SSAT Reading Comprehension Sample Test 2

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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. You have 40 minutes to complete the test.

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passage 1

Questions 1-5

Ever wonder why we have wisdom teeth? If you're like most people, you'll have your wisdom teeth removed before they even start to surface. How can we just throw away teeth without their absence having some impact on the state of our mouths? The science of dentistry studies questions like this. 
Although it dates back to 3700 B.C. in Egypt, dentistry as we know it did not emerge until the 19th century, when people began to study systematically the mouth, gums, jaw, and teeth. Modern dentistry is an intrinsic part of our lives. Nowadays, we cannot go a day without hearing. something about teeth care, if only through our television sets. If we have gingivitis, we can use mouthwash. If we have cavities, we can get fillings in a variety of colors and material types. If we have yellow teeth, we can make them white again in seven short days.  

And, if we have crooked teeth, we can get braces. In fact, people routinely get braces, so much so that we consider it an oddity if someone goes through their entire childhood without the experience of going to the orthodontist every month. Chances are that if someone does not get braces, they lack money or time, not interest in having work done.  

The evolution of dentistry shows how medical science is changing the human being. Because of increasingly good dental care, we don't lose our teeth and rely on our wisdom teeth coming in to give us a new set. To answer the question with which we began: We simply don't need those teeth anymore. Indeed, nowadays we have to pay to get our redundant teeth taken out.  

[question text="The article says that we pull our wisdom teeth because " answers="we have gingivitis#they cause crooked teeth#*we don't need them anymore#we listen to information about teeth care daily on the TV#they make our teeth yellow "]

[question text="Which of the following statements is true based on the reading? " answers="Braces are a common solution to yellowing teeth.#Egyptian dentists conducted dentistry much as we do today.#If we have gingivitis, we can treat it with fillings.#*We don't expect to lose our teeth because we have been taught how to care for them.#Braces are a rare experience while growing up.  "]

[question text="When did dentists pull the first tooth? " answers="3700 B.C.#17th century#18th century#19th century#*The article does not say. "] 

[question text="The writer's main purpose is apparently " answers="to answer frequently asked questions about teeth#*to talk a little about the history of dentistry#to explain dreams about teeth#to write the section on dentistry for a medical school text#to encourage people to cut down on sweets "]

[question text="All but which of the following problems, according to the article, can dentists fix? " answers="bad breath#yellowing teeth#crooked teeth#*root canals#cavities "]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passage 2

Questions 6-10

It's easy, nowadays, to blame others for bad things that happen to us. We complain that we don't have enough money because the government takes our taxes. We blame carbohydrates for our fat count. We blame society for our embarrassingly low educational scores.  
Well, I disagree. I say we could save money by skipping McDonald's and buying the non-name-brand food items at the grocery. I say we're fat because we don't exercise. I say we're stupid because we watch too much TV and never read anything more difficult than sixth grade reading material.  
I say that it's in our own hands if we are operating at less than our potential.  
So, sometime, when you're at a loss for something to do, change your life for the better. Crack open the dictionary at a random page and see what's inside. 
Seriously. 

Chances are you'll find something interesting you didn't know before. Reading the dictionary is like reading a thousand mininovels, for each word has a story. 
For example, we often hear someone referred to as a 'spinster.' Most of us know that we use this term to describe an old, unmarried woman, but few of us know that the name originally had more meaning. The reason that 'spinster' came to refer to all old, unmarried women is because in earlier times old, unmarried women had to spin to earn their livings; old, unmarried women who could not spin nevertheless got lumped in with the rest. Consider, also, the word 'whirling dervish.' We know that this word is used to refer to dancers or tornadoes. Originally, however, the word referred to Muslim priests who wandered the land as beggars; in addition to whirling dervishes, there existed also howling and dancing dervishes, too. 
So, take five minutes and read the dictionary next time you're bored.
Seriously. 

[question text="What is the best title for this passage? " answers="*Unexpected Discoveries#Through the Eye of a Needle#A Thousand and One Words#Boring Facts and Trivia#On the Origin of the Word "Dervish" "]

[question text="How would you describe the author's tone in this piece? " answers="humorous and trivial#adamant and angry#friendly yet tired#*amusing yet serious#sulky and sullen  "]

[question text="Who does the author say is responsible for the state of our lives? " answers="the government#McDonald's#television#educators#*We, ourselves "]

[question text="Why does the author give the word seriously in line 11 its own paragraph? " answers="The author thinks the reader will take his/her advice seriously; therefore s/he uses seriously to indicate s/he has made a joke.# The author must include nine paragraphs in the article and is cheating.#The author wishes the reader to look up the word seriously in a dictionary.#*The author anticipates that the reader will scoff at the author's advice; the author wishes to convey serious intent of his/her advice.#The author desires to confuse the reader at all costs. "]

[question text="Which of the following words best defines the phrase 'lumped in' ? " answers="left out#copied#*combined with#evolved#destroyed "]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passage 3

Questions 11-17

Pieter Brueghel, 16th century Flemish painter, has left for us a series of great paintings. One of his best works depicts the Greek myth of Icarus.
To understand Brueghel's treatment of the piece, you must first recall the facts of the Icarus story. Icarus was the son of Deadalus, the most brilliant thinker of his time. Deadalus had aided Ariadne in saving Theseus from the Minotaur. The king, angered by Deadalus' action, swiftly imprisoned Deadalus and his son in a lonely tower on a deserted shore, visited only by birds. Eager to escape, however, Deadalus used the feathers and wax to create two sets of wings, and he and his son made plans to fly to freedom. Unfortunately, Icarus, exhilarated by the freedom he felt while flying, flew too close to the sun, despite his father's warnings. The sun's heat melted the wax on his wings, and he plummeted into the ocean and drowned. Deadalus, heartbroken,  nevertheless, made it to safety. 
Brueghel's work depicts a huge, glorious scene of people working the land along a beautiful shoreline. Animals frolic; men work. Ships laden with goods plow through the waves. Amidst all the action captured in the scene, one is hard pressed to locate Icarus. Finally, after some searching, we see him. He is located in the lower, right-hand side of the painting. Even so, his depiction is small. Indeed, all we see are two pale legs, kicking frantically in the surf. 
Brueghel's work sends a clear message, one that underscores the largeness of the world and the relative insignificance of the individual therein.

[question text="What will the author most likely discuss next? " answers="artist Vincent van Gogh and how he cut off his ear#another artwork by Brueghel#*an explanation of Brueghel's message regarding the insignificance in the world#an expanded discussion of the crime that landed Dedalus in jail#nothing, the article is complete "]

[question text="The author's purpose can best be described by which of the following statements? " answers="to avoid discussing anything important#to advocate the talents of Brueghel#to relate the tale of Dedalus and Icarus#to argue that Brueghel is an untalented artist#*to show how art can convey social comment "]

[question text="Which of the following words can be substituted for the word exhilarated in line 11 without changing the meaning of the sentence? " answers="saddened#angered#*joyous#frightened#advised "]

[question text="What is the tone of this piece? " answers="*solemn#understanding#sarcastic#joyous#unintelligent "]

[question text="All but which of the following words have the same meaning as plummeted in line 14? " answers="fell#*hung#dropped#sank#plunged "]

[question text="Which of the following words has a meaning most nearly opposite to the word frantically in line 22? " answers="*feebly#wildly#enthusiastically#vigorously#angrily "]

[question text="What caused Icarus' wings to melt? " answers="the cold ocean spray#the swooping, swirling seagulls#the dampness of the water#the heat of Dedalus' wrath#*the warmth of the sun "]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passage 4

Questions 18-22

History documents the bloody habits of Vlad Tepes (or Vlad the Impaler), an infamous general who lived in Transylvania from 1431 to 1476. Stories about Vlad Tepes seem gruesome even by today's standards. Consider this story about a group of generals whom Vlad Tepes was entertaining. Prior to their arrival, Mad had punished several people by impaling them on long spikes surrounding the banquet area. One of the visiting generals complained of the smell; after all, he had been invited to a dinner. Vlad apologized and then had the general impaled on an even longer spike. His reason? So that the general, being suspended above the other rotting bodies, would not have to smell what offended him. 
Other vampire tales come to us from this period, but they are clinical, historical accounts. The vampire legend grew popular only after the publication of Bram Stoker's Dracula in 1897. In his novel, Stoker creates a frightening combination of man and monster. His Dracula is striking in appearance, ruthless, calculating, and quite intelligent. Since then, vampire stories have grown in popularity over the years, inspiring both serious and tongue-in-cheek treatments.  
The serious vampire offerings have grown increasingly enraptured by the idea of being undead. Take for example, the work of Anne Rice. Rice's books modernize the old vampire story. While Stoker's novel tells about the exploits of a single vampire, Rice's novels explore an entire vampiric underworld that coexists with-and preys upon-the human world. Rice's stories allow the old vampire lore to evolve into an entire world view; they work out in great detail the logistical and philosophical problems that come into play, if vampires really exist en masse.
More importantly, however, Rice's stories humanize the vampire. Many of her characters are guilt-stricken to the point of madness because they must drink human blood to survive; some rail against their undead state, for they are frozen in time, unable to transition from one stage of human maturity to the next.

[question text="What does the word Tepes mean? " answers="innocent#Dracula#*impaler#bloody#ruler "]

[question text="Which statement gives an accurate description of Vlad Tepes' character? " answers="He is a wise and caring ruler#He is a brilliant military strategist.#He was poor, despite his great power#He was popular with women.#*His sense of justice is very unconventional. "]

[question text="Which is the best title for this passage? " answers="An American Werewolf in London#Witches, Warlocks, and Other Halloween Nasties#The Vlad Dynasty: A Family Tree#The Enduring Zombie#*Still Hungry After All These Years "]

[question text="Which date approximates the time period when Anne Rice wrote? " answers="1431#1476#1789#1897#*1990 "]

[question text="The statement 'Other vampire tales come to us from this period, but they are clinical, historical accounts' implies that " answers="vampire tales that come from this period are even more exciting than the Tepes story#interest in vampire lore died out altogether during this period#*vampire stories that were written from this period were boring#stories about female vampires were especially popular during this period#Anne Rice was popular even during this period "]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passage 5

Questions 23-27

Existentialism is a philosophy that focuses only on the actions that we humans make in the physical world that surrounds us. Because it admits no afterlife of any sort, Existentialism takes the world very Line seriously; every decision forces the Existentialist to ponder deeply the consequences. She only gets one shot at life, so everything depends on her getting it right the first time. According to its tenets, life is absurd and filled with actions that seem pointless, futile, and ceaselessly endless.  
Camus illustrates Existentialism using the example of Sisyphus from Greek mythology. Sisyphus vastly enjoyed life but held little respect for the gods. Upon his deathbed, Sisyphus instructed his wife to leave his body unburied as a gesture of anger and resentment at dying. She agreed to do as he said, but when he died, she reneged on her word. Upon waking in Hades, Sisyphus knew immediately that his wife had betrayed him, and he asked permission from King Hades to go revenge himself upon her. Hades agreed on condition that Sisyphus return to the underworld immediately after getting his revenge. However, as soon as Sisyphus reached the earth's surface, he chose to give up his revenge and refused to return to the underworld. Only after great efforts did King Hades recapture his prisoner. 
As punishment for his hubris or conceitedness, King Hades created a special task for Sisyphus. He now spends eternity rolling an enormous rock up a great hill, only to have it come crashing down immediately upon reaching the hill's summit. Sisyphus' task illustrates clearly the tenets of Existentialism outlined here. Let's see how. 

[question text="According to the article, the story of Sisyphus comes from________. " answers="old wives' tales#Japanese tradition#Indian lore#Roman history#*Greek myth "]

[question text="What does Sisyphus initially want to do when he returns to earth? " answers="Stay alive.#Get revenge on his brother.#*Punish his wife.#See his family.#Negotiate a treaty. "]

[question text="Which of the following most nearly means tenets as used in line 6? " answers="*beliefs#rules#portable buildings#woven strands of rope to catch fish#numbers "]

[question text="What will probably come after paragraph three? " answers="background information about Camus#more information about Sisyphus' escapades#nothing; the author has made his/her point#*a discussion of how Sisyphus' story illustrates the tenets of Existentialism#an opinion from a philosophy professor at the University of Kentucky "]

[question text="Which of the following words best represents an antonym for hubris? " answers="daring#fearful#*piety#miserable#perturbed "]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passage 6

Questions 28-36

Have you ever wondered why you aren't supposed to wear white after Labor Day? It is a long-standing tradition, one that those of us from the South have had beaten into our heads from our very earliest memories. Line But from where does this rule come? 
People dispute the origin of this custom. Some say that the rule developed from practicality. After all, everyone knows that wearing white in the summer is wise because the white reflects heat and helps the wearer keep cool; wearing dark colors is wise in the winter because the dark material absorbs heat and keeps the wearer warm. The rule of thumb, they say, merely solidifies what was already well known, widely accepted common knowledge. 
Others say that the custom developed out of practical concerns, but for cleanliness reasons not for warmth purposes. They argue that the rule of white applies only to shoes, and that out of attempts to keep them clean grew the rule of wearing white only in the warm months.  
Still others say that the rule grew out of a class struggle that took place in the late 1800s. With the rise of manufacturing in America, a new class of wealthy people grew up, one that conflicted with the old money class that had existed since the founding of the colonies in the 18th century. The nouveau riche class wanted desperately to be accepted by the old money folk, but the old money people did not want to accept them. Therefore, the old money folk used knowledge that they had created for use among themselves, unwritten customs and accepted ways of doing things unknown to the nouveau riche, to keep the new money folk away. Whatever the reason, however, the rule remains in use today. 

[question text="Which of the following words can be substituted for the word solidifies without changing the meaning of the sentence? " answers="*confirms#thickens#rebuilds#reconstitutes#goes against "]

[question text="Which of the following statements is supported by the information in the passage? " answers="Customs became a weapon used by those with new money to force those with old money to let them become part of society.#*Customs became a weapon used by those with old money to snub those with new money.#Customs regarding fashion quickly became out of date.#Customs regarding when to wear white changed to allow people to wear white year-round.#Customs always grow out of practical responses to issues of daily life. "]

[question text="Which of the following statements is not true according to the article? " answers="The issue over when to wear white may have originated in the 1800s.#The nouveau riche had a hard time getting respect.#People should wear dark clothes in the winter.#Wearing white originally applied to shoes rather than clothes.#*Concerns over keeping clean were never a concern when the rules for wearing white were developed. "]

[question text="All but which of the following inferences may be made about the author? " answers="The author is willing to do research to find answers to interesting questions.#The author has studied some hisory.#The author is knowledgeable about fashion.#*The author is female.#The author is from the South. "]

[question text="What will come next in this discussion? " answers="*nothing; the author has finished the article#a discussion of other instances in which the new money and old money clashed#an account of some famous Southern women who defied the 'no-white- after-Labor-Day' rule#a complete list of instances in which one can break the 'no-white-after- Labor-Day' rule#a handy mnemonic device to help us remember when to wear black "]

[question text="This passage deals with all but which of the following topics? " answers="social customs#historical data#human behavior#psychology#*data analysis "]

[question text="Based on your reading of the article, what does nouveau riche mean? " answers="newly married#*newly wealthy#newly graduated#newly born#newly bankrupted "]

[question text="This article sets out to________. " answers="set the record straight on old money in the South#*supply interesting, but trivial, information#support new money people in the North#explain the cause of the Civil War#convince people to wear white after Labor Day "]

[question text="In which of the following publications would you most likely find this information? " answers="the sports section of your local newspaper#the world news section of a weekly newsmagazine#*the arts and leisure section of the Sunday paper#the science news section of a television news program#the comics page online "]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passage 7

Questions 37-40

Most, if not all, Americans are familiar with the concept of kamikaze, special Japanese pilots who fought in World War II. These men were unique because they enlisted in the war effort knowing that they would Line be fighting to the death. They trained to be suicide pilots, who purposely drove their planes headlong into their targets, exploding themselves along with their planes and their targets.  
Few of us, however, have heard of the kaiten. The kaiten were small vessels, carried on submarines; they weighed eight tons and were loaded with explosive warheads. They had limited range (traveling a distance) ranging from 12 miles at top speed and 30 miles at low speed) and silent movement. But like the kamikaze planes, these kaiten were unrecoverable; if they reached their target, they exploded, captain and all, and if they didn't, they sank, carrying their captains with them.  
Both of these military strategies depended heavily on the concept of honor. Honorable death, especially by suicide for the sake of the Emperor during battle, brought nobility to the soldier and his family. These fighters were idolized by their countrymen; they represented the highest ideals of the nation-that of total sacrifice on behalf of their ruler. 

[question text="Based on the article, which of the following actions would be seen as honorable by Japanese warriors in World War II? " answers="becoming a kamikaze pilot but pulling out of the final dive at the last minute#refusing to man the kaiten on which he had trained#*defending Hiroshima as the atom bomb dropped#emigrating to Canada just after the war started#spying for the Americans "]

[question text="Which of the following words best describes the kaiten? " answers="luxury liners#*floating coffins#bamboo tubes#warrior flutes#underwater kayaks  "]

[question text="What kind of ruler did Japan have during World War Ⅱ, according to this article? " answers="*emperor#king#prince#president#chancellor "]

[question text="Which of the following gives an example of something that is unrecoverable? " answers="a penny at the bottom of a wading pool#the moon when it is full#*your shoe when it falls over a cliff#your book you left at your grandmother's house#a sand dune at high tide "] 

  

 

 

 

  

  

 

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

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