SSAT阅读-Posttest-1.docx

Posttest One Passage 1 In 2004, Americans alone spent nearly $1.9 billion on Easter candyso much so that supermarkets had to double the shelf space they allot to Easter candy and holiday-related merchandise. Manufacturers produced as many as sixty million chocolate Easter bunnies. And, if you take all the Easter jelly beans sold and lined them up end to end, they would circle the earth three times. In short, judging from the candy sales, people certainly seem to enjoy celebrating Eater. Interestingly, though, most people do not know the origin of Easter celebration practices. After all, most people consider Easter a religious holiday, a day devoted to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What do Easter bunnies have to do with religion? Why do we associate chicks and eggs with church doctrine? Why do we color Easter eggs and arrange them carefully in Easter baskets? Were glad you asked. The Easter holiday dates back to a pagan holiday called Ostara, a holiday dedicated to the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility. Over time, language changes changed the spelling (and pronunciation) from Ostara to Easter. Legend has it that Ostara, wanting to please some children, changed her pet bird into a rabbit; the rabbit then laid colored eggs for the children. The children wove birds nests out of grass and put the colored eggs inside. Then, the children continued the ritual yearly, thinking that having colored eggs in the baskets brought good luck. 1. The best title for this passage would be _. A. Here Comes Peter Cottontail! B. What Does Easter Have to Do with Nests, Anyway? C. The Evolution of Faberge Eggs D. From Ostara to Easter: An Overview of Easter 2. The authors use of the word “allot” implies that the word can be defied as: A. few B. many C. devote D. respond 3. How much money did Americans spend on Easter last year? A. sixty million dollars B. one hundred thousand dollars C. one point nine billion dollars D. Nothing; Americans boycotted the event. 4. Which of the following statements is implied by the passage? A. People are wise not to investigate the reasons why they spend money. B. Because people spent a lot of money on Easter, Easter is a popular holiday. C. People will most likely spend a lot more money on Easter next year. D. We have never before spent so much money on a holiday. Passage 2 Impressionism, an art form favored by artists such as Camille Pissarro, Pierre Auguste Renoir, and Mary Cassat, allowed artists a new form of self-expression. Based on the idea that art did not have to limit itself to mirror images of real life or to boring pictures of stately historical topics, Impressionism allowed the imagination more influence. Consequently, Impressionism created enemies for itself almost immediately; indeed Impressionism got its name from a sarcastic comment made by French art critic Louis Leroy about how amateurish he considered the artistic style. Two very different painters, Claude Monet and Edgar Degas, in particular favored Impressionism. Claude Monet (1840-1926) found great inspiration in nature, and he consistently used nature in his work. He frequently depicted the interplay of light and shadow in gardens (usually his own); just before his death, Monet completed perhaps his most famous piece, an enormous work of water lilies. Because of his use of nature, some argue, Monets style is characterized by an ability to express the movement and the joy of life in still life format. Edgar Degas (1834-1917), by contrast, preferred even more immediateyet more fleetingsubjects: the swirling mass of humanity surrounding him. He drew inspiration from Japanese art forms and incorporated brilliant hues into his paintings of racetracks, dancers, and caf frequenters. His interest in Japanese art also encouraged him to experiment with innovative, asymmetrical angles of observation. Degas work encapsulates a distinctive, sympathetic interest in the struggles and defeats of women; perhaps the work that best shows Degas sympathy for women is his work entitled In a Caf (The Absinthe Drinker). 5. Which artist discussed in the passage died just before the end of World War I? A. Mary Cassat B. Claude Monet C. August Renoir D. Edgar Degas 6. The author implies that _. A. art created prior to Impressionism was far more realistic and conservative B. art created after Impressionism was far more realistic and conservative C. without the use of Japanese art forms, Impressionism would not have been created D. monet only created one piece of art during his career 7. The use of the word encapsulates, as used in this passage, is most likely defined by which of the following? A. denies B. leaves behind C. obscures D. shows 8. This passages main purpose is most likely _. A. to convince the reader that Impressionist art is somewhat lacking in value B. to introduce some basic principles of Impressionism, as well as some famous examples of Impressionist art and artists, to the reader C. to make the point that Impressionist art is better than modern art D. to encourage the reader to investigate Japanese art forms Passage 3 If you are like most Americans, you juggle quite a busy schedule. You probably face a full-time school schedule, an after-school job (or similarly time-consuming leisure time activities), homework, and family obligations. You also, like most Americans, must face a great deal of stress trying to get these tasks done. You may find yourself staying up late, drinking extra colas or even coffee. Or maybe your nerves simply wont allow you to sleepthus allowing you time enough to meet your obligations. You are not alone. Based on findings from recent studies, the average American now sleeps only about seven hours a night, about an hour and a half less than people did a century ago. While this shift in lifestyle appears to be more efficientallowing us to get more done in less timethe long-term prognosis is not good. In short, we are creating for ourselves a great sleep debt that shows up in health care reports as well as highway accident rates and on-the-job casualties. Going more than 24 hours without sleep simulates the effects of a couple of stiff alcoholic drinks on the human system. Scientists place the blame on modern lifestyles, which, more often than not, nowadays include too much caffeine, smoking, alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, and irregular hours. Whatever the cause, however, the long-term effects of sleep deprivation are even worse; unchecked, people suffering sleep loss face increased risk of high blood pressure, heart failure, stroke, obesity, and diabetes. 9. The word prognosis as it is used in the passage most closely means _. A. diagnosis B. evaluation C. prediction D. argument 10. The main point of this passage is that _. A. in the long run, allowing ourselves to function on less and less sleep will create serious health and social problems B. scientists have traced the cause of diabetes to an unexpected source: extreme fatigue C. school administrators should breathalyze students as a means of fighting fatigue in class D. if you do not get enough sleep, you will necessarily have health and social problems 11. How many hours of sleep, on average, did people once get routinely? A. seven B. seven and a half C. eight D. eight and a half 12. Which of the following may we infer from this passage? A. If you are sleeping less than six hours per night and drinking colas or caffeine throughout your day, you will be very efficient and productive. B. If you are sleeping nine hours per night and drinking no caffeine-based beverages, you will be more productive than those who are getting less sleep. C. If you are sleeping seven hours a night, but not drinking caffeine-based beverages, you will need other stimulants to keep you going. D. If you are sleeping less than six and a half hours per night, drinking colas, and pushing yourself to be “efficient,” you will exhaust your reserves and, most likely, create other problems for yourself in the process. Passage 4 Snakes are fascinating reptilian creatures, but they have long lived under a curse. After all, according to Christian belief, the devil took on a snake form to tempt humanity into sin. Even older texts than the Bible give the snake a bad reputation. Take, for example, the Epic of Gilgamesh, in which Gilgamesh, the hero of the work, wins a flower that awards its bearer never-aging clothing. Unfortunately he loses it to the trickery of the serpent. The snake, moreover, enjoys a dubious reputation for being able to tantalize its victims, often by looking unfortunate creatures full in the eye and staring them down; Rudyard Kiplings “Rikki Tikki Tavi” pays tribute to this legend. Yet, the real-life snake is a fascinating creature, one deserving of more honor and compassion than such stories allow. The snake can accomplish amazing feats routinely. All snakes jaws, for example, allow them to eat food much bigger than their heads. All snakes are born in eggs, but scientific study shows that some snakes actually wiggle free, from the egg sac, either exiting the mothers body through the mouth or directly through the skin. And the mother survives the process! Snakeskin rejuvenates easily (Gilgameshs flower at work) as the snake increases in size. Indeed, the snake provides captivating entertainmentif only one has the courage to look him in the eye. 13. Why do you think the author refers parenthetically to “Gilgameshs flower at work”? A. The phrase makes it clear that by using the flower, snakes can paralyze their victims. B. The phrase states obviously that all of the authors details are fiction rather than nonfiction. C. The phrase explains why a snake would want to steal Gilgameshs flower of rejuvenation. D. The phrase expands on the earlier, brief reference to the snakes actions in the Garden of Eden. 14. The word dubious can be defined as _. A. stupid B. untrustworthy C. angry D. doubtful 15. The writers main purpose for writing this passage is _. A. to discuss all of the ways authors have used snakes in their literature B. to discuss some real-life, but apparently fantastic, facts about snakes C. to show how dangerous and without purpose snakes are D. to explain why authors like J. K. Rowling and Rudyard Kipling use snakes in their writing 16. The author states that which of the following statements is true? A. Rarely, snakes, like mammals, are born live from the body without passing through egg sacs. B. Some snakes have jaws that can accommodate eating food larger than their heads. C. No snakes can really paralyze their victims, like Nag in Kiplings “Rikki Tikki Tavi.” D. Some snakes are born through the skin of their living mother. Passage 5 Over time, science and magic have frequently been confused one for the other. One can certainly understand why people might, superficially, be confused. The moons gravity, for example, exerts a pull on the water along the shorelines, creating something we now call tidesbut we cannot see the pull of gravity; We only see the effect of that pull (e.g. tides). Without the benefit of scientific instruments to tell the difference, how wrong is it to attribute the waxing and waning of tides to a moon goddess (like the Roman deity Diana) or to the movements of a giant sea turtle (according to Rudyard Kiplings Just So Stories)? This idea that truth is often stranger than fiction becomes the basis of Mary Stewarts series retelling the Camelot cycle. Stewart creates a captivating series of four books that tell of the rise and ultimate fall of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Only, Stewart removes or otherwise explains away the magic associated with the tale. Stewarts Merlin is no magicianonly a very perceptive, very gifted scientist, able to make accurate predictions regarding human behavior and to engineer large projects like Stonehenge. Take, as one example, the first real test Merlin undertakes in the story. King Uther pendragon wishes to erect a mighty castle. But the walls and foundation fall time and again. His wise men say that Merlins blood, rubbed on the walls, will strengthen them. He confronts Merlin who, after analyzing the situation, realizes that the royal architects and engineers are building on an unstable land fault. He saves his own life by glibly turning the tables on the so-called “wise men” and suggesting a new location. Stewarts series is an admirable work, balancing the difficult tasks of telling a good story and telling a realistic one. Only in the course of the final book, The Wicked Day, does her storytelling fall short. 17. Based on the authors use of the word glibly in this passage, which of the following definitions is most appropriate? A. clumsily B. jokingly C. skillfully D. angrily 18. According to the passage, to what force does Rudyard Kipling give credit for creating tides? A. a giant turtle B. Diana, goddess of the moon C. the earths gravity D. Uther Pendragon 19. The speakers main purpose in writing this passage is most likely _. A. to warn people away from reading Mary Stewarts novels B. to encourage people to read better fantasy books, like those by Rudyard Kipling C. to argue that fiction is more fun and fulfilling to read than fact D. to get people interested in reading Mary Stewarts King Arthur novels 20. The piece would most likely get published in what type of publication? A. an almanac B. a social sciences magazine like National Geographic C. the arts and leisure section of the local newspaper D. a science fiction magazine like Omni 21. How does the author feel about this book s/he is discussing? A. generally pleased B. disgusted C. disappointed D. exuberant Passage 6 Perhaps one of the most captivating true stories of heroism, daring, and determination comes to us in the form of Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom: The story of William and Ellen Craft. This story, lived and retold by ex-slave William Craft, dates back to 1848, when William and his wife Ellen risked everything to gain their freedom. Almost any slave narrative has the ability to capture the attention; the story of the Crafts escape offers even more drama and sensationalism than most. William and Ellen escaped using trickery: by having Ellen dress as an invalid white slave master, traveling to Philadelphia from Georgia for medical reasons, accompanied by her slave, William. Why was this story so popular? One reason is because the tale fit so well with the values of its audience. The story pleased Abolitionists and European critics of the American slavery system. Such members of the audience thrilled to hear how two slaves escaped the chains of slavery: outsmarting their masters, finding appropriate and useful loopholes in the Souths slavery system, and often traveling disguised in broad daylight under the watchful eyes of their would-be captors. On the other hand, slave owners could not hear the tale often enough, if only because of obsessive self-denigration for having allowed themselves to be tricked. 22. The story of William and Ellen Craft took place before which of the following? A. The Revolutionary War B. The Civil War C. World War I D. World War II 23. The word self-denigration as used by the author most closely means _. A. sadness B. happiness C. anger D. self-hatred 24. This passage most closely resembles which genre of literature? A. critical review B. book report C. statistical analysis D. philosophical treatise 25. The passage deals mainly with _. A. explaining why slave narratives in general are interesting B. explaining why the story of William and Ellen Craft in particular is interesting C. explaining why the South opted for a slave system in the first place D. explaining why the North hated the Crafts story so much 26. Which of the following best summarizes the purpose of paragraph two? A. an attempt to retell the major plot points of the book mentioned in paragraph one B. an attempt to discourage future readers from reading this book by telling only boring details C. an attempt to conclude an already overly long argument about the book D. an attempt to explain a curiosity described in the preceding paragraph Passage 7 Authors have frequently shown themselves fascinated with the flaws found in human nature. In particular, they find human hypocrisy fascinating. Early medieval writers, who discuss the sins of the clergy and the wickedness of kings and governmental rulers, have handed down the idea that people are innately evil and selfish; today, this message constantly appears in literature and media. Literary interest in hypocrisy reached a peak in the 1940s and 1950s, as World War II shook the world and all its beliefs. People suddenly found themselves faced with the uncertainty of the future. They grew fearful of wide-scale destruction of the war that loomed before them. Suddenly they failed to find fulfillment in the cookie cutter life expectations represented by the nuclear family. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that J. D. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye should have gotten so much attentionpositive or negative. The main character shows complete scorn and irreverence for his cookie-cutter world, his preprogrammed life expectations, and the appa