Reading Passage for HSPT - 84

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 Thursday, slipped under the door of our flat while Mother was at the fishmonger’s and I was supposed to be practicing scales. Instead, I was reading a penny dreadful I’d hidden inside my music book, so I heard the soft scrape (5) of paper on wood. I knew before I picked it up that it was from Father. Mother had been watching the door like a hawk watches a henhouse ever since he’d left for the Ceylon plantations sixteen months ago.     The message was brief: “Returning (10) Southampton tenth inst. Bringing guest. Prepare east room.” I read it three times, my heart performing complicated gymnastics. Father was coming home. But who was this guest, and why did Father write to me instead of Mother? I folded the telegram and tucked it into (15) my sleeve, then returned to the piano bench, my fingers finding the keys automatically while my mind spun through possibilities. When Mother returned twenty minutes later, her basket smelling of mackerel and seawater, I was playing a creditable (20) C major scale, though I could not have told her a single note I’d struck.

1. The narrator hides the telegram from her mother primarily because

1. she fears her mother will be angry about the guest
2. she is uncertain why her father addressed the message to her rather than to her mother
3. she wants to surprise her mother with the news of her father’s return
4. she is afraid of being punished for not practicing the piano

2. As used in line 6, the word “scrape” most nearly means

1. argument
2. abrasion
3. bow
4. grating sound

3. The narrator’s description of her heart performing “complicated gymnastics” (line 12) suggests that she feels

1. physical pain from anxiety
2. a mixture of excitement and uncertainty
3. pride in her father’s accomplishments
4. fear of meeting the mysterious guest

4. The passage suggests that the narrator’s mother has been

1. anxiously awaiting communication from the narrator’s father
2. planning to travel to Ceylon to join her husband
3. angry with her daughter for neglecting piano practice
4. preparing the east room for a visitor

5. The detail that the narrator had hidden a “penny dreadful” inside her music book primarily serves to

1. establish the time period of the story
2. reveal the narrator’s tendency toward deception and secrecy
3. demonstrate the narrator’s lack of musical talent
4. explain why the narrator heard the telegram arrive

6. Which of the following best describes the narrator’s state of mind in the final sentence?

1. Distracted by thoughts about the telegram
2. Focused intently on her musical performance
3. Worried about deceiving her mother
4. Excited to share news with her mother

7. The tone of the passage as a whole can best be described as

1. apprehensive and secretive
2. joyful and celebratory
3. bitter and resentful
4. nostalgic and wistful

Passage 2

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

    The discovery of preserved wooden tools in waterlogged archaeological sites has revolutionized our understanding of prehistoric technology. Unlike stone implements, which survive readily in most soil conditions, organic materials such as wood typically decompose within decades. (5) Yet when wood is submerged in oxygen-poor environments like peat bogs or lake beds, bacterial decay slows dramatically, sometimes preserving artifacts for millennia.     One remarkable example comes from the Clacton-on-Sea site in Essex, England, where a wooden spear tip dating to approximately (10) 400,000 years ago was recovered from ancient marsh deposits. This artifact, fashioned from yew wood and shaped to a sharp point, demonstrates that early humans possessed sophisticated woodworking capabilities far earlier than previously assumed. The spear required not only selecting appropriate wood with the right (15) grain characteristics but also controlled use of fire to harden the point-a multi-step process demanding considerable technical knowledge.     These waterlogged sites yield other insights as well. Wooden fish traps from Mesolithic northern Europe reveal elaborate understanding of tidal patterns and fish (20) behavior. The construction techniques-weaving thin branches into cone-shaped enclosures-show that basketry skills were highly developed at least 8,000 years ago, suggesting complex knowledge transmission across generations.

8. The main purpose of this passage is to

1. explain how waterlogged sites preserve organic archaeological materials
2. argue that prehistoric humans were more technologically advanced than commonly believed
3. describe how wooden artifacts enhance understanding of early human capabilities
4. compare the preservation of wood and stone artifacts

9. According to the passage, wood typically decomposes quickly unless it is

1. hardened by fire
2. submerged in an oxygen-poor environment
3. made from yew trees
4. shaped into tools or weapons

10. As used in line 14, the word “grain” most nearly means

1. seed or kernel
2. small particle
3. directional pattern of wood fibers
4. texture of the surface

11. The passage indicates that creating the Clacton spear point required

1. knowledge of multiple complex techniques
2. metal tools for shaping the wood
3. several years of work
4. collaboration among many craftspeople

12. The author mentions Mesolithic fish traps primarily to

1. demonstrate that coastal peoples had superior technology to inland groups
2. provide additional evidence of sophisticated prehistoric skills
3. contrast simple and complex woodworking techniques
4. explain how knowledge was transmitted across generations

13. Based on the passage, which of the following can be inferred about stone tools?

1. They were less important to prehistoric peoples than wooden tools
2. They have provided an incomplete picture of prehistoric technology
3. They required less skill to manufacture than wooden implements
4. They were not used by the people who made the Clacton spear

14. The organizational structure of the passage can best be described as

1. presenting a problem and then proposing a solution
2. making a general claim and then providing specific supporting examples
3. describing a chronological sequence of archaeological discoveries
4. comparing and contrasting two competing scientific theories

Passage 3

The following passage is adapted from a speech delivered by Frederick Douglass in 1852.

    Fellow citizens, pardon me, and allow me to ask, why am I called upon to speak here today? What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence? Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice (5) embodied in that Declaration of Independence extended to us? And am I, therefore, called upon to bring our humble offering to the national altar and to confess the benefits and express devout gratitude for the blessings resulting from your independence to us?     Would to God, both for your sakes and (10) ours, that an affirmative answer could be truthfully returned to these questions! Then would my task be light, and my burden easy and delightful. For who is there so cold that a nation’s sympathy could not warm him? Who so obdurate and dead to the claims of gratitude that would not (15) thankfully acknowledge such priceless benefits? Who so stolid and selfish that would not give his voice to swell the hallelujahs of a nation’s jubilee, when the chains of servitude had been torn from his limbs?     But such is not the state of the case. I say it with a sad sense (20) of the disparity between us. I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us.

15. The primary purpose of Douglass’s rhetorical questions in the first paragraph is to

1. express genuine confusion about why he was invited to speak
2. highlight the contradiction between American ideals and the reality of slavery
3. request that the audience answer his questions directly
4. demonstrate his extensive knowledge of the Declaration of Independence

16. As used in line 15, the word “stolid” most nearly means

1. strong
2. unemotional
3. stationary
4. solid

17. In lines 9-17, Douglass describes a hypothetical situation in which

1. he would be grateful to celebrate American independence
2. enslaved people would be freed immediately
3. his speech would be well received by the audience
4. the Declaration of Independence would be rewritten

18. The tone of the passage shifts from

1. angry and accusatory to apologetic and humble
2. questioning and ironic to direct and somber
3. celebratory and joyful to bitter and resentful
4. confused and uncertain to confident and assured

19. The phrase “the pale of this glorious anniversary” (line 21) suggests that Douglass feels

1. physically ill when contemplating Independence Day
2. excluded from the freedom being celebrated
3. frightened by the intensity of the celebration
4. unworthy of attending national celebrations

20. Based on the passage, which statement best describes Douglass’s rhetorical strategy?

1. He uses humor and satire to make his audience uncomfortable
2. He employs irony to expose the hypocrisy of celebrating freedom in a slaveholding nation
3. He relies primarily on statistical evidence to prove his claims
4. He appeals to religious authority to condemn his listeners

Answer Key

1. Ans: (B) – she is uncertain why her father addressed the message to her rather than to her mother
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage explicitly states that the narrator wonders “why did Father write to me instead of Mother?” (lines 12-13), indicating her confusion about being the telegram’s recipient. Choice (A) is wrong because the narrator shows curiosity about the guest but no indication her mother would be angry. Choice (D) is wrong because while she was not practicing, there is no evidence she fears punishment for this.

2. Ans: (D) – grating sound
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 5, “scrape” describes the sound of paper sliding under the door, making “grating sound” the correct meaning. Choice (A) is wrong because while “scrape” can mean a difficult situation or argument, the context is clearly describing a physical sound. Choice (C) is wrong because “scrape” as a bow or act of bowing has no connection to the context of paper moving across wood.

3. Ans: (B) – a mixture of excitement and uncertainty
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The narrator describes reading the telegram three times and her mind spinning “through possibilities” (line 15), indicating both excitement about her father’s return and uncertainty about the mysterious guest. Choice (A) is wrong because “gymnastics” is clearly metaphorical, not describing actual physical pain. Choice (D) is too narrow, focusing only on fear rather than the mixed emotions suggested by the metaphor.

4. Ans: (A) – anxiously awaiting communication from the narrator’s father
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage states that Mother had been “watching the door like a hawk watches a henhouse” (lines 6-7) since Father left, clearly indicating anxious anticipation of news. Choice (B) is wrong because there is no mention of the mother planning to travel to Ceylon. Choice (D) is wrong because the mother does not yet know about the telegram requesting preparation of the east room.

5. Ans: (D) – explain why the narrator heard the telegram arrive
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The passage directly connects the narrator’s reading instead of practicing to her hearing “the soft scrape of paper on wood” (lines 4-5), establishing the causal link. Choice (B) is too broad; while the narrator does hide things, this detail’s immediate purpose is explaining her awareness of the telegram’s arrival. Choice (C) is wrong because nothing in the passage suggests she lacks musical talent.

6. Ans: (A) – Distracted by thoughts about the telegram
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The final sentence states she “could not have told her a single note” she had struck (lines 19-20), directly indicating her mind was elsewhere despite her fingers playing automatically. Choice (B) contradicts this statement entirely. Choice (D) is wrong because the narrator is actively concealing the news, not excited to share it.

7. Ans: (A) – apprehensive and secretive
Explanation: This is a Tone question. The narrator hides both her reading material and the telegram, and the passage emphasizes her uncertainty and concealment throughout. Choice (B) is wrong because while there is some excitement, the dominant emotions are anxiety and secrecy, not joy. Choice (D) is wrong because the passage is narrated in present action, not as a nostalgic memory.

8. Ans: (C) – describe how wooden artifacts enhance understanding of early human capabilities
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage opens with wooden tools “revolutionizing our understanding” (line 2) and provides examples showing sophisticated prehistoric capabilities. Choice (A) is too narrow; preservation is discussed but as a means to the larger point about what these artifacts reveal. Choice (B) is too broad and argumentative; the passage describes specific findings rather than making a general argument about all prehistoric technology.

9. Ans: (B) – submerged in an oxygen-poor environment
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage explicitly states that wood decomposes “within decades” but when “submerged in oxygen-poor environments” decay “slows dramatically” (lines 5-6). Choice (A) is wrong because fire-hardening is mentioned as a technique for making tools, not for preserving them. Choice (C) is wrong because yew is mentioned only as the material of one specific artifact, not as a preservation factor.

10. Ans: (C) – directional pattern of wood fibers
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 14, “grain characteristics” refers to the properties of wood relevant to tool-making, specifically the directional fiber pattern that affects how wood splits and shapes. Choice (A) is wrong because while “grain” can mean seed, the context is clearly about wood properties, not agriculture. Choice (B) is wrong because although “grain” can refer to small particles, this does not fit the context of selecting wood for tool-making.

11. Ans: (A) – knowledge of multiple complex techniques
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage describes the spear as requiring wood selection with appropriate grain characteristics and “controlled use of fire,” calling it “a multi-step process demanding considerable technical knowledge” (lines 14-16). Choice (B) is wrong because the passage specifically emphasizes prehistoric capabilities and makes no mention of metal tools. Choice (C) is wrong because no timeframe for construction is mentioned in the passage.

12. Ans: (B) – provide additional evidence of sophisticated prehistoric skills
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The fish traps are introduced with “These waterlogged sites yield other insights as well” (line 17), and they demonstrate “elaborate understanding” and “highly developed” skills (lines 18-21), adding to the passage’s evidence of prehistoric sophistication. Choice (A) is wrong because no comparison is made between coastal and inland groups. Choice (D) is too narrow; while knowledge transmission is mentioned, it is not the primary reason for including this example.

13. Ans: (B) – They have provided an incomplete picture of prehistoric technology
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage states that stone “survive[s] readily” (line 3) while wood typically decomposes, and that wooden tool discoveries have “revolutionized our understanding” (line 2), implying previous understanding based mainly on stone was incomplete. Choice (A) reverses the passage’s implication; the passage suggests wooden tools were important but previously unknown, not that they were more important than stone. Choice (C) is not supported; the passage discusses preservation, not manufacturing difficulty.

14. Ans: (B) – making a general claim and then providing specific supporting examples
Explanation: This is a Structure question. The passage opens with the general claim that wooden tools have “revolutionized our understanding” (line 2), then provides specific examples: the Clacton spear and Mesolithic fish traps. Choice (A) is wrong because no problem-solution structure is present; the passage describes discoveries, not problems. Choice (C) is wrong because the passage is organized by example type, not chronologically.

15. Ans: (B) – highlight the contradiction between American ideals and the reality of slavery
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. Douglass asks whether the Declaration’s principles are “extended to us” (line 5), emphasizing the irony that enslaved people are excluded from celebrated freedoms. Choice (A) is wrong because the questions are clearly rhetorical, not expressing genuine confusion. Choice (C) is wrong because rhetorical questions are not meant to be answered directly by the audience.

16. Ans: (B) – unemotional
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 15, “stolid” appears in a series with “obdurate and dead to the claims of gratitude,” describing someone unresponsive to feeling, making “unemotional” correct. Choice (A) is wrong because while “stolid” may sound like “solid,” it does not mean physically strong. Choice (D) is wrong for the same reason; it confuses sound-alike words rather than using context.

17. Ans: (A) – he would be grateful to celebrate American independence
Explanation: This is a Detail question. Douglass says “Would to God” he could answer affirmatively (lines 9-10), then describes how he would “thankfully acknowledge such priceless benefits” (line 15) if freedom were extended to enslaved people. Choice (B) goes beyond what is stated; he describes a hypothetical gratitude if freedom applied to him, not a prediction of immediate emancipation. Choice (D) is not mentioned anywhere in the passage.

18. Ans: (B) – questioning and ironic to direct and somber
Explanation: This is a Tone question. The passage begins with rhetorical questions highlighting irony (lines 1-8), then shifts to the direct statement “such is not the state of the case” and “sad sense of the disparity” (lines 18-19). Choice (A) is wrong because Douglass never becomes apologetic or humble. Choice (C) is wrong because the opening is ironic and questioning, not celebratory.

19. Ans: (B) – excluded from the freedom being celebrated
Explanation: This is an Inference question. “The pale” means boundary or limit; Douglass states he is “not included within” this boundary (line 21), directly indicating exclusion from the freedom celebrated on Independence Day. Choice (A) misinterprets “pale” as referring to pallor or illness rather than a boundary. Choice (D) contradicts the passage’s tone; Douglass criticizes exclusion, not his own worthiness.

20. Ans: (B) – He employs irony to expose the hypocrisy of celebrating freedom in a slaveholding nation
Explanation: This is an Extended Reasoning question. Throughout the passage, Douglass uses rhetorical questions and hypothetical scenarios to highlight the contradiction between celebrating independence while denying freedom to enslaved people (lines 3-7, 20-22). Choice (A) is wrong because Douglass uses irony, not humor or satire. Choice (C) is wrong because the passage contains no statistical evidence.