SSAT Practice Test (Upper Level: Reading) 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passage describes a glacier as "a patient sculptor, carving valleys over millennia." What literary device is used?
- Metaphor (Correct answer)
- Hyperbole
- Onomatopoeia
- Alliteration
Correct answer: Metaphor
Calling the glacier a sculptor compares two unlike things without 'like' or 'as,' a metaphor.
Question 2: An author writes, "Despite the storm, the lighthouse keeper never abandoned his post." The word 'despite' signals what relationship?
- Contrast (Correct answer)
- Cause and effect
- Sequence
- Comparison
Correct answer: Contrast
'Despite' introduces a contrast between the storm and the keeper staying.
Question 3: A reading passage's main purpose is to convince readers to recycle more. The passage is best described as:
- Persuasive (Correct answer)
- Narrative
- Descriptive
- Expository
Correct answer: Persuasive
Text written to convince readers of a viewpoint is persuasive.
Question 4: In context, which word best replaces 'meticulous' in "a meticulous record-keeper"?
- Careful (Correct answer)
- Careless
- Hasty
- Indifferent
Correct answer: Careful
'Meticulous' means showing great attention to detail, so 'careful' fits.
Question 5: A narrator says, "I should have known better, but hindsight is a cruel teacher." What tone does this convey?
- Regretful (Correct answer)
- Joyful
- Indifferent
- Excited
Correct answer: Regretful
The narrator expresses regret about a past mistake.
Question 6: Which sentence states an opinion rather than a fact?
- Autumn is the most beautiful season of the year. (Correct answer)
- Leaves change color in autumn.
- The Earth orbits the sun.
- Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
Correct answer: Autumn is the most beautiful season of the year.
Calling autumn 'the most beautiful' is a subjective judgment, an opinion.
Question 7: A passage begins with a quiet morning, then builds to a chaotic chase. This change is an example of shifting:
- Mood (Correct answer)
- Setting only
- Narrator
- Genre
Correct answer: Mood
The emotional atmosphere shifts from calm to tense, a change in mood.
SSAT Practice Test (Upper Level: Reading) 2
A passage describes a glacier as "a patient sculptor, carving valleys over millennia." What literary device is used?