4. an address written by her professor

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

1. apprehensive but hopeful
2. bitter and resentful
3. nostalgic and sentimental
4. detached and analytical

6. It can be inferred from the passage that Elena is traveling to Rome primarily to

1. visit historical landmarks and museums
2. reunite with her professor
3. pursue her work as a visual artist
4. escape an unhappy family situation

7. The description of Elena’s hands trembling in line 19 serves to emphasize

1. her physical exhaustion from traveling
2. the cold temperature inside the train compartment
3. her mixed feelings of nervousness and anticipation
4. her anger at the woman sitting across from her

Passage 2

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

    For decades, marine biologists assumed that the deep ocean floor was a static environment, a cold desert where life proceeded at a glacial pace and change was measured in millennia rather than years. This view has been upended by the discovery of hydrothermal vent (5) communities, ecosystems that thrive in conditions once thought incompatible with complex life. These vents, fissures in the seafloor where superheated water rich in minerals erupts from beneath the Earth’s crust, support an astonishing array of organisms, from giant tube worms to ghostly white crabs.     What makes these ecosystems remarkable is not merely their location (10) but their foundation. Unlike virtually all other life on Earth, which depends ultimately on photosynthesis-the conversion of sunlight into chemical energy by plants and algae-vent communities rely on chemosynthesis. Specialized bacteria harness the chemical energy in hydrogen sulfide and other compounds spewing from the vents, converting these (15) substances into organic matter. These bacteria form the base of the food chain, sustaining creatures that have evolved bizarre adaptations to exploit this unusual energy source. The tube worm Riftia pachyptila, for instance, has no mouth or digestive system; instead, it houses chemosynthetic bacteria within its tissues, living in a symbiotic relationship that epitomizes the vent ecosystem’s strangeness. (20)

8. The main idea of the passage is that hydrothermal vent ecosystems

1. are found only in the Pacific Ocean
2. represent a unique form of life based on chemical rather than solar energy
3. are threatened by deep-sea mining operations
4. contain the oldest organisms on Earth

9. According to the passage, marine biologists previously believed that the deep ocean floor was

1. teeming with undiscovered species
2. a relatively unchanging environment
3. dependent on photosynthesis
4. too warm to support complex organisms

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

1. restrain
2. attach
3. utilize
4. capture

11. The author mentions Riftia pachyptila in lines 17-19 in order to

1. illustrate an extreme adaptation to the vent environment
2. argue that tube worms are the most important vent organisms
3. explain how all vent creatures obtain nutrition
4. contrast tube worms with crabs and other vent species

12. The passage suggests that chemosynthesis differs from photosynthesis in that chemosynthesis

1. produces more energy per organism
2. relies on chemical compounds rather than sunlight as an energy source
3. occurs only in bacteria, never in larger organisms
4. was discovered earlier by scientists

13. The author’s purpose in the first paragraph is primarily to

1. describe the physical characteristics of hydrothermal vents
2. introduce a scientific discovery that challenged previous assumptions
3. argue for increased funding for deep-sea research
4. compare different types of deep-ocean environments

14. Which of the following can be inferred about the organisms living near hydrothermal vents?

1. They migrate to shallower waters during certain seasons
2. They have developed specialized traits to survive in their unusual habitat
3. They are genetically identical to their shallow-water relatives
4. They rely primarily on photosynthesis for energy

Passage 3

The following passage is adapted from a historical document.

    I stand before you today not as a stranger to hardship, but as one who has endured it and emerged with a conviction that justice, though delayed, cannot be permanently denied. For twenty-seven years I was separated from my family, from the sunlight of freedom, from the simple dignity (5) of walking where I chose. Yet in that darkness, I came to understand a truth that sustains me still: that the oppressor and the oppressed alike are robbed of their humanity, and that liberation must come for both if it is to be genuine.     Some have asked whether I harbor bitterness. I will not claim to be without anger-anger (10) at a system that measured a person’s worth by the color of their skin, that tore children from parents and crushed the spirits of generations. But bitterness is a prison of its own making, and I have spent enough years behind bars. What I seek now is not revenge but reconciliation, not division but the building of (15) a nation where every child, regardless of race, can reach their full potential. This will require courage from all sides-the courage to forgive, the courage to acknowledge past wrongs, and the courage to work together toward a future we can all inhabit with pride. (20)

15. The primary purpose of the speaker in this passage is to

1. recount the specific injustices he experienced during imprisonment
2. call for reconciliation and a shared commitment to building a just society
3. express gratitude to those who supported him during his incarceration
4. demand immediate punishment for those responsible for his suffering

16. As used in line 6, the word sustains most nearly means

1. nourishes
2. supports
3. prolongs
4. maintains

17. According to the passage, the speaker believes that oppression harms

1. only those who are directly oppressed
2. both the oppressed and the oppressor
3. only future generations
4. primarily the families of the oppressed

18. The speaker’s tone in this passage can best be described as

1. vengeful and accusatory
2. resigned and defeated
3. measured and forward-looking
4. celebratory and triumphant

19. The speaker’s reference to “a prison of its own making” in line 12 suggests that

1. he plans to build a new prison system
2. bitterness can trap a person mentally and emotionally
3. his captors were imprisoned by their own prejudice
4. he regrets the time he spent in confinement

20. It can be inferred from the passage that the speaker’s ultimate goal is to create a society characterized by

1. strict punishment for past wrongdoers
2. complete separation of different racial groups
3. equal opportunity and dignity for all people
4. economic prosperity above all other values

Answer Key

1. Ans: (B) – portray a young woman’s emotional state as she embarks on an uncertain journey
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage focuses primarily on Elena’s inner experience as she travels to Rome, describing her nervousness, her hollow promise to return, and her trembling hands as she anticipates an uncertain future as an artist (lines 5-20). Choice (A) is too narrow, as the landscape description is a minor detail rather than the primary focus. Choice (D) is incorrect because the passage does not explain her reasons for leaving, only that she is departing.

2. Ans: (A) – insincere
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 6, Elena recognizes that her promise to return by Christmas was “hollow” even as she spoke it, meaning she did not genuinely intend to keep it or believed it to be empty of real commitment. Choice (C) might seem tempting as “hollow” can mean “empty,” but in this context it refers to the insincerity of her words rather than physical emptiness. Choice (B) refers to a different meaning of hollow related to sound.

3. Ans: (C) – Elena is aware of economic disparities between herself and the other passenger
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The narrator’s observation that the handbag “looked expensive enough to feed a family for a month” (lines 10-11) reveals Elena’s consciousness of wealth differences, especially given the earlier description of her own “worn coat and scuffed shoes” (line 13). Choice (A) is incorrect because the passage suggests discomfort rather than admiration. Choice (D) invents a relationship not supported by the text.

4. Ans: (C) – a map of Rome
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states that the portfolio contains “three letters of introduction, a slim notebook, and the address of a pensione” (lines 7-8), but no map is mentioned. Choices (A), (B), and (D) are all directly stated in lines 7-8.

5. Ans: (A) – apprehensive but hopeful
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The passage conveys Elena’s nervousness through details like her trembling hands and the “hollow” promise (lines 5-6, 19), but also her hope through her thoughts about the studio and “space enough to finally work on canvases” (lines 17-18). Choice (B) is incorrect because Elena shows no bitterness or resentment in the passage. Choice (D) is wrong because the narration is intimate and emotionally engaged rather than detached.

6. Ans: (C) – pursue her work as a visual artist
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Elena thinks about “the studio awaiting her in Rome” and the possibility of working on larger canvases (lines 16-18), indicating her purpose is artistic. Choice (A) is incorrect because tourism is never mentioned as a motive. Choice (B) distorts the passage; her professor gave her an address but is not mentioned as being in Rome.

7. Ans: (C) – her mixed feelings of nervousness and anticipation
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The passage immediately explains the trembling: “Fear or excitement, she could not say. Perhaps both” (lines 19-20), indicating the trembling represents her emotional state. Choice (A) is unsupported; exhaustion is never mentioned in the passage. Choice (D) is incorrect because Elena shows no anger toward the woman, only awareness of their class difference.

8. Ans: (B) – represent a unique form of life based on chemical rather than solar energy
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage emphasizes that vent ecosystems are remarkable because they rely on chemosynthesis rather than photosynthesis (lines 10-15), making them fundamentally different from other life on Earth. Choice (A) is incorrect because the passage never specifies which ocean contains these vents. Choice (D) is not stated anywhere in the passage.

9. Ans: (B) – a relatively unchanging environment
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states that biologists “assumed that the deep ocean floor was a static environment” where “change was measured in millennia rather than years” (lines 2-4). Choice (A) contradicts the passage, which describes the old view as seeing the ocean floor as a “cold desert” (line 3). Choice (C) reverses the relationship; the passage explains that vent life does not depend on photosynthesis.

10. Ans: (C) – utilize
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 14, bacteria “harness the chemical energy,” meaning they make use of or employ it for their metabolic processes. Choice (A) refers to a different meaning of harness related to restraining or controlling something. Choice (B) is incorrect because the bacteria are not physically attaching the energy but rather exploiting it.

11. Ans: (A) – illustrate an extreme adaptation to the vent environment
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The passage describes Riftia pachyptila as having “no mouth or digestive system” and housing bacteria within its tissues (lines 17-19), presenting it as an example that “epitomizes the vent ecosystem’s strangeness” (line 19). Choice (B) is too broad; the passage does not claim tube worms are the most important organisms. Choice (C) is incorrect because the passage does not suggest all vent creatures obtain nutrition the same way.

12. Ans: (B) – relies on chemical compounds rather than sunlight as an energy source
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage directly contrasts photosynthesis, which converts “sunlight into chemical energy,” with chemosynthesis, in which bacteria “harness the chemical energy in hydrogen sulfide and other compounds” (lines 11-14). Choice (A) is not stated in the passage. Choice (C) is too narrow; while bacteria perform chemosynthesis, the passage discusses how larger organisms like tube worms benefit from it through symbiosis.

13. Ans: (B) – introduce a scientific discovery that challenged previous assumptions
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The first paragraph presents the old view of the deep ocean as static, then states “This view has been upended by the discovery of hydrothermal vent communities” (lines 3-5), establishing the structure of old belief versus new discovery. Choice (A) is too narrow, as physical description is secondary to the conceptual shift. Choice (C) invents a purpose not present in the passage.

14. Ans: (B) – They have developed specialized traits to survive in their unusual habitat
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage describes “bizarre adaptations” (line 16) and gives the specific example of Riftia pachyptila lacking a mouth or digestive system (lines 17-18), supporting the inference of specialized traits. Choice (A) is not supported anywhere in the passage. Choice (D) contradicts the passage, which explicitly states that vent communities rely on chemosynthesis, not photosynthesis (lines 10-15).

15. Ans: (B) – call for reconciliation and a shared commitment to building a just society
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The speaker explicitly states, “What I seek now is not revenge but reconciliation” and calls for “the building of a nation where every child...can reach their full potential” (lines 13-16). Choice (A) is too narrow; specific injustices are mentioned only briefly to establish context. Choice (D) contradicts the passage, as the speaker explicitly rejects revenge in line 13.

16. Ans: (B) – supports
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 6, the truth “sustains” the speaker, meaning it supports or upholds him emotionally and spiritually through difficult times. Choice (A) is too literal; while “sustain” can mean nourish, the context here is emotional rather than physical. Choice (C) refers to a different meaning of sustain related to prolonging or continuing something.

17. Ans: (B) – both the oppressed and the oppressor
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The speaker explicitly states that “the oppressor and the oppressed alike are robbed of their humanity” (lines 6-7), indicating both parties suffer harm. Choice (A) contradicts this direct statement. Choice (C) is too narrow, as the passage focuses on present conditions, not exclusively future generations.

18. Ans: (C) – measured and forward-looking
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The speaker acknowledges anger (lines 9-11) but rejects bitterness and focuses on reconciliation and building the future (lines 12-18), demonstrating a controlled, future-oriented tone. Choice (A) is incorrect because the speaker explicitly rejects revenge (line 13). Choice (B) is wrong because the speaker expresses determination and hope rather than resignation.

19. Ans: (B) – bitterness can trap a person mentally and emotionally
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The speaker states, “bitterness is a prison of its own making” immediately after saying “I have spent enough years behind bars” (lines 12-13), drawing a metaphorical parallel between physical imprisonment and the emotional imprisonment of bitterness. Choice (A) misreads the metaphor as literal. Choice (D) is not supported; the speaker discusses bitterness, not regret about his confinement.

20. Ans: (C) – equal opportunity and dignity for all people
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. The speaker envisions “a nation where every child, regardless of race, can reach their full potential” (lines 15-16) and seeks “liberation” for both oppressor and oppressed (line 8), indicating a goal of universal dignity and opportunity. Choice (A) contradicts the speaker’s explicit rejection of revenge (line 13). Choice (B) is the opposite of the speaker’s call for working together (lines 17-18).