ISEE Middle Level Reading Comprehension Practice Test 40

1. In the first paragraph the author establishes a mood of

• A. promise
• B. serenity
• C. hostility
• D. foreboding

2. As used in line 1 the word, "broken" most nearly means

• A. dawned
• B. separated
• C. shattered
• D. interrupted

3. The statement that "It was a steep bank, and he paused for breath at the top, excusing the act to himself by looking at his watch" (lines 7–10) suggests that the man

• A. was worried about running late
• B. was not accustomed to hiking in the Yukon
• C. was disoriented by the extreme cold
• D. had traveled farther than he thought

4. The discussion of spitting into the air (lines 20–27) serves primarily to suggest

• A. the strangeness of the landscape
• B. the gloom of the day
• C. the frustration of the dog
• D. the severity of the cold

5. In line 22, the author includes the detail that the sharp, explosive crackle "startled him" primarily to emphasize

• A. the man's fragile state of mind
• B. how eerily quiet it had become
• C. that it was colder than the man thought
• D. the danger the man was in

6. Which word best describes how the author regards the man in the story?

• A. clever
• B. cautious
• C. ambitious
• D. foolish

7. With which of the following statements is the author most likely to agree?

• A. The dog is wiser than the man.
• B. The dog is unfazed by the cold.
• C. The man is jealous of the dog.
• D. The man is right to press on.