SSAT Practice Test (Middle Level: Reading)

Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

vanity and pride

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

“Recognizing Colors”

Answer

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

Accepted Answer

advocate for better arts education

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

Dapper

Answer

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 _______.

Accepted Answer

help the reader empathize with Tom and his experience

Answer

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.