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You can use the SSAT Middle Level Reading Comprehension Question of the Day to get into the habit of thinking about SSAT Middle Level Reading Comprehension content on a daily basis when studying for the SSAT. Varsity Tutors' SSAT Middle Level Reading Comprehension Questions of the Day are drawn from each topic and question type covered on the Middle Level Reading Comprehension section of the SSAT.
Question of the Day: SSAT Middle Level Reading
Adapted from “The Stars” by Sir Robert S. Ball in Wonders of Earth, Sea, and Sky (1902, ed. Edward Singleton Holden)
The group of bodies that cluster around our sun forms a little island in the extent of infinite space. We may illustrate this by drawing a map in which we shall endeavor to show the stars placed at their proper relative distances.
We first open the compasses one inch, and thus draw a little circle to represent the path of Earth. We are not going to put in all the planets; we take Neptune, the outermost, at once. To draw its path, I open the compasses to thirty inches, and draw a circle with that radius. That will do for our solar system, though the comets no doubt will roam beyond these limits.
To complete our map, we ought to put in some stars. There are a hundred million to choose from, and we shall begin with the brightest. It is often called the Dog Star, but astronomers know it better as Sirius. Let us see where it is to be placed on our map. Sirius is a good deal further off than Neptune; so I try at the edge of the drawing-board; I have got a method of making a little calculation that I do not intend to trouble you with, but I can assure you that the results it leads me to are quite correct; they show me that this board is not big enough. But could a board which was big enough fit into this lecture theatre? No; in fact, the board would have to go out through the wall of the theatre, out through London. Indeed, big as London is, it would not be large enough to contain the drawing-board that I should require. It would have to stretch about twenty miles from where we are now assembled. We may therefore dismiss any hope of making a practical map of our system on this scale if Sirius is to have its proper place.
Let us, then, take some other star. We shall naturally try with the nearest of all. It is one that we do not know in this part of the world, but those that live in the southern hemisphere are well acquainted with it. The name of this star is Alpha Centauri. Even for this star, we should require a drawing three or four miles long if the distance from the earth to the sun is to be taken as one inch.
You see what an isolated position our sun and its planets occupy. The stars might be very troublesome neighbors if they were very much closer to our system; it is therefore well they are so far off. If they were near at hand, they would drag us into unpleasantly great heat by bringing us too close to the sun, or produce a coolness by pulling us away from the sun, which would be quite as disagreeable.
Which of these statements about the author can you most reasonably infer to be true?
He is an amateur astronomer.
He worked for the American space program.
He works in London.
He dropped out of university.
He is unmarried and childless.
Middle school learners who are interested in attending an independent or private school may need to take the Secondary School Admission Test. These tests are used to evaluate your middle school learner’s knowledge, and usually play a role in helping faculty come to a decision regarding admission. There are three different versions of the Middle Level SSAT, depending on your learner’s grade. Whether your learner is looking to take the fifth, sixth, or seventh grade version of the Middle Level SSAT, Varsity Tutors’ Learning Tools have the resources available to help him or her get the most out of their Middle Level SSAT Reading review sessions.
The reading component of the Middle Level SSAT consists of 40 reading comprehension-based questions. By accessing the Question of the Day on the Learning Tools website, your learner will be given a random Middle Level SSAT Reading question each day. These questions are completely random and cover literary form, the humanities, social sciences, and natural science. The Question of the Day provides daily SSAT Middle Level Reading review to assist in preparing your learner for the reading component of the Middle Level SSAT. By answering a random question every day, he or she will be able to test his or her knowledge on a number of areas covered by the SSAT.
At times, standardized tests can seem difficult to prepare for. Sometimes being able to succeed at standardized tests is a skill of its own. However, by continuing to utilize the Question of the Day, you are enabling your learner to build the essential study habits needed to prepare him or her for test day. Moreover, the randomness of each question is a good way to help your middle school learner prepare for the unexpected on the actual test.
In addition to helping your learner review previously learned material, the Question of the Day provides you with a great way to help your middle school learner understand new concepts. Following each Middle Level SSAT Reading question is an in-depth explanation that tells your child how the correct answer was obtained. Not only do these explanations help improve learners’ reading practice by letting learners see their mistakes, but they may also contain important definitions and vocabulary words that may appear on the test.
By using the Question of the Day alongside the rest of Varsity Tutors’ comprehensive Learning Tools, your middle school learner can develop a fully customizable Middle Level SSAT Reading study guide that is suited to his or her needs. In addition to the Question of the Day, your learner can get more in-depth, concept-specific SSAT Middle Level Reading help by using Learn by Concept. Your child can also drill their skills using the multitude of SSAT Middle Level Reading Flashcards and test their knowledge with the Practice Tests.
The Question of the Day is an excellent way to help your child get the valuable daily SSAT Middle Level Reading practice they need. By making use of all of Varsity Tutors’ Learning Tools, your learner can build their confidence as they prepare for the Middle Level Reading SSAT.
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All SSAT Middle Level Reading Resources
