SSAT READING

1.In1892theSierraClubwasformed.In1908anareaofcoastalredwoodtreesnorthofSanFranciscowasestablishedasMuirWoodsNationalMonument.IntheSierraNevadamountains,awalkingtrailfromYosemiteValleytoMountWhitneywasdedicatedin1938.ItiscalledJohnMuirTrail.JohnMuirwasbornin1838inScotland.Hisfamilynamemeans“moor,”whichisameadowfullofflowersandanimals.Johnlovednaturefromthetimehewassmall.Healsolikedtoclimbrockycliffsandwalls.WhenJohnwaseleven,hisfamilymovedtotheUnitedStatesandsettledinWisconsin.Johnwasgoodwithtoolsandsoonbecameaninventor.Hefirstinventedamodelofasawmill.Laterheinventedanalarmclockthatwouldcausethesleepingpersontobetippedoutofbedwhenthetimersounded.Muirlefthomeatanearlyage.Hetookathousand-milewalksouthtotheGulfofMexicoin1867and1868.ThenhesailedforSanFrancisco.ThecitywastoonoisyandcrowdedforMuir,soheheadedinlandfortheSierraNevadas.WhenMuirdiscoveredtheYosemiteValleyintheSierraNevadas,itwasasifhehadcomehome.Helovedthemountains,thewildlife,andthetrees.Heclimbedthemountainsandevenclimbedtreesduringthunderstormsinordertogetclosertothewind.Heputforththetheoryinthelate1860'sthattheYosemiteValleyhadbeenformedthroughtheactionofglaciers.Peopleridiculedhim.Notuntil1930wasMuir'stheoryprovencorrect.MuirbegantowritearticlesabouttheYosemiteValleytotellreadersaboutitsbeauty.HiswritingalsowarnedpeoplethatYosemitewasindangerfromtimberminingandsheepranchinginterests.In1901TheodoreRooseveltbecamepresidentoftheUnitedStates.Hewasinterestedinconservation.MuirtookthepresidentthroughYosemite,andRoosevelthelpedgetlegislationpassedtocreateYosemiteNationalParkin1906.AlthoughMuirwonmanyconservationbattles,helostamajorone.HefoughttosavetheHetchValley,whichpeoplewantedtodaminordertoprovidewaterforSanFrancisco.Inthelate1913abillwassignedtodamthevalley.Muirdiedin1914.SomepeoplesaylosingthefighttoprotectthevalleykilledMuir.Whathappenedfirst?A.TheMuirfamilymovedtotheUnitedStates.B.MuirWoodswascreated.C.JohnMuirlearnedtoclimbrockycliffs.D.JohnMuirwalkedtotheGulfofMexicoE.Muirvisitedalongtheeastcoast.2.WhendidMuirinventauniqueformofalarmclock?A.whilethefamilystilllivedinScotlandB.afterhesailedtoSanFranciscoC.afterhetraveledinYosemiteD.whiletheMuirfamilylivedinWisconsinE.afterhetookthelongwalk3.WhatdidJohnMuirdosoonafterhearrivedinSanFrancisco?A.Heranoutsideduringanearthquake.B.HeputforthatheoryabouthowYosemitewasformed.C.HeheadedinlandfortheSierraNevadas.D.HebegantowritearticlesabouttheSierraNevadas.E.Hewroteshortstoriesforthelocalnewspaper.4.WhendidJohnMuirmeetTheodoreRoosevelt?A.between1901and1906B.between1838and1868C.between1906and1914D.between1868and1901E.between1906-19075.Whathappenedlast?A.JohnMuirdied.B.JohnMuirTrailwasdedicated.C.Muir'sglacialtheorywasproven.D.TheSierraClubwasformed.E.John'sfamilyvisitedhim.6.Whenusingametalfile,alwaysremembertobeardownontheforwardstrokeonly.Onthereturnstroke,liftthefileclearofthesurfacetoavoiddullingtheinstrument'steeth.Onlywhenworkingonverysoftmetalsisitadvisabletodragthefile'steethslightlyonthereturnstroke.Thishelpsclearoutmetalpiecesfrombetweentheteeth.Itisbesttobeardownjusthardenoughtokeepthefilecuttingatalltimes.Toolittlepressureusesonlythetipsoftheteeth;toomuchpressurecanchiptheteeth.Movethefileinstraightlinesacrossthesurface.Useavicetogriptheworksothatyourhandsarefreetoholdthefile.Protectyourhandsbyequippingthefilewithahandle.Buyawoodenhandleandinstallitbyinsertingthepointedendofthefileintothehandlehole.Thesedirectionsshowyouhowto-A.workwithahammerB.useafileC.polishafileD.oilaviseE.repairshoptools7.Whenusingafile-A.alwaysbeardownonthereturnstrokeB.moveitinacircleC.removethehandleD.pressdownontheforwardstrokeE.wearprotectivegloves8.Whenworkingonsoftmetals,youcan-A.removethehandleB.clearmetalpiecesfromtheteethC.beardownveryhardonthereturnstrokeD.fileincirclesE.strengthenthemwithaddedwood9.Protectyourhandsby-A.dullingtheteethB.draggingtheteethonthebackstrokeC.usingaviseD.installingahandleE.wearingsafetygloves10.“Oldwoman,”grumbledtheburlywhitemanwhohadjustheardSojournerTruthspeak,“doyouthinkyourtalkaboutslaverydoesanygood?Idon'tcareanymoreforyourtalkthanIdoforthebiteofaflea.”Thetall,imposingblackwomanturnedherpiercingeyesonhim.“Perhapsnot,”sheanswered,“butI'llkeepyouscratching.”Thelittleincidentofthe1840ssumsupallthatSojournerTruthwas:utterlydedicatedtospreadinghermessage,afraidofnoone,forcefulandwittyinspeech.Yetfortyyearsearlier,whocouldhavesuspectedthataspindlyslavegirlgrowingupinadampcellarinupstateNewYorkwouldbecomeoneofthemostremarkablewomeninAmericanhistory?HernamethenwasIsabella(manyslaveshadnolastnames),andbythetimeshewasfourteenshehadseenbothparentsdieofcoldandhunger.Sheherselfhadbeensoldseveraltimes.By1827,whenNewYorkfreeditsslaves,shehadmarriedandbornefivechildren.ThefirsthintofIsabella'sfightingspiritcamesoonafterwards,whenheryoungestsonwasillegallyseizedandsold.Shemarchedtothecourthouseandbadgeredofficialsuntilhersonwasreturnedtoher.In1843,inspiredbyreligion,shechangedhernametoSojourner(meaning“onewhostaysbriefly”)Truth,and,withonlypenniesinherpurse,setouttopreachagainstslavery.FromNewEn