SSAT阅读考试是许多同学迫切希望提高的部分，以下是我们为大家准备的SSAT基础阅读练习题，希望对同学们的SSAT阅读日常备考有所帮助。 In the sixteenth century, an age of great marine and terrestrial exploration, Ferdinand Magellan led the first expedition to sail around the world. As a young Portuguese noble, he served the king of Portugal, but he became involved in the quagmire of political intrigue at court and lost the king’s favor. After he was dismissed from service to the king of Portugal, he offered to serve the future Emperor Charles V of Spain. A papal decree of 1493 had assigned all land in the New World west of 50 degrees W longitude to Spain and all the land east of that line to Portugal. Magellan offered to prove that the East Indies fell under Spanish authority. On September 20, 1519, Magellan set sail from Spain with five ships. More than a year later, one of these ships was exploring the topography of South America in search of a water route across the continent. This ship sank, but the remaining four ships searched along the southern peninsula of South America. Finally they found the passage they sought near a latitude of 50 degrees S. Magellan named this passage the Strait of All Saints, but today we know it as the Strait of Magellan.
One ship deserted while in this passage and returned to Spain, so fewer sailors were privileged to gaze at that first panorama of the Pacific Ocean. Those who remained crossed the meridian we now call the International Date Line in the early spring of 1521 after ninety-eight days on the Pacific Ocean. During those long days at sea, many of Magellan’s men died of starvation and disease.
Later Magellan became involved in an insular conflict in the
Philippines and was killed in a tribal battle. Only one ship and seventeen sailors under the command of the Basque navigator Elcano survived to complete the westward journey to Spain and thus prove once and for all that the world is round, with no precipice at the edge. 1.The sixteenth century was an age of great ___exploration. A. cosmic B. land C. mental D. common man E. none of the above
2. Magellan lost the favor of the king of Portugal when he became involved in a political ___. A. entanglement B. discussion C. negotiation D. problems
E. none of the above
3. The Pope divided New World lands between Spain and Portugal according to their location on one side or the other of an imaginary geographical line 50 degrees west of Greenwich that extends in a ___ direction.
A. north and south B. crosswise C. easterly D. south east E. north and west
4. One of Magellan’s ships explored the ___ of South America for a passage across the continent. A. coastline B. mountain range C. physical features D. islands
E. none of the above
5. Four of the ships sought a passage along a southern ___. A. coast B. inland
C. body of land with water on three sides D. border
E. answer not available
6. The passage was found near 50 degrees S of ___. A. Greenwich B. The equator
C. Spain D. Portugal E. Madrid
7. In the spring of 1521, the ships crossed the ___ now called the International Date Line.
A. imaginary circle passing through the poles B. Imaginary line parallel to the equator C. area D. land mass
E. answer not found in article 答案：
1. (B) 2. (A) 3. (A) 4. (C) 5. (C) 6. (B) 7. (A)
SSAT备考：SSAT阅读基础练习题（二）
Marie Curie was one of the most accomplished scientists in history. Together with her husband, Pierre, she discovered radium, an element widely used for treating cancer, and studied uranium and other
radioactive substances. Pierre and Marie’s amicable collaboration later helped to unlock the secrets of the atom.
Marie was born in 1867 in Warsaw, Poland, where her father was a professor of physics. At the early age, she displayed a brilliant mind and a blithe personality. Her great exuberance for learning prompted her to continue with her studies after high school. She became disgruntled, however, when she learned that the university in Warsaw was closed to women. Determined to receive a higher education, she defiantly left Poland and in 1891 entered the Sorbonne, a French university, where she earned her master’s degree and doctorate in physics.
Marie was fortunate to have studied at the Sorbonne with some of the greatest scientists of her day, one of whom was Pierre Curie. Marie and Pierre were married in 1895 and spent many productive years working together in the physics laboratory. A short time after they discovered
radium, Pierre was killed by a horse-drawn wagon in 1906. Marie was stunned by this horrible misfortune and endured heartbreaking anguish. Despondently she recalled their close relationship and the joy that they had shared in scientific research. The fact that she had two young daughters to raise by herself greatly increased her distress.
Curie’s feeling of desolation finally began to fade when she was asked to succeed her husband as a physics professor at the Sorbonne. She was the first woman to be given a professorship at the world-famous university. In 1911 she received the Nobel Prize in chemistry for isolating radium. Although Marie Curie eventually suffered a fatal illness from her long exposure to radium, she never became disillusioned about her work. Regardless of the consequences, she had dedicated herself to science and to revealing the mysteries of the physical world.
1.The Curies’ ____ collaboration helped to unlock the secrets of the atom. A. friendly B. competitive C. courteous D. industrious
E. chemistry
2. Marie had a bright mind and a __personality. A. strong B. lighthearted C. humorous D. strange E. envious
3. When she learned that she could not attend the university in Warsaw, she felt___. A. hopeless B. annoyed C. depressed D. worried
E. none of the above
4. Marie ___ by leaving Poland and traveling to France to enter the Sorbonne.
A. challenged authority B. showed intelligence C. behaved D. was distressed
E. answer not available in article
5. _____she remembered their joy together. A. Dejectedly B. Worried C. Tearfully D. Happily E. Sorrowfully
6. Her ____ began to fade when she returned to the Sorbonne to succeed her husband. A. misfortune B. anger C. wretchedness
D. disappointment E. ambition
7. Even though she became fatally ill from working with radium, Marie Curie was never ____. A. troubled B. worried C. disappointed D. sorrowful E. disturbed Answer Key:
1. (A) 2. (B) 3. (B) 4. (A) 5. (A) 6. (C) 7.(C)
SSAT备考：SSAT阅读基础练习题（三）
The victory of the small Greek democracy of Athens over the mighty Persian empire in 490 B. C. is one of the most famous events in history. Darius, king of the Persian empire, was furious because Athens had interceded for the other Greek city-states in revolt against Persian domination. In anger the king sent an enormous army to defeat Athens. He thought it would take drastic steps to pacify the rebellious part of the empire. Persia was ruled by one man. In Athens, however, all citizens helped to rule. Ennobled by this participation, Athenians were prepared to die for their city-state. Perhaps this was the secret of the remarkable victory at Marathon, which freed them from Persian rule. On their way to Marathon, the Persians tried to fool some Greek city-states by claiming to have come in peace. The frightened citizens of Delos refused to believe this. Not wanting to abet the conquest of Greece, they fled from their city and did not return until the Persians had left. They were wise, for the Persians next conquered the city of Etria and captured its people. Tiny Athens stood alone against Persia. The Athenian people went to their sanctuaries. There they prayed for deliverance. They asked their gods to expedite their victory. The Athenians refurbished their weapons and moved to the plain of Marathon, where their little band would meet the Persians. At the last moment, soldiers from Plataea reinforced the
Athenian troops. The Athenian army attacked, and Greek citizens fought bravely. The power of the mighty Persians was offset by the love that the Athenians had for their city. Athenians defeated the Persians in archery and hand combat. Greek soldiers seized Persian ships and burned them, and the Persians fled in terror. Herodotus, a famous historian, reports t hat 6400 Persians died, compared with only 192 Athenians.
1.Athens had ____the other Greek city-states against the Persians. A. refused help to B. intervened on behalf of C. wanted to fight
D. given orders for all to fight E. defeated
2. Darius took drastic steps to ___ the rebellious Athenians. A. weaken B. destroy C. calm D. placate
E. answer not available
3. Their participation___to the Athenians. A. gave comfort B. gave honor C. gave strength D. gave fear E. gave hope
4. The people of Delos did not want to ___ the conquest of Greece. A. end B. encourage C. think about D. daydream about E. answer not available
5. The Athenians were ___by some soldiers who arrived from Plataea. A. welcomed
B. strengthened C. held D. captured
E. answer not available 1. (B) 2. (C) 3. (B) 4. (B) 5. (B)
SSAT阅读基础练习题（四）
Although witnesses vouched that all the members of the Czar´s family had been executed, there were rumors suggesting that Anastasia had survived. Over the years, a number of women claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia. Perhaps the best ?nown claimant was Anastasia Tschaikovsky, who was also known as Anna Anderson.
In 1920, eighteen months after the Czar´s execution, this terrified young woman was rescued from drowning in a Berlin river. She spent two years in a hospital, where she attempted to reclaim her health and shattered mind. The doctors and nurses thought that she resembled Anastasia and questioned heer about her background. She disclaimed any connection with the Czar´s family.
Eight years later, though, she claimed that she was Anastasia. She said that she had been rescued by two Russian soldiers after the Czar and the rest of her family had been killed. Two brothers named Tschaikovsky had carried her into Romania. She had married one of the brothers, who had taken her to Berlin and left her there, penniless and without a vocation. Unable to invoke the aid of her mother´s family in Germany, she had tried to drown herself.
During the next few years, scores of the Czar´s relatives, ex-servants, and acquaintances interviewed her. Many of these people said that her looks and mannerisms were evocative of the Anastasia that they had known. Her grandmother and other relatives denied that she was the real Anastasia, however.
Tried of being accused of fraud, Anastasia immigrated to the United States in 1928 and took the name Anna Anderson. She still wished to prove that she was Anastasia, though, and returned to Germany in 1933 to bring suit against her mother´s family. There she declaimed to the court, asserting that she was indeed Anastasia and deserved her inheritance.
In 1957, the court decided that it could neither confirm nor deny Anastasia´s identity. Although we will probably never know whether this
woman was the Grand Duchess Anastasia, her search to establish her identity has been the subject of numerous books, plays, and movies. 1. Some Russian peasants and workers___for social reform. A. longed B. cried out C. begged D. hoped E. thought much
2. Witnesses ___ that all members of the Czar´s family had been executed.
A. gave assurance B. thought C. hoped
D. convinced some E. answer not stated
3. Tschaikovsky ____any connection with the Czar´s family.
A. denied B. stopped C. noted D. justified
E. answer not stated
4. She was unable to ___the aid of her relative. A. locate B. speak about C. call upon D. identify E. know
5. In court she ___ maintaining that she was Anastasia and deserved her inheritance.
A. finally appeared B. spoke forcefully C. testified
D. gave evidence E. answer not stated
Answer Key 1. (B) 2. (A) 3. (A) 4. (C) 5. (B)
SSAT阅读基础练习题（五）
Many great inventions are greeted with ridicule and disbelief. The invention of the airplane was no exception. Although many people who heard about the first powered flight on December 17,1903, were excited and impressed, others reacted with peals of laughter. The idea of flying an aircraft was repulsive to some people. Such people called Wilbur and Orville Wright, the inventors of the first flying machine, impulsive fools. Negative reactions, however, did not stop the Wrights. Impelled by their desire to succeed, they continued their experiments in aviation. Orville and Wilbur Wright had always had a compelling interest in aeronautics and mechanics. As young boys they earned money by making and selling kites and mechanical toys. Later, they designed a newspaper-folding machine, built a printing press, and operated a bicycle-repair shop. In 1896, when they read about the death of Otto Lilienthal, the brother´s interest in flight grew into a compulsion. Lilienthal, a pioneer in hang-gliding, had controlled his gliders by shifting his body in the desired direction. This idea was repellent to the Wright brothers, however, and they searched for more efficient methods
to control the balance of airborne vehicles. In 1900 and 1901, the Wrights tested numerous gliders and developed control techniques. The brothers´ inability to obtain enough lift power for the gliders almost led them to abandon their efforts.
After further study, the Wright brothers concluded that the published tables of air pressure on curved surfaces must be wrong. They set up a wind tunnel and began a series of experiments with model wings. Because of their efforts, the old tables were repealed in time and replaced by the first reliable figures for air pressure on curved surfaces. This work, in turn, made it possible for them to design a machine that would fly. In 1903 the Wrights built their first airplane, which cost less than one thousand dollars. They even designed and built their own source of propulsion- a lightweight gasoline engine. When they started the engine on December 17, the airplane pulsated wildly before taking off. The plane managed to stay aloft for twelve seconds, however, and it flew one hundred twenty feet.
By 1905 the Wrights had perfected the first airplane that could turn, circle, and remain airborne for half an hour at a time. Others had flown in balloons or in hang gliders, but the Wright brothers were the first to build a full-size machine that could fly under its own power. As the contributors of one of the most outstanding engineering achievements
in history, the Wright brothers are accurately called the fathers of aviation.
1.The idea of flying an aircraft was ___to some people. A. boring B. distasteful C. exciting D. needless
E. answer not available
2. People thought that the Wright brothers had ____. A. acted without thinking B. been negatively influenced C. been too cautious
D. had not given enough thought E. acted in a negative way
3. The Wright´s interest in flight grew into a ____. A. financial empire
B. plan C. need to act D. foolish thought E. answer not in article
4. Lilenthal´s idea about controlling airborne vehicles was ___the Wrights.(
A. proven wrong by B. opposite to the ideas of C. disliked by D. accepted by E. opposed by
5. The old tables were __ and replaced by the first reliable figures for air pressure on curved surfaces. A. destroyed B. canceled C. multiplied
D. discarded E. not used
6. The Wrights designed and built their own source of ____. A. force for moving forward B. force for turning around C. turning
D. force to going backward E. none of the above
Answer Key: 1. (B) 2. (A) 3. (C) 4. (C) 5. (B) 6. (A)
SSAT备考：SSAT阅读基础练习题（六）
Many great inventions are greeted with ridicule and disbelief. The invention of the airplane was no exception. Although many people who heard about the first powered flight on December 17,1903, were excited and impressed, others reacted with peals of laughter. The idea of flying an aircraft was repulsive to some people. Such people called Wilbur and Orville Wright, the inventors of the first flying machine, impulsive fools. Negative reactions, however, did not stop the Wrights. Impelled by their desire to succeed, they continued their experiments in aviation. Orville and Wilbur Wright had always had a compelling interest in aeronautics and mechanics. As young boys they earned money by making and selling kites and mechanical toys. Later, they designed a newspaper-folding machine, built a printing press, and operated a bicycle-repair shop. In 1896, when they read about the death of Otto Lilienthal, the brother´s interest in flight grew into a compulsion. Lilienthal, a pioneer in hang-gliding, had controlled his gliders by shifting his body in the desired direction. This idea was repellent to the Wright brothers, however, and they searched for more efficient methods to control the balance of airborne vehicles. In 1900 and 1901, the Wrights tested numerous gliders and developed control techniques. The
brothers´ inability to obtain enough lift power for the gliders almost led them to abandon their efforts.
After further study, the Wright brothers concluded that the published tables of air pressure on curved surfaces must be wrong. They set up a wind tunnel and began a series of experiments with model wings. Because of their efforts, the old tables were repealed in time and replaced by the first reliable figures for air pressure on curved surfaces. This work, in turn, made it possible for them to design a machine that would fly. In 1903 the Wrights built their first airplane, which cost less than one thousand dollars. They even designed and built their own source of propulsion- a lightweight gasoline engine. When they started the engine on December 17, the airplane pulsated wildly before taking off. The plane managed to stay aloft for twelve seconds, however, and it flew one hundred twenty feet.
By 1905 the Wrights had perfected the first airplane that could turn, circle, and remain airborne for half an hour at a time. Others had flown in balloons or in hang gliders, but the Wright brothers were the first to build a full-size machine that could fly under its own power. As the contributors of one of the most outstanding engineering achievements in history, the Wright brothers are accurately called the fathers of aviation.
1.The idea of flying an aircraft was ___to some people. A. boring B. distasteful C. exciting D. needless
E. answer not available
2. People thought that the Wright brothers had ____. A. acted without thinking B. been negatively influenced C. been too cautious
D. had not given enough thought E. acted in a negative way
3. The Wright´s interest in flight grew into a ____. A. financial empire B. plan
C. need to act D. foolish thought E. answer not in article
4. Lilenthal´s idea about controlling airborne vehicles was ___the Wrights.
A. proven wrong by B. opposite to the ideas of C. disliked by D. accepted by E. opposed by
5. The old tables were __ and replaced by the first reliable figures for air pressure
on curved surfaces. A. destroyed B. canceled C. multiplied
D. discarded E. not used
6. The Wrights designed and built their own source of ____. A. force for moving forward B. force for turning around C. turning
D. force to going backward E. none of the above
Answer Key: 1. (B) 2. (A) 3. (C) 4. (C) 5. (B) 6. (A)
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