SHSAT Mock Exam – 07/14/23

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

Suggested Time: 90 Minutes

57 Questions
_____________________________________________________________________________

Revising/Editing
Questions 1 – 20

Directions: For questions 1 to 6, you will be asked to recognize and correct errors in sentences or short paragraphs.

1. Which is the most precise revision for the words interested different people?

potential voters in several different places heard very clearly.
appealed to potential voters from many different and diverse communities.
discussed different topics important to people who may eventually vote.
were delivered to a wide range of potential voters across a large stretch of the country.

2. Which edit should be made to correct this sentence?

delete the comma after "working conditions"
delete the comma after work
insert a comma after health insurance
insert a comma after reimbursements

3. Which sentence should be revised to correct the error?

sentence 1
sentence 2
sentence 3
sentence 4

4. Which edit should be made to correct this sentence?

insert a comma after "lawyer"
delete the comma after "operations"
insert a comma after "his wife"
delete the comma after "paralegal"

5. Which sentence should be revised to correct the error?

sentence 1
sentence 2
sentence 3
sentence 4

6. What is the best way to combine these sentences to clarify the relationship between the ideas?

James Francis “Jim” Thorpe was a Sac and Fox Indian born near Prague, Oklahoma who turned sixteen and left home to enroll in the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania in 1888.
James Francis “Jim” Thorpe, a Sac and Fox Indian, was born in 1888 near Prague, Oklahoma, and at the age of sixteen, he left home to enroll in the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania.
Born in 1888 near Prague, Oklahoma, James Francis “Jim” Thorpe was a Sac and Fox Indian who turned sixteen, left home, and enrolled in the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania.
When a Sac and Fox Indian named Francis “Jim” Thorpe was born near Prague, Oklahoma in 1888, he left his home to enroll in the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania at the age of sixteen.

Directions: Read the passages below to answer questions 7 to 20. The questions will focus on improving the writing quality of the passage to follow the conventions of standard written English.

7. Which sentence should replace sentence 3 to more clearly introduce the topic of this passage?

A visit to Glacier National Park, often called the "Crown of the Continent," is an experience unlike any other.
Also known as the “Crown of the Continent,” Glacier National Park is one of America’s largest national parks by land area.
Often referred to as the “Crown of the Continent,” visitors to Glacier National Park are treated to an experience of a lifetime.
The “Crown of the Continent,” as Glacier National Park is better known, attracts over 2.23 million visitors each year, with most visitors arriving in the last four months of the year.

8. Which of the following sentences can best follow sentence 11 to help develop the ideas in the second paragraph (sentences 11-14)?

No one is certain when the first humans actually settled areas within present-day borders of the park.
If humans had lived in the areas included in the parks modern-day boundaries in earlier times, they left behind little to no clues of their settlements.
The earliest human inhabitants of the region were the ancestors of today’s Shoshone, Cheyenne, Blackfeet, and other tribes.
For several hundred years after Europeans first colonized North America, most of the major settlements were either ports on the east coast that traded with Europe or cities on the west coast that traded with Asia.

9. What is the best way to combine sentences 16 and 17 to clarify the relationship between the ideas?

Scientists estimate that if current climate trends continue, all the glaciers are likely to disappear by 2030
Although current climate trends may continue, scientists estimate that all the glaciers are likely to disappear by 2030.
Many scientists estimate that current climate trends will continue, and all the glaciers are likely to disappear by 2030.
Since all the glaciers are likely to disappear by 2030, scientists estimate that currently climate trends are likely to continue.

10. Which sentence is irrelevant to the ideas in the second paragraph (sentences 4-7) and should be deleted?

sentence 4
sentence 5
sentence 6
sentence 7

11. Which revision of sentence 15 uses the most precise language?

Of the 150 glaciers that existed in the park in the early 19,h century, only 25 remain active today.
Due to accelerating climate change, the number of glaciers worldwide have declined by over 50% over the last 100 years.
Although a few glaciers remain today, that number is small compared to how many glaciers the park had when Taft designated the area a national park.
Today, most of the park’s glaciers are gone so we should consider renaming the park to better reflect reality.

12. Which sentence should be added before sentence 8 to improve the organization of the fourth paragraph (sentences 8-10)?

Since most of the ancient fossils discovered in the region are remains of marine animals, scientists believe that the region was once the sandy bottom of a great inland sea.
Glacier National Park continues to change even today as glaciers that form in the winter and thaw the following spring and deepen the U-shaped canyons that dominate the park’s geography today.
As there are a great number of wife animals and dangerous ravines and cliffs, visitors are advised to exercise cautious when visiting the park.
The park’s variety of ecosystems, ranging from prairies to tundras, are stunning to behold and support a wide diversity of wildlife.

13. Which transition word or phrase should be added to the beginning of sentence 13?

However
Similarly
As a result
Additionally

14. Which concluding sentence should follow sentence 18 to better support the information presented in the passage?

Eventually, scientists armed with more sophisticated technology may be able to find ways to halt the loss of seasonal glacial ice from the park.
For scientists and citizens alike committed to halting the future retreat of glacial ice from the park, the window of opportunity is closing fast.
We must all share in it by living more sustainably, recycling what we can, and responsibly disposing of what we cannot.
There is no feeling more satisfying than knowing that you helped preserve something to ensure that future generations can enjoy Glacier National Park as much as people enjoy it today.

15. Which sentence would best follow sentence 5 to support the argument presented in the passage?

Orcas are not meant to be caged, no matter how kind the jailer who holds the keys.
Orcas are meant to be held in captivity, no matter what scientists say.
Orcas in the open ocean routinely roam hundreds of miles in a day.
Orcas raised in captivity have never known the freedom of living in the wild.

16. Which sentence would best follow and support sentence 9?

This is issue has once been made famous by the movie Free Willy, which is about killer whales being kept in captivity.
As we all know, the breeding of captive orcas has not always been successful and Dena is no exception.
Another problem for Dena would be learning to hunt live fish after years of being fed by her captors.
As a matter of fact, it is now against the law to capture orcas in the wild and sell them to zoos.

17. Which sentence is irrelevant to the argument presented in the passage and should be deleted?

sentence 9
sentence 10
sentence 11
sentence 12

18. Which revision should be added to the beginning of sentence 11?

Moreover,
However,
And
Even though

19. Which revision of sentence 12 uses the most precise language?

And, if it succeeds in the wild, maybe we can pressure other institutions around the world to release these beautiful animals back to the wild and live longer, healthier lives.
And, if it succeeds in surviving in the wild, maybe we can pressure marine places around the world to release animals back into the wild, where they can live fuller lives that improve our overall natural habitats.
And, if Dena succeeds in surviving in the wild, maybe we can pressure other zoos and institutions around the world to release other captive animals back into the wild, where they can live longer, healthier lives.
And, if Dena succeeds in surviving out there, maybe we can pressure other marine institutions around the world to release these beautiful animals back so that they can go on living their lives.

20. Read this sentence:

Where should this sentence be added to best support the ideas in the passage

between sentences 9 and 10
between sentences 8 and 9
between sentences 6 and 7
between sentences 4 and 5

Reading Comprehension
Questions 21-57

Directions: Analyze the passages below, and answer the commensurate questions. Only use information provided within the passage for your answers. There is only one answer for each question.

21. What is this passage mostly about?

Why it is great to be a child.
Why being told what to do is bad.
To prove that people are fools.
To illustrate that, contrary to popular belief, childhood is the worst time of life.

22. What does the author imply about the belief that childhood is the happiest time of one’s life?

It is a commonly held belief.
It is a lie we tell ourselves.
It is never true.
It is always true.

23. What do we know about the author’s childhood?

She was never allowed to decide what she would wear.
She was never allowed to leave the house when she wanted.
She did not prefer it to her adult life.
She was happier at the time of her childhood.

24. What is one reason listed as to why childhood is considered by the author to be the worst time in one’s life?

You need to focus too much on school.
You do not get to play as much as when you are an adult.
You do not get to boss people around as much as when you are an adult.
Many important decisions are not in your control.

25. Why does the author ask the six-foot friend to imagine needing to wear mittens?

To illustrate how distasteful mittens are.
To illustrate that we take for granted our right to decide mundane actions.
The illusion requires a cold habitat.
The author believes her friend would look good in mittens.

26. What, if true, would most strongly weaken the author’s main claim?

Children are given some decision making.
Adults are not entirely free to decide everything.
Making decisions can be tiresome.
People are happiest when others decide what is good for them.

27. What is this passage mostly about?

Why past civilizations were ignorant.
Why future societies will never surpass modern society.
Why contemporary civilization is more knowledgeable than ancient civilization.
The scientific beliefs of the ancients.
The nature of science.

28. The author uses the metaphor of a short man and a giant to illustrate that:

A giant is capable of holding up a smaller man.
All of the past can be considered one entity.
Contemporary civilization cannot help being more advanced in science than ancient civilizations.
Contemporary civilizations are higher minded than ancient civilizations.

29. Why does the author claim that contemporaries have a greater claim to being called ancient?

They live in a more ancient world than the ancients.
Because in the far future, they will be the ancient past.
The author believes contemporary civilization will invent time travel.
The phrase is used to indicate that all civilizations become ancient over time.

30. What would be an example of a “hind-sight focused” opinion?

Past cartographers were bad at making maps.
The first high jumper to jump laterally was a better jumper than current record- holders.
The inventor of an old technology was a genius.
A past movie was important to the development of cinema.

31. The author notes explicitly that contemporary civilization is better at ___ than ancient civilizations.

Nothing
Reading
Language acquisition
Science

32. What does the author mean by “The march of science, like that of time, has been progressing in the darkness, no less than in the light?”

It was not until modern times that science made real discoveries.
Past science was done poorly.
Science was not always conducted during daytime.
Mistakes are as valuable to the furthering of science as discoveries.

33. What is this passage mostly about?

How trade influenced Europe and Asia
The rise of the Medieval Christian Church.
The political, economic, and religious developments during 1000 AD.
The developments of the Vikings and Germans during 1000 AD.

34. What is implied in the passage concerning Scandinavians prior to the actions of Olaf?

Christianity was not the dominant religion.
Scandinavians were Vikings.
Scandinavia was not an important part of Western Europe.
Scandinavia had more territory.

35. Otto I was responsible for assisting which reform movement in gaining power?

Catholic reform movement
Protestant reform movement
Gerbert reform movement
Cluniac reform movement

36. What does the author cite as a reason for economic success during the year 1000?

Political reform
Social reform
Religious reform
Change in trading routes

37. The “eastern merchants” were responsible for what development in the year 1000 AD?

Economic prosperity
Religious migration
Population migration
All of the above

38. According to the passage, what was true of King Stephen prior to the year 1000 AD?

He was Christian, but not catholic.
He practiced a pagan religion.
He conquered Hungary.
He was not Christian.

39. What is this passage mostly about?

The nature of credit.
The use of credit by countries.
How credit is used.
Why credit should be used by individuals.

40. What is not provided as a reason a country may seek credit?

A country may need money to deal with a natural disaster.
A country may need to make a long term investment, but does not have the funds to create the investment.
A country may need to pay its military extra in war time.
To rebuild following a revolution.

41. The economist makes which claim in the second paragraph?

A country will never take on debt so as to make an investment.
A country will normally take on debt to pay for a good as opposed to an investment.
A country will only take on debt if it is for the sake of investing.
A country will never take on debt.

42. What situation does the author claim to be the second principle by which capital will be used most profitably?

If an individual uses it.
If a corporation uses it.
If no one uses it.
If the entity that can make the most use of the capital gains the capital.

43. Does the author believe public debt to be as important as personal debt?

The author is indifferent.
The author clearly favors individual use of debt.
The author clearly favors national use of debt.
The author believes the two uses to be of equal usefulness.

44. What would be an example of an item with “evident usefulness, but the introduction of which demands time and are very costly?”

A bridge connecting two urban centers
Back pay on pensions
A new law
Military expenses

45. What is the main idea of this passage?

To inform readers of the many trades known by members of the Roman army
To illustrate why the Roman army was so powerful
To demonstrate the ways by which Rome generated loyalty amongst its population
To illustrate the myriad ways that the Roman army supported both the infrastructure and idea of Rome

46. What was not a task noted in the passage as one performed by members of the Roman army?

Creating bricks
Creating canals
Creating bridges
Forging iron

47. What is implied about the standard recruit to the Roman army?

They did not grow up knowing Latin.
They were trained in combat from an early age.
They always knew that they wanted to be members of the Roman army.
They were skilled in a trade before joining the army.

48. In what way was the Roman army’s reverence for the idea of Rome beneficial to the continuation of the Empire?

It allowed for the center of power – the army – to maintain integrity in the face of nefarious political happenings.
It permitted the members of the army to fight ferociously.
It spread the romance languages.
The Roman emperor was often at one time a member of the army.

49. What was the name of the god to whom many Roman soldiers prayed?

Athena, the goddess of wisdom
Mars, the god of war
Roma, the god of Rome
Belona, goddess of war and conquest

50. Roman soldiers were located on the frontier to protect the homeland and __

Spread the technology and ideas of Rome
To more readily invade neighboring territories.
To keep the military, mostly comprising o non-Romans, out of the capital.
To keep them near their homeland.

51. Which of the following best tells what this passage is about?

the belief of some religious leaders that the end of the world was coming in 1816
a summer of strange weather and its probable cause
the importance of summer weather to agriculture in New England
a comparison of the weather of 1816 and 1991

52. What is the most likely reason farmers persisted in replanting their crops?

They believed that the cold weather could not continue all summer long.
They thought that crops would be able to survive even though the weather remained cold.
They believed that the improved weather conditions of July would last.
They thought the June snowfalls would provide needed moisture.

53. In the winter that followed the summer of 1816, New Englanders most likely experienced

new weather events that they had not encountered before.
temperatures that were warmer than usual for that time of year.
shortages of fruits, vegetables, and other essential crops.
difficulty adjusting to a different timeline for planting crops.

54. How does paragraph 3 contribute to the passage?

It presents the most probable cause of the 1816 weather.
It shows how nineteenth-century people explained the 1816 weather.
It presents a theory about the 1816 weather that some skeptics doubted.
It includes eyewitness reports to describe the source of the 1816 weather.

55. The author includes the details in paragraph 4 about the eruption of Mount Tambora in order to

suggest that the aftermath of the eruption still affects the environment today.
highlight the severe impact that the eruption had on the atmosphere.
provide a description of what happens during a volcanic eruption.
emphasize how differently people perceive natural events in various parts of the world.

56. Which of the following is implied by the phrase “the global nature of weather” (paragraph 5)?

Understanding weather events around the world is important for making weather predictions.
Extreme weather conditions in some parts of the world can have a lasting impact on a geographical area.
Natural disasters tend to occur in different parts of the world at the same time.
Conditions in one part of the world can affect weather in another part of the world.

57. The cold summer of 1816 was most likely caused by

unusual sunspot activity.
the excessive use of lightning rods.
damage to the ozone layer.
an increase of dust in the atmosphere.

Mathematics
Suggested Time: 90 minutes
57 questions
_____________________________________________

Write-In Problems
Questions 58-62

Directions: The following five questions are grid-in problems. On the answer sheet, please be sure to write your answer in the boxes at the top of the grid. Start at the left side of each grid.

58.

Consider the pattern of square grids shown. The sum of the numbers in the square grid in figure 3 is 27. If the pattern continues, what will be the sum of the numbers in the square grid in figure 6?

The sum of the numbers in the square grid in figure 6 would be

59.

If the above equations is true, then x =

x =

60. A wine cellar can hold 360 bottles of wine. The wine cellar is currently filled to 3/4 of its full capacity. How many more bottles of wine must be added so that the wine cellar reaches 7/8 of its full capacity?

more bottles of wine must be added so that the wine cellar reaches 7/8 of its full capacity.

61.

x =

62. At 6:00 A.M., Mina starts driving from town A at a constant speed of 60 miles per hour. At 6:20 A.M., Angie also starts to drive on the same highway, in the same direction, from the same place where Mina started. At what constant speed should Angie drive to pass Mina at 7:20am?

Angie should drive mph to pass Mina at 7:20am.

63. Find the next term in the series: 0,1,1,2,4,7,13,24…

28
37
44
48

64. Which is true about A and B?

A = √65 – 9
B = √50 – 8

A = B
A > B
A > 1
B > A

65. Which is a solution of the following equations?

-2
-3
0
2

66. John is stacking boxes directly upon each other. He stacks at 1 box per minute initially and every minute after that, his stacking rate increases by 1 box per minute. If each box is 5 inches tall, in how many minutes will the stack be 30 inches tall.

2 min
3 min
5 min
6 mi

67. A Dilob has a mass of 20.2 milligrams. What the Dilob’s mass in grams?

0.0202 g
0.202 g
2.02 g
20.2 g

68. Jesse goes to the store. He buys a magazine for $8. Then he sells it for $10 and buys it back again for $11. He finally sells it for $12. What was his profit?

-$1
$0
$2
$3

x
x²
2x²
√x

70. A substance’s length doubles every hour. At 2 PM it was 3 meters. What was the length at 11AM that same day?

0.375 meters
0.5 meters
0.75 meters
1 meter

f = g
h = g
f = g + h
f ≠ g

72. Linda scored a 66, 82, 81, and 92 on her English exams. What score must Linda obtain on the next English test to have an average of exactly 84?

84
87
95
99

73. If today is Saturday, what day of the week will it be in 365 days from now?

Tuesday
Thursday
Friday
Sunday

74. What is the remainder of 7,700,000,000,202 divided by 9?

0
1
2
3

75.

12π
24π
36π
72π

76. Corey is walking on a path. Every three steps he takes, he makes a 30 degree rotation to counterclockwise. If he took 18 steps in total, how many full revolutions was he able to make all together?

0.25
0.5
1
2

77. What is 20% of 20% of 20?

0.2
0.8
2
8

78. What is the difference between the largest and lowest integer in the sequence of consecutive odd integers whose sum is 15?

2
4
5
9

79. The half life of a substance is the time it takes for a substance to decrease to half its initial amount John has a pile of goo that decreases in amount at a constant rate. If John initially had 100 pounds of goo, and ten days later, he only had 25 pounds of goo, what is the half life of the goo?

10 days
5 days
7.5 days
20 days

80.

1
16
17
18

81. Jackie fills a jug with water continuously. It takes her 2 minutes to fill up 50% of the empty space in the jug with water. After every 2 minutes, she puts a penny into a jar to celebrate. How many pennies will she have in the jar at the instant the jug has less than 30% empty space left?

0
1
2
3

82.

In the figure above, there are two balance beams that have triangles, circles and squares on them. Both beams are fully balanced. How many circles are needed to balance 70 squares?

10
12
35
70

83.

1/2
1/3
2/9
4/9

84. The prime factors of 232 are

2, 2, 2, 29
116, 2
2, 29
2, 2, 58

85.

□
🡩
🡬
↻

86. Find the value of t if ( t / 32 ) = ( x / p )

32p / x
32 / px
32x / p
32px

87. What is the least integer greater than 52/3 ?

16
17
18
19

88. If 5⁵ + 5⁵ + 5⁵ + 5⁵ + 5⁵ = 5^{a + 1}, what is a?

3
4
5
6

89. James has yard work to finish. He finishes 1/8 of the total work on the first day. What fraction of the work is left?

1/8
3/8
7/8
3/4

90.

-4
-1
1
4

91. Jackie and Jesse each solve the same problem a different way.

If a = 9 and b = 25, how much bigger is Jackie’s way than Jesse’s way?

0
2
√36
8 – √34

92.

assume ⌀ is the symbol used above.

⌀(0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1)
⌀(1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0)
⌀(2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,10)
⌀(2,3,1,4,5,6,7,0,10)

93. If James grows by 20 inches every day starting Monday, what is the difference in his height between Wednesday and Monday?

0 inches
20 inches
30 inches
40 inches

94. ( (1/2) – (3/4) ) ÷ (1/2) =

1/2
3/2
(-1)/2
(-3)/4

95.

x⁴ / 3
x⁹
x⁴ / 9
x⁶ / 3

96. Given the arithmetic sequence x , y , 30 , z , ƒ find x + y + z + ƒ ?

60
80
120
130

97. If (-1)² = 1, then the value of (-1)²⁰²³ is

-2023
-1
0
1

98. Caroline has two times as many marbles as Jake. Jake has 12 less than 7 times as many marbles James has. James has 14 marbles. How many marbles does Caroline have?

54
86
98
172

99. John is trying to escape a ditch. Every time he jumps 10 meters, he falls back 5 meters right after. The ditch is 19 meters long. What is the minimum number of jumps he needs to make to escape?

3
4
5
7

100. What is the largest number of digits the product of a 3 digit and a 2 digit number has?

4 digits
5 digits
6 digits
7 digits

101.

2
3
4
5

102. If x can be any integer, what is the least possible value of the expression 4x² – 10?

-10
-4
4
Infinite

103. There are a total of 5 bicycles and tricycles in a park. There are 12 wheels. How many tricycles are there?

2
3
6
7

-1
0
3
3/4

105. What is the maximum number of points in which a circle and triangle can intersect?

3
5
6
infinite

106.

48-10π
64-22π
48-6π
16π

107. There are 45 plastic ducks in a bag. If there are black, green, blue, and purple plastic ducks and 1/3 of the plastic ducks are black, 1/5 of the plastic ducks are blue, one third of the number of black plastic ducks are green, then how many purple plastic ducks are in the bag?

6
15
16
21

108.

20°
40°
80°
90°

109.

3
6
12
15

110. A painter needs 4 gallons of paint to paint each room. If a house has 8 rooms in total, how many quarts of paint is he going to need?

12
32
128
200

111. A rectangle is inscribed in a circle. The rectangle is tangent at the points A, B, C, and D. If the diagonal of the rectangle is 20 inches long, what is the area of the circle?

10π
15π
20π
100π

112.

The prices in the table above show the different types of gas offered at a gas station and the prices of the gas per gallon. If Emily has $50, what is the least amount of gas, in gallons, she can purchase subtracted from the greatest amount of gas, in gallons, she can purchase?

2 gallons
3 gallons
5 gallons
20 gallons

113. A survey was conducted to determine the age at which the members of the Youth Advisory Committee started their first job.

What was the median age reported by the Youth Advisory Committee?

15.5
16
17.5
17

114. Use the following frequency chart to answer the following question.

How many Chocolate Candy Bars must Cindy purchase in order to end up with a median price of $1.88?

0
1
2
3