Reading Passage for HSPT - 18

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 freight elevator shuddered to a halt on the fourteenth floor, and Margot stepped out into the corridor, balancing three hatboxes stacked so high she could barely see over them. The textile (5) district in August was stifling, and her blouse clung damply to her shoulders. She had been working at Kellerman’s Millinery for only six weeks, but already she knew the route by heart: down the narrow hallway past the buttonhole (10) factory, left at the fire door, and through the frosted glass entrance where the cutters bent over their tables in silent concentration.     Mr. Kellerman himself stood at the far window, examining a length of peacock-blue ribbon against (15) the light. He did not turn when she entered. “The order from Wanamaker’s is short two cloche hats,” he said. “Navy grosgrain, small brim. Mrs. Fichetti was supposed to finish them yesterday.”     Margot set the boxes down carefully. She had learned (20) that Mr. Kellerman’s silence was more dangerous than his shouting, and right now the set of his shoulders told her he was calculating losses. “I can stay late,” she offered. “I’ve watched Mrs. Fichetti block the felt. I think I could manage it.”     He turned then, his eyes (25) narrowing behind his wire-rimmed spectacles. For a long moment he studied her, and Margot felt her heart hammering against her ribs. Then, without a word, he crossed to the supply cabinet and removed two hat blocks and a bolt of navy felt. “You’ll (30) ruin the first one,” he said flatly. “So I’m giving you material for three.”

1. The primary purpose of the first paragraph is to

1. establish the physical setting and Margot’s familiarity with her workplace
2. explain why Margot is unhappy in her new job
3. describe the history of the textile district
4. contrast Margot’s expectations with reality

2. As used in line 10, the word concentration most nearly means

1. a gathering in one place
2. focused attention
3. strength of a solution
4. a dense population

3. Mr. Kellerman’s statement that “Mrs. Fichetti was supposed to finish them yesterday” (lines 17-18) suggests that he is

1. concerned about meeting a deadline for an important order
2. planning to dismiss Mrs. Fichetti from her position
3. impressed by Mrs. Fichetti’s usual efficiency
4. uncertain about what happened to the missing hats

4. The detail that Margot “set the boxes down carefully” (line 19) primarily serves to

1. show that the boxes contain fragile merchandise
2. indicate her nervousness in Mr. Kellerman’s presence
3. demonstrate her respect for the products she handles
4. suggest that she is exhausted from carrying them

5. According to the passage, Margot has learned that Mr. Kellerman’s silence is

1. a sign that he is pleased with her work
2. more threatening than when he raises his voice
3. an indication that he is deep in creative thought
4. rare and therefore always significant

6. The tone of Mr. Kellerman’s final statement (lines 29-30) can best be described as

1. encouraging and warm
2. blunt but pragmatic
3. harshly critical
4. amused and affectionate

7. The passage suggests that Margot’s offer to stay late and complete the hats demonstrates her

1. desire to impress Mr. Kellerman and prove her capability
2. frustration with Mrs. Fichetti’s carelessness
3. extensive prior experience in hat-making
4. fear of losing customers for the business

Passage 2

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

    In the winter of 1986, construction workers excavating a site in Lower Manhattan struck something unexpected: a burial ground containing the remains of more than four hundred individuals, most of them (5) enslaved Africans from the colonial period. The African Burial Ground, as it came to be known, had been paved over and forgotten for nearly two centuries, erased from the city’s official memory even as it lay beneath a busy (10) federal office building. The discovery forced a reckoning with New York’s buried history of slavery, a system many residents believed had been confined to the South.     Archaeological analysis of the skeletal remains revealed the brutal physical toll of (15) bondage. Many of the skeletons showed evidence of severe musculoskeletal stress, with vertebral fractures and muscle attachment sites indicating years of carrying heavy loads. Children as young as four displayed signs of malnutrition and (20) repetitive strain injuries. The positioning and orientation of the graves, however, told a different story-one of cultural persistence. Despite the dehumanizing conditions of enslavement, the community had maintained distinct burial practices. Many (25) individuals were interred with their heads facing west, consistent with West African traditions that positioned the deceased to face the rising sun in the spiritual homeland. Some graves contained shells, beads, and other artifacts suggesting syncretic religious practices that (30) blended African cosmologies with elements of Christianity.     The site ultimately became a National Monument in 2006, a rare federal recognition of African American heritage. For historians, the burial ground provides irreplaceable data about the lived experience of (35) enslaved people in the urban North, correcting decades of historical oversight.

8. The main idea of the passage is that the African Burial Ground

1. revealed evidence of a forgotten chapter of Northern slavery and African cultural resilience
2. proved that slavery in New York was more brutal than slavery in the South
3. demonstrated that colonial burial practices were uniform across all cultures
4. showed how construction projects frequently uncover archaeological sites

9. According to the passage, the burial ground had been

1. deliberately destroyed by city officials in the nineteenth century
2. covered over and absent from the city’s collective memory
3. carefully preserved beneath the federal building
4. partially excavated during earlier construction projects

10. As used in line 11, the word reckoning most nearly means

1. a mathematical calculation
2. a confrontation with difficult truths
3. a financial accounting
4. a navigation by the stars

11. The passage indicates that evidence of “severe musculoskeletal stress” (line 15) was found in

1. only the adult skeletons
2. both adults and children as young as four
3. primarily elderly individuals
4. fewer than half of the remains

12. The author describes burial practices (lines 21-29) primarily to

1. contrast African traditions with Christian traditions
2. illustrate how enslaved people preserved cultural identity despite oppression
3. prove that all enslaved people practiced the same religion
4. explain why the burial ground was initially forgotten

13. The passage suggests that before the discovery of the burial ground, many people believed that

1. New York had no history of slavery
2. African burial traditions had been completely lost
3. slavery was primarily a Southern institution
4. colonial burial grounds should not be disturbed

14. The author’s attitude toward the designation of the site as a National Monument can best be described as

1. critical of the delay in federal recognition
2. approving of the acknowledgment of African American heritage
3. indifferent to symbolic gestures
4. skeptical about the motivations behind the decision

Passage 3

The following passage is adapted from “Civil Disobedience,” an 1849 essay by Henry David Thoreau.

    I heartily accept the motto, “That government is best which governs least”; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts (5) to this, which also I believe-“That government is best which governs not at all”; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have. Government is at best but an expedient; but (10) most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient. The objections which have been brought against a standing army, and they are many and weighty, and deserve to prevail, may also at last be brought (15) against a standing government. The standing army is only an arm of the standing government. The government itself, which is only the mode which the people have chosen to execute their will, is equally liable to be abused and (20) perverted before the people can act through it.     Witness the present Mexican war, the work of comparatively a few individuals using the standing government as their tool; for in the outset, the people would not have consented to this measure. This American government-what (25) is it but a tradition, though a recent one, endeavoring to transmit itself unimpaired to posterity, but each instant losing some of its integrity? It has not the vitality and force of a single living man; for a single man can bend it to (30) his will.

15. The main purpose of this passage is to

1. argue that government is inherently flawed and susceptible to abuse
2. praise the American system of government
3. call for the immediate abolition of all standing armies
4. describe the causes of the Mexican War

16. As used in line 8, the word expedient most nearly means

1. a quick solution
2. a practical means to an end
3. an unfair advantage
4. an ethical principle

17. According to the passage, the government is “liable to be abused and perverted” (lines 18-19) because

1. it relies too heavily on the standing army
2. the people do not understand how it functions
3. it can be manipulated before the people can act through it
4. it has lost all of its original integrity

18. Thoreau uses the example of the Mexican War (line 21) to demonstrate that

1. standing armies are more dangerous than standing governments
2. a small group can use the government as a tool against the people’s wishes
3. the American government is a recent tradition
4. most citizens supported the war from the beginning

19. The passage suggests that Thoreau believes the ideal form of government would be one that

1. governs very little or not at all
2. relies on a strong standing army
3. transmits traditions unimpaired to posterity
4. allows a single living man to make all decisions

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

1. neutral and objective
2. critical and philosophical
3. celebratory and patriotic
4. defeated and resigned

Answer Key

1. Ans: (A) – establish the physical setting and Margot’s familiarity with her workplace
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The first paragraph introduces the reader to the textile district setting, describes the oppressive August heat, and demonstrates that Margot “knew the route by heart” (line 7), establishing both location and her familiarity with it. Choice (B) is incorrect because nothing in the paragraph suggests Margot is unhappy. Choice (D) is wrong because no expectations are mentioned or contrasted with reality.

2. Ans: (B) – focused attention
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 10, the cutters are described as bending over their tables “in silent concentration,” which clearly refers to their focused mental attention on their work. Choice (A) is incorrect because it refers to a different meaning of concentration related to gathering or density. Choice (C) is wrong because it refers to the scientific meaning of concentration as the strength of a solution.

3. Ans: (A) – concerned about meeting a deadline for an important order
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Mr. Kellerman’s statement that the hats were “supposed to finish them yesterday” (lines 17-18) combined with his mention that “the order from Wanamaker’s is short two cloche hats” (line 16) suggests concern about a deadline for this customer order. Choice (B) is incorrect because there is no evidence he plans to fire Mrs. Fichetti. Choice (D) is wrong because he clearly knows what happened-the hats were not finished as scheduled.

4. Ans: (C) – demonstrate her respect for the products she handles
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The careful manner in which Margot sets down the hatboxes (line 19) shows her professional respect for the merchandise she is handling. Choice (B) is incorrect because her nervousness is more directly shown through the description of her “heart hammering” (line 26) later in the passage. Choice (D) is wrong because there is no indication in the passage that she is exhausted.

5. Ans: (B) – more threatening than when he raises his voice
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Lines 19-21 explicitly state that “Margot had learned that Mr. Kellerman’s silence was more dangerous than his shouting.” Choice (A) is incorrect because the passage indicates his silence signals danger, not pleasure. Choice (C) is wrong because his silence is associated with “calculating losses” (line 22), not creative thought.

6. Ans: (B) – blunt but pragmatic
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. Mr. Kellerman’s statement “You’ll ruin the first one, so I’m giving you material for three” (lines 29-30) is delivered “flatly” and directly, making it blunt, but it also shows practical planning by providing extra material, making it pragmatic. Choice (A) is incorrect because there is nothing warm or encouraging about the flat delivery. Choice (D) is wrong because nothing in the tone suggests amusement or affection.

7. Ans: (A) – desire to impress Mr. Kellerman and prove her capability
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Margot’s offer to stay late and her claim that “I think I could manage it” (line 23) suggest she wants to demonstrate her abilities to her employer, especially after only six weeks on the job (line 6). Choice (C) is incorrect because the passage states she has only “watched” Mrs. Fichetti (line 22), indicating she lacks extensive experience. Choice (B) is wrong because there is no evidence of frustration with Mrs. Fichetti in the passage.

8. Ans: (A) – revealed evidence of a forgotten chapter of Northern slavery and African cultural resilience
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage discusses how the burial ground exposed New York’s erased history of slavery (lines 8-12) while also showing how enslaved people maintained cultural practices (lines 21-29). Choice (B) is incorrect because the passage makes no comparison claiming New York slavery was more brutal than Southern slavery. Choice (C) is wrong because the passage emphasizes distinct African burial practices, not uniformity across cultures.

9. Ans: (B) – covered over and absent from the city’s collective memory
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Lines 7-9 state the burial ground “had been paved over and forgotten for nearly two centuries, erased from the city’s official memory.” Choice (A) is incorrect because there is no evidence of deliberate destruction by officials. Choice (C) is wrong because “forgotten” contradicts the idea of careful preservation.

10. Ans: (B) – a confrontation with difficult truths
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 11, the discovery “forced a reckoning with New York’s buried history of slavery,” meaning it compelled the city to confront uncomfortable historical facts. Choice (A) is incorrect because mathematical calculation is a different meaning of reckoning not appropriate to this context. Choice (C) is wrong because financial accounting does not fit the context of confronting historical slavery.

11. Ans: (B) – both adults and children as young as four
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage describes musculoskeletal stress in the skeletal remains generally (lines 14-17), then specifically states that “children as young as four displayed signs of malnutrition and repetitive strain injuries” (lines 18-20), indicating both age groups were affected. Choice (A) is incorrect because children are explicitly mentioned. Choice (D) is wrong because the passage uses “many” to describe affected skeletons, suggesting more than half.

12. Ans: (B) – illustrate how enslaved people preserved cultural identity despite oppression
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The passage states that “despite the dehumanizing conditions of enslavement, the community had maintained distinct burial practices” (lines 21-23), and describes West African traditions (lines 24-26), showing cultural persistence. Choice (C) is incorrect because the passage describes “syncretic religious practices” (line 28), indicating varied rather than uniform religion. Choice (A) is wrong because the purpose is not to contrast but to show cultural preservation.

13. Ans: (C) – slavery was primarily a Southern institution
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Lines 11-12 state the discovery challenged “a system many residents believed had been confined to the South,” indicating a prior belief that slavery was mainly Southern. Choice (A) is too extreme; people believed slavery was confined to the South, not that New York had no slavery history at all. Choice (B) is incorrect because the passage does not discuss beliefs about whether traditions were lost.

14. Ans: (B) – approving of the acknowledgment of African American heritage
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The author describes the National Monument designation as “a rare federal recognition of African American heritage” (lines 32-33), using language that conveys the positive significance of this acknowledgment. Choice (C) is incorrect because the author clearly values the designation rather than being indifferent. Choice (A) is wrong because nothing in the passage criticizes the timing of the recognition.

15. Ans: (A) – argue that government is inherently flawed and susceptible to abuse
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. Throughout the passage, Thoreau argues that government is “at best but an expedient” (lines 8-9), can be “abused and perverted” (lines 18-19), and can be used as a “tool” by a few individuals (line 23). Choice (B) is incorrect because Thoreau criticizes rather than praises American government. Choice (C) is too narrow; abolishing armies is mentioned but is not the main purpose.

16. Ans: (B) – a practical means to an end
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 8, Thoreau states “Government is at best but an expedient,” meaning it is a practical tool or means for accomplishing goals, though not ideal. Choice (A) is incorrect because expedient here refers to practicality, not speed. Choice (D) is wrong because Thoreau is describing government as a practical tool, not an ethical principle.

17. Ans: (C) – it can be manipulated before the people can act through it
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Lines 18-20 explicitly state that government is “liable to be abused and perverted before the people can act through it.” Choice (A) is incorrect because while the standing army is mentioned, it is not given as the reason government can be abused. Choice (D) is wrong because Thoreau says government is “losing some of its integrity” (line 27), not all of it.

18. Ans: (B) – a small group can use the government as a tool against the people’s wishes
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. Thoreau describes the Mexican War as “the work of comparatively a few individuals using the standing government as their tool” (lines 21-23), noting “the people would not have consented to this measure” (lines 23-24). Choice (D) directly contradicts the passage, which states people would not have consented. Choice (A) is incorrect because the example shows government, not army, being used as a tool.

19. Ans: (A) – governs very little or not at all
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Thoreau states he accepts the motto “That government is best which governs least” (lines 1-3) and believes in “That government is best which governs not at all” (lines 5-6), indicating his ideal. Choice (D) reverses Thoreau’s point; he criticizes that “a single man can bend it to his will” (lines 29-30) as a weakness. Choice (B) is incorrect because Thoreau criticizes standing armies.

20. Ans: (B) – critical and philosophical
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. Thoreau’s tone is critical as he challenges government effectiveness and points out its flaws (lines 8-20), while also being philosophical as he explores abstract principles about the nature of government (lines 1-6). Choice (C) is incorrect because the passage criticizes American government rather than celebrating it. Choice (D) is wrong because Thoreau’s tone is assertive and argumentative, not defeated.