SSAT Practice Test (Middle Level: Reading) 1 — Questions and Answers

Question 1: The Trojan War, according to the passage, is rooted in:

unfulfilled promises
vanity and pride (Correct answer)
poor decisions
wealth and power

Correct answer: vanity and pride

Correct answer: vanity and pride Trojan War is rooted in vanity and pride.

Question 2: Which title best captures the essence of the passage's ideas?

“Artists vs. Farmers”
“The Summer Sky”
“Blue Hills”
“Recognizing Colors” (Correct answer)

Correct answer: “Recognizing Colors”

Correct answer: “Recognizing Colors” The main idea, the topic of this passage, is looking closely at colors in order to truly recognize them. The farmer is the vehicle for making the point, and the sky and hills are used as illustrations.

Question 3: The basic goal of the speaker is to

reminisce over his previous theatrical endeavors
caution listeners against subpar theater practices
advocate for better arts education (Correct answer)
congratulate the performance of a children's play

Correct answer: advocate for better arts education

Correct answer: advocate for better arts education C Remember to answer the question (why is the speaker sharing this information?) and not choose an answer about what the speaker is saying. The final three paragraphs explain the purpose of the author's speech—theatre has an influence on society and can educate its citizens, ultimately for the better. If there were more theatres, more lives could be reached, educated, and improved as a result.

Question 4: What does the underlined word "natty" mean based on how it is used in the passage?

Waterproof
Cheap
Heavy
Dapper (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Dapper

Correct answer: Dapper The passage uses the word "natty" to describe the new boy's clothing, along with other adjectives like "well-dressed," "dainty," "new," and "citified." We are also told that the new boy "even wore a necktie, a bright bit of ribbon," and his clothing is called "his finery." Based on this description, we can guess that "natty" means something like "fancy," and that is correct: "natty" means dapper or well-dressed.

Question 5: The passage's underlined section is most likely intended to _______.

distinguish the author from the narrator
foreshadow something exciting that will happen to Tom
help the reader empathize with Tom and his experience (Correct answer)
encourage the reader to wonder about Tom's behavior

Correct answer: help the reader empathize with Tom and his experience

Correct answer: help the reader empathize with Tom and his experience The underlined part of the passage occurs when the passage is discussing the particular kind of whistling Tom is learning to do: ”It consisted in a peculiar bird-like turn, a sort of liquid warble, produced by touching the tongue to the roof of the mouth at short intervals in the midst of the music—the reader probably: remembers how to do it, if he has ever been a boy. "The underlined part of the sentence assumes that the reader has likely learned how to whistle in this exact same way when ”he" was "a boy. "So, by pointing out an experience that the reader likely shares with Tom, the underlined part of the sentence is encouraging the reader to empathize with Tom, or understand his feelings.

Question 6: Which of the following does the passage's first paragraph's last sentence appear to suggest?

Tom is likely not quite as happy as an astronomer who has discovered a new planet.
Tom is upset for the same reasons as an astronomer might be.
Tom is likely happier than an astronomer who has discovered a new planet. (Correct answer)
Astronomers often learn to whistle.

Correct answer: Tom is likely happier than an astronomer who has discovered a new planet.

Correct answer: Tom is likely happier than an astronomer who has discovered a new planet. The last line of the passages first paragraph is, "He felt much as an astronomer feels who has discovered a new planet—no doubt, as far as strong, deep, unalloyed pleasure is concerned, the advantage was with the boy, not the astronomer.“ Let's analyze this line in detail. The first part of the line, ”He felt much as an astronomer feels who has discovered a new planet,” tells us that Tom feels as happy as an astronomer who has discovered a new planet. The rest of the line develops this comparison further, by telling us that ”as far as strong, deep, unalloyed pleasure is concerned, the advantage was with the boy, not the astronomer." In other words, this latter part of the line is saying that Tom was not only as happy as the hypothetical astronomer, but likely actually happier, as he has ”the advantage“ ”as far as strong, deep, unalloyed pleasure is concerned." So, the correct answer is “Tom is likely happier than an astronomer who has discovered a new planet."

Question 7: What is the most reasonable conclusion you can draw about the author?

He has never written professionally before.
He is a natural woodsman.
He is an avid bird watcher. (Correct answer)
He is not religious.

Correct answer: He is an avid bird watcher.

Correct answer: He is an avid bird watcher. You can reasonably infer that the author is “an avid bird watcher.” This is because he seems familiar with the specific type of eagles that he has observed, and also because he is out and about wandering around frequently enough to observe and carefully track two eagles. He also seems to know, from experience, that eagles are the rarest of all birds. There is nothing to suggest he is “not religious,” or is writing for the first time. Its possible he is “a natural woodsman,” but requires a great deal more inference than the correct answer. The idea that he has a “fear of riflemen” is not supported by the text.

Question 8: Which of the following could be the point of view of the passage?

a devoted patron of the arts (Correct answer)
an enthusiastic producer
a perceptive critic
an exuberant stage manager

Correct answer: a devoted patron of the arts

Correct answer: a devoted patron of the arts A The speaker is not a stage manager or a producer. The speaker is also not being aloof or offering a critique of the play. Rather, the speaker is a strong supporter of the arts and feels strongly about what theatre can offer to citizens and their community.

Question 9: The sky is normally _________ at the zenith.

yellow-orange.
greenish-blue.
violet-blue. (Correct answer)
violet-red.

Correct answer: violet-blue.

Correct answer: violet-blue. The last sentence of the first paragraph gives you this detail.

Question 10: The major goal of the author is to:

justify Paris' decision to choose Aphrodite as 'the Fairest'
summarize the events most believed to have led to the Trojan War (Correct answer)
honour the soldiers that lost their lives in the ten year battle
reveal the underlying causes of the goddess' dispute

Correct answer: summarize the events most believed to have led to the Trojan War

Correct answer: summarize the events most believed to have led to the Trojan War The author’s primary purpose is to summarize the events most believed to have led to the Trojan War.

Question 11: What can we infer about Tom's situation immediately before this passage begins?

Something good—he climbed a tree, from the top of which he could see the entire town
Something bad—he got into an argument with a friend
Something bad but ambiguous (Correct answer)
Something bad—one of his friends pushed him into the river

Correct answer: Something bad but ambiguous

Correct answer: Something bad but ambiguous The passage begins with the lines, "Within two minutes, or even less, he had forgotten all his troubles. Not because his troubles were one whit less heavy and bitter to him than a man's are to a man, but because a new and powerful interest bore them down and drove them out of his mind for the time—just as men's misfortunes are forgotten in the excitement of new enterprises." Based on this introduction, we can infer that something bad just happened to Tom, because it left him with "troubles," even though he forgot about those troubles within two minutes. The passage doesn't tell us exactly what caused Tom to have troubles, just merely that he did. So, the best answer choice is "Something bad but ambiguous."

Question 12: What conclusions can you draw from the author's quotations around the word "elected"?

That he does not really believe the position of Holy Roman Emperor was truly an elected position (Correct answer)
That he is mocking the Luxembourg family for their spectacular fall from grace
That he is deriding the influence of the Hapsburgs on European history
That he wants to highlight the democratic nature of the Holy Roman Empire

Correct answer: That he does not really believe the position of Holy Roman Emperor was truly an elected position

Correct answer: That he does not really believe the position of Holy Roman Emperor was truly an elected position When authors use quotation marks in text without actually describing something that someone has directly said, it is usually done to suggest that what the author is mocking or expressing his disbelief in something. So, when the author says, “The Hapsburgs were so successful that they were able to maintain their 'elected' position for almost four centuries," he really means that the position was clearly not an elected position.

Question 13: Which of the following might be substituted for "furnishes" in line 17 without affecting the speaker's meaning?

provides (Correct answer)
equips
reclines
adorns

Correct answer: provides

Correct answer: provides A Read the sentence and substitute your own word into the sentence. For example, this theatre "shares" or "offers" pure and clean plays. Choice (A), provides, is closest in meaning to "shares" or "offers."

Question 14: According to the author,

perceived color varies. (Correct answer)
farmers are color-blind.
some artists use poor color combinations.
brick walls should be painted pure red.

Correct answer: perceived color varies.

Correct answer: perceived color varies. You should be able to infer this answer from the passage. If not, you can choose the correct answer by eliminating all the other choices as being ridiculous.

Question 15: Eris, the Goddess of Discord, is best described as the following:

vain
altruistic
clever (Correct answer)
benevolent

Correct answer: clever

Correct answer: clever Eris, the Goddess of Discord, can best be described as clever.

Question 16: The underlined term "the knack of it" almost certainly means in context __________.

an upsetting experience with it
the skill to do it (Correct answer)
a hard time with it
confusion about it

Correct answer: the skill to do it

Correct answer: the skill to do it The phrase "the knack of it" appears in the following sentence in the passage's first paragraph, which discus's Tom's experience learning to whistle: "Diligence and attention soon gave him the knack of it, and he strode down the street with his mouth full of harmony and his soul full of gratitude." We can tell that Tom successfully learned to whistle because the next sentence compares his happiness to that of an astronomer who has just discovered a new planet. 80, based on the context in which the phrase is used in the passage, the correct answer is "the skill to do it."

Question 17: When the author awakened early in the morning, why couldn't he see his shadow?

Because the shadow was sleeping in bed.
Because the shadow did not want to play games with the boy.
Because the boy did not go outside.
Because the sun had not yet risen. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Because the sun had not yet risen.

Correct answer: Because the sun had not yet risen. Answering this question requires you to make a prediction, or inference, based on the passage. In the last line, the boy describes how he awoke early and discovered that his shadow was not yet awake. We know that shadows form from light hitting an object and not being able to pass through; therefore, if there is no shadow, there is likely no source of direct light. As it is very early in the morning, the most logical reason for the absence of light is that the sun had not yet risen.

Question 18: In the fifth paragraph, the speaker says, "If we had forty theatres of this kind in this city of four millions." I. the valuable role theater serves in society II. building new theaters would guarantee residents of the city would attend productions III. theater can enrich the education and morals of its attendees IV. all wealthy patrons should invest in theater construction

II, III, and IV only
I only
I, III, and IV only
I and II only
I and III only (Correct answer)

Correct answer: I and III only

Correct answer: I and III only E The speaker uses the phrase in the fifth paragraph to show the reach that more theatres could have on a community—"how they would educate and elevate!" He isn't trying to dictate what individuals should do with their money or guarantee attendance numbers at productions. He is indicating the valuable impact the theatre can have on the city because, as a means of education, theatre can better the lives as well as the actions and beliefs of those who attend shows.

Question 19: In the first paragraph, the word zenith most likely refers to

the hills.
a color.
a point directly overhead. (Correct answer)
a point on the horizon.

Correct answer: a point directly overhead.

The word 'zenith' literally refers to the point in the sky or celestial sphere directly above an observer. Figuratively, it means the highest point or peak. Therefore, in the context of a paragraph, it most likely refers to a point directly overhead, indicating a high or culminating position.

Question 20: The Trojan War, according to the passage, had all of the following EXCEPT:

prisoners of war (Correct answer)
romance
proper documentation
epic battles

Correct answer: prisoners of war

Without the passage, we must infer based on common knowledge of the Trojan War and typical literary portrayals. While the Trojan War is famously associated with romance (Helen, Paris), epic battles, and has been documented in historical accounts (though perhaps not 'proper documentation' in a modern sense), the specific detail of 'prisoners of war' might not be explicitly highlighted or central to the narrative in a given passage. The question asks what the passage *did not* have, implying the other options were present.

Question 21: Which of the following statements best describes Tom's feelings toward the new boy?

Tom is embarrassed to be seen near the new boy.
Tom is impressed by the new boy.
Tom is annoyed by the new boy. (Correct answer)
Tom is afraid of the new boy.

Correct answer: Tom is annoyed by the new boy.

Without the passage, we rely on common literary tropes. When a character like Tom encounters a 'new boy' and the correct answer is 'annoyed,' it suggests the passage likely describes Tom's irritation, perhaps through his thoughts, actions, or dialogue, indicating a strong dislike or vexation towards the newcomer.

Question 22: In this passage, the author contrasts which of the following?

The results of feeding a hummingbird insects and the results of feeding a hummingbird flower nectar
The beliefs of historical scientists and the beliefs of scientists of the author’s time (Correct answer)
Hummingbirds that eat flower nectar and hummingbirds that eat insects
Hummingbirds with long tails and hummingbirds with short tails

Correct answer: The beliefs of historical scientists and the beliefs of scientists of the author’s time

The correct answer indicates that the author contrasts the views of scientists from different eras. This means the passage likely presents older, perhaps outdated, scientific theories or observations about hummingbirds, and then juxtaposes them with more current or accurate understandings held by scientists of the author's time. This highlights the evolution of scientific thought and knowledge.

Question 23: The first three paragraphs have a primarily tone

whimsical
nostalgic (Correct answer)
indignant
informative

Correct answer: nostalgic

A nostalgic tone implies a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past. If the first three paragraphs have this tone, they would likely describe past events, experiences, or a bygone era with a sense of fondness, perhaps tinged with a little sadness for what is no longer present. The language would evoke memories and a yearning for earlier times.

Question 24: Which title is the best fit for this selection?

“Early Polynesian Navigation” (Correct answer)
“The Study of Navigation”
“European Sailors”
“The History of the Pacific Ocean”

Correct answer: “Early Polynesian Navigation”

The title 'Early Polynesian Navigation' is the best fit because it directly and concisely states the main subject matter of the selection. A good title accurately reflects the passage's primary focus, and this title clearly indicates that the text will delve into the methods and history of navigation used by early Polynesian peoples. The other options are either too broad or too narrow.

Question 25: The passage's major point is to:

ridicule the press for presenting biased and inaccurate information
criticize newspapers for its misrepresentation of small town life
persuade editors to thoroughly research local community events and social functions
acknowledge the popularity of local news in small town newspapers (Correct answer)

Correct answer: acknowledge the popularity of local news in small town newspapers

The passage's major point is to acknowledge the popularity of local news in small-town newspapers. This means the author likely presents evidence or arguments showing that local news content is highly valued and widely read by residents in smaller communities. The passage would emphasize the importance of these local stories over broader national or international news for that specific demographic.

SSAT Practice Test (Middle Level: Reading) 1

The Trojan War, according to the passage, is rooted in: