SSAT Upper Level Reading Comprehension Practice Test 26

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,

Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,

Here once the embattled farmers stood

And fired the shot heard round the world.

5 The foe long since in silence slept;

Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;

And Time the ruined bridge has swept

Down the dark stream which seaward creeps.

On this green bank, by this soft stream,

10 We set to-day a votive stone;

That memory may their deed redeem,

When, like our sires, our sons are gone.

Spirit, that made those heroes dare

To die, and leave their children free,

15 Bid Time and Nature gently spare

The shaft we raise to them and thee.

—"Concord Hymn" by Ralph Waldo Emerson

1. The statements in lines 3–4 most likely mean

• A. the narrator is a farmer
• B. the place described is a battle site
• C. a crime took place at that site
• D. the farmers described were all killed
• E. it is a cold day

2. In the poem, the speaker claims which of the reasons for writing this poem?

I.To warn future generations about the horrors of war

II.To keep the memory of the great deeds of soldiers alive

III.To gain courage to fight himself

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

3. The "votive stone" referred to in line 10 probably refers to

• A. a candle
• B. a weapon
• C. an old stone fence
• D. a war memorial
• E. a natural landmark

4. With which statement would the author most strongly agree?

• A. All war is in vain.
• B. Farming is a difficult life.
• C. It is important to remember the brave soldiers.
• D. How a man fights is as important as how he lives his life.
• E. A memorial is an insignificant way to remember the past.