Reading Passage for HSPT - 50

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 morning fog hung over the wharf like a damp wool blanket, and Mei could taste salt on her lips as she threaded her way between the fish crates and coiled ropes. She had been walking the docks of Seattle for three weeks now, searching (5) for work that didn’t exist. Her brother’s letter had promised jobs in the canneries, good wages, a chance to save money for their mother’s passage from Guangdong. But Henry had written that letter in 1929, and now it was 1932, and the canneries were shuttered or running on skeleton crews.

    A voice called out (10) behind her, rough and impatient. “Girl, you speak English?” Mei turned to see a man in a stained apron leaning out from a doorway. His face was red and creased like old leather. “I need someone who can gut forty fish an hour and keep count. Six days, four dollars a week.”

    Mei knew the offer was (15) insultingly low – she’d heard men complain bitterly about five dollars – but she also knew desperation when she felt it clawing at her stomach. She nodded once, sharply, and followed him inside, where the air was thick with brine and the sound of steel on scales. (20)

1. The main purpose of this passage is to

1. describe the fishing industry in Depression-era Seattle
2. portray a young immigrant woman’s struggle to find work during hard times
3. explain why canneries closed during the 1930s
4. compare working conditions in Seattle and Guangdong

2. According to the passage, Mei has been looking for work for

1. one week
2. three weeks
3. six weeks
4. three years

3. As used in line 9, the word shuttered most nearly means

1. equipped with protective coverings
2. closed down
3. photographed
4. shaken violently

4. It can be inferred from the passage that Henry is Mei’s

1. employer
2. brother
3. husband
4. cousin

5. The passage suggests that Mei accepts the job offer primarily because she

1. enjoys working with fish
2. admires the man’s honesty
3. is desperate for any income
4. wants to learn a new skill

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

1. triumphant and celebratory
2. somber and uncertain
3. angry and accusatory
4. humorous and lighthearted

7. The detail about the man’s face being “red and creased like old leather” (line 12) serves primarily to

1. suggest he has worked outdoors for many years
2. indicate he is angry at Mei
3. show that he is a kind person
4. prove he owns the cannery

Passage 2

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

    For more than a century, scholars have debated the purpose of the massive stone structures on Easter Island, known locally as moai. These monolithic statues, some weighing over eighty tons and standing thirty feet tall, were carved from volcanic tuff and transported (5) across the island by the Rapa Nui people between 1250 and 1500 CE. Traditional theories held that the moai were moved on wooden rollers, a method that would have required vast quantities of timber and contributed to the island’s eventual deforestation.

    Recent archaeological experiments, however, have challenged this long-standing assumption. In 2012, researchers (10) Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt successfully demonstrated that moai could be transported upright using a “walking” technique. By rocking the statue from side to side while pulling it forward with ropes, a team of fewer than twenty people moved a ten-ton replica several hundred yards. Computer simulations (15) have since confirmed that this method generates far less friction than sledding and would have required minimal wood.

    This finding reshapes our understanding of Rapa Nui history. Rather than a cautionary tale of ecological collapse caused by statue construction, the island’s deforestation now appears more closely linked to the introduction of Polynesian rats, which consumed (20) palm seeds at unsustainable rates. The moai, far from symbols of excess, may represent a remarkably efficient engineering achievement.

8. The primary purpose of this passage is to

1. describe the construction techniques used to carve moai
2. present a new theory about how moai were transported
3. explain why Easter Island was deforested
4. compare different Polynesian statue traditions

9. According to the passage, the moai were carved from

1. palm wood
2. volcanic tuff
3. limestone
4. imported marble

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

1. forest growth
2. timber harvesting
3. removal of trees
4. plantation farming

11. The passage indicates that the walking technique for moving moai required

1. more than fifty people
2. fewer than twenty people
3. exactly twelve people
4. over one hundred people

12. The author’s attitude toward the new moai-transport theory can best be described as

1. deeply skeptical
2. completely neutral
3. cautiously supportive
4. openly hostile

13. It can be inferred from the passage that Polynesian rats contributed to deforestation by

1. gnawing on tree trunks
2. eating palm seeds
3. building large nests
4. spreading tree diseases

14. The passage suggests that earlier theories about moai transport were flawed because they

1. underestimated the intelligence of the Rapa Nui people
2. relied on assumptions about wooden rollers that required excessive timber
3. ignored the role of rats in the island’s ecosystem
4. were based on insufficient archaeological evidence

Passage 3

The following passage is adapted from a 1917 speech by suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt.

    We have fought a long and valiant fight for the right to vote, and we stand now at the threshold of victory. But let us be clear about what this victory means and what it does not mean. When women gain the ballot, we do not merely (5) acquire a privilege; we assume a responsibility. The vote is not a trinket to be displayed but a tool to be wielded in the service of justice.

    Some have asked whether women, once enfranchised, will vote differently from men. I cannot predict the choices individual women will make at the polls, nor should I presume (10) to. But I can say with certainty that women will bring to the voting booth perspectives shaped by distinct experiences – experiences of managing households on uncertain incomes, of raising children in crowded tenements, of working for wages that barely sustain life. These experiences are not (15) marginal curiosities; they are central to the health of our democracy.

    When we cast our first ballots, we must do so with the knowledge that we vote not only for ourselves but for those who cannot yet vote, and for the generations who will inherit the world we shape. (20)

15. The main purpose of this speech is to

1. celebrate the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment
2. explain the responsibilities that come with women’s suffrage
3. criticize men for opposing women’s voting rights
4. describe the history of the suffrage movement

16. According to Catt, the vote should be understood as a

1. trinket to be displayed
2. tool to be wielded
3. gift to be treasured
4. burden to be avoided

17. As used in line 9, the word enfranchised most nearly means

1. liberated from prison
2. given the right to vote
3. granted business licenses
4. freed from slavery

18. Catt suggests that women will bring to voting perspectives shaped by experiences that include

1. military service and combat
2. managing households and raising children
3. foreign travel and diplomacy
4. legal training and courtroom work

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

1. bitter and resentful
2. earnest and exhortatory
3. detached and analytical
4. playful and ironic

20. It can be inferred from the passage that Catt believes women’s experiences are

1. irrelevant to political decision-making
2. identical to men’s experiences
3. essential to a healthy democracy
4. too painful to discuss publicly

Answer Key

1. Ans: (B) – portray a young immigrant woman’s struggle to find work during hard times
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage centers on Mei’s three-week search for employment and her desperate acceptance of an exploitative job offer (lines 4-6, 15-19), making the portrayal of her struggle the primary focus. Choice (A) is too broad; while the passage mentions the fishing industry, it focuses specifically on Mei’s personal experience rather than providing a general description of the industry. Choice (D) is incorrect because the passage never describes working conditions in Guangdong.

2. Ans: (B) – three weeks
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states that Mei “had been walking the docks of Seattle for three weeks now, searching for work” (lines 4-5). Choice (A) is incorrect because one week is too short a time period. Choice (D) confuses the year 1932 mentioned in line 8 with a duration of time, which represents a misreading of the passage.

3. Ans: (B) – closed down
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 9, “shuttered” refers to canneries that were closed or running on minimal staff during the Depression, indicating they had ceased normal operations. Choice (A) uses the literal meaning of shutters as window coverings, which distorts the word’s meaning in this context. Choice (C) confuses “shuttered” with “shutter” as a camera component, which is unrelated to the passage’s meaning.

4. Ans: (B) – brother
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage directly states that “Her brother’s letter had promised jobs in the canneries” (lines 5-6), identifying Henry as Mei’s brother. Choice (A) is incorrect because Henry wrote a letter from the past, not offering current employment. Choice (C) contradicts the explicit identification of Henry as her brother in line 6.

5. Ans: (C) – is desperate for any income
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage states that Mei “knew the offer was insultingly low” but “also knew desperation when she felt it clawing at her stomach” (lines 15-17), indicating that economic desperation drove her decision. Choice (A) is incorrect because nothing in the passage suggests Mei enjoys fish work. Choice (B) is wrong because the man is described as “rough and impatient” (line 10), not honest or admirable.

6. Ans: (B) – somber and uncertain
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The imagery of fog like a “damp wool blanket” (line 1), the failed promises, the Depression setting, and Mei’s reluctant acceptance of poor wages (lines 15-19) all create a somber, uncertain atmosphere. Choice (A) is incorrect because there is no triumph; Mei accepts exploitative conditions out of desperation. Choice (D) contradicts the serious, grim tone established throughout the passage.

7. Ans: (A) – suggest he has worked outdoors for many years
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The weathered, leather-like description of the man’s face (line 12) suggests prolonged outdoor work exposure, which characterizes him as an experienced fishery worker. Choice (B) is incorrect; while he speaks impatiently, the physical description serves to characterize his background, not his emotion. Choice (C) contradicts his rough, impatient manner described in line 10.

8. Ans: (B) – present a new theory about how moai were transported
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage focuses on the 2012 “walking” technique demonstration (lines 9-15) and how it challenges traditional wooden-roller theories, making the new transport method the central subject. Choice (A) is too narrow; carving techniques are not discussed, only transportation. Choice (C) is incorrect because while deforestation is mentioned, it is discussed as a secondary consequence of the transport debate (lines 17-20), not the main focus.

9. Ans: (B) – volcanic tuff
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states that the moai “were carved from volcanic tuff” (lines 4-5). Choice (A) confuses the material with the wooden rollers mentioned in traditional theories (line 7). Choice (D) is incorrect; the passage never mentions imported materials, and the moai were carved from local volcanic stone.

10. Ans: (C) – removal of trees
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 8, “deforestation” refers to the loss of Easter Island’s forests, meaning the removal of trees. Choice (A) reverses the meaning entirely, suggesting growth rather than loss. Choice (D) is too specific; while plantation farming might involve tree removal, deforestation in this context refers broadly to the elimination of forest cover.

11. Ans: (B) – fewer than twenty people
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states that “a team of fewer than twenty people moved a ten-ton replica” (lines 13-14) using the walking technique. Choice (A) contradicts the specific detail that fewer than twenty people were needed. Choice (C) invents a specific number not mentioned anywhere in the passage.

12. Ans: (C) – cautiously supportive
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The author presents the new theory with phrases like “successfully demonstrated” (line 11) and notes that simulations “confirmed” the method (lines 14-15), showing support while maintaining academic restraint. Choice (A) is incorrect; the author presents evidence supporting the theory rather than expressing skepticism. Choice (D) contradicts the positive framing of the research throughout the passage.

13. Ans: (B) – eating palm seeds
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states that “Polynesian rats…consumed palm seeds at unsustainable rates” (lines 19-21), directly linking seed consumption to deforestation. Choice (A) invents a detail not mentioned in the passage. Choice (D) is incorrect because the passage attributes deforestation to seed consumption, not disease spread.

14. Ans: (B) – relied on assumptions about wooden rollers that required excessive timber
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. The passage explains that traditional theories held that wooden rollers “would have required vast quantities of timber” (lines 7-8), but the new walking method “would have required minimal wood” (line 16), revealing the flaw in earlier assumptions. Choice (A) is not stated in the passage; the focus is on methods, not assessments of intelligence. Choice (C) confuses cause and effect; rats are discussed as an alternative explanation for deforestation, not as something earlier theories ignored regarding transport.

15. Ans: (B) – explain the responsibilities that come with women’s suffrage
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. Catt emphasizes that the vote is “not a trinket to be displayed but a tool to be wielded” (lines 6-7) and that women “assume a responsibility” (line 5), focusing on the obligations of voting. Choice (A) is incorrect; the speech was given in 1917, before the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified in 1920. Choice (C) is wrong because Catt does not criticize men in this passage.

16. Ans: (B) – tool to be wielded
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Catt explicitly states that “The vote is not a trinket to be displayed but a tool to be wielded in the service of justice” (lines 6-7). Choice (A) is directly contradicted by line 6, where Catt rejects the trinket metaphor. Choice (D) contradicts Catt’s positive framing of voting as a responsibility to be embraced.

17. Ans: (B) – given the right to vote
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 9, “enfranchised” refers to women gaining voting rights, as the entire speech concerns suffrage. Choice (A) uses a different meaning of freedom that does not apply in this political context. Choice (D) confuses enfranchisement with emancipation, which specifically refers to freedom from slavery.

18. Ans: (B) – managing households and raising children
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Catt lists women’s experiences as “managing households on uncertain incomes, of raising children in crowded tenements” (lines 11-13). Choice (A) is incorrect; military service is not mentioned and was not a common women’s experience in 1917. Choice (C) invents details not present in the passage.

19. Ans: (B) – earnest and exhortatory
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. Catt’s language is serious and urging, using phrases like “let us be clear” (line 4) and “we must do so with the knowledge” (line 18), creating an earnest, exhortatory tone. Choice (A) is incorrect; while Catt discusses a long fight, her tone is forward-looking and purposeful rather than bitter. Choice (D) contradicts the serious, solemn nature of the speech throughout.

20. Ans: (C) – essential to a healthy democracy
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Catt states that women’s experiences “are not marginal curiosities; they are central to the health of our democracy” (lines 14-16), directly asserting their essential nature. Choice (A) directly contradicts lines 14-16, where Catt argues these experiences are central, not irrelevant. Choice (B) is wrong because Catt emphasizes that women have “distinct experiences” (line 11), not identical ones.