SSAT Middle Level Reading Practice Test 45

I've always had great faith in and respect for our space program, and what happened today does nothing to diminish it. We don't hide our space program. We do it all up front and in public. We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and, yes, more civilians and more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue. I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and woman who works for NASA or who worked on this mission and tell them: "Your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades. And we know ofyouranguish. We share it."

There's a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime, the great frontiers were the oceans, and a historian later said, ‘He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it.' Well, today we can say of the Challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drake's, complete.

The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for the journey and waved goodbye and ‘slipped the surly bonds of earth' to ‘touch the face of God.'

Ronald Reagan - January 28, 1986

1. This passage can best be described as

• A. a tribute.
• B. an apology.
• C. a prayer.
• D. a festival.
• E. a ritual.

2. The speaker mentions Sir Francis Drake (second paragraph) in order to

• A. draw a parallel between the oceans and outer space.
• B. show how risky it is to search unknown frontiers.
• C. honor a distinguished Panamanian adventurer.
• D. relate great explorers from different time periods.
• E. explain that people's lives are complete at death.

3. At the end of the first paragraph, "your" refers to

• A. the American public.
• B. the flight crew of the space shuttle Challenger.
• C. the workers at a space administration.
• D. the families of the dead passengers.
• E. the people listening to the speaker.

4. The speaker believes in which of the following regarding America's space program?

I. What you see is what you get with the space program.

II. Dangerous missions will no longer have civilians.

III. Outer space will continue to be explored.  

IV. Major changes can be expected in the short-term.

• A. I and II only
• B. I and III only
• C. II and III only
• D. II and IV only
• E. III and IV only

5. The expression, "touch the face of God" is a reference to the space shuttle crew's

• A. lives
• B. flight
• C. jobs
• D. hopes
• E. deaths