SSAT Middle Level Reading Practice Test 14

On August 16, 1896, George Washington Carmack and two Indian friends in the Yukon pried a gold nugget from the bed of Rabbit Creek, a tributary of Canada's Klondike River, and set in motion one of the most frenzied and famous gold rushes in history. Over the next two years, at least 100,000 eager would-be prospectors from all over the world set out for the new gold fields with dreams of a quick fortune dancing in their heads. Only about 40,000 actually made it to the Klondike, and a precious few ever found their fortune.

Swept along on this tide of gold seekers was a smaller and more clever group, also seeking their fortunes but in a far more practical way. They were theentrepreneurs, the people who made money off of gold rush fever.

George Carmack, the man who began it all, was neither a die-hard prospector nor a sharp businessman. The California native was simply in the right place at the right time. Not that this son of a Forty-Niner had anything against being rich. But, like most of the white men who drifted north in the 1870s and ‘80s, he came as much for the privacy as for the gold.

-Gary L. Blackwood

1. The "entrepreneurs" mentioned in the second paragraph most likely

• A. wanted to explore the uncharted lands of the Yukon.
• B. traveled with the gold seekers as guides.
• C. knew all the "hot spots" for gold nuggets.
• D. sold housing and prospecting tools to gold seekers.
• E. were friends and relatives of George Carmack.

2. Which of the following will the author most likely discuss next?

• A. The history of gold in the Yukon.
• B. A detailed life story of George Carmack.
• C. The origins of Canadian exploration.
• D. Why so many people find gold.
• E. The geography of Rabbit Creek.

3. This passage is primarily about

• A. the early career of George Carmack.
• B. a single discovery that started a gold rush.
• C. techniques on how to find gold nuggets.
• D. the history of gold prospecting in the U.S.
• E. the people who journeyed to the Yukon.

4. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that George Carmack

• A. later regretted discovering his famous gold nugget.
• B. became known as a great Forty-Niner.
• C. passed away either in the 1870s or 1880s.
• D. continued to find gold for many years.
• E. also came to Klondike to avoid crowded city life.

5. According to the passage, why did people travel to Klondike after Carmack found the nugget?

I. They hoped to meet George Carmack.

II. They wanted to make money off the gold seekers.

III. They also wanted to find gold nuggets.

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