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You can use the SSAT Upper Level Reading Comprehension Question of the Day to get into the habit of thinking about SSAT Upper Level Reading Comprehension content on a daily basis when studying for the SSAT. Varsity Tutors' SSAT Upper Level Reading Comprehension Questions of the Day are drawn from each topic and question type covered on the Upper Level Reading Comprehension section of the SSAT.
Question of the Day: SSAT Upper Level Reading
Adapted from "Co. Aytch," Maury Grays, First Tennessee Regiment; or, A Side Show of the Big Show by Samuel Rush Watkins (1900 ed.)
In giving a description of this most memorable battle, I do not pretend to give you figures, and describe how this general looked and how that one spoke, and the other one charged with drawn saber, etc. I know nothing of these things—see the history for that. I was simply a soldier of the line, and I only write of the things I saw. I was in every battle, skirmish and march that was made by the First Tennessee Regiment during the war, and I do not remember of a harder contest and more evenly fought battle than that of Perryville. If it had been two men wrestling, it would have been called a "dog fall." Both sides claim the victory—both whipped.
I stood picket in Perryville the night before the battle—a Yankee on one side of the street, and I on the other. We got very friendly during the night, and made a raid upon a citizen's pantry, where we captured a bucket of honey, a pitcher of sweet milk, and three or four biscuits. The old citizen was not at home—he and his whole household had gone visiting, I believe. In fact, I think all of the citizens of Perryville were taken with a sudden notion of promiscuous visiting about this time; at least they were not at home to all callers.
At length the morning dawned. Our line was drawn up on one side of Perryville, the Yankee army on the other. The two enemies that were soon to meet in deadly embrace seemed to be eyeing each other. The blue coats lined the hillside in plain view. You could count the number of their regiments by the number of their flags. We could see the huge war dogs frowning at us, ready at any moment to belch forth their fire and smoke, and hurl their thunderbolts of iron and death in our very midst.
I wondered why the fighting did not begin. Never on earth were our troops more eager for the engagement to open. The Yankees commenced to march toward their left, and we marched almost parallel to our right—both sides watching each other's maneuvers and movements. It was but the lull that precedes the storm. Colonel Field was commanding our brigade, and Lieutenant-Colonel Patterson our regiment. About 12 o'clock, while we were marching through a corn field, in which the corn had been shocked, they opened their war dogs upon us. The beginning of the end had come. Here is where Captain John F. Wheless was wounded, and three others, whose names I have forgotten. The battle now opened in earnest, and from one end of the line to the other seemed to be a solid sheet of blazing smoke and fire. Our regiment crossed a stream, being preceded by Wharton's Texas Rangers, and we were ordered to attack at once with vigor. Here General Maney's horse was shot. From this moment the battle was a mortal struggle. Two lines of battle confronted us. We killed almost everyone in the first line, and were soon charging over the second, when right in our immediate front was their third and main line of battle from which four Napoleon guns poured their deadly fire.
We did not recoil, but our line was fairly hurled back by the leaden hail that was poured into our very faces. Eight color-bearers were killed at one discharge of their cannon. We were right up among the very wheels of their Napoleon guns. It was death to retreat now to either side. Our Lieutenant-Colonel Patterson halloed to charge and take their guns, and we were soon in a hand-to-hand fight—every man for himself—using the butts of our guns and bayonets. One side would waver and fall back a few yards, and would rally, when the other side would fall back, leaving the four Napoleon guns; and yet the battle raged. Such obstinate fighting I never had seen before or since. The guns were discharged so rapidly that it seemed the earth itself was in a volcanic uproar. The iron storm passed through our ranks, mangling and tearing men to pieces. The very air seemed full of stifling smoke and fire which seemed the very pit of hell, peopled by contending demons.
Our men were dead and dying right in the very midst of this grand havoc of battle. It was a life to life and death to death grapple. The sun was poised above us, a great red ball sinking slowly in the west, yet the scene of battle and carnage continued. I cannot describe it. The mantle of night fell upon the scene. I do not know which side whipped, but I know that I helped bring off those four Napoleon guns that night though we were mighty easy about it.
Based on how the phrase is used in the third paragraph, what are "war dogs"?
Infantrymen
Skirmishers
Combat dogs
Cavalrymen
Cannons
If your high school learner is planning on enrolling in a private school or academy, they will more than likely need to take the Secondary School Admission Test. The Upper Level SSAT is made up of writing, reading, mathematics, and verbal components; there is also an experimental section to the test, which is not scored and is usually used to test new questions being considered for upcoming revisions. The Upper Level SSAT has four different versions based on the grade students will be entering in high school. Students will have just over three hours to complete the 167-question test. Sometimes, preparing for standardized tests can seem intimidating and tiresome. Because of this, Varsity Tutors’ Learning Tools offer a wealth of resources designed to make your child’s SSAT Upper Level Reading study sessions simple and effective. By making use of the Learning Tools, you are able to give your child comprehensive SSAT Upper Level Reading practice they need to prepare for test day.
By accessing the Question of the Day on the Learning Tools website, your high school learner is able to maximize the time they have for SSAT Upper Level Reading practice. Each question, which is chosen randomly, covers an important concept that may be included on the Upper Level SSAT in Reading. These areas include various reading passages on the humanities, literary fiction, poetry, science, and social studies. By utilizing the Question of the Day, your learner is working to promote excellent study habits while reinforcing their knowledge of various concepts they’ll need to know on the SSAT.
When your learner accesses the Question of the Day for Upper Level SSAT Reading, they will be given a randomly chosen passage to read. After reading the passage, your learner will be asked a question regarding their understanding of the reading. This format is designed to mimic questions that will be present on the actual Upper Level Reading SSAT, which is perfect for building your learner’s confidence while helping them become comfortable with the test format. Furthermore, each problem contains a clear explanation that can help your learner understand how the correct answer was reached. By reviewing the SSAT Upper Level reading help provided, your learner can enhance their daily test practice and develop a deeper understanding of the material.
By using the Question of the Day alongside the rest of Varsity Tutors’ Learning Tools, your learner can augment their preparation for the SSAT Upper Level Reading section. By accessing all of the Upper Level SSAT Reading help made available through Learn by Concept, your high school learner can find information that can help them overcome concepts that are troublesome. In addition, there are a wealth of SSAT Flashcards and Practice Tests that have been specially designed to help your high school learner prepare for their SSAT Upper Level Reading exam. Through the utilization of Varsity Tutors’ Learning Tools, your learner has a great opportunity to get the most out of their SSAT Upper Level Reading practice.
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