Reading Passage for HSPT - 55

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 telegram arrived on a Tuesday, slipped beneath the door of our flat while Mother was boiling potatoes and I was mending the tear in my only good stockings. I saw the yellow envelope first and felt my stomach (5) drop. In the autumn of 1943, yellow envelopes meant only one thing, and it was never good news. Mother looked up from the stove, her face already draining of color, and I watched her hands begin to tremble before she even touched the paper.     She read it twice, her lips moving (10) soundlessly, then folded it with deliberate care and placed it in her apron pocket. “Your father,” she said, and her voice was steady in a way that frightened me more than tears would have. “He’s been wounded. They’ve sent him to a hospital in Sussex.” She turned back to the (15) stove, lifted the pot, and poured the potatoes into the colander as though nothing had changed. Steam rose between us like a curtain. I wanted to ask how badly he was hurt, whether he would come home, whether he would still be himself when he did, but the questions caught (20) in my throat and I said nothing at all.

1. The narrator’s immediate reaction to seeing the yellow envelope is one of

1. curiosity about its contents
2. fear based on past experience
3. excitement at receiving news
4. confusion about who sent it

2. As used in line 9, the word draining most nearly means

1. emptying
2. losing
3. filtering
4. exhausting

3. The detail that Mother reads the telegram twice suggests that she

1. has difficulty reading small print
2. cannot believe what she is reading
3. wants to memorize the exact words
4. is looking for hidden information

4. The narrator is most frightened by her mother’s

1. trembling hands
2. pale complexion
3. controlled tone of voice
4. sudden silence

5. The steam that rises between the narrator and her mother can best be interpreted as a symbol of

1. the heat of their anger
2. the emotional barrier between them
3. the difficulty of cooking during wartime
4. the passage of time

6. The narrator does not ask her mother questions primarily because

1. she already knows the answers
2. her mother has left the room
3. she is too emotionally overwhelmed to speak
4. her mother has forbidden her to discuss the telegram

7. The tone of this passage is best described as

1. bitterly resentful
2. quietly tense
3. openly grief-stricken
4. cautiously optimistic

Passage 2

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

    For decades, marine biologists assumed that the deep ocean floor was a barren desert, too cold and dark to support complex ecosystems. This assumption was shattered in 1977 when researchers aboard the submersible Alvin discovered (5) hydrothermal vents along the Galápagos Rift. These underwater geysers, which spew superheated water rich in minerals from beneath the Earth’s crust, were surrounded by dense colonies of bizarre organisms thriving in conditions previously thought uninhabitable.     The key to this (10) unexpected abundance lies in chemosynthesis, a process fundamentally different from the photosynthesis that fuels most life on Earth. Instead of converting sunlight into energy, chemosynthetic bacteria harvest energy from hydrogen sulfide and other chemicals dissolved in the vent water. These bacteria form (15) the foundation of a food web that includes giant tube worms, blind white crabs, and mussels the size of dinner plates. The tube worms, which can grow over two meters long, lack mouths and digestive systems entirely; they depend instead on billions of chemosynthetic bacteria (20) living within their tissues to provide nourishment.

8. The main purpose of this passage is to

1. argue for increased funding for deep-sea exploration
2. explain the discovery and ecology of hydrothermal vent communities
3. compare photosynthesis and chemosynthesis in technical detail
4. describe the features of the submersible Alvin

9. According to the passage, marine biologists before 1977 believed the deep ocean floor was

1. filled with hydrothermal vents
2. incapable of supporting complex life
3. warmer than previously measured
4. similar to the Galápagos Islands

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

1. surviving
2. flourishing
3. competing
4. adapting

11. The passage indicates that chemosynthetic bacteria obtain energy from

1. sunlight filtered through ocean water
2. chemicals in hydrothermal vent water
3. the tissues of giant tube worms
4. photosynthetic organisms nearby

12. The author describes giant tube worms as lacking mouths and digestive systems in order to

1. illustrate how completely they depend on symbiotic bacteria
2. explain why they cannot grow larger than two meters
3. prove that they evolved before other vent organisms
4. demonstrate that chemosynthesis is superior to photosynthesis

13. It can be inferred from the passage that most life on Earth ultimately depends on

1. hydrogen sulfide
2. hydrothermal vents
3. sunlight
4. deep-sea bacteria

14. The discovery described in this passage is significant primarily because it

1. proved that the Galápagos Rift is geologically active
2. challenged previous assumptions about where life can exist
3. demonstrated the superiority of the submersible Alvin
4. explained how photosynthesis evolved in Earth’s oceans

Passage 3

The following passage is adapted from a historical speech.

    I stand before you today not as a conqueror, but as a servant of justice. When I embarked upon the reformation of this Church, I sought no personal glory, no earthly crown. I sought only to cleanse the temple of (5) God from those corruptions that have crept in like thieves in the night. You have heard it said that I am a heretic, that I defy the established order, that I sow discord among the faithful. But I ask you: is it heresy to proclaim that salvation cannot be purchased with gold? Is it rebellion to (10) insist that Scripture, not the decrees of fallible men, must guide our souls? I have been called before councils and threatened with excommunication, yet my conscience remains bound to the Word of God. Here I stand; I can do no other. Let those who (15) profit from the sale of indulgences rage against me. Let those who build palaces from the pennies of the poor condemn my words. I will not recant what I know to be true, for to do so would be to betray not only my own soul, but the souls of all (20) who hunger for an honest faith.

15. The speaker’s primary purpose in this speech is to

1. defend his religious reforms against accusations of heresy
2. request forgiveness from Church authorities
3. announce his intention to establish a new church
4. describe the historical origins of Church corruption

16. As used in line 4, the word cleanse most nearly means

1. wash
2. purify
3. destroy
4. renovate

17. The speaker compares corruptions to “thieves in the night” in order to suggest that they are

1. criminal and stealthy
2. wealthy and powerful
3. recent and temporary
4. foreign and unfamiliar

18. According to the speaker, his conscience is bound to

1. the decrees of Church councils
2. the Word of God
3. the needs of the poor
4. the established order

19. The phrase “Here I stand; I can do no other” (lines 13–14) suggests that the speaker

1. is physically unable to move from his location
2. feels morally compelled to maintain his position
3. has been ordered by authorities to remain in place
4. believes he has no support from other reformers

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

1. humble and apologetic
2. defiant and principled
3. anxious and uncertain
4. scholarly and detached

Answer Key

1. Ans: (B) – fear based on past experience
Explanation: This is a Detail/Inference question. The narrator describes feeling her “stomach drop” upon seeing the envelope and explains that “In the autumn of 1943, yellow envelopes meant only one thing, and it was never good news” (lines 4–6), indicating fear rooted in past association with bad news. Choice (A) is incorrect because the narrator already knows what yellow envelopes signify, eliminating mere curiosity. Choice (C) is incorrect because the narrator’s physical reaction of her stomach dropping indicates dread, not excitement.

2. Ans: (B) – losing
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In context, Mother’s face is “draining of color” (line 9), meaning it is losing its color as she becomes pale with shock. Choice (A) is a literal meaning of “draining” but does not fit the figurative use describing a face losing color. Choice (C) is incorrect because “filtering” suggests a selective process rather than a complete loss of color.

3. Ans: (B) – cannot believe what she is reading
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The detail that Mother reads the telegram twice, combined with her physical reaction of trembling hands and draining color (lines 9–10), suggests she is struggling to accept shocking news. Choice (A) is incorrect because there is no suggestion in the passage that Mother has vision problems. Choice (D) is incorrect because the passage indicates the telegram contains straightforward news about Father’s injury, not hidden messages.

4. Ans: (C) – controlled tone of voice
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The narrator explicitly states that her mother’s voice “was steady in a way that frightened me more than tears would have” (lines 12–13), indicating that the controlled voice is what most frightens her. Choice (A) is incorrect because while the trembling hands are mentioned (line 9), the narrator specifically identifies the steady voice as more frightening than tears. Choice (B) is mentioned but not identified as the primary source of fear.

5. Ans: (B) – the emotional barrier between them
Explanation: This is an Inference/Structure question. The steam rising “between us like a curtain” (line 16) immediately follows the narrator’s inability to ask questions and her mother’s return to mundane tasks, symbolizing the emotional distance separating them in this moment. Choice (A) is incorrect because there is no anger expressed in the passage, only fear and suppressed emotion. Choice (C) is too literal and misses the symbolic significance of the image.

6. Ans: (C) – she is too emotionally overwhelmed to speak
Explanation: This is a Detail/Inference question. The narrator states that “the questions caught in my throat and I said nothing at all” (lines 19–20), indicating emotional paralysis prevents her from speaking. Choice (A) is incorrect because the narrator lists specific questions she wants to ask, showing she does not know the answers. Choice (D) is incorrect because there is no indication that Mother has forbidden discussion.

7. Ans: (B) – quietly tense
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The passage describes suppressed emotion, trembling hands, steady voices masking fear, and unasked questions (lines 9–20), creating an atmosphere of restrained tension rather than open expression. Choice (C) is incorrect because while grief is present, it is not openly expressed; both characters suppress their emotions. Choice (D) is incorrect because there is no suggestion of optimism; the focus is on fear and uncertainty about Father’s condition.

8. Ans: (B) – explain the discovery and ecology of hydrothermal vent communities
Explanation: This is a Main Idea/Author’s Purpose question. The passage describes the 1977 discovery of hydrothermal vents (lines 3–8) and then explains the chemosynthetic ecosystem that supports life there (lines 10–20). Choice (A) is incorrect because the passage makes no argument about funding; it is purely informative. Choice (C) is too narrow; while chemosynthesis is explained, it is part of the larger discussion of vent ecology, not a detailed technical comparison.

9. Ans: (B) – incapable of supporting complex life
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states that marine biologists “assumed that the deep ocean floor was a barren desert, too cold and dark to support complex ecosystems” (lines 2–4). Choice (A) contradicts the passage; scientists did not know about hydrothermal vents before 1977. Choice (C) is not mentioned; temperature measurements are not discussed as part of prior beliefs.

10. Ans: (B) – flourishing
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. The organisms are described as living in “dense colonies” in “unexpected abundance” (lines 7–10), indicating they are not merely surviving but flourishing in these conditions. Choice (A) is too weak; “thriving” implies more than just survival, as the context of abundance suggests. Choice (C) is incorrect because “competing” focuses on interaction between organisms rather than their overall health and success.

11. Ans: (B) – chemicals in hydrothermal vent water
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states that “chemosynthetic bacteria harvest energy from hydrogen sulfide and other chemicals dissolved in the vent water” (lines 12–14). Choice (A) contradicts the passage, which emphasizes that chemosynthesis is “fundamentally different from photosynthesis” (line 11) and does not require sunlight. Choice (C) reverses the relationship; bacteria live within tube worms and provide them nourishment, not the reverse (lines 18–20).

12. Ans: (A) – illustrate how completely they depend on symbiotic bacteria
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The passage describes tube worms lacking mouths and digestive systems, then immediately explains they “depend instead on billions of chemosynthetic bacteria living within their tissues to provide nourishment” (lines 18–20), emphasizing total dependence. Choice (B) is incorrect; size limitation is not suggested as connected to lacking digestive systems. Choice (D) is incorrect because the passage makes no value judgment about which process is superior.

13. Ans: (C) – sunlight
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage states that chemosynthesis is “fundamentally different from the photosynthesis that fuels most life on Earth” (lines 11–12), implying that most life depends on photosynthesis, which requires sunlight. Choice (A) is incorrect because hydrogen sulfide fuels only chemosynthetic bacteria, not most life on Earth. Choice (D) is too narrow; deep-sea bacteria support only vent ecosystems, not most life.

14. Ans: (B) – challenged previous assumptions about where life can exist
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. The passage opens by describing how the discovery “shattered” the assumption that the deep ocean was “too cold and dark to support complex ecosystems” (lines 1–4), fundamentally changing scientific understanding of habitable environments. Choice (A) is too narrow and focuses on geological rather than biological significance. Choice (D) is incorrect because the passage does not discuss the evolution of photosynthesis.

15. Ans: (A) – defend his religious reforms against accusations of heresy
Explanation: This is a Main Idea/Author’s Purpose question. The speaker addresses accusations (“You have heard it said that I am a heretic”) and defends his positions on salvation, Scripture, and indulgences throughout (lines 6–20). Choice (B) is incorrect because the speaker refuses to recant and shows no sign of requesting forgiveness. Choice (C) is incorrect; the speaker discusses reforming the existing Church, not establishing a new one.

16. Ans: (B) – purify
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. The speaker describes seeking to “cleanse the temple of God from those corruptions” (lines 4–5), meaning to purify it by removing moral and spiritual corruption. Choice (A) is too literal; “wash” is a physical meaning that does not capture the spiritual purification intended. Choice (C) is too extreme; the speaker wants to remove corruptions while preserving the Church itself.

17. Ans: (A) – criminal and stealthy
Explanation: This is an Inference/Structure question. The metaphor “thieves in the night” (line 5) suggests corruptions that entered secretly and wrongfully, emphasizing both their criminal nature and stealthy arrival. Choice (B) is incorrect; while the speaker later criticizes wealthy Church officials (lines 15–16), the thief metaphor emphasizes stealth, not wealth. Choice (C) is incorrect because the speaker does not suggest corruptions are recent or temporary.

18. Ans: (B) – the Word of God
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The speaker explicitly states “my conscience remains bound to the Word of God” (lines 12–13). Choice (A) contradicts the passage; the speaker contrasts Scripture with “the decrees of fallible men” (line 11), rejecting human councils as his authority. Choice (D) is incorrect because the speaker is accused of defying the established order (line 7).

19. Ans: (B) – feels morally compelled to maintain his position
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The phrase indicates the speaker has no moral alternative to his current stance, which is reinforced by his statement that to recant “would be to betray not only my own soul” (lines 18–19). Choice (A) is incorrect because this is clearly figurative language about moral conviction, not physical location. Choice (C) is incorrect; there is no indication of orders to remain in a specific place.

20. Ans: (B) – defiant and principled
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The speaker challenges accusations, refuses to recant, invites his opponents to “rage against me” (line 15), and grounds his defiance in moral conviction about truth and Scripture (lines 6–20). Choice (A) is incorrect because the speaker shows no humility or apology; he is unapologetically defiant. Choice (C) is incorrect because the speaker expresses certainty and resolve, not anxiety or uncertainty.