SSAT Middle Level Reading : Argumentative Science Passages

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SSAT Middle Level Reading

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Example Questions

Example Question #391 : Ssat Middle Level Reading Comprehension

Adapted from A Catechism of Familiar Things: Their History and the Events Which Led to Their Discovery by the Benziger Brothers (1881)

The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, is a luminous appearance in the northern parts of the sky, seen mostly during winter, or in frosty weather, and clear evenings; it assumes a variety of forms and hues, especially in the polar regions, where it appears in its perfection, and proves a great solace to the inhabitants amidst the gloom of their long winter's night, which lasts from one to six months.

Which of these statements about the Northern Lights is supported by this passage?

Possible Answers:

It is a phenomenon reserved solely for the Antarctic region.

None of these answers is supported by this passage.

It is unexplainable.

It is a sign of coming winter.

It is more clearly seen in Canada than in Mexico.

Correct answer:

It is more clearly seen in Canada than in Mexico.

Explanation:

The author says that the Northern Lights appear in “the Northern parts of the sky” and “especially in the polar regions,” so you know that the further North you are, the more likely you are to see the Northern Lights, and the more clearly they can be seen. This should allow you to infer that the Northern Lights can be much more clearly seen in Canada than in Mexico. The same phenomenon does occur in the Antarctic region, but there it is in the Southern Hemisphere and called “Aurora Australis.”

Example Question #21 : Argumentative Science Passages

Adapted from “The Stars” by Sir Robert S. Ball in Wonders of Earth, Sea, and Sky (1902, ed. Edward Singleton Holden)

The group of bodies that cluster around our sun forms a little island in the extent of infinite space. We may illustrate this by drawing a map in which we shall endeavor to show the stars placed at their proper relative distances. 

We first open the compasses one inch, and thus draw a little circle to represent the path of Earth. We are not going to put in all the planets; we take Neptune, the outermost, at once. To draw its path, I open the compasses to thirty inches, and draw a circle with that radius. That will do for our solar system, though the comets no doubt will roam beyond these limits. 

To complete our map, we ought to put in some stars. There are a hundred million to choose from, and we shall begin with the brightest. It is often called the Dog Star, but astronomers know it better as Sirius. Let us see where it is to be placed on our map. Sirius is a good deal further off than Neptune; so I try at the edge of the drawing-board; I have got a method of making a little calculation that I do not intend to trouble you with, but I can assure you that the results it leads me to are quite correct; they show me that this board is not big enough. But could a board which was big enough fit into this lecture theatre? No; in fact, the board would have to go out through the wall of the theatre, out through London. Indeed, big as London is, it would not be large enough to contain the drawing-board that I should require. It would have to stretch about twenty miles from where we are now assembled. We may therefore dismiss any hope of making a practical map of our system on this scale if Sirius is to have its proper place. 

Let us, then, take some other star. We shall naturally try with the nearest of all. It is one that we do not know in this part of the world, but those that live in the southern hemisphere are well acquainted with it. The name of this star is Alpha Centauri. Even for this star, we should require a drawing three or four miles long if the distance from the earth to the sun is to be taken as one inch. 

You see what an isolated position our sun and its planets occupy. The stars might be very troublesome neighbors if they were very much closer to our system; it is therefore well they are so far off. If they were near at hand, they would drag us into unpleasantly great heat by bringing us too close to the sun, or produce a coolness by pulling us away from the sun, which would be quite as disagreeable.

Which of these statements about the author can you most reasonably infer to be true?

Possible Answers:

He is an amateur astronomer.

He works in London.

He is unmarried and childless.

He dropped out of university.

He worked for the American space program.

Correct answer:

He works in London.

Explanation:

There is no evidence in this passage to support that the author is “unmarried” or that “he dropped out of university.” Likewise, there is no mention of the “American space program” or of the author’s professional or amateur status as an astronomer. It is reasonable to assume he is a professional from the assuredness of his tone. The only piece of information that could possibly lead to an inference being made is found in the third paragraph where the author is talking about constructing a scale model of the known universe. He says, “in fact, the board would have to go out through the wall of the theatre, out through London. Indeed, big as London is, it would not be large enough to contain the drawing-board that I should require. It would have to stretch about twenty miles from where we are now assembled.” The author is clearly in London and giving a lecture to a group of assembled individuals, so we can reasonably infer that the author “works in London.” Of course, this is not a concrete inference; he might simply be in town for a conference. But, there is such little evidence to support any other inference, so this is the answer choice that can be “most reasonably” inferred.

Example Question #6 : Analyzing Passage Logic, Genre, And Organization In Contemporary Life Passages

Adapted from The Principles of Breeding by S. L. Goodale (1861)

The Jersey cow, formerly known as the Alderney, is almost exclusively employed for dairy purposes, and may not be expected to give satisfaction for other uses. Their milk is richer than that of any other cows, and the butter made from it possesses a superior flavor and a deep rich color, and consequently commands an extraordinary price in all markets where good butter is appreciated.

Jersey cattle are of Norman origin, and are noted for their milking properties. The cows are generally very docile and gentle, but the males when past two or three years of age often become vicious and unmanageable. It is said that the cows fatten readily when dry.

There is no branch of cattle husbandry which promises better returns than the breeding and rearing of milch cows. In the vicinity of large towns and cities are many cows which having been culled from many miles around, on account of dairy properties, are considerably above the average, but taking the cows of the country together they do not compare favorably with the oxen. Farmers generally take more pride in their oxen, and strive to have as good or better than any of their neighbors, while if a cow will give milk enough to rear a large steer calf and a little besides, it is often deemed satisfactory.

The author would likely characterize the “pride” of the farmer as __________.

Possible Answers:

wise

misplaced

ridiculous

abhorrent

beneficial

Correct answer:

misplaced

Explanation:

In context, the author says, “Farmers generally take more pride in their oxen, and strive to have as good or better than any of their neighbors, while if a cow will give milk enough to rear a large steer calf and a little besides, that is often good enough for the farmer.” He is talking about how farmers take more pride in their oxen then they do in their dairy cows. From the context of the rest of the essay, where the author is arguing for an increased attention being paid to the selective breeding of dairy cows, it is easy to infer that the author would view the pride in oxen as “misplaced." He would encourage farmers to pay greater attention to their dairy cows and less attention to their oxen. The answer choices “ridiculous” and “abhorrent” (offensive and disgraceful) are too strong for the author’s word choices here, and “wise” and “beneficial” (helpful) have the opposite meaning to the correct answer.

Example Question #22 : Argumentative Science Passages

Adapted from The Principles of Breeding by S. L. Goodale (1861)

The Jersey cow, formerly known as the Alderney, is almost exclusively employed for dairy purposes, and may not be expected to give satisfaction for other uses. Their milk is richer than that of any other cows, and the butter made from it possesses a superior flavor and a deep rich color, and consequently commands an extraordinary price in all markets where good butter is appreciated.

Jersey cattle are of Norman origin, and are noted for their milking properties. The cows are generally very docile and gentle, but the males when past two or three years of age often become vicious and unmanageable. It is said that the cows fatten readily when dry.

There is no branch of cattle husbandry which promises better returns than the breeding and rearing of milch cows. In the vicinity of large towns and cities are many cows which having been culled from many miles around, on account of dairy properties, are considerably above the average, but taking the cows of the country together they do not compare favorably with the oxen. Farmers generally take more pride in their oxen, and strive to have as good or better than any of their neighbors, while if a cow will give milk enough to rear a large steer calf and a little besides, it is often deemed satisfactory.

Jersey cows originally come from __________.

Possible Answers:

Alderney

Normandy

It is impossible to say.

England

Jersey

Correct answer:

Normandy

Explanation:

Answering this question requires you to pay attention to the correct detail. The name “Jersey cow” is simply the name of the cow and not an indication of where the cows originally come from. The same is true of “Alderney.” However, the author tells you “These cattle are of Norman origin," so, you can easily determine that Jersey cows come from “Normandy.”

Example Question #7 : Analyzing Passage Logic, Genre, And Organization In Contemporary Life Passages

Adapted from The Principles of Breeding by S. L. Goodale (1861)

The Jersey cow, formerly known as the Alderney, is almost exclusively employed for dairy purposes, and may not be expected to give satisfaction for other uses. Their milk is richer than that of any other cows, and the butter made from it possesses a superior flavor and a deep rich color, and consequently commands an extraordinary price in all markets where good butter is appreciated.

Jersey cattle are of Norman origin, and are noted for their milking properties. The cows are generally very docile and gentle, but the males when past two or three years of age often become vicious and unmanageable. It is said that the cows fatten readily when dry.

There is no branch of cattle husbandry which promises better returns than the breeding and rearing of milch cows. In the vicinity of large towns and cities are many cows which having been culled from many miles around, on account of dairy properties, are considerably above the average, but taking the cows of the country together they do not compare favorably with the oxen. Farmers generally take more pride in their oxen, and strive to have as good or better than any of their neighbors, while if a cow will give milk enough to rear a large steer calf and a little besides, it is often deemed satisfactory.

The author would most likely view using a Jersey cow as a source of beef as __________.

Possible Answers:

a situational consideration

a viable way to make a profit

a waste of resources

a foolish, but understandable mistake

It is impossible to say.

Correct answer:

a waste of resources

Explanation:

Answering this question requires you to read the first paragraph carefully and make an inference from what the author says: “These cattle, formerly known as Alderney, are almost exclusively employed for dairy purposes, and may not be expected to give satisfaction for other uses.” He goes on to say that the milk and butter produced from these cows is very valuable, so if a farmer employed a Jersey cow for different purposes, the author would probably view the decision as “a waste of resources.”

Example Question #235 : Sat Critical Reading

dapted from “Introduced Species That Have Become Pests” in Our Vanishing Wild Life, Its Extermination and Protection by William Temple Hornaday (1913)

The man who successfully transplants or "introduces" into a new habitat any persistent species of living thing assumes a very grave responsibility. Every introduced species is doubtful gravel until panned out. The enormous losses that have been inflicted upon the world through the perpetuation of follies with wild vertebrates and insects would, if added together, be enough to purchase a principality. The most aggravating feature of these follies in transplantation is that never yet have they been made severely punishable. We are just as careless and easygoing on this point as we were about the government of the Yellowstone Park in the days when Howell and other poachers destroyed our first national bison herd, and when caught red-handed—as Howell was, skinning seven Park bison cows—could not be punished for it, because there was no penalty prescribed by any law. Today, there is a way in which any revengeful person could inflict enormous damage on the entire South, at no cost to himself, involve those states in enormous losses and the expenditure of vast sums of money, yet go absolutely unpunished!

The gypsy moth is a case in point. This winged calamity was imported at Maiden, Massachusetts, near Boston, by a French entomologist, Mr. Leopold Trouvelot, in 1868 or 69. History records the fact that the man of science did not purposely set free the pest. He was endeavoring with live specimens to find a moth that would produce a cocoon of commercial value to America, and a sudden gust of wind blew out of his study, through an open window, his living and breeding specimens of the gypsy moth. The moth itself is not bad to look at, but its larvae is a great, overgrown brute with an appetite like a hog. Immediately Mr. Trouvelot sought to recover his specimens, and when he failed to find them all, like a man of real honor, he notified the State authorities of the accident. Every effort was made to recover all the specimens, but enough escaped to produce progeny that soon became a scourge to the trees of Massachusetts. The method of the big, nasty-looking mottled-brown caterpillar was very simple. It devoured the entire foliage of every tree that grew in its sphere of influence.

The gypsy moth spread with alarming rapidity and persistence. In course of time, the state authorities of Massachusetts were forced to begin a relentless war upon it, by poisonous sprays and by fire. It was awful! Up to this date (1912) the New England states and the United States Government service have expended in fighting this pest about $7,680,000!

The spread of this pest has been retarded, but the gypsy moth never will be wholly stamped out. Today it exists in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire, and it is due to reach New York at an early date. It is steadily spreading in three directions from Boston, its original point of departure, and when it strikes the State of New York, we, too, will begin to pay dearly for the Trouvelot experiment.

If the author were to learn that the gypsy moth could be efficiently repelled from trees by coating them with a cheap, natural substance, he would likely feel __________.

Possible Answers:

horrified

exuberant

anxious

pessimistic

unsurprised

Correct answer:

exuberant

Explanation:

Throughout the passage, the author makes it apparent that he feels that the gypsy moth is a very damaging invasive species that causes a lot of problems in the United States. He calls it a “winged calamity” and, in the third paragraph, describes how it spread:

“The gypsy moth spread with alarming rapidity and persistence. In course of time, the state authorities of Massachusetts were forced to begin a relentless war upon it, by poisonous sprays and by fire. It was awful! Up to this date (1912) the New England states and the United States Government service have expended in fighting this pest about $7,680,000!”

From this paragraph, we can tell that if the author were to learn that the gypsy moth could be efficiently stopped from damaging trees, he would be most likely to feel “exuberant,” or excited and happy. Nothing in the passage supports any of the other answers.

Example Question #23 : Argumentative Science Passages

Adapted from "The Colors of Animals" by Sir John Lubbock in A Book of Natural History (1902, ed. David Starr Jordan)

The color of animals is by no means a matter of chance; it depends on many considerations, but in the majority of cases tends to protect the animal from danger by rendering it less conspicuous. Perhaps it may be said that if coloring is mainly protective, there ought to be but few brightly colored animals. There are, however, not a few cases in which vivid colors are themselves protective. The kingfisher itself, though so brightly colored, is by no means easy to see. The blue harmonizes with the water, and the bird as it darts along the stream looks almost like a flash of sunlight.

Desert animals are generally the color of the desert. Thus, for instance, the lion, the antelope, and the wild donkey are all sand-colored. “Indeed,” says Canon Tristram, “in the desert, where neither trees, brushwood, nor even undulation of the surface afford the slightest protection to its foes, a modification of color assimilated to that of the surrounding country is absolutely necessary. Hence, without exception, the upper plumage of every bird, and also the fur of all the smaller mammals and the skin of all the snakes and lizards, is of one uniform sand color.”

The next point is the color of the mature caterpillars, some of which are brown. This probably makes the caterpillar even more conspicuous among the green leaves than would otherwise be the case. Let us see, then, whether the habits of the insect will throw any light upon the riddle. What would you do if you were a big caterpillar? Why, like most other defenseless creatures, you would feed by night, and lie concealed by day. So do these caterpillars. When the morning light comes, they creep down the stem of the food plant, and lie concealed among the thick herbage and dry sticks and leaves, near the ground, and it is obvious that under such circumstances the brown color really becomes a protection. It might indeed be argued that the caterpillars, having become brown, concealed themselves on the ground, and that we were reversing the state of things. But this is not so, because, while we may say as a general rule that large caterpillars feed by night and lie concealed by day, it is by no means always the case that they are brown; some of them still retaining the green color. We may then conclude that the habit of concealing themselves by day came first, and that the brown color is a later adaptation.

Which of these statements best captures the main idea of this essay?

Possible Answers:

The color of an animal is not coincidental, but is an adaptation developed over time to aid its survival.

The coloring of mature caterpillars is very difficult to explain without considering the behavior patterns they exhibit.

The coloring of animals changes widely over time and in different parts of the world.

Animals inherit their coloring from their parents and pass on the same genes to their offspring.

The color of an animal is owed, at least in part, to its relationship with the environment in which it lives.

Correct answer:

The color of an animal is not coincidental, but is an adaptation developed over time to aid its survival.

Explanation:

The overall argument of this essay is that the coloring of animals is not coincidental, and that every animal is a specific color for a reason. Either the coloring matches with the environment to offer the animal some protection, or else it somehow supports the animal’s behavioral patterns. This idea is most clearly stated by the author in the opening sentence where he says, "The color of animals is by no means a matter of chance; it depends on many considerations . . . "

Example Question #401 : Ssat Middle Level Reading Comprehension

Adapted from “The Stars” by Sir Robert S. Ball in Wonders of Earth, Sea, and Sky (1902, ed. Edward Singleton Holden)

The group of bodies that cluster around our sun forms a little island in the extent of infinite space. We may illustrate this by drawing a map in which we shall endeavor to show the stars placed at their proper relative distances. 

We first open the compasses one inch, and thus draw a little circle to represent the path of Earth. We are not going to put in all the planets; we take Neptune, the outermost, at once. To draw its path, I open the compasses to thirty inches, and draw a circle with that radius. That will do for our solar system, though the comets no doubt will roam beyond these limits. 

To complete our map, we ought to put in some stars. There are a hundred million to choose from, and we shall begin with the brightest. It is often called the Dog Star, but astronomers know it better as Sirius. Let us see where it is to be placed on our map. Sirius is a good deal further off than Neptune; so I try at the edge of the drawing-board; I have got a method of making a little calculation that I do not intend to trouble you with, but I can assure you that the results it leads me to are quite correct; they show me that this board is not big enough. But could a board which was big enough fit into this lecture theatre? No; in fact, the board would have to go out through the wall of the theatre, out through London. Indeed, big as London is, it would not be large enough to contain the drawing-board that I should require. It would have to stretch about twenty miles from where we are now assembled. We may therefore dismiss any hope of making a practical map of our system on this scale if Sirius is to have its proper place. 

Let us, then, take some other star. We shall naturally try with the nearest of all. It is one that we do not know in this part of the world, but those that live in the southern hemisphere are well acquainted with it. The name of this star is Alpha Centauri. Even for this star, we should require a drawing three or four miles long if the distance from the earth to the sun is to be taken as one inch. 

You see what an isolated position our sun and its planets occupy. The stars might be very troublesome neighbors if they were very much closer to our system; it is therefore well they are so far off. If they were near at hand, they would drag us into unpleasantly great heat by bringing us too close to the sun, or produce a coolness by pulling us away from the sun, which would be quite as disagreeable.

Which of these characteristics of the universe is the author of this essay primarily concerned with convincing his audience of?

Possible Answers:

Its destructive capabilities

Its uniqueness

Its brilliance

Its isolation.

Its vastness

Correct answer:

Its vastness

Explanation:

In this essay, the author is trying to convince his audience primarily of the “vastness” of the universe. “Vast” means huge, expansive, and boundless. It might be reasonable to infer from the conclusion of the sentence where the author talks about the destruction that could be wrought on our world if the universe were closer together that the author wishes to highlight the universe’s “destructive capabilities,” but this is better understood as part of the author’s highlighting of the hugeness of the universe. In the passage, he is trying to show you how “vast” the universe is by demonstrating how impossible it is to render the universe on an accurate scaled-down model.

Example Question #24 : Argumentative Science Passages

Adapted from The Principles of Breeding by S. L. Goodale (1861)

The Jersey cow, formerly known as the Alderney, is almost exclusively employed for dairy purposes, and may not be expected to give satisfaction for other uses. Their milk is richer than that of any other cows, and the butter made from it possesses a superior flavor and a deep rich color, and consequently commands an extraordinary price in all markets where good butter is appreciated.

Jersey cattle are of Norman origin, and are noted for their milking properties. The cows are generally very docile and gentle, but the males when past two or three years of age often become vicious and unmanageable. It is said that the cows fatten readily when dry.

There is no branch of cattle husbandry which promises better returns than the breeding and rearing of milch cows. In the vicinity of large towns and cities are many cows which having been culled from many miles around, on account of dairy properties, are considerably above the average, but taking the cows of the country together they do not compare favorably with the oxen. Farmers generally take more pride in their oxen, and strive to have as good or better than any of their neighbors, while if a cow will give milk enough to rear a large steer calf and a little besides, it is often deemed satisfactory.

The main purpose of this article is __________.

Possible Answers:

to describe the properties of the Jersey cow

to reflect on the differences between various cows in England

to explain the basics of animal husbandry

to argue against the use of dairy cows for meat

to encourage the breeding of dairy cows

Correct answer:

to encourage the breeding of dairy cows

Explanation:

In the first two paragraphs, the author primarily describes the properties of the Jersey cow, but his reason for doing so is to make an argument encouraging the greater selective breeding of dairy cows. This can be seen, for example, when the author says “There is no branch of cattle husbandry which promises better returns than the breeding and rearing of milch cows.” You can then see how the third paragraph is primarily a discussion of how farmers err by not focusing more of their attention in selectively breeding their dairy cows.

Example Question #12 : Compare / Contrast

Adapted from “Some Strange Nurseries” by Grant Allen in A Book of Natural History (1902, ed. David Starr Jordan)

Among the larger lizards, a distinct difference may be observed between the American alligator and its near ally, the African crocodile. On the banks of the Mississippi, the alligator lays a hundred eggs or thereabouts, which she deposits in a nest near the water’s edge, and then covers them up with leaves and other decaying vegetable matter. The fermentation of these leaves produces heat and so does for the alligator’s eggs what sitting does for those of hens and other birds: the mother deputes her maternal functions, so to speak, to a festering heap of decomposing plant-refuse. Nevertheless, she loiters about all the time to see what happens, and when the eggs hatch out, she leads her little ones down to the river, and there makes alligators of them. This is a simple nursery arrangement of the big lizards.

The African crocodile, on the other hand, does something different, and takes greater care for the safety of its young. It lays only about thirty eggs, but these it buries in warm sand, and then lies on top of them at night, both to protect them from attack and to keep them warm during the cooler hours. In short, it sits upon them. When the young crocodiles within the eggs are ready to hatch, they utter an acute cry. The mother then digs down to the eggs, and lays them freely on the surface, so that the little reptiles may have space to work their way out unimpeded. This they do by biting at the shell with a specially developed tooth; at the end of two hours’ nibbling they are free, and are led down to the water by their affectionate parent. In these two cases we see the beginnings of the instinct of hatching, which in birds has become almost universal.

How does the author of this passage compares the American alligator and the African crocodile in terms of __________.

Possible Answers:

how uncaring and protective the mothers are of their offspring

how caring and protective the mothers are of their offspring

None of these answers is accurate.

how much food is needed to keep the young of the animal alive

how closely-related each type of animal is to birds

Correct answer:

how uncaring and protective the mothers are of their offspring

Explanation:

From the context of the whole of this passage, which is discussing the differences between how alligators and crocodiles care for their young, it is clear that the author believes that the American alligator is far less protective of its young than the African crocodile is, so the two animals are being compared in terms of "how caring and protective the mothers are of their young."

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