SSAT Middle Level Reading Practice Test 29

As I enter this place, there whispers a quiet reminder to me that all things end. The elderly and the dying have no place to go. Some of them have lived a full life but then again what does it matter? It is an occasion to let go of human existence and disappear quietly into the night. It is a time to lay down with pride and grace.

I do not know why a very old woman catches my attention. She is ordinary in many ways and not very wise to be sure. A nurse finished feeding the woman as I go by her room. My shallow heart reaches out to this woman, my soul full of judgmental pity.

"Are you still looking for that hand mirror of yours, Mrs. Smith?" the nurse asks. "Well, if not, no need to worry. I need you to get ready for your bath, okay?" The nurse exits the room and proceeds down a long, freshly mopped corridor. The old woman is now alone in her finality.

Just then, I spot the old woman'smirror. I enter into her room to retrieve hermirror, but the woman just sits there—motionless, frail, weak—so dependent on the nursing home's staff for all her daily needs. I place the mirror on the bed beside her. Why does this old woman hold on to this item? I look into the mirror, into its reflections, for an answer. There, in the twinkling of an eye, I see the unexpected.

I see a striking young girl, a chocolate box of innocence closing in on eight, singing in the cane fields of Maui. She dashes along the countryside, her youthful smile shimmering against the warm Hawaiian sun as a mother and grandfather talk story outside a plantation home. I see a brother and sister enjoying each other's company without a worry in the world. In the girl, I see boundless energy and potential—an unfilled life waiting ahead.

1. Which of the following is most likely to happen next?

• A. Mrs. Smith will be reunited with her grandfather
• B. The narrator will apply for a job at the nursing home
• C. The nurse will warn the narrator about his trespassing
• D. Mrs. Smith will return the mirror to the nursing home
• E. The narrator will become introduced to Mrs. Smith

2. From the beginning of the excerpt to the end, the speaker changes from

• A. ignorant to wise
• B. pessimistic to optimistic
• C. compassionate to unfeeling
• D. uncooperative to helpful
• E. interested to bored

3. With which statement would the author most likely agree?

• A. The human soul can move beyond age and time.
• B. Nursing homes possess many hidden treasures.
• C. It is important to face death with courage.
• D. An act of kindness can transform a person's life.
• E. The elderly still have the potential to do great things.

4. Indications that Mrs. Smith needs assistance from the nursing home include which of the following?

I. Mrs. Smith cannot see her reflection in the mirror.

II. The nurse asks Mrs. Smith to prepare for a bath.

III. Mrs. Smith has been given food by the nurse. 

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

5. According to the passage, all of the following are true regarding themirror(fourth paragraph) EXCEPT:

• A. It acts as a kind of time machine back to childhood.
• B. It "reflects" the real person inside an old woman.
• C. It draws the narrator into Mrs. Smith's world
• D. It tells of a special trip Mrs. Smith made to Maui.
• E. It allows the narrator to experience Mrs. Smith's life.