Reading Passage for HSPT - 60

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 under the door of Apartment 4C while Mrs. Kowalski was boiling cabbage. She found it only when the pot boiled over, sending her rushing from the kitchen with a dishcloth. The thin yellow envelope lay against the scuffed (5) baseboards, and for a moment she simply stared at it, unwilling to break the seal. In her experience, telegrams delivered nothing but sorrow.

    Her daughter Irena was at the table, mending a slip by the window’s fading light. “What is it, Mama?” she asked, though her needle (10) never paused. The girl had inherited her father’s steady hands, his capacity to work through worry.

    “News from Poland,” Mrs. Kowalski said quietly. She slit the envelope with her thumbnail and unfolded the paper. The words swam before her eyes — her brother’s name, the word “safe,” (15) a date of arrival. She read it twice, then a third time, before she believed it. After eight months of silence, of imagining the worst each time she passed the newsstand and glimpsed the headlines, here was proof that Tomasz had survived.

    Irena looked up. In her mother’s face she saw something (20) she hadn’t seen in years: relief so profound it looked like pain.

1. The passage is primarily concerned with

1. a woman’s reaction to unexpected good news
2. the difficulties of immigrant life in America
3. the relationship between a mother and daughter
4. the dangers faced by people in wartime Poland

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

1. painted
2. worn
3. wooden
4. polished

3. Mrs. Kowalski hesitates to open the telegram because she

1. cannot read English very well
2. associates telegrams with bad news
3. is too busy with her cooking
4. wants Irena to open it instead

4. The description of Irena’s hands as “steady” suggests that she

1. is indifferent to her mother’s emotions
2. does not understand the importance of the telegram
3. remains calm in stressful situations
4. plans to become a professional seamstress

5. The passage indicates that Mrs. Kowalski has been worried about her brother for approximately

1. two weeks
2. one month
3. eight months
4. several years

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

1. humorous and lighthearted
2. tense and then relieved
3. angry and resentful
4. nostalgic and wistful

7. The final sentence suggests that Mrs. Kowalski’s relief is so intense that it

1. causes her to cry tears of joy
2. makes her forget about the boiling pot
3. appears physically similar to suffering
4. prevents her from speaking to Irena

Passage 2

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

    For decades, scientists believed that the deep ocean floor was a barren wasteland, devoid of life beyond occasional scavengers. This assumption seemed reasonable: sunlight penetrates seawater to a maximum depth of roughly one thousand meters, and without sunlight, photosynthesis (5) cannot occur. No photosynthesis means no plant life, and without plants to form the base of a food chain, what could possibly sustain an ecosystem?

    The discovery of hydrothermal vents in 1977 shattered this assumption. These underwater geysers, found along mid-ocean ridges where tectonic plates diverge, spew superheated water (10) rich in minerals and chemicals from beneath the Earth’s crust. The water, often exceeding 400 degrees Celsius, would seem hostile to life. Yet clustered around these vents, researchers found thriving communities of organisms unlike anything seen before.

    The key to these ecosystems lies in chemosynthesis, a process analogous (15) to photosynthesis but powered by chemical energy rather than light. Bacteria near the vents harvest energy by oxidizing hydrogen sulfide — a compound toxic to most organisms — and use this energy to convert carbon dioxide into organic molecules. These chemosynthetic bacteria form the foundation of the (20) vent ecosystem, supporting a remarkable array of life including giant tube worms, eyeless shrimp, and pale crabs that have adapted to eternal darkness.

8. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. explain why the deep ocean floor cannot support life
2. describe how a discovery changed scientific understanding of deep-sea ecosystems
3. compare photosynthesis and chemosynthesis in detail
4. argue for increased funding for deep-sea exploration

9. According to the passage, scientists originally believed the deep ocean floor was barren because

1. the water pressure was too intense for organisms to survive
2. no one had explored it thoroughly before 1977
3. the absence of sunlight seemed to preclude a food chain
4. the temperature was too cold for biological processes

10. As used in line 14, the word analogous most nearly means

1. identical
2. opposite
3. similar
4. superior

11. Hydrothermal vents are found in locations where

1. sunlight can penetrate to the ocean floor
2. tectonic plates are moving apart
3. the water temperature remains constant
4. photosynthesis occurs most efficiently

12. The passage suggests that hydrogen sulfide is

1. harmless to all known organisms
2. necessary for photosynthesis to occur
3. poisonous to most forms of life
4. found only in shallow ocean waters

13. The organization of the passage can best be described as

1. a scientific hypothesis followed by supporting evidence
2. a chronological narrative of deep-sea exploration
3. an old assumption, a discovery, and an explanation of the discovery
4. a comparison of two competing scientific theories

14. Which of the following can be inferred about the organisms living near hydrothermal vents?

1. They periodically migrate to shallow waters to feed
2. They have evolved specialized adaptations to their environment
3. They are identical to organisms found in shallow ocean waters
4. They require some sunlight to survive

Passage 3

The following passage is adapted from a historical letter.

    This letter from Abigail Adams to her husband John Adams, dated March 31, 1776, addresses the question of women’s rights as the Continental Congress prepared to declare independence.

    I long to hear that you have declared an independency. And, by the way, in the new code of laws which I suppose (5) it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the (10) ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.

    Your wife has been fully employed in looking after the family and the farm. I am willing to bear much, but when I consider that (15) we have no voice in making the laws that govern us, I cannot help but feel that our situation is little better than that of our forefathers under British tyranny. That mankind are naturally disposed to use power arbitrarily when they have it, there can be no question. It is necessary, therefore, to establish (20) barriers against the abuse of such power.

15. The main purpose of Abigail Adams’s letter is to

1. complain about her duties on the farm
2. urge her husband to include protections for women in new laws
3. express support for independence from Britain
4. describe the hardships faced by colonial families

16. As used in line 10, the word foment most nearly means

1. prevent
2. incite
3. document
4. forgive

17. Abigail Adams suggests that without representation, women

1. will refuse to obey laws they had no part in creating
2. will move to another country
3. will stop managing their households
4. will petition the British government for help

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

1. apologetic and submissive
2. urgent and assertive
3. bitter and defeated
4. casual and affectionate

19. Abigail Adams compares the situation of women to

1. that of her ancestors in Europe
2. the condition of farm laborers
3. the colonists’ experience under British rule
4. the lives of women in other countries

20. The passage suggests that Abigail Adams believes all men

1. are naturally inclined to abuse power when given the opportunity
2. should be denied the right to make laws
3. are more generous than their ancestors were
4. will willingly share power with women

Answer Key

1. Ans: (A) – a woman’s reaction to unexpected good news
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage focuses centrally on Mrs. Kowalski receiving and reading the telegram about her brother’s survival, tracing her emotional journey from dread to relief (lines 4-20). Choice (B) is too broad, as the passage mentions the apartment and Poland but does not focus on immigrant hardships. Choice (D) is mentioned but is not the primary concern of the passage.

2. Ans: (B) – worn
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. The word “scuffed” describes baseboards that show signs of damage or wear from use (line 5), making “worn” the best match. Choice (C) describes what baseboards are made of, not their condition. Choice (D) means the opposite of scuffed, as polished suggests pristine condition rather than damage.

3. Ans: (B) – associates telegrams with bad news
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage explicitly states that “In her experience, telegrams delivered nothing but sorrow” (lines 5-6). Choice (A) is never mentioned in the passage. Choice (C) reverses the sequence of events, as she finds the telegram only after the pot boils over, not while she is busy cooking.

4. Ans: (C) – remains calm in stressful situations
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage states Irena has “steady hands” and “his capacity to work through worry” (lines 10-11), suggesting composure under stress. Choice (A) contradicts the passage, as Irena asks her mother what is wrong, showing concern. Choice (D) takes a detail from the passage (mending) and extends it beyond what is stated.

5. Ans: (C) – eight months
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage directly states “After eight months of silence” (line 16). Choice (A) and choice (B) are contradicted by the specific time reference given. Choice (D) is too broad and not supported by the passage.

6. Ans: (B) – tense and then relieved
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The passage begins with anxiety (Mrs. Kowalski “unwilling to break the seal,” line 5) and ends with “relief so profound” (line 20). Choice (A) contradicts the serious subject matter involving worry about a family member’s survival. Choice (C) is not supported, as no anger or resentment is expressed anywhere in the passage.

7. Ans: (C) – appears physically similar to suffering
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The final line states the relief “looked like pain” (line 20), indicating the physical resemblance between intense relief and suffering. Choice (A) adds information not stated in the passage. Choice (D) contradicts the passage, as there is no indication she cannot speak.

8. Ans: (B) – describe how a discovery changed scientific understanding of deep-sea ecosystems
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The passage presents the old belief that the deep ocean was barren (lines 1-6), then describes how the 1977 discovery of hydrothermal vents “shattered this assumption” (line 7). Choice (A) reverses the passage’s message, which shows the ocean floor does support life. Choice (D) is never mentioned or suggested anywhere in the passage.

9. Ans: (C) – the absence of sunlight seemed to preclude a food chain
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage explains that without sunlight, photosynthesis cannot occur, and “without plants to form the base of a food chain, what could possibly sustain an ecosystem?” (lines 4-6). Choice (A) is never mentioned as a reason for the assumption. Choice (D) is incorrect because the passage mentions superheated water, not cold temperatures.

10. Ans: (C) – similar
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. The passage describes chemosynthesis as “analogous to photosynthesis but powered by chemical energy rather than light” (lines 14-15), indicating similarity with a key difference. Choice (A) is too strong, as the passage emphasizes differences between the processes. Choice (B) contradicts the comparison being made in the passage.

11. Ans: (B) – tectonic plates are moving apart
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage states vents are “found along mid-ocean ridges where tectonic plates diverge” (lines 8-9), and diverge means move apart. Choice (A) contradicts the passage’s explanation that sunlight cannot reach these depths (lines 3-4). Choice (D) reverses the information, as photosynthesis cannot occur in these locations.

12. Ans: (C) – poisonous to most forms of life
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage describes hydrogen sulfide as “a compound toxic to most organisms” (line 17). Choice (A) directly contradicts this description. Choice (B) confuses chemosynthesis with photosynthesis, which uses light, not hydrogen sulfide.

13. Ans: (C) – an old assumption, a discovery, and an explanation of the discovery
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The first paragraph presents the old belief, the second describes the 1977 discovery, and the third explains chemosynthesis. Choice (A) is incorrect because the passage presents an assumption that was proven wrong, not a hypothesis with supporting evidence. Choice (D) is wrong because only one theory (chemosynthesis) is explained, not two competing theories.

14. Ans: (B) – They have evolved specialized adaptations to their environment
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. The passage mentions “eyeless shrimp” and organisms “that have adapted to eternal darkness” (lines 20-21), indicating specialized evolutionary changes. Choice (A) contradicts the passage’s implication that these organisms live permanently near vents. Choice (C) is contradicted by the description of these organisms as “unlike anything seen before” (line 12).

15. Ans: (B) – urge her husband to include protections for women in new laws
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. Abigail Adams explicitly asks John to “remember the ladies” and “be more generous and favorable to them” in the new laws (lines 4-6). Choice (A) is too narrow, as farm duties are mentioned briefly to establish context, not as the main purpose. Choice (C) is mentioned but is secondary to her request about women’s rights.

16. Ans: (B) – incite
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. Adams states women “are determined to foment a rebellion” (line 10), meaning to stir up or provoke one. Choice (A) means the opposite of what Adams threatens. Choice (D) contradicts the confrontational tone of threatening rebellion.

17. Ans: (A) – will refuse to obey laws they had no part in creating
Explanation: This is a Detail question. Adams states women “will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation” (lines 10-11). Choice (B) is not mentioned anywhere in the passage. Choice (C) contradicts her statement that she has been “fully employed in looking after the family and the farm” (line 13).

18. Ans: (B) – urgent and assertive
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. Adams uses strong language like “determined to foment a rebellion” (line 10) and makes direct demands, creating an urgent, assertive tone. Choice (A) contradicts the forceful demands she makes throughout. Choice (C) is incorrect because she expresses determination and action, not defeat.

19. Ans: (C) – the colonists’ experience under British rule
Explanation: This is a Detail question. Adams states women’s situation “is little better than that of our forefathers under British tyranny” (lines 16-17). Choice (A) distorts the passage, which refers to “forefathers” under British rule, not ancestors in Europe generally. Choice (D) is not mentioned in the passage.

20. Ans: (A) – are naturally inclined to abuse power when given the opportunity
Explanation: This is an Inference question. Adams states “all men would be tyrants if they could” (line 8) and “mankind are naturally disposed to use power arbitrarily when they have it” (lines 17-18). Choice (B) reverses her argument, as she wants men to share lawmaking, not be denied it entirely. Choice (D) contradicts her assertion that men naturally tend toward tyranny.