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SAT Reading Practice Test - 3

Instructions:

In these passages from two novels, a character describes his or her impressions of someone they encounter. The first passage is from a novel set during the Byzantine Empire 1200 years ago; the scene in the second passage occurs in the early 20th century.

Passage 1
Leo sated his hunger and spread out his cloak a little apart from the drovers. The day was sultry. An hour's slumber would not hinder the journey, but the young man (so he clearly remembered it later) saw the two venerable Syrians sitting at
(4) a slight distance in the shade, consuming a wallet of bread and dried fish. They silently beckoned him to join them, and leaving his men he obeyed. The twain were marvelously alike in costume and person, and presumably were brothers: they gravely offered him a small silver cup of wine superior to any he had ever
(8) before tasted. He noticed now that their garments, although very plain, were of remarkably fine material, and that each wore a girdle ornamented with gold plates set in gems, and embossed apparently with the signs of the zodiac. Their manner, however, excited confidence, and Leo was soon chatting freely,
(12) explaining how the proximity of a small convent to his parents' farm had given him a tolerable education; but that, although he had no distaste for letters, he felt no vocation for a religious life, because all his ambition was to become a soldier.

Passage 2
His wife's face bore a gently chiding look; Mrs. Abercrombie's, open impatience. It was a large face, and its largeness was made more noticeable by the smallness of each feature in it. Or on it, thought Maggie; it gave one the feeling that it was embossed. Strange, it seemed, that so large a woman was so
(5) energetic; she was active in church work, the Red Cross, Daughters of the Empire, the Eastern Star, the library board, and the local relief committee for the unfortunates of the dried-out area. Through these committees she picked her way with a deliberateness that brooked no contradiction. By virtue of her husband's work, a trip they had taken to Europe six years before, and a certain
(10) insensitivity to what others thought, her position in the town was unassailable. reference: htt://www.fadedpage.com/link.php?file=20121211.html‎

1. In passage 1, the young man's interactions with the two strangers suggest that
 A) he would rather remain near his family
B) he is eager to explore a different path for his life
C) he is curious to learn more about the Syrian way of life
D) they are about to deceive Leo
E) they can provide an opportunity for him to get a better education


2.The way in which Leo describes the Syrian men (passage 1, lines 3-8) expresses
A) cynicism
B) envy
C) astonishment
D) admiration
E) arrogance


3. In line 13 of passage 1, "letters" most nearly means
A) penmanship
B) scholarship
C) written correspondance
D) the alphabet
E) digraphs


4. In passage 2, what can be inferred about the relationship between Maggie and Mrs. Abercrombie?
A) They are old friends.
B) They are neighbors and rivals.
C) They are distant relatives who seldom see one another.
D) They are acquaintances living in the same community.
E) They are coworkers who socialize occasionally.


5. In line 7 of passage 2, "picked" most nearly means
A) selected
B) argued
C) poked
D) maneuvered
E) extracted


6. What is the best way to express the difference between the attitudes of Leo, the young man, in passage 1 and Maggie in passage 2?
A) Leo is wary and respectful toward the men, but Maggie exhibits restrained contempt toward the woman she describes.
B) Leo is enchanted and at ease with the men, whereas Maggie feels both fascinated and ambivalent toward Mrs. Abercrombie.
C) Leo is wistful and generous during his encounter, while Maggie is disgusted and impatient.
D) Leo is attentive and kind during his encounter, whereas Maggie is disinterested and haughty.
E) Leo is appreciative and eager as he interacts, while Maggie is gracious and complimentary toward Mrs. Abercrombie.


Instructions: Reading: Sentence Completion (4 questions)

7. Because the glaciers did not destroy the orderly ______, fossils from every age remain in sequence.
A) essence
B) strata
C) outflow
D) inhabitants
E) petroglyphs


8. ________ outlaws made use of the gulches and caves whenever they stole livestock to sell to __________ victims.
A) Infamous .. unscrupulous
B) Rugged .. indifferent
C) Notorious .. unsuspecting
D) Sinister .. cooperating
E) Renegade .. surreptitious


9. New medical research discoveries simultaneously bring us nearer to a cure and generate a continuous _______ of information that can become overwhelming.
A) barrage
B) contradiction
C) diagnosis
D) barrier
E) swathe


10. After reviewing their trial records, the lawyer was convinced that neither of the prisoners had received an ____________ defense.
A) requisite
B) unremarkable
C) equivalent
D) adequate
E) itinerant






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