Reading Passage for HSPT - 89

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 ferry lurched against the dock with a groan that sent a shudder through the wet planks beneath my boots. I gripped the railing and watched the deckhands throw their lines, their movements practiced and efficient despite the fog that clung (5) to everything like a damp shroud. Across the bay, the lights of the city were dim smudges, barely visible through the grey curtain that separated water from sky.     My father had made this crossing every morning for twenty-three years, leaving our house in the dark and returning long after (10) supper had gone cold on the table. I had only dim memories of him from my childhood: the smell of diesel fuel on his jacket, the rasp of his unshaven cheek when he bent to kiss me goodnight on the rare occasions he came home before I slept. Now I was (15) making the journey myself, carrying his battered lunch pail and wearing his union card pinned inside my coat pocket like a talisman. The foreman had told me I would start on the loading docks, the same place my father had begun, and that if I kept my head down and (20) my mouth shut, I might last longer than most newcomers did.

1. The narrator is most likely about to

1. visit his father at a hospital in the city
2. begin working at the same job his father once held
3. take a vacation across the bay
4. meet his father for dinner after many years apart

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

1. covering
2. ghost
3. burial cloth
4. mystery

3. The narrator’s memories of his father are described as

1. vivid and detailed
2. painful and traumatic
3. vague and fragmentary
4. entirely absent

4. The detail that the father returned “long after supper had gone cold” (lines 10-11) suggests that he

1. disliked his wife’s cooking
2. worked extremely long hours
3. frequently stopped at a tavern after work
4. preferred to eat his meals alone

5. The narrator carries his father’s union card “like a talisman” (line 16), which implies that he

1. views it as a source of protection or good fortune
2. plans to sell it to another worker
3. believes it has magical properties
4. is required by law to keep it with him

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

1. cheerful and optimistic
2. somber and reflective
3. angry and resentful
4. indifferent and detached

7. The foreman’s advice to “keep my head down and my mouth shut” (lines 19-20) suggests that the work environment is

1. welcoming to newcomers who ask questions
2. dangerous and requires constant vigilance
3. difficult and unwelcoming to those who stand out
4. filled with friendly and talkative coworkers

Passage 2

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

    In the arid highlands of southern Peru, a series of immense geoglyphs etched into the desert floor has puzzled scholars since their systematic study began in the early twentieth century. The Nazca Lines, as they are commonly known, comprise (5) more than eight hundred straight lines, three hundred geometric figures, and seventy animal and plant designs spread across nearly two hundred square miles of pampa. Created by the Nazca culture between 500 BCE and 500 CE, these figures were made by removing the reddish pebbles that cover the desert surface to reveal the lighter-colored (10) ground beneath-a technique that has allowed many of the lines to survive for more than fifteen centuries in this rainless environment.     The purpose of the Nazca Lines has been the subject of intense scholarly debate. Early researchers proposed that the lines functioned as an astronomical calendar, with certain (15) lines aligned to mark the positions of celestial bodies at significant times of the year. While some alignments do correspond to solstices and equinoxes, the majority of lines show no clear astronomical pattern. More recent archaeological work has suggested that the geoglyphs served ritual purposes connected to water (20) and fertility. Many of the animal figures, including hummingbirds and spiders, appear near ancient pilgrimage routes, and ceramic fragments found along these paths indicate that processions once moved through the desert, perhaps as part of ceremonies intended to invoke rain in this parched landscape.

8. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. argue that the Nazca Lines were definitely used for astronomical observations
2. describe the Nazca Lines and discuss theories about their purpose
3. prove that the Nazca Lines were created by ancient pilgrims
4. explain how the Nazca culture disappeared from Peru

9. According to the passage, the Nazca Lines were created by

1. carving deep trenches into solid rock
2. arranging white stones into patterns
3. removing surface pebbles to expose lighter soil
4. painting designs onto the desert floor

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

1. violent
2. vigorous
3. extreme
4. concentrated

11. The passage indicates that the Nazca Lines have survived for centuries primarily because

1. the Nazca people continuously maintained them
2. the area receives almost no rainfall
3. modern archaeologists have restored them
4. they were created using permanent stone structures

12. The author mentions “ceramic fragments found along these paths” (line 22) in order to

1. prove that the Nazca people were skilled potters
2. support the theory that processions once traveled through the area
3. demonstrate that the lines were created for astronomical purposes
4. show that the desert was once inhabited by a large population

13. According to the passage, the astronomical theory of the Nazca Lines is weakened by the fact that

1. no lines align with any celestial bodies
2. the Nazca people had no knowledge of astronomy
3. most lines do not show clear astronomical alignments
4. all lines point directly to the sun

14. It can be inferred from the passage that water was

1. abundant in the region where the Nazca Lines were created
2. of little concern to the Nazca culture
3. a significant concern for the people who created the geoglyphs
4. used to create the lines by eroding the desert surface

Passage 3

The following passage is adapted from a historical speech.

    I stand before you today not as a stranger to hardship, but as one who has lived through the very afflictions I now ask you to remedy. For eleven years I labored in the mills of Lowell, breathing air thick with cotton dust, working fourteen hours each day (5) for wages that barely kept my family from destitution. I have seen young girls, some no older than ten years, lose fingers to the machinery because exhaustion made them careless. I have watched strong men grow old before their time, their lungs destroyed by the unventilated factories in which they spent their lives.     Some (10) will tell you that we ask too much, that a ten-hour day is an impossible dream that will bankrupt the factories and bring ruin to our Commonwealth. But I say to you that no prosperity built upon the broken bodies of children can be called true prosperity. I say to you that a (15) society that values profit over the health of its citizens has lost its moral compass. The mill owners claim they cannot afford to reduce our hours, yet they build mansions on Beacon Hill and send their sons to Harvard. We do not ask for luxury. We ask only for time-time to sleep, time to educate (20) our children, time to be human beings rather than mere instruments of production.

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

1. describe the beauty of working in the Lowell mills
2. advocate for a reduction in the working day
3. encourage workers to seek employment elsewhere
4. praise the generosity of the mill owners

16. The speaker establishes credibility by

1. citing scientific studies about factory conditions
2. quoting the opinions of famous politicians
3. drawing on personal experience as a mill worker
4. presenting statistical data about workplace injuries

17. As used in line 5, the word destitution most nearly means

1. illness
2. extreme poverty
3. unemployment
4. disappointment

18. The speaker mentions children losing fingers to machinery (lines 6-7) in order to

1. illustrate the dangerous conditions in the mills
2. argue that all child labor should be immediately banned
3. prove that the machines are poorly designed
4. suggest that workers are naturally careless

19. The speaker contrasts the mill owners’ claims of financial hardship with their

1. refusal to hire more workers
2. lavish personal lifestyles and expenditures
3. plans to move the factories overseas
4. investment in new machinery

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

1. resigned and hopeless
2. humorous and lighthearted
3. passionate and indignant
4. objective and scholarly

Answer Key

1. Ans: (B) – begin working at the same job his father once held
Explanation: This is a Detail/Inference question. The narrator states that he carries his father’s lunch pail and union card, and that the foreman told him he would “start on the loading docks, the same place my father had begun” (lines 18-19). Choice (A) is wrong because there is no mention of a hospital or illness. Choice (D) is wrong because the father’s current whereabouts are not mentioned, and the passage is clearly about the narrator beginning work, not a social visit.

2. Ans: (A) – covering
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 5, the fog “clung to everything like a damp shroud,” comparing the fog to something that covers or envelops. Choice (C) is wrong because while “shroud” can mean burial cloth, that literal meaning does not fit the context of fog covering the scene. Choice (D) is wrong because “mystery” is not a synonym for shroud, though fog might create mystery.

3. Ans: (C) – vague and fragmentary
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The narrator explicitly states he had “only dim memories” of his father (line 10), and lists just a few sensory details like smell and touch. Choice (A) is wrong because “vivid and detailed” is the opposite of “dim.” Choice (D) is wrong because the narrator does have some memories, even if they are limited.

4. Ans: (B) – worked extremely long hours
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The detail that the father returned “long after supper had gone cold” (lines 10-11) indicates he came home very late due to work, which is consistent with the narrator’s statement that his father “made this crossing every morning” and returned late (lines 8-11). Choice (A) is wrong because nothing in the passage suggests dissatisfaction with the cooking. Choice (C) is wrong because there is no mention of a tavern or drinking.

5. Ans: (A) – views it as a source of protection or good fortune
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context/Inference question. A talisman is an object believed to bring good luck or protection, so carrying something “like a talisman” (line 16) suggests the narrator treats it as such. Choice (B) is wrong because there is no indication of any plan to sell the card. Choice (C) is wrong because while talismans are associated with belief in their power, the word “like” indicates a comparison, not literal belief in magic.

6. Ans: (B) – somber and reflective
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The passage’s descriptions of fog, dim memories of an absent father, and the weight of carrying on his legacy create a serious, contemplative mood throughout (lines 1-20). Choice (A) is wrong because there is nothing cheerful about the grey fog, cold supper, or difficult memories. Choice (C) is wrong because while there is some sadness, there is no anger or resentment expressed toward the father.

7. Ans: (C) – difficult and unwelcoming to those who stand out
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The foreman’s advice to “keep my head down and my mouth shut” (lines 19-20) and the comment that doing so “might” help the narrator “last longer than most newcomers” implies that the workplace is harsh and intolerant of those who draw attention. Choice (A) is wrong because it directly contradicts the advice to keep one’s mouth shut. Choice (D) is wrong because friendly, talkative coworkers would not require keeping one’s mouth shut.

8. Ans: (B) – describe the Nazca Lines and discuss theories about their purpose
Explanation: This is a Main Idea/Author’s Purpose question. The passage provides descriptive information about the Nazca Lines (lines 3-11) and then discusses competing theories about why they were created (lines 12-23). Choice (A) is wrong because the passage explicitly states that the astronomical theory has weaknesses and presents an alternative theory. Choice (C) is wrong because the passage suggests pilgrimage as one possibility but does not claim to prove it definitively.

9. Ans: (C) – removing surface pebbles to expose lighter soil
Explanation: This is a Detail/Fact question. The passage states the figures “were made by removing the reddish pebbles that cover the desert surface to reveal the lighter-colored ground beneath” (lines 7-10). Choice (A) is wrong because the passage describes removing pebbles, not carving trenches into rock. Choice (D) is wrong because paint is never mentioned; the technique involved revealing existing lighter soil.

10. Ans: (B) – vigorous
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. In line 14, “intense scholarly debate” refers to strong, energetic discussion among researchers, making “vigorous” the best match. Choice (A) is wrong because “violent” implies physical force, which does not apply to scholarly debate. Choice (C), “extreme,” is too strong and does not capture the sense of energetic engagement that “intense” conveys here.

11. Ans: (B) – the area receives almost no rainfall
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage explains that the technique “allowed many of the lines to survive for more than fifteen centuries in this rainless environment” (lines 10-11). Choice (A) is wrong because there is no mention of continuous maintenance by the Nazca people. Choice (C) is wrong because while archaeologists study the lines, the passage attributes their survival to environmental conditions, not restoration efforts.

12. Ans: (B) – support the theory that processions once traveled through the area
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose/Structure question. The ceramic fragments are mentioned immediately after the statement that “processions once moved through the desert” (line 22), providing archaeological evidence for this claim. Choice (A) is wrong because while the fragments are pottery, the author’s point is about processions, not pottery skill. Choice (C) is wrong because the ceramic fragments are cited as evidence for the ritual/procession theory, not the astronomical theory.

13. Ans: (C) – most lines do not show clear astronomical alignments
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The passage states that “the majority of lines show no clear astronomical pattern” (lines 16-17), which undermines the astronomical calendar theory. Choice (A) is wrong because the passage says “some alignments do correspond to solstices and equinoxes” (lines 15-16), so it’s not true that no lines align. Choice (D) is wrong because there is no mention of all lines pointing to the sun.

14. Ans: (C) – a significant concern for the people who created the geoglyphs
Explanation: This is an Inference question. The passage describes the landscape as “parched” (line 23) and states that ceremonies were “intended to invoke rain” (line 23), and mentions “ritual purposes connected to water and fertility” (lines 18-19). Choice (A) is wrong because “parched” and “rainless” indicate water was scarce, not abundant. Choice (B) is wrong because the ritual focus on water and rain indicates it was of great concern, not little concern.

15. Ans: (B) – advocate for a reduction in the working day
Explanation: This is a Main Idea/Author’s Purpose question. The speaker explicitly argues against those who say “a ten-hour day is an impossible dream” (line 11) and asks for “time” (line 18), clearly advocating for shorter working hours. Choice (A) is wrong because the speech describes horrific conditions, not beauty. Choice (D) is wrong because the speaker criticizes the mill owners for building mansions while workers suffer (lines 16-17).

16. Ans: (C) – drawing on personal experience as a mill worker
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose/Structure question. The speaker begins by stating “For eleven years I labored in the mills of Lowell” (lines 2-3) and uses first-person accounts of conditions witnessed. Choice (A) is wrong because no scientific studies are cited in the passage. Choice (B) is wrong because no politicians are quoted.

17. Ans: (B) – extreme poverty
Explanation: This is a Vocabulary in Context question. The speaker describes wages “that barely kept my family from destitution” (lines 4-5), indicating that destitution is a state of severe want that low wages barely prevented. Choice (A) is wrong because “illness” does not fit the context of wages and economic hardship. Choice (C) is wrong because the speaker was employed, not unemployed; the issue was insufficient wages.

18. Ans: (A) – illustrate the dangerous conditions in the mills
Explanation: This is an Author’s Purpose question. The speaker uses the vivid example of children losing fingers (lines 5-7) as evidence of the hazardous working environment caused by long hours and exhaustion. Choice (B) is wrong because while the example involves child labor, the speaker’s immediate argument is about the ten-hour day, not banning child labor entirely. Choice (D) is wrong because the speaker attributes the injuries to exhaustion from long hours, not inherent carelessness.

19. Ans: (B) – lavish personal lifestyles and expenditures
Explanation: This is a Detail question. The speaker states that mill owners “claim they cannot afford to reduce our hours, yet they build mansions on Beacon Hill and send their sons to Harvard” (lines 15-17), directly contrasting claims of poverty with expensive personal spending. Choice (A) is wrong because hiring practices are not mentioned. Choice (C) is wrong because moving factories overseas is never discussed.

20. Ans: (C) – passionate and indignant
Explanation: This is a Tone/Mood question. The speaker’s language is emotionally forceful throughout, using phrases like “I say to you” (lines 12, 14) and expressing moral outrage at injustice (lines 12-15). Choice (A) is wrong because the speaker is actively fighting for change, not resigned. Choice (D) is wrong because the speech is clearly subjective and emotionally engaged, not objective or scholarly.