Reading Passage for HSPT - 16

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 just as Marisol reached the platform, her canvas bag swinging wildly against her hip. She watched the last car disappear into the tunnel, its red lights winking like distant stars. It was the third train she had missed that week, and her supervisor had already warned her (5) about punctuality. But how could she explain that her mother needed help each morning with the buttons on her blouse, that the visiting nurse never arrived before eight-thirty, that some responsibilities mattered more than timecards?     She descended the station stairs to street level, emerging into a November (10) drizzle that stippled the sidewalk with dark coins. The bakery on the corner was just opening, and the scent of fresh bread reminded her that she had eaten nothing since yesterday’s dinner. Her wallet held exactly four dollars and sixty cents – enough for the bus fare and perhaps a coffee, but not both.     A (15) man in a wool coat brushed past her, briefcase in hand, his stride purposeful and unhurried. Marisol felt a pang of envy for people whose lives seemed to move on predetermined tracks, their destinations assured. Her own path felt more like improvisation, each day requiring her to solve small, grinding problems that never quite (20) stayed solved.

1. The passage is told from whose point of view?

1. A train conductor observing passengers
2. Marisol, using first-person narration
3. A third-person narrator with access to Marisol’s thoughts
4. Marisol’s supervisor at work

2. According to the passage, Marisol has missed the train because

1. she stopped to buy bread at the bakery
2. she was delayed helping her mother that morning
3. the visiting nurse asked her to stay longer
4. her supervisor required her to work overtime

3. As used in line 7, the word timecards most nearly means

1. train schedules
2. employment records
3. appointment calendars
4. personal obligations

4. The description of the drizzle that “stippled the sidewalk with dark coins” (lines 10-11) suggests that

1. people were dropping money on the ground
2. the raindrops created circular spots on the pavement
3. Marisol was thinking about her financial difficulties
4. the sidewalk had been recently paved

5. It can be inferred from the passage that Marisol feels

1. resentful toward her mother for causing her delays
2. confident that her supervisor will understand her situation
3. torn between competing responsibilities
4. hopeful that her financial situation will soon improve

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

1. bitter and accusatory
2. reflective and sympathetic
3. lighthearted and humorous
4. detached and clinical

7. The primary purpose of the final paragraph is to

1. contrast Marisol’s uncertainty with others’ apparent stability
2. criticize wealthy people for their indifference to the poor
3. suggest that Marisol should pursue a career in business
4. demonstrate that everyone faces the same daily struggles

Passage 2

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

    In the highlands of Papua New Guinea, a series of ancient drainage ditches has upended conventional understanding of early agriculture. The Kuk Swamp archaeological site reveals evidence of deliberate wetland farming dating back approximately 10,000 years, making it among the oldest independent (5) developments of agriculture anywhere on Earth. Unlike the grain-based farming systems that emerged in the Fertile Crescent or the rice cultivation of ancient China, the New Guinea highlands supported an agricultural tradition centered on taro, yams, and bananas – crops that leave far less archaeological evidence than cereals.     The (10) discovery challenges a persistent assumption in archaeology: that complex societies inevitably arose from grain agriculture. The highlands farmers engineered sophisticated water management systems without developing writing, monumental architecture, or centralized states. Their wooden digging sticks and fiber cordage decomposed millennia ago, but the (15) ditches themselves remain, preserved in anaerobic peat layers that protected them from decay.     Researchers identified multiple phases of ditch construction, each representing a distinct period of agricultural intensification. Pollen analysis from the earliest layers shows a dramatic decline in forest species and a corresponding rise in disturbed-ground (20) plants, indicating that humans were actively clearing land. This pattern suggests that agriculture here was not a sudden revolution but an extended process of experimentation and adaptation to local environmental conditions.

8. The main idea of the passage is that

1. the Kuk Swamp site proves that all early agriculture was based on root crops
2. New Guinea developed agriculture independently and differently from other regions
3. grain-based farming is superior to root-crop cultivation
4. ancient farmers in New Guinea built monumental architecture

9. According to the passage, crops grown in the New Guinea highlands included all of the following EXCEPT

1. taro
2. rice
3. yams
4. bananas

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

1. breakfast foods
2. grain crops
3. forest products
4. cultivated vegetables

11. The passage indicates that the ancient ditches were preserved because

1. they were constructed from stone rather than wood
2. they were buried in oxygen-poor peat
3. local farmers continued to maintain them for centuries
4. the highland climate prevented bacterial growth

12. The author’s mention of “writing, monumental architecture, or centralized states” (lines 13-14) serves to

1. list features that the New Guinea farmers did develop
2. contrast typical markers of complexity with the New Guinea case
3. argue that New Guinea societies were less advanced than others
4. explain why the ditches were eventually abandoned

13. It can be inferred from the passage that conventional archaeological assumptions

1. have been entirely discredited by recent discoveries
2. were based primarily on grain-farming societies
3. originated in Papua New Guinea
4. emphasized root crops over cereals

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

1. describe a discovery that challenges existing theories
2. argue for increased funding for New Guinea archaeology
3. prove that agriculture began in Papua New Guinea
4. explain how pollen analysis works in archaeological research

Passage 3

The following passage is excerpted from a speech delivered by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce to a gathering of government officials in Washington, D.C., in January 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. They do not protect my father’s (5) 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 talk that comes to nothing. It makes my heart sick when I (10) 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 about the Indians.     If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian, he can live in (15) peace. There need be no trouble. Treat all men alike. Give them 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.

15. Chief Joseph’s main argument in this passage is that

1. the Nez Perce should be given horses and cattle as compensation
2. words and promises from officials are meaningless without action
3. white men have no right to speak about Indian affairs
4. all people should live separately on their own lands

16. According to the passage, Chief Joseph believes that good words have failed to

1. compensate his people for their losses and suffering
2. teach white men the language of the Nez Perce
3. convince other tribes to join his cause
4. preserve the traditions of his ancestors

17. As used in line 12, the word misrepresentations most nearly means

1. elected officials
2. false or misleading statements
3. cultural differences
4. legal documents

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

1. hopeful and optimistic
2. sarcastic and mocking
3. frustrated but dignified
4. indifferent and resigned

19. Chief Joseph’s statement that “All men were made by the same Great Spirit Chief” (lines 17-18) is used to support his belief that

1. only Native Americans have legitimate spiritual beliefs
2. all people deserve equal treatment and rights
3. white men should adopt Native American religion
4. the government should appoint him as a leader

20. It can be inferred from the passage that previous negotiations between Chief Joseph and government officials have resulted in

1. successful treaties that satisfied both parties
2. promises that were not kept
3. immediate action to address Nez Perce concerns
4. Chief Joseph receiving compensation for his losses

Answer Key

1. Ans: (C) – A third-person narrator with access to Marisol’s thoughts
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The passage uses third-person pronouns (“she,” “her”) throughout while revealing Marisol’s internal thoughts and feelings, as seen in lines 4-7 where we learn her reasoning about her mother and in line 16 where we access her feeling of envy. Choice (B) is incorrect because the passage uses “she” rather than “I.” Choice (D) is incorrect because the supervisor is only mentioned briefly and never serves as a viewpoint character.

2. Ans: (B) – she was delayed helping her mother that morning
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Lines 5-7 explicitly state that Marisol’s mother “needed help each morning with the buttons on her blouse” and that “some responsibilities mattered more than timecards,” directly explaining her lateness. Choice (A) is incorrect because Marisol passes the bakery after missing the train, not before. Choice (C) is incorrect because the visiting nurse’s late arrival is mentioned as part of the problem, but Marisol is not described as being asked to stay.

3. Ans: (B) – employment records
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 7, “timecards” appears in the context of Marisol’s supervisor warning her about punctuality, indicating workplace attendance records. Choice (A) is incorrect because train schedules are not what a supervisor would monitor. Choice (D) is too broad, as timecards specifically refer to work records, not all personal obligations.

4. Ans: (B) – the raindrops created circular spots on the pavement
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The phrase “stippled the sidewalk with dark coins” (lines 10-11) is a metaphor describing how individual raindrops create small, round, dark marks on the concrete. Choice (A) is incorrect because this is figurative language about rain, not literal coins. Choice (C) distorts the meaning; while Marisol does think about money later, the coins here are a visual metaphor for raindrop marks.

5. Ans: (C) – torn between competing responsibilities
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Lines 5-7 reveal Marisol’s conflict between her job obligations (punctuality warnings) and her family duties (helping her mother), and she questions “how could she explain” one to the other. Choice (A) is incorrect because the passage shows her prioritizing her mother’s needs without resentment, calling them responsibilities that “mattered more.” Choice (B) contradicts the passage, as her supervisor has already warned her, suggesting lack of understanding.

6. Ans: (B) – reflective and sympathetic
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The narrator presents Marisol’s situation with understanding and depth, exploring her thoughts (lines 16-20) in a contemplative manner that invites reader sympathy. Choice (A) is incorrect because there is no bitterness or accusation in the narrative voice. Choice (C) is incorrect because the passage deals with serious financial and family struggles without any humor.

7. Ans: (A) – contrast Marisol’s uncertainty with others’ apparent stability
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The final paragraph (lines 15-20) describes a man whose “stride” is “purposeful” and whose life moves “on predetermined tracks” with “destinations assured,” then contrasts this with Marisol’s life as “improvisation” with problems that never stay solved. Choice (D) reverses the passage’s meaning, which emphasizes the difference between Marisol’s struggles and others’ stability. Choice (C) is unsupported; there is no suggestion she should change careers.

8. Ans: (B) – New Guinea developed agriculture independently and differently from other regions
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage explains that Kuk Swamp shows agriculture developing 10,000 years ago (lines 4-5) as one of the “oldest independent developments” and emphasizes how it differed from grain-based systems (lines 6-9). Choice (A) is too broad; the passage only discusses New Guinea, not all early agriculture. Choice (D) directly contradicts lines 13-14, which state that highlands farmers did not develop monumental architecture.

9. Ans: (B) – rice
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Lines 6-8 list “taro, yams, and bananas” as crops grown in the New Guinea highlands, while rice is mentioned (line 6) only as a crop of “ancient China,” contrasted with New Guinea agriculture. Choices (A), (C), and (D) are all explicitly listed in lines 7-8. This question tests careful reading of what is associated with which region.

10. Ans: (B) – grain crops
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 9, “cereals” appears in a sentence contrasting root crops (taro, yams, bananas) with crops that “leave far less archaeological evidence than cereals,” and the passage earlier mentions “grain-based farming systems” (line 6), establishing that cereals means grain crops. Choice (A) represents a common modern meaning but is incorrect in this archaeological context. Choice (C) is incorrect because cereals are contrasted with what New Guinea grew, and forests are mentioned separately.

11. Ans: (B) – they were buried in oxygen-poor peat
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Lines 14-16 state that the ditches “remain, preserved in anaerobic peat layers that protected them from decay,” with “anaerobic” meaning oxygen-poor. Choice (A) contradicts the passage; lines 13-14 mention that wooden tools decomposed, indicating the ditches were not stone. Choice (C) is not stated in the passage.

12. Ans: (B) – contrast typical markers of complexity with the New Guinea case
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. Lines 10-14 state that the discovery “challenges a persistent assumption” by showing that highlands farmers “engineered sophisticated water management systems without developing writing, monumental architecture, or centralized states,” contrasting what is typically expected with what actually occurred. Choice (A) reverses the meaning; these are features they did not develop. Choice (C) represents a value judgment not made in the passage, which presents the difference neutrally.

13. Ans: (B) – were based primarily on grain-farming societies
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Lines 10-11 mention “a persistent assumption in archaeology: that complex societies inevitably arose from grain agriculture,” implying that conventional thinking was shaped by studying grain-based systems. Choice (A) is too extreme; the passage says one assumption is challenged, not that all assumptions are discredited. Choice (C) contradicts the passage; New Guinea challenges rather than originates these assumptions.

14. Ans: (A) – describe a discovery that challenges existing theories
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The passage opens by stating the discovery “upended conventional understanding” (lines 2-3) and later explains how it “challenges a persistent assumption” (lines 10-11), making its purpose to present theory-challenging findings. Choice (C) is too narrow and too strong; the passage says New Guinea is “among the oldest” (line 4), not that it was first. Choice (D) focuses on a minor detail rather than the overall purpose.

15. Ans: (B) – words and promises from officials are meaningless without action
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. Chief Joseph repeats throughout that “good words do not last long unless they amount to something” (lines 2-3), that words “do not pay” for various losses (lines 3-7), and that he is “tired of talk that comes to nothing” (line 9). Choice (A) is too narrow; horses and cattle are one example among many losses, not the main argument. Choice (D) contradicts lines 14-19, which call for equal treatment, not separation.

16. Ans: (A) – compensate his people for their losses and suffering
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Lines 3-7 list what “good words” have failed to do: pay for dead people, pay for land, protect graves, pay for horses and cattle, give good health, or provide a home. Choice (B) is not mentioned anywhere in the passage. Choice (C) is not stated; the passage addresses officials, not other tribes.

17. Ans: (B) – false or misleading statements
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In lines 11-13, Chief Joseph says “too many misrepresentations have been made” in the context of discussing “broken promises” and men “who had no right to talk,” indicating false or misleading claims. Choice (A) confuses the word with “representatives.” Choice (D) is incorrect because legal documents are not mentioned, and misrepresentations refers to spoken falsehoods in context.

18. Ans: (C) – frustrated but dignified
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. Chief Joseph expresses clear frustration (“I am tired,” “It makes my heart sick,” lines 9-10) while maintaining eloquent, measured language and appealing to principles of justice and equality (lines 14-19). Choice (A) is incorrect because while he proposes solutions, the overall tone emphasizes weariness with unfulfilled promises. Choice (D) is incorrect because his direct appeals for action show he has not resigned himself to the situation.

19. Ans: (B) – all people deserve equal treatment and rights
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. Lines 17-19 build an argument: all men were made by the same creator, therefore “they are all brothers,” and therefore “all people should have equal rights.” Choice (A) reverses the inclusive message; Chief Joseph uses shared creation to argue for universal equality. Choice (C) is not suggested; he uses spiritual language to support political equality, not religious conversion.

20. Ans: (B) – promises that were not kept
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Lines 9-11 refer to “all the good words and all the broken promises” and state that talk has come “to nothing,” clearly indicating past promises were made but not fulfilled. Choice (A) directly contradicts this statement about broken promises. Choice (C) contradicts the passage; Chief Joseph complains that “nothing is done” (line 1), indicating no action was taken.