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Passage 1: Questions 1 - 5

You may have heard the expression, “a whole is greater than the sum of
its parts.” To tease out the meaning of this expression, consider the clock.
What is a clock? It‟s a mechanism that tells time. But what if we took a clock
apart and dumped its pieces into a sack? Let‟s give our sack handles to make
it easier to haul around. So here we are, walking around with the pieces of a
clock rattling around in a sack. Someone asks, “What time is it?” Hmm….
Who can say?! It appears our clock has lost some of its “clockness.” But
what exactly has it lost? All the parts are in the sack, right? Answer: It has
lost the relationship among its parts.
Truly, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The whole is not
only a collection of parts, but also the relationship among its parts. To
understand a clock, or the social institution of the family, or an essay,
painting, or ecosystem, we often use the strategy of inquiry known as
analysis to understand these relationships.

1. The passage was probably written to
(A) discuss the components of a clock.
(B) share the origins of the phrase, “a whole
is greater than the sum of its parts.”
(C) describe the essence of mechanisms that
tell time.
(D) illustrate the meaning of the word
“metaphor.”
(E) introduce analysis as a strategy of inquiry.
2. Which conclusion can best be drawn from the
first paragraph?
3. The author of the passage does all of the
following EXCEPT
(A) give an example of a whole and its parts.
(B) show a meaning of the word
“relationship.”
(C) start the passage with mention of a
common idiom.
(D) use third person pronouns to refer to the
reader.
(E) list several examples of “wholes.”
4. A purpose of the last paragraph is to

(A) the relationships between parts are (A) differentiate between different types of
essential to understanding each whole. relationships.
(B) clocks must be well-constructed to (B) affirm the main idea of the first
function. paragraph.
(C) a clock is the best metaphor for a (C) contrast essays and ecosystems.
relationship. (D) provide data to support the main idea of
(D) “clockness” is only evident when a the passage.
mechanism can tell time. (E) present a counter argument to the main
(E) the relationships between parts are more position of the passage.
important than the wholes they comprise.
5. In the last paragraph, the clock, essay,
painting, and ecosystem are mentioned

(A) as examples of parts.

(B) as examples of wholes.
(C) to illustrate the meaning of inquiry.
(D) to illustrate the meaning of analyses.
(E) as examples of wholes that cannot be further
divided.

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Passage 2: Questions 6 - 9

I sit open to the ocean,

horizon, riding siren,
first breaking point,
inhaling life, hearing of war,
Line 5 while my eyes spin
with the bobble of fearless blue-footed birds,
the patience of yellow iguanas, watching cactus fruit fall,
and the glide of smooth sea tortoises, gone as they appear,
most everything older than us,
10 and I wonder at the atrocity of what may.
At dinner, sitting over lemon custard,
praying, seeing death inevitable
as we go dancing, for not all funerals mourn,
and I feel heavy, yet beyond guilt for my distance,
15 and we just go to shore,
to La Panga,
and I dance,
barefoot, descalzo,
as they lead me,
20 heels raised and Salsa beats,
sun flushed skin and bright bar mirrors,
spinning,
until we run, by empty streets,
home, to the wet deck and resting life vests.
25 Back to my dark bow,
swallowing Milky Way,
asking the sky,
People are dying,
and I go dancing.

6. The mood of the passage is 8. What does the author mean when she says,
“yet beyond guilt for my distance” (line 14)?
(A) optimistic
(B) decadent (A) She can distract herself by dancing.
(C) mournful (B) She doesn‟t feel guilty to eat the lemon
(D) triumphant custard.
(E) dismissive (C) She is too far away from the atrocity to feel
responsible.
7. Which of the following conclusions can best be (D) She feels guilty for dancing.
drawn about the author? (E) She feels regretful for her past actions.

(A) She feels indifferent. 9. What is the author‟s location at the end of the
(B) She is gullible. passage?
(C) She feels regretful.
(D) She is inhumane. (A) on shore
(E) She feels proud. (B) on a dance floor
(C) on a boat
(D) at a funeral
(E) in a church

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Passage 3: Questions 10 - 14

Aung San Suu Kyi is a Nobel Prize-winning peace activist from

Myanmar, the country previously known as Burma in Southeast Asia. On the
occasion of the award of the Nobel Prize to Aung San Suu Kyi, Professor
Francis Sejersted stated, “she unites deep commitment and tenacity with a
Line 5 vision in which the end and the means form a single unit.”
Aung San Suu Kyi‟s dedication to creating just ends through just means
is fundamental to Buddhist understandings of “right action.” In her book,
Freedom from Fear, Aung San Suu Kyi points out that an act of good done to
earn praise or status is equal to an act of greed. If our only motivation for
10 doing good is that we will be rewarded for that act, then such good acts are
motivated by selfishness.

10. Which best expresses the main idea of the
passage?
(A) Aung San Suu Kyi won the Nobel Prize
for her work as a peace activist.
(B) Greed is motivated by fear.
(C) Charitable acts are usually motivated by
selfishness.
(D) Aung San Suu Kyi is the Burmese peace
activist who wrote the book Freedom
from Fear.
(E) Just means are the best route to
achieving just ends.
12. As implied by the passage, to create “just
ends through just means” (line 6) most
likely means to create
(A) trivial conclusions through small
actions.
(B) fair outcomes through reasonable
methods and measures.
(C) justice through any means necessary.
(D) positive realities through conflicting
ways.
(E) significant change through controversial
endeavors.

11. The author implies that Aung San Suu Kyi‟s 13. The author of the passage appears to care
“dedication” (line 6) is compatible with most deeply about Aung San Suu Kyi‟s

(A) famous words of Gandhi. (A) education.

(B) the work of many other world leaders. (B) awards.
(C) South East Asia‟s commitment to human (C) family history.
equality. (D) views.
(D) Buddhist beliefs about how best to live (E) work history.
in the world.
(E) her kind personality. 14. According to the passage, Aung San Suu Kyi
appears most interested in

(A) the correctness of beliefs.

(B) the motivations of acts.
(C) creating equality among world leaders.
(D) earning a Nobel Prize to inspire her
nation.
(E) the wellbeing of women.

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Upper Level I www.SSATpracticetest.com
Passage 4: Questions 15 - 19

When our needs for love, self-esteem, and identity are met, we feel a sense of
meaning in our lives. We tend to feel safe and secure and purposeful. However,
when these needs are not met, people may feel confused and resentful. Feelings of
powerlessness can result. When people feel that their actions will not affect their
Line 5 futures they may feel helpless to reach their goals or to endeavor to fulfill a purpose.
These feelings of confusion and frustration can also lead to cultural estrangement;
people sometimes come to reject widely held societal values as they feel estranged
from cultural norms.

15. Which best describes the organization of the 18. According to the passage, which is true of
passage? identity?

(A) Two alternative outcomes are described (A) A strong sense of identity ensures that
in succession. we value cultural norms.
(B) Data is presented and then dismissed. (B) A person‟s self-esteem can contradict
(C) The history of the meaning of love is their sense of identity when they feel
outlined in chronological order. powerless.
(D) The author presents an opinion and then (C) Identity is usually established prior to
acknowledges an opposing perspective. adulthood.
(E) Several sources are quoted to support a (D) a solid sense of identity helps people to
main thesis. feel safe.
(E) Without a strong sense of identity,
16. The passage suggests that certain human people fail to form lasting relationships.
needs are
19. According to the passage, when people feel
(A) desirable. powerless they
(B) national.
(C) questionable. (A) may become unemployable and suffer
(D) universal. from feelings of isolation.
(E) transitory. (B) may come to reject common societal
values.
17. The author appears to care most deeply (C) engage in meaningful activities like
about which of the following? creating emotional closeness with other
people.
(A) Unmet emotional needs can lead to (D) set goals and endeavor to achieve them.
negative feelings. (E) isolate themselves from their friends
(B) Love is a primary human need. and families.
(C) Cultural norms vary within each
society.
(D) Powerlessness is the result of a failed
search for meaning.
(E) Feelings of helplessness can escalate
high self-esteem.

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Passage 5: Questions 20 - 24

His eyes burrowed into mine as he waited for me to explain my presence.

I delivered my “rap” to his silent focus. He watched me, eyes seemingly full
of loathing. He gave no encouragement and just let me hang. It took all my
will and acting skills to stay on his porch and continue, “so really the best
Line 5 way to help us out tonight is to become a member of the Human Rights
Campaign, with a suggested member contribution of 60 dollars. The best way
to join is with a check.”
There was a moment of silence during which he continued to lock my
gaze, steadily staring. I felt awkward for being in his space, angry with him
10 for being cold while I was trying to “save the world,” and apologetic for
performing on his porch when he was clearly prepared to be real.

20. The passage is primarily concerned with 22. The author‟s description of the man suggests that
he is
(A) a charged encounter between strangers.
(B) the importance of supporting human (A) unfamiliar with door-to-door canvassing.
rights. (B) interested in human rights.
(C) the difficulties involved in soliciting (C) full of emotion.
contributions to charity. (D) also interested in “saving the world.”
(D) ineffective fundraising strategies. (E) a meticulous person.
(E) convincing
23. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that
21. The mood of the second paragraph can best the author felt awkward because
be described as
(A) the man was not listening to the
(A) dreamy. author‟s “rap.”
(B) enthusiastic. (B) the author was asking a stranger for
(C) remorseful. money.
(D) carefree. (C) the author failed to be humorous.
(E) suspenseful. (D) the author was in the man‟s space
uninvited.
(E) the author was bold.

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Passage 6: Questions 24 - 29

Ayurveda, or Ayurvedic medicine, is a system of health which was

developed thousands of years ago in India. The word “ayurveda” is a term
from the language of Sanskrit and means, “knowledge for long life.”
Included in this traditional system of medicine are principles for healthy
Line 5 eating. While some beliefs about food may not be worth adopting outside of
their culture of origin, others are worth considering as they may help us
improve our relationships with food and personal health. The following are
several principles from Ayurveda that may be useful to the modern reader.
Essential to an Ayurvedic perspective on nutrition is eating the right
10 quantity of food. One should neither eat too little nor too much. It is
important to never totally fill the stomach. For the stomach to be able to
churn food well and properly digest, one is advised to always leave ¼ of the
stomach empty.
Ayurveda also recommends to eat at home when possible and to sit to eat
15 without rushing. Eating is considered a sacred ritual that deserves our whole
attention. We benefit from not bringing stress or distraction to our meals.
Chewing our food well activates the necessary digestive enzymes for
thorough assimilation of the nutrition we take in and helps us be more
satisfied.

24. The passage was probably written to 27. The author of the passage does all of the
following EXCEPT
(A) entertain chefs.
(B) fan a controversy. (A) acknowledge that both eating too little
(C) clarify definitions of terms. and eating too much can impair
(D) introduce several principles. nutrition.
(E) educate about the risks of obesity. (B) emphasize the higher vitamin content of
freshly grown foods.
25. In line 8, “modern” most nearly means (C) advise chewing food well to increase
absorbed nutrition and satisfaction.
(A) contemporary. (D) suggest that some principles from
(B) recent. foreign food cultures may be valuable.
(C) up-to-date. (E) advise to always leave ¼ of the stomach
(D) present. empty.
(E) fashionable
28. A main objective of Ayurveda is most likely to
26. The author‟s tone when describing
recommended food quantity is best (A) diminish health.
described as (B) manage food shortages.
(C) distribute textbooks.
(A) uncertain. (D) invent recipes.
(B) commanding. (E) maintain wellbeing.
(C) matter-of-fact.
(D) critical. 29. It is most reasonable to infer that Ayurvedic
(E) disarming. principles would encourage people to

(A) eat only with people of the same sex.

(B) burn incense while cooking.
(C) not eat animal products.
(D) not cook for one another.
(E) not watch television while eating.

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Passage 7: Questions 30 - 34

This new year, will I find the answers to my existential questions and
meanderings?
Probably not. Will I be certain that I have found my “right” place?
Probably not yet... but I want this coming year to be a year of realistic
Line 5 expectations; I cannot expect all of life‟s questions to be answered so easily.
Life is about finding one‟s place, and that place is not merely geographical. It
is within each of us. I cannot be so impulsive, irresponsible, and childish in
my expectations. That goes for my expectations of places, of other people,
and of myself. I have to learn to accept faults and imperfections. I cannot
10 want everything now. I cannot want to “be a painter” and not put in all the
hard work necessary to paint better.
May this be a year of patience and of benevolent acceptance of self, of
others, and of life. May this year be savoured, slowly appreciated, and
allowed to unravel its hidden surprises.

30. The passage is primarily concerned with 33. The passage suggests that childish
expectations may lead to
(A) how to be a successful painter.
(B) self-acceptance and finding one‟s right (A) lack of acceptance of limitations in
“place.” oneself and others.
(C) how to create doable new year‟s (B) failure to complete daily chores.
resolutions. (C) a commitment to paint better.
(D) growing up and admitting self- (D) existential questions and meanderings.
limitations. (E) disappointing conversations.
(E) having realistic expectations when
travelling. 34. Which common expression most accurately
expresses a main idea of the passage?
31. The passage was most likely taken from a
(A) An idle mind is the devil‟s workshop.
(A) diary (B) Clothes make the man.
(B) scientific journal (C) You are what you eat.
(C) newspaper article (D) What will be will be.
(D) a biography (E) Patience is a virtue.
(E) assembly manual

32. The author suggests that wanting to “be a

painter” requires

(A) confidence.
(B) indifference.
(C) elation.
(D) impatience.
(E) diligence.

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Passage 8: Questions 35 - 40

Classes were cancelled at my high school on November 30th, 1999.

That morning, I climbed on a bus anyway, camera in hand. As we
approached the familiar skyscrapers, I heard, “Sorry, last stop today.” We
disembarked, filing out onto the pavement twenty blocks from downtown
Line 5 Seattle.
We, a mismatched group of commuters, then travelled on foot toward the
city‟s heart. I, a high school senior, walked behind a clown who carried a
sign. A woman beside me asked for my date of birth and rambled about the
alignment of planets.
10 Blocks later I stood next to an overturned garbage bin at the once familiar
intersection of 5th and Pike Street. To my left, a row of police clad in riot
gear stood in line like toy soldiers. Multitudes of bodies came and went, their
human noise drowning the alarms of storefronts, masking the boom of tear
gas canisters firing.
15 The people had congregated.
Some pleaded for the release of Tibet from China; a few anarchists
dressed in black encrypted their message with violence. But most peacefully
carried signs like the clown‟s: “Corporate Greed Ignores Human Need.”
Even in trade-dependent Seattle, members of the World Trade
20 Organization were scarcely welcomed when they gathered in the city‟s heart
that day in the fall of 1999. A cardboard earth, surfing a sea of protestors,
boasted a “for sale” sign. Sea turtles marched alongside Santa Clauses
wearing placards that read, “Nothing for Christmas.” Iron and steel workers
followed, striding alongside environmentalists. I passed two women walking
25 amidst the crowd. On the skin of their backs, thick black marker had etched,
“I AM NOT A CORPORATE COMMODITY.”

35. The primary purpose of the passage is to
(A) describe an observer‟s experience of a
protest in Seattle in 1999.
(B) insist that it is important for young
people, like high school students, to
participate in protests.
(C) show the diversity of people who come
out to protest in Seattle.
(D) argue that violence can encrypt
important messages.
(E) show a student‟s bravery.
36. According to the passage, what most
probably led the author to go to downtown
Seattle that day?
37. The author most likely uses the word
“mismatched” (line 6) to
(A) emphasize her annoyance at the woman
who was rambling.
(B) imply that no one on the bus liked the
people with whom they were travelling.
(C) acknowledge the diversity of people
heading downtown.
(D) imply that no one should have been
going downtown.
(E) hint that the commuters were unsure
how to reach downtown.
38. Without changing the author‟s meaning,
“Multitudes” (line 12) could be replaced by

(A) She was forbidden by teachers to attend (A) piles

the protest. (B) barrels
(B) She wanted to meet up with a friend. (C) teams
(C) She was instructed by her parents to (D) handfuls
leave the house. (E) scores
(D) She wanted to photograph the protest.
(E) She didn‟t realize her school was closed.

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Upper Level I
39. In lines 17-18, the author implies that most
protestors were peaceful in order to
(A) insist that the police‟s use of tear gas
was unnecessary.
(B) boast over the maturity of the city‟s
inhabitants.
(C) make a statement about capitalism.
(D) suggest that the protestors‟ messages
should be heeded without question.
(E) inform the reader that the violent
protesters were in the minority.
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40. In the first sentence of the last paragraph, the
author suggests that
(A) it is surprising that protestors showed so
much support for the World Trade
Organization.
(B) the people of Seattle did not welcome
the World Trade Organization.
(C) Seattle was proud to host the gathering
of the World Trade Organization.
(D) the World Trade Organization could
have found a different month to gather.
(E) the protest was especially strong because
Seattle is trade-dependent.
STOP. Do not go on
until told to do so.