SSAT Upper Level Reading Comprehension Practice Test 22

Flax has been raised for many thousands of years, for many different reasons. Probably the two most important reasons are for the fabric made from it and the oil produced from it. The woody stem of the flax plant contains the long, strong fibers that are used to make linen. The seeds are rich in an oil important for its industrial uses.

The people of ancient Egypt, Assyria, and Mesopotamia raised flax for cloth; Egyptian mummies were wrapped in linen. Since the discovery of its drying ability, the oil from flaxseed, called linseed oil, has been used as a drying agent in paints and varnishes.

The best fiber and the best seed cannot be obtained from the same kinds of plant. 10 Fiber flax grows tall and has few branches. It needs a short, cool growing season with plenty of rainfall evenly distributed. Otherwise, the plants become woody and the fiber is rough and dry. On the other hand, seed flax grows well in places that are too dry for fiber flax. The plants are lower to the ground and have more branches.

1. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

• A. How Mummies Were Preserved
• B. The Many Uses of the Flax Plant
• C. The Difference Between Seeds and Fibers
• D. The Types of Plant Life Around the World
• E. Ancient Sources of Oil and Linen

2. The author suggests that ancient people raised flax primarily for

• A. its oil, used to preserve wood
• B. its oil, used as a rich source of nutrient
• C. its fabric, used for their clothes
• D. its fabric, used to wrap their dead
• E. its fabric and oil, for industrial uses

3. This passage sounds as if it were an excerpt from

• A. a letter to the Egyptians
• B. a book on plant life
• C. a scientific treatise
• D. a persuasive essay from an ecologist
• E. a friendly reminder to a politician

4. Which of the following questions is answered by the passage?

• A. Can the same plant be grown for the best fabric and the best oil?
• B. How did the Egyptians wrap their mummies?
• C. What temperature is optimal for growing flax?
• D. How is flax harvested?
• E. Is it possible to produce a new type of flax for fabric and oil production?

5. Which of the following is the author most likely to discuss next?

• A. How flax is used around the world today
• B. Other types of useful plants
• C. Other sources of oil
• D. The usefulness of synthetic fabrics
• E. The advantages of pesticides and crop rotation