Reading Passage for HSPT - 87

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 bakery on Delancey Street had been shuttered for three weeks when Miriam finally gathered the nerve to push open the door. Inside, the air hung thick with the ghost of cinnamon and yeast, though the ovens had gone cold. Her father’s apron still (5) dangled from its hook behind the counter, dusted white with flour that would never be kneaded into bread again. She had expected silence, but instead the floorboards creaked beneath her weight, announcing her presence to the empty room as if the building itself were greeting her.     She moved toward the back, past the glass cases (10) that had once displayed rows of challah and rugelach, now holding only crumbs and the faint outline of yesterday’s plenty. Her father had built those cases himself in 1947, when he first arrived from Warsaw with nothing but his mother’s recipe book sewn into the lining of his coat. For thirty years he had (15) risen at four each morning to coax life from flour and water, transforming simple ingredients into sustenance and, on good days, into small joys.     Miriam reached the office and sat in his chair, still indented with the shape of him. A ledger lay open on the desk, his cramped handwriting marching down the columns in (20) orderly rows. The last entry was dated two days before his stroke.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. describe the history of immigrant bakeries in New York City
2. portray a daughter’s emotional return to her father’s closed shop
3. explain the financial difficulties that forced the bakery to close
4. celebrate the culinary traditions passed down through generations

2. As used in line 3, the word gathered most nearly means

1. collected
2. summoned
3. assembled
4. harvested

3. The description of the flour on the apron as something that “would never be kneaded into bread again” (lines 5-7) suggests that

1. the bakery has run out of supplies
2. Miriam plans to reopen the bakery soon
3. the father’s baking work has permanently ended
4. modern baking techniques have replaced traditional methods

4. According to the passage, Miriam’s father came to America in

1. 1917
2. 1930
3. 1947
4. 1977

5. The phrase “yesterday’s plenty” (line 13) refers to

1. the wealth the father accumulated over his lifetime
2. the abundant pastries that once filled the display cases
3. the large family that once lived above the bakery
4. the prosperity of the entire neighborhood in earlier times

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

1. bitter and resentful
2. nostalgic and melancholy
3. optimistic and hopeful
4. detached and analytical

7. It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that Miriam’s father

1. recently passed away after suffering a stroke
2. sold the bakery to pursue other business ventures
3. is no longer able to work due to health problems
4. retired voluntarily after thirty years of baking

Passage 2

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

    The discovery of prehistoric cave art has long captivated both scholars and the public imagination, but recent findings in the limestone caves of Sulawesi, Indonesia, have fundamentally challenged Western assumptions about the origins of human (5) artistic expression. In 2019, archaeologists announced that a hunting scene painted on a cave wall in the Maros-Pangkep region was at least 43,900 years old, making it the oldest known narrative artwork in the world. The scene depicts human-like figures with animal features pursuing wild pigs and dwarf buffaloes, using what appear to be (10) ropes or spears.     For decades, the conventional narrative held that sophisticated cave painting originated in Europe, particularly in the famous sites of Lascaux and Chauvet in France and Altamira in Spain. European cave art, some dating back 40,000 years, was thought to represent the first flowering of (15) symbolic thought and abstract representation. The Sulawesi findings, however, indicate that such creativity emerged independently in Southeast Asia at roughly the same time, or perhaps even earlier. This parallel development suggests that the capacity for artistic expression arose not in one privileged location but as a fundamental characteristic of Homo sapiens wherever (20) populations spread across the globe.     The implications extend beyond art history. These paintings provide evidence of complex storytelling and possibly even early religious or mythological beliefs, given the therianthropic nature of the hunters – beings that combine human and animal traits. Such figures appear in later mythologies worldwide, (25) hinting at deep cognitive continuities across human cultures separated by vast distances and millennia.

8. The main idea of the passage is that

1. European cave paintings are more sophisticated than those found in Asia
2. recent discoveries in Indonesia challenge assumptions about early human art
3. the Sulawesi caves contain better-preserved artwork than European sites
4. prehistoric humans traveled frequently between Europe and Southeast Asia

9. According to the passage, the hunting scene found in Sulawesi is approximately how old?

1. 25,000 years
2. 40,000 years
3. 43,900 years
4. 50,000 years

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

1. blossoming
2. decoration
3. emergence
4. scattering

11. The passage indicates that the Sulawesi cave paintings depict figures hunting

1. deer and elk
2. wild pigs and dwarf buffaloes
3. mammoths and bison
4. fish and sea creatures

12. The author mentions Lascaux, Chauvet, and Altamira in order to

1. prove that European art is superior to Asian art
2. provide examples of the previously accepted view of cave art origins
3. demonstrate that these sites are older than Sulawesi
4. argue that these caves should receive more research funding

13. The term “therianthropic” (line 23) refers to beings that

1. possess supernatural powers
2. combine human and animal characteristics
3. existed only in prehistoric times
4. were worshipped as gods

14. Which of the following can be reasonably inferred from the passage?

1. The artists who created the Sulawesi paintings learned their techniques from European travelers
2. Artistic capacity was a widespread trait among early human populations
3. Cave paintings were created primarily for decorative purposes
4. The Sulawesi region had more advanced civilizations than Europe

Passage 3

The following passage is excerpted from a speech delivered by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce to government officials 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 protect my father’s (5) grave. They do not pay for all my horses and cattle. Good words will not give my people good health and stop them from dying. Good words will 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 (10) all the broken promises. There has been too much talking by men who had no right 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 (15) the same law. Give them all an even chance to live and grow. All men were made by the same Great Spirit Chief. They are all brothers. The earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it. You might as well expect the rivers to run backward as that any man who was born (20) a free man should be contented when penned up and denied liberty to go where he pleases.     Let me be a free man – free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade where I choose, free to choose my own teachers, free to follow the religion of my fathers, free to think and talk and act for myself.

15. The primary purpose of Chief Joseph’s speech is to

1. demand justice and equal treatment for his people
2. declare war against the United States government
3. request financial compensation for lost property
4. negotiate a treaty for additional reservation land

16. As used in line 2, the phrase amount to most nearly means

1. add up to
2. result in
3. climb to
4. refer to

17. According to the passage, Chief Joseph states that good words will NOT

1. bring back his dead people or provide a peaceful home
2. prevent future conflicts between tribes
3. restore the buffalo herds to the plains
4. rebuild the destroyed villages

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

1. pleading and sorrowful
2. angry and vengeful
3. resigned and indifferent
4. firm and dignified

19. Chief Joseph argues that peace between white men and Indians requires that

1. Indians adopt white culture and customs
2. all people be treated with the same laws and opportunities
3. separate territories be permanently established for each group
4. white settlers return to Europe

20. The rhetorical effect of the repeated phrase “free to” in the final paragraph (lines 21-24) is to

1. emphasize the multiple dimensions of liberty Chief Joseph seeks
2. suggest that Chief Joseph is uncertain about what he wants
3. indicate that freedom is less important than material compensation
4. prove that the Nez Perce were never truly conquered

Answer Key

1. Ans: ((B)) – portray a daughter’s emotional return to her father’s closed shop
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage focuses on Miriam entering the shuttered bakery and experiencing the space filled with memories of her father (lines 1-20), creating an emotional portrait of her visit. Choice (A) is too broad, as the passage focuses on one specific bakery, not immigrant bakeries generally. Choice (C) is incorrect because no financial difficulties are mentioned in the passage.

2. Ans: ((B)) – summoned
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 3, Miriam “gathered the nerve,” meaning she summoned or mustered her courage to enter. Choice (A) “collected” is a common meaning of gathered but does not fit the context of gathering nerve. Choice (C) “assembled” suggests bringing things together physically, which does not work with the abstract concept of nerve.

3. Ans: ((C)) – the father’s baking work has permanently ended
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The phrase in lines 5-7 uses “would never” to indicate the permanence of the father’s absence from his work, confirmed by the reference to his stroke in line 20. Choice (A) is incorrect because the passage does not mention supply shortages. Choice (B) contradicts the suggestion of permanence in the phrase “never.”

4. Ans: ((C)) – 1947
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states that the father “first arrived from Warsaw” and built the display cases “in 1947” (lines 12-13). Choice (D) 1977 might trap students who incorrectly add the “thirty years” mentioned in line 14 to 1947. Choice (A) is too early and not supported by any information in the passage.

5. Ans: ((B)) – the abundant pastries that once filled the display cases
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In lines 10-13, “yesterday’s plenty” directly refers to the contrast between the cases that “had once displayed rows of challah and rugelach” and now hold “only crumbs.” Choice (A) is incorrect because the passage discusses food, not financial wealth. Choice (D) is too broad, extending beyond the specific bakery to the whole neighborhood without textual support.

6. Ans: ((B)) – nostalgic and melancholy
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The passage evokes sadness and longing through descriptions like “ghost of cinnamon” (line 4), empty display cases (lines 9-13), and the father’s absence, creating a nostalgic and melancholic atmosphere. Choice (A) is incorrect because Miriam shows no bitterness or resentment, only sorrow. Choice (C) is wrong because there is no suggestion of hope or optimism in the passage.

7. Ans: ((C)) – is no longer able to work due to health problems
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage mentions the father’s stroke (line 20) and the permanently closed bakery (lines 1-2), suggesting he cannot work but not necessarily that he died. Choice (A) goes too far; while the father had a stroke, the passage does not state he died. Choice (D) is incorrect because the evidence points to forced cessation due to illness, not voluntary retirement.

8. Ans: ((B)) – recent discoveries in Indonesia challenge assumptions about early human art
Explanation: This is a Main Idea question. The passage states that Sulawesi findings “fundamentally challenged Western assumptions” (lines 3-5) about art origins and indicates that creativity emerged independently in Southeast Asia (lines 14-17). Choice (A) reverses the passage’s argument, which challenges European primacy. Choice (D) is not stated anywhere in the passage.

9. Ans: ((C)) – 43,900 years
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage explicitly states that the hunting scene “was at least 43,900 years old” (lines 6-7). Choice (B) 40,000 years is mentioned as the age of some European cave art (line 14), not the Sulawesi painting. Choice (A) is too recent and not mentioned in the passage.

10. Ans: ((C)) – emergence
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In lines 14-15, “flowering” refers to the first appearance or emergence of symbolic thought and abstract representation. Choice (A) “blossoming” is a synonym for flowering in botanical contexts but is less precise than “emergence” for describing the development of human capabilities. Choice (B) “decoration” misinterprets the metaphorical use of the word.

11. Ans: ((B)) – wild pigs and dwarf buffaloes
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states the scene “depicts human-like figures with animal features pursuing wild pigs and dwarf buffaloes” (lines 8-9). Choice (C) mammoths and bison might be associated with European cave paintings but are not mentioned in this passage. Choice (A) is not mentioned anywhere in the text.

12. Ans: ((B)) – provide examples of the previously accepted view of cave art origins
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. Lines 11-15 introduce these European sites to illustrate “the conventional narrative” that sophisticated cave painting originated in Europe, which the Sulawesi findings challenge. Choice (A) contradicts the passage’s argument that challenges European superiority. Choice (C) is incorrect because the passage indicates Sulawesi art may be equally old or older.

13. Ans: ((B)) – combine human and animal characteristics
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage defines therianthropic as “beings that combine human and animal traits” (line 24). Choice (A) is too broad and not stated; the passage does not claim these beings had supernatural powers. Choice (D) assumes religious worship that, while suggested as possible (lines 21-22), is not part of the definition of therianthropic.

14. Ans: ((B)) – Artistic capacity was a widespread trait among early human populations
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage states that parallel development “suggests that the capacity for artistic expression arose…as a fundamental characteristic of Homo sapiens wherever populations spread” (lines 17-20). Choice (A) contradicts the passage’s emphasis on independent development (lines 14-17). Choice (D) is not supported; the passage claims parallel, not superior, development.

15. Ans: ((A)) – demand justice and equal treatment for his people
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. Chief Joseph calls for equal rights (lines 14-19), an end to broken promises (lines 9-13), and freedom for his people (lines 21-24), constituting a demand for justice and equality. Choice (C) is too narrow; while compensation is mentioned (lines 2-7), it is not the primary purpose. Choice (B) is incorrect; the speech advocates for peace, not war (line 13).

16. Ans: ((B)) – result in
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 2, “unless they amount to something” means unless words result in or lead to actual consequences or actions. Choice (A) “add up to” is a common meaning of “amount to” in mathematical contexts but less precise here. Choice (D) “refer to” does not capture the sense of producing outcomes.

17. Ans: ((A)) – bring back his dead people or provide a peaceful home
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Chief Joseph explicitly states that words “do not pay for my dead people” (line 3) and “will not get my people a home where they can live in peace” (lines 7-8). Choice (B) is not mentioned in the passage. Choice (C) about buffalo herds is not discussed anywhere in the text.

18. Ans: ((D)) – firm and dignified
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. Chief Joseph speaks with resolute conviction (“I am tired of talk,” line 9) while maintaining moral authority and philosophical depth (lines 15-19), creating a firm and dignified tone. Choice (B) is incorrect because the speech, while passionate, is not vengeful. Choice (C) is wrong because Chief Joseph is actively engaged, not resigned or indifferent.

19. Ans: ((B)) – all people be treated with the same laws and opportunities
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. Chief Joseph states: “Treat all men alike. Give them the same law. Give them all an even chance to live and grow” (lines 14-16). Choice (A) contradicts his call to be “free to follow the religion of my fathers” (line 23). Choice (C) is not mentioned; he seeks equality, not separation.

20. Ans: ((A)) – emphasize the multiple dimensions of liberty Chief Joseph seeks
Explanation: This is a Structure/Organization question. The repetition of “free to” before travel, work, trade, religion, and thought (lines 21-24) accumulates to stress the comprehensive nature of the freedom desired. Choice (B) is incorrect; the repetition shows certainty and clarity, not uncertainty. Choice (C) contradicts the emphasis the repetition places on freedom’s importance.