Reading Passage for HSPT - 44

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 ice on the canal had turned gray and rotten by the time Jakob finally told his father he would not be returning to the mill. He had practiced the words for weeks, rehearsing them in the barn while (5) the cows stamped and exhaled clouds of steam into the February cold. Now, standing in the kitchen doorway with his cap in his hands, he found his mouth dry and his prepared speech vanished.     His father did not look up from the ledger spread before him on the table. The old man’s (10) finger traced columns of figures, his lips moving silently. Jakob knew those numbers by heart: bushels of wheat ground, payments received, debts still outstanding from families who had suffered through a lean harvest. Themill had (15) sustained three generations, and his father had assumed without question that Jakob would become the fourth.     “I’ve taken a position,” Jakob said finally, his voice steadier than he had expected. “With the railroad. They’re laying track west through the (20) territories.”

1. The primary purpose of the first paragraph is to

1. describe the setting where Jakob works
2. establish Jakob’s internal conflict about an important decision
3. explain why Jakob has been avoiding his father
4. illustrate the hardships of rural life in winter

2. As used in line 5, the word stamped most nearly means

1. marked with an official seal
2. struck the ground with their hooves
3. pressed down firmly
4. imprinted a design

3. The detail about Jakob’s father’s “lips moving silently” (line 10) suggests that he is

1. praying for guidance about his son’s future
2. deeply focused on his work with the ledger
3. too angry to speak to Jakob directly
4. rehearsing what he will say in response

4. According to the passage, Jakob knows the mill’s financial figures because

1. he has been managing the ledger himself
2. his father has discussed them with him repeatedly
3. he has grown up immersed in the mill’s operations
4. he studied them while preparing to leave

5. The passage suggests that Jakob’s father’s assumption about his son’s future was made

1. after consulting with other family members
2. as a natural expectation based on family tradition
3. in response to Jakob’s expressed interest in the mill
4. reluctantly, due to a lack of other options

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

1. openly hostile and confrontational
2. quietly tense and uncertain
3. warmly nostalgic and sentimental
4. bitterly regretful and resigned

7. The detail about the “gray and rotten” ice on the canal (line 1) most likely serves to

1. indicate the dangerous conditions Jakob will face traveling west
2. symbolize the deterioration of Jakob’s relationship with his father
3. establish the specific time of year when the scene takes place
4. foreshadow the economic decline of the mill

Passage 2

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

    The discovery of preserved wooden artifacts in waterlogged archaeological sites has revolutionized our understanding of ancient technology. Unlike metal or stone, wood typically decays within decades when exposed to oxygen and microorganisms. However, when submerged in water or buried (5) in saturated soil, wooden objects can survive for millennia. The anaerobic conditions-environments lacking oxygen-prevent the bacteria and fungi that normally decompose organic matter from thriving.     One of the most remarkable examples comes from the Somerset Levels in England, where archaeologists have recovered (10) the Sweet Track, a wooden walkway constructed around 3800 BCE. The trackway, built from oak planks and ash poles, demonstrates sophisticated engineering: builders drove vertical stakes into the marsh and laid horizontal planks across them, creating a stable path through the wetland. (15) Analysis of the wood reveals that Neolithic communities possessed advanced carpentry skills, including the ability to split timber along its grain and fashion wooden pegs without metal tools.     Similarly, Alpine lake villages have yielded thousands of wooden implements, from (20) simple digging sticks to intricately carved bowls. These finds challenge the traditional view of prehistoric societies as primitive, showing instead that ancient craftspeople worked wood with remarkable precision and artistry.

8. The main idea of the passage is that

1. waterlogged archaeological sites are more common than previously thought
2. preserved wooden artifacts have enhanced knowledge of ancient technological capabilities
3. the Sweet Track represents the earliest example of human engineering
4. anaerobic conditions are essential for all archaeological preservation

9. According to the passage, wood typically decays quickly when

1. it is split along its grain
2. it is exposed to oxygen and microorganisms
3. it is submerged in water
4. it is fashioned into tools

10. As used in line 7, the word thriving most nearly means

1. prospering
2. surviving
3. competing
4. multiplying

11. The passage indicates that the Sweet Track was built by

1. Roman engineers using metal tools
2. Neolithic communities around 3800 BCE
3. Alpine lake villagers
4. medieval craftspeople

12. The author mentions “vertical stakes” and “horizontal planks” (lines 13-14) in order to

1. illustrate the specific construction method used for the walkway
2. contrast different types of wood used in ancient building
3. explain why the Sweet Track eventually deteriorated
4. demonstrate that metal tools were necessary for such work

13. It can be inferred from the passage that before discoveries like the Sweet Track, historians believed that

1. all wooden artifacts had been destroyed by decay
2. prehistoric societies had less advanced skills than these finds suggest
3. ancient people lived primarily in wetland environments
4. anaerobic conditions could not preserve organic materials

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

1. argue for increased funding for wetland archaeology
2. describe the chemical processes that preserve wood
3. inform readers about how preserved wooden artifacts reveal ancient skills
4. compare different archaeological sites across Europe

Passage 3

The following passage is adapted from a speech delivered by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce in Washington, D.C., in 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 (5) protect my father’s grave. They do not pay for all my horses and cattle. Good words will not give me back my children. Good words will not make good the promise of your War Chief. Good words will not give my people good health and stop them from dying. Good words will (10) 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 remember all the good words and all the broken promises. There has been too much talking by men who had no right (15) 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 peace. There need be no trouble. Treat all men alike. Give them (20) the same law. Give them all an even chance to live and grow.

15. The central argument of the passage is that

1. the Nez Perce should be allowed to return to their ancestral lands
2. words and promises are meaningless without concrete action and justice
3. white men have deliberately misunderstood Indian culture
4. peace between different peoples is ultimately impossible

16. As used in line 6, the phrase amount to something most nearly means

1. add up to a sum
2. achieve significance through action
3. reach a compromise
4. equal a fair exchange

17. According to the passage, Chief Joseph’s people are currently suffering from

1. warfare with neighboring tribes
2. loss of health and lack of a secure home
3. harsh weather in their new territory
4. insufficient food supplies

18. The repetition of the phrase “Good words will not” (lines 6-9) primarily serves to

1. demonstrate Chief Joseph’s limited vocabulary
2. emphasize the inadequacy of promises without action
3. create a rhythmic pattern typical of Nez Perce oratory
4. list all the demands Chief Joseph is making

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

1. cautiously optimistic and hopeful
2. bitterly sarcastic and mocking
3. weary but resolute and direct
4. detached and objective

20. Chief Joseph suggests that peace between white men and Indians requires

1. complete separation of the two peoples
2. equal treatment and equal opportunities under the law
3. financial compensation for past injustices
4. the removal of government officials who have lied

Answer Key

1. Ans: (B) – establish Jakob’s internal conflict about an important decision
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The first paragraph shows Jakob rehearsing his speech for weeks and then finding himself tongue-tied, which establishes his inner struggle with telling his father about his decision (lines 1-7). Choice (A) is too narrow, as the barn setting is merely where Jakob practices, not the focus of the paragraph. Choice (C) is not stated in the passage; there is no evidence Jakob has been avoiding his father.

2. Ans: (B) – struck the ground with their hooves
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 5, the cows “stamped and exhaled clouds of steam,” describing physical movements animals make in a cold barn. Choice (A) uses a different meaning of “stamp” related to official marks, which does not fit the context of cows in a barn. Choice (D) similarly refers to creating impressions or designs, which is not what the cows are doing.

3. Ans: (B) – deeply focused on his work with the ledger
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The detail that the father’s “finger traced columns of figures, his lips moving silently” (lines 9-10) indicates he is concentrating on calculating or reading the numbers. Choice (A) is not supported by the passage; there is no indication he is praying. Choice (C) reverses the situation-the father hasn’t yet responded because he is absorbed in his work, not because he is angry.

4. Ans: (C) – he has grown up immersed in the mill’s operations
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage states Jakob “knew those numbers by heart” and explains the mill “had sustained three generations” with the expectation Jakob would be the fourth (lines 11-16), suggesting lifelong familiarity. Choice (A) is not stated; his father is shown managing the ledger. Choice (D) is not supported; the passage gives no indication he studied the figures in preparation for leaving.

5. Ans: (B) – as a natural expectation based on family tradition
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states the father “had assumed without question” that Jakob would continue the family tradition, as the mill had “sustained three generations” (lines 13-16). Choice (A) is not mentioned anywhere in the passage. Choice (C) contradicts the passage; the assumption was made “without question,” not based on Jakob’s expressed interest.

6. Ans: (B) – quietly tense and uncertain
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The passage describes Jakob’s nervousness, his rehearsed speech vanishing, and his father’s silent focus, creating an atmosphere of restrained tension (lines 4-10). Choice (A) is too extreme; there is no open hostility shown. Choice (C) is incorrect; while the passage mentions family history, the mood is tense rather than warmly sentimental.

7. Ans: (C) – establish the specific time of year when the scene takes place
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The detail about “gray and rotten” ice combined with “February cold” (lines 1-5) establishes late winter as the setting. Choice (B) is an overinterpretation not supported by the passage; the ice is a literal detail about timing, not a symbol. Choice (D) is not stated; there is no evidence of the mill’s economic decline in the passage.

8. Ans: (B) – preserved wooden artifacts have enhanced knowledge of ancient technological capabilities
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The opening sentence states such discoveries “have revolutionized our understanding of ancient technology,” and the passage provides examples showing ancient sophistication (lines 1-23). Choice (A) is not the focus; the passage discusses what the sites reveal, not their frequency. Choice (C) is too narrow and also inaccurate-the passage does not claim the Sweet Track is the earliest example of engineering.

9. Ans: (B) – it is exposed to oxygen and microorganisms
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage directly states that wood “typically decays within decades when exposed to oxygen and microorganisms” (lines 2-4). Choice (C) contradicts the passage; submersion in water actually preserves wood by creating anaerobic conditions (lines 4-7). Choice (A) is mentioned as a carpentry skill but has no connection to decay.

10. Ans: (D) – multiplying
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 7, “thriving” describes what bacteria and fungi cannot do in anaerobic conditions-they cannot grow and reproduce effectively. Choice (A), while a common synonym for “thriving,” is too broad for the specific biological context of bacterial growth. Choice (B) is too weak; the passage indicates the organisms cannot thrive, implying more than just survival is prevented.

11. Ans: (B) – Neolithic communities around 3800 BCE
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states the Sweet Track “was constructed around 3800 BCE” and later refers to “Neolithic communities” possessing the carpentry skills (lines 10-16). Choice (A) is contradicted by the passage; the construction predates Roman civilization by thousands of years. Choice (C) confuses different examples; Alpine lake villages are mentioned separately (lines 18-20).

12. Ans: (A) – illustrate the specific construction method used for the walkway
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The passage describes how “builders drove vertical stakes into the marsh and laid horizontal planks across them” to explain the engineering technique (lines 13-14). Choice (D) contradicts the passage, which explicitly states builders worked “without metal tools” (line 17). Choice (B) is incorrect; the mention describes placement, not wood types.

13. Ans: (B) – prehistoric societies had less advanced skills than these finds suggest
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The final sentence states these finds “challenge the traditional view of prehistoric societies as primitive,” implying earlier beliefs underestimated ancient capabilities (lines 20-23). Choice (A) is too extreme and not supported; historians would have known some artifacts survived. Choice (C) is not stated; the passage does not discuss beliefs about where ancient people lived.

14. Ans: (C) – inform readers about how preserved wooden artifacts reveal ancient skills
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The passage explains preservation conditions and then provides examples showing sophisticated ancient technology (lines 1-23). Choice (B) is too narrow; while preservation is mentioned, the focus is on what the artifacts reveal about skills, not the chemistry itself. Choice (A) is not supported; the passage makes no argument about funding.

15. Ans: (B) – words and promises are meaningless without concrete action and justice
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. Chief Joseph repeatedly emphasizes that “good words do not last long unless they amount to something” and lists what words fail to provide (lines 2-10), then states he is “tired of talk that comes to nothing” (line 11). Choice (C) is too narrow; while misrepresentations are mentioned (line 16), this is not the central argument. Choice (D) contradicts the passage, which states peace is possible if white men treat all alike (lines 17-20).

16. Ans: (B) – achieve significance through action
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 6, Chief Joseph says “Good words do not last long unless they amount to something,” meaning words must lead to meaningful results and actions. Choice (A) uses a literal mathematical meaning of “amount to” that does not fit the context of evaluating promises. Choice (D) is too narrow; while exchange is relevant, the phrase means more broadly achieving real significance.

17. Ans: (B) – loss of health and lack of a secure home
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Chief Joseph states that good words “will not give my people good health and stop them from dying” and “will not get my people a home where they can live in peace” (lines 8-10). Choice (A) is not mentioned in the passage. Choice (C) is not stated; while conditions may be harsh, the passage does not specifically mention weather.

18. Ans: (B) – emphasize the inadequacy of promises without action
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The anaphora of “Good words will not” repeated six times (lines 6-9) hammers home Chief Joseph’s point that talk accomplishes nothing. Choice (A) is insulting and unsupported; repetition is a sophisticated rhetorical device. Choice (D) is incorrect; these are not demands but rather examples of what words fail to accomplish.

19. Ans: (C) – weary but resolute and direct
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. Chief Joseph states “I am tired of talk” and “It makes my heart sick” (lines 11-12), showing weariness, yet he speaks plainly and firmly about what is needed (lines 17-20). Choice (A) is contradicted by the passage; Chief Joseph expresses exhaustion and frustration, not optimism. Choice (B) is too extreme; while frustrated, he is not mocking.

20. Ans: (B) – equal treatment and equal opportunities under the law
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Chief Joseph directly states: “Treat all men alike. Give them the same law. Give them all an even chance to live and grow” (lines 18-20). Choice (A) is not stated; he argues for equal treatment, not separation. Choice (C), while mentioned as something words won’t provide, is not presented as the requirement for peace.