Reading Passage for HSPT - 39

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 ferry lurched as it pulled away from the dock, and Clara gripped the railing, watching the limestone buildings of Split recede into the afternoon haze. She had boarded with nothing but a canvas bag and (5) the address of a cousin she had never met, written in her mother’s shaky hand on a scrap of butcher paper. The Adriatic stretched before her, impossibly blue, and she thought of the olive grove she would never see again, the (10) trees her grandfather had planted in the year of his marriage.     A man in a wool cap stood near the stern, coiling rope with practiced efficiency. He glanced at her once, then returned to his work. Clara had grown accustomed to such looks (15) during the three days since she had left the village-a mixture of curiosity and caution, the eyes of strangers measuring a young woman traveling alone. She turned her face toward the wind and let it sting her cheeks. (20) Better the wind than the pitying glances of neighbors who whispered about her father’s debts and her broken engagement to the miller’s son.

1. The passage is narrated from which point of view?

1. First person
2. Second person
3. Third person limited
4. Third person omniscient

2. According to the passage, Clara is traveling to meet

1. her grandfather
2. a cousin she has never met
3. the miller’s son
4. a man in a wool cap

3. As used in line 14, the word practiced most nearly means

1. rehearsed
2. skilled
3. repeated
4. trained

4. The passage suggests that Clara left her village because of

1. a desire to see the Adriatic Sea
2. financial and social difficulties
3. her grandfather’s death
4. an arranged marriage to a cousin

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

1. bitter and resentful
2. melancholy and reflective
3. joyful and optimistic
4. fearful and anxious

6. The detail about the olive grove in lines 7-10 serves primarily to

1. explain why Clara is traveling by ferry
2. illustrate the agricultural economy of Split
3. emphasize what Clara is leaving behind
4. describe her grandfather’s occupation

7. It can be reasonably inferred from the passage that Clara

1. has traveled extensively before this journey
2. is fleeing from legal authorities
3. feels a mixture of loss and determination
4. plans to return to her village soon

Passage 2

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

    For centuries, naturalists believed that swallows hibernated in mud at the bottom of ponds during winter months. This notion, endorsed by Aristotle and repeated by (5) writers well into the eighteenth century, persisted despite mounting evidence to the contrary. The truth-that swallows migrate thousands of miles to warmer climates-seemed more fantastical than the hibernation theory, largely because (10) no one could fathom how such small birds might survive transoceanic journeys.     Modern tracking technology has revealed migration patterns of astonishing complexity. Arctic terns, weighing barely four ounces, travel from polar breeding grounds to Antarctic (15) feeding areas and back again each year, a round trip exceeding 44,000 miles. Bar-tailed godwits fly nonstop from Alaska to New Zealand, covering over 7,000 miles in approximately nine days without (20) food or rest. These journeys require physiological adaptations that challenge our understanding of avian metabolism and endurance.

8. The main purpose of this passage is to

1. criticize Aristotle’s scientific methodology
2. contrast historical misconceptions with modern discoveries about bird migration
3. explain why swallows hibernate in mud
4. describe the diet of Arctic terns

9. According to the passage, the hibernation theory persisted because

1. Aristotle had proven it through experiments
2. migration seemed less believable than hibernation
3. swallows were frequently found in pond mud
4. tracking technology did not yet exist

10. As used in line 8, the word fantastical most nearly means

1. wonderful
2. imaginary
3. unbelievable
4. magical

11. The passage indicates that bar-tailed godwits are remarkable because they

1. weigh only four ounces
2. travel over 44,000 miles annually
3. fly nonstop for approximately nine days
4. breed in the Arctic region

12. The author’s attitude toward modern tracking technology can best be described as

1. skeptical
2. appreciative
3. indifferent
4. critical

13. The passage suggests that bird migration requires

1. guidance from eighteenth-century naturalists
2. resting stops in multiple countries
3. extraordinary physical capabilities
4. hibernation during winter months

14. Which of the following best describes the organization of the passage?

1. A scientific theory is proposed and then tested through experiments
2. A historical misconception is presented and then corrected with modern evidence
3. A debate between naturalists is described and then resolved
4. A mystery is introduced and then left unsolved

Passage 3

The following passage is adapted from a historical speech.

    I stand before you not as a conqueror, but as one who has witnessed conquest’s bitter fruits. When I commanded troops at San Juan Hill, I believed in the glory of (5) battle and the righteousness of our cause. Twenty years have taught me different lessons. I have seen how quickly martial enthusiasm curdles into occupation, how liberators become occupiers, and how the cheers of victory fade into the (10) silences of resentment.     Some say that a great nation must assert its will upon smaller neighbors, that strength unused is strength wasted. I say that true strength lies in restraint, in recognizing that dominion breeds only hatred and (15) that empires, however benevolent in intention, cannot escape the fundamental injustice of ruling those who have not consented to be ruled. We must ask ourselves whether we wish to be remembered as a republic of (20) free citizens or as an empire of reluctant subjects.

15. The speaker indicates that his views on military conquest have

1. remained unchanged since San Juan Hill
2. changed over the course of twenty years
3. been influenced by cheering crowds
4. made him wish to become a conqueror

16. As used in line 7, the word curdles most nearly means

1. transforms
2. spoils
3. thickens
4. separates

17. According to the passage, some people believe that

1. strength should be demonstrated through dominance
2. empires are fundamentally unjust
3. restraint is the truest form of power
4. occupiers eventually become liberators

18. The speaker’s primary purpose in this passage is to

1. celebrate military victories
2. argue against imperial expansion
3. describe the Battle of San Juan Hill
4. praise the virtues of conquest

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

1. triumphant and celebratory
2. reflective and cautionary
3. angry and accusatory
4. uncertain and confused

20. The contrast between “a republic of free citizens” and “an empire of reluctant subjects” (lines 18-20) serves to

1. illustrate two different military strategies
2. highlight the choice facing the nation
3. describe historical events at San Juan Hill
4. explain why liberators become occupiers

Answer Key

1. Ans: ((C)) – Third person limited
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The passage uses third-person pronouns (“she,” “her”) and provides access to Clara’s thoughts and feelings (lines 7-10, lines 18-20), but not to other characters’ internal states, which is characteristic of third person limited narration. (A) is wrong because the passage does not use “I” or “me.” (D) is wrong because the narrator does not reveal the thoughts of multiple characters, only Clara’s.

2. Ans: ((B)) – a cousin she has never met
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states that Clara boarded “with nothing but a canvas bag and the address of a cousin she had never met” (lines 3-6). (A) is wrong because her grandfather is associated with the olive grove she is leaving, not her destination. (C) is wrong because the miller’s son is mentioned in connection with her broken engagement, not her travel plans.

3. Ans: ((B)) – skilled
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. The phrase “practiced efficiency” (line 14) describes the man’s competent, experienced manner of coiling rope, indicating skill developed through repetition. (A) is wrong because “rehearsed” implies deliberate preparation for performance rather than natural competence. (C) is wrong because while practice involves repetition, “repeated” does not capture the meaning of expertise conveyed in context.

4. Ans: ((B)) – financial and social difficulties
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage mentions “her father’s debts and her broken engagement” (lines 19-20) as reasons neighbors whispered about her, suggesting these problems prompted her departure. (A) is wrong because while she sees the Adriatic, nothing suggests this was her motivation for leaving. (D) is wrong because she is traveling to meet a cousin, but there is no mention of an arranged marriage.

5. Ans: ((B)) – melancholy and reflective
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The passage conveys sadness about leaving (the olive grove she would “never see again,” lines 7-8) combined with contemplation of her circumstances (lines 14-20), creating a melancholy, reflective mood. (A) is wrong because while Clara has experienced hardship, the tone is sad rather than bitter. (C) is wrong because the passage emphasizes loss and departure, not joy or optimism.

6. Ans: ((C)) – emphasize what Clara is leaving behind
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The detail about “the olive grove she would never see again, the trees her grandfather had planted” (lines 7-10) highlights the personal and familial history Clara is abandoning. (A) is wrong because the olive grove explains what she is losing, not her mode of transportation. (D) is wrong because while it mentions her grandfather, the focus is on the permanence of her loss, not his work.

7. Ans: ((C)) – feels a mixture of loss and determination
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Clara’s thoughts about what she is leaving (lines 7-10) show loss, while her deliberate turning toward the wind and preference for it over “pitying glances” (lines 18-20) demonstrate determination. (A) is wrong because the passage indicates she has been traveling only “three days” (line 15) and describes the looks of strangers as something she has “grown accustomed to” only recently. (D) is wrong because she reflects on the grove she would “never see again,” indicating no plans to return.

8. Ans: ((B)) – contrast historical misconceptions with modern discoveries about bird migration
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage begins with the historical belief about hibernation (lines 1-10) and then presents modern tracking evidence of actual migration patterns (lines 11-21). (A) is wrong because while Aristotle is mentioned, the passage does not criticize his methodology. (C) is wrong because the passage refutes the hibernation theory rather than explaining it as fact.

9. Ans: ((B)) – migration seemed less believable than hibernation
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states the migration truth “seemed more fantastical than the hibernation theory, largely because no one could fathom how such small birds might survive transoceanic journeys” (lines 7-10). (A) is wrong because the passage does not claim Aristotle conducted experiments proving hibernation. (C) is wrong because the passage does not state that swallows were actually found in pond mud.

10. Ans: ((C)) – unbelievable
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. The passage uses “fantastical” (line 8) to describe why migration seemed harder to accept than hibernation-people could not believe small birds could make such journeys. (B) is wrong because “imaginary” suggests something fictional, but migration is real; the word here means difficult to believe, not nonexistent. (D) is wrong because “magical” implies supernatural elements not suggested by the context.

11. Ans: ((C)) – fly nonstop for approximately nine days
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states that bar-tailed godwits “fly nonstop from Alaska to New Zealand, covering over 7,000 miles in approximately nine days without food or rest” (lines 17-20). (A) is wrong because four ounces is the weight of Arctic terns, not godwits. (B) is wrong because 44,000 miles is the annual journey of Arctic terns, not bar-tailed godwits.

12. Ans: ((B)) – appreciative
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The author presents tracking technology as having “revealed migration patterns of astonishing complexity” (lines 11-13), showing appreciation for what it has discovered. (A) is wrong because the author presents the technology’s findings as reliable evidence, not doubtful. (C) is wrong because the author emphasizes what the technology has revealed, showing clear interest rather than indifference.

13. Ans: ((C)) – extraordinary physical capabilities
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage describes journeys that “require physiological adaptations that challenge our understanding of avian metabolism and endurance” (lines 19-21), indicating extraordinary capabilities. (B) is wrong because bar-tailed godwits fly “nonstop” (line 17), making no resting stops. (D) is wrong because the passage refutes hibernation as what birds actually do in winter.

14. Ans: ((B)) – A historical misconception is presented and then corrected with modern evidence
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The first paragraph presents the hibernation belief (lines 1-10), and the second paragraph provides modern tracking evidence of actual migration (lines 11-21). (A) is wrong because no theory is tested through experiments in the passage. (C) is wrong because the passage does not describe a debate between multiple naturalists, only a shift from old belief to modern knowledge.

15. Ans: ((B)) – changed over the course of twenty years
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The speaker states, “When I commanded troops at San Juan Hill, I believed in the glory of battle” but “Twenty years have taught me different lessons” (lines 3-6), explicitly indicating changed views. (A) is wrong because it contradicts the statement about learning “different lessons.” (D) is wrong because the speaker says he stands “not as a conqueror” (line 1).

16. Ans: ((B)) – spoils
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. The phrase “martial enthusiasm curdles into occupation” (lines 6-7) describes a negative transformation, like milk spoiling, from positive enthusiasm to negative occupation. (A) is wrong because while “transforms” indicates change, it lacks the specific connotation of deterioration that “curdles” conveys. (C) is wrong because “thickens” is a literal meaning of curdling but misses the metaphorical sense of spoiling or going bad.

17. Ans: ((A)) – strength should be demonstrated through dominance
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The speaker describes the view that “a great nation must assert its will upon smaller neighbors, that strength unused is strength wasted” (lines 11-13). (B) is wrong because this is the speaker’s own view, not what “some say.” (C) is wrong because restraint as true strength is the speaker’s argument, not the opposing view.

18. Ans: ((B)) – argue against imperial expansion
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The speaker criticizes how “liberators become occupiers” (line 8) and states that “empires, however benevolent in intention, cannot escape the fundamental injustice of ruling those who have not consented” (lines 14-17), opposing expansion. (A) is wrong because the speaker describes “conquest’s bitter fruits” (line 2), not celebrating victories. (D) is wrong because the passage condemns rather than praises conquest.

19. Ans: ((B)) – reflective and cautionary
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The speaker reflects on changed beliefs (lines 3-6) and warns against imperial ambitions (lines 14-20), creating a reflective and cautionary tone. (A) is wrong because the speaker describes “bitter fruits” and “injustice,” not triumph. (C) is wrong because while critical of empire, the tone is measured and thoughtful rather than angry.

20. Ans: ((B)) – highlight the choice facing the nation
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. The either-or construction “whether we wish to be remembered as a republic of free citizens or as an empire of reluctant subjects” (lines 18-20) presents two paths and asks which the nation will choose. (A) is wrong because the contrast is between types of governance, not military strategies. (C) is wrong because San Juan Hill is mentioned earlier as background, not explained by this contrast.