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Name _______________________________ Date _________________________ Period _____
AzMerit Practice Reading Test
*Directions – Today you will read two fictional passages. After reading the passages, you
will answer several comprehension questions.
Excerpt from “The Pit and the Pendulum” by Edgar Allan Poe
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So far, I had not opened my eyes. I
felt that I lay upon my back, unbound. I
reached out my hand, and it fell heavily
upon something damp and hard. There I
suffered it to remain for many minutes,
while I strove to imagine where and what I
could be. I longed, yet dared not to employ
my vision, I dreaded the first glance at
objects around me. It was not that I feared to
look upon things horrible, but that I grew
aghast lest there should be nothing to see. At
length, with a wild desperation at heat, I
quickly unclosed my eyes. My worst
thoughts, then, were confirmed. The
blackness of eternal night encompassed me.
I struggled for breath. The intensity of the
darkness seemed to oppress and stifle me.
The atmosphere was intolerably close. I still
lay quietly, and made effort to exercise my
reason. I brought to mind the inquisitorial
proceedings, and attempted from that point
to deduce my real condition. The sentence
had passed; and it appeared to me that a very
long interval of time had since elapsed. Yet
not for a moment did I supposed myself
actually dead. Such supposition,
notwithstanding what we read in fiction, is
altogether inconsistent with real existence; but where and in what state was I? The
condemned to death, I knew, perished
usually at the auto-da-fes, and one of these
had been haled on the very night of the day
of my trial. Had I been remanded to my
dungeon, to await the next sacrifice, which
would not take place for many months? This
I at once saw could not be. Victims had been
in immediate demand. Moreover, my
dungeon, as well as all the condemned cells
at Toledo, had stone floors, and light was
not altogether excluded.
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A fearful idea now suddenly drove
the blood in torrents upon my heart, and for
a brief period, I once more relapsed into
insensibility. Upon recovering, I at once
started to my feet, trembling convulsively in
every fibre. I thrust my arms wildly above
and around me in all directions. I felt
nothings; yet dreaded to move a step, lest I
should be impeded by the walls of a tomb.
Perspiration burst from every pore, and
stood in cold big beads upon my forehead.
The agony of suspense grew at length
intolerable, and I cautiously moved forward,
with my arms extended, and my eyes
straining from the sockets, in the hopes of
catching some faint ray of light, I proceeded
for many paces; but still all was blackness
and vacancy. I breathed more freely. It
seemed evident that mine was not, at least,
the most hideous of fates.
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And now, as I still continued to step
cautiously onward, there came thronging
upon my recollection a thousand vague
rumors of the horrors of Toledo. Of the
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dungeons there had been strange things
narrated-fables I had always deemed thembut yet strange, and too ghastly to repeat,
save in a whisper. Was I left to perish of
starvation in this subterranean world of
darkness; or what fate, perhaps even more
fearful, awaited me? That the result would
be death, and a death of more than
customary bitterness, I knew too well the
character of my judges to doubt. The mode
and the hour were all that occupied or
distracted me.
but trivial; although, in the disorder of my
fancy, it seems at first insuperable. I tore a
part of the hem from the rove and placed the
fragment at full length, and at right angles to
the wall. In groping my way around the
prison, I could not fail to encounter this rag
upon completing the circuit. So, at least I
thought; but I had not counted upon the
extent of the dungeon, or upon my own
weakness. The ground was moist and
slippery. I staggered onward for some time,
when I stumbled and fell.
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My outstretched hands at length
encountered some solid obstruction. It was a
wall, seemingly of stone masonry-very
smooth, slimy, and cold. I followed it up;
stepping with all the careful distrust with
which certain antique narratives had inspired
me. This process, however, afforded me no
means of ascertaining the dimensions of my
dungeon; as I might make its circuit, and
return to the point whence I set out, without
being aware of the fact; so perfectly uniform
seemed the wall. I therefore sought the knife
which had been in my pocket, when led into
the inquisitorial chamber; but it was gone;
my clothes had been exchanged for a
wrapper of coarse serge. I had thought of
forcing the blade in some minute crevice of
the masonry, so as to identify my point of
departure. The difficult, nevertheless, was
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Upon awakening, and stretching
forth an arm, I found beside me a loaf and
pitcher with water. I was too much
exhausted to reflect upon this circumstance,
but ate and drank with avidity. Shortly
afterward, I resumed my tour around the
prison, and with much toil came at last upon
the fragment of the serge. Up to the period
when I felt I had counted fifty-two paces,
and upon resuming my walk, I had counted
forty-eight more;- when I arrived at the rag.
There were in all, then, a hundred paces;
and, admitting tow paces to the yard, I
presumed the dungeon to be fifty yards in
circuit. I had met, however with many
angles in the wall, and thus I could form no
guess at the shape of the vault; for vault I
could not help supposing it to be.
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Part A
1. What is the meaning of supposition as it is used in paragraph 1?
A. occurrence
B. development
C. proceeding
D. assumption
Part B
2. Which sentence from the passage helps the reader to understand the meaning of supposition?
A. “…to deduce my real condition…”
B. “…to remain for many minutes…”
C. “…remanded to my dungeon…”
D. “…await the next sacrifice…”
Part A
3. Which two themes are developed in the excerpt from “The Pit and the Pendulum?”
A. There is a fine line between reason and insanity.
B. Those who commit a crime should be punished.
C. There is a solution to every problem.
D. People fear what they do not know.
E. Patience can yield positive results.
F. One can handle anything if there is hope.
Part B
4. Which two details support the themes identified in Part A?
A. “So far, I had not opened my eyes.”
B. “The condemned to death…perished usually at the auto-da-fes…”
C. “The intensity of the darkness seemed to oppress and stifle me.”
D. “This I at once saw could not be.”
E. “…for a brief period, I once more relapsed into insensibility…”
F. “…I still continued to step cautiously forward…”
Part A
5. How does the author’s choice to have the narrator reveal only bits and pieces of what happened prior
to his incarceration contribute to the meaning of the passage?
A. It heightens the sense of unreality
B. It highlights the cruelty of the Inquisitors.
C. It emphasizes the narrator’s guilt.
D. It reveals the sentence the narrator received.
Part B
6. Which detail from the passage best supports the answer to Part A?
A. “…-but where and in what state was I?”
B. “I brought to mind the inquisitorial proceedings…”
C. “…it appeared to me that a very long interval of time had since elapsed.”
D. “Victims had been in immediate demand.”
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Excerpt from “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne
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The sexton stood in the porch of
Milford meeting-house pulling lustily at the
bell-rope. The old people of the village came
stooping along the street. Children with
bright faces tripped merrily beside their
parents or mimicked a graver gait in the
conscious dignity of their Sunday clothes.
Spruce bachelors looked sidelong at the
pretty maidens, and fancied that the Sabbath
sunshine made them prettier than on weekdays. When the throng had mostly streamed
into the porch, the sexton began to toll the
bell, keeping his eye on the Reverend Mr.
Hooper's door. The first glimpse of the
clergyman's figure was the signal for the bell
to cease its summons.
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"But what has good Parson Hooper
got upon his face?" cried the sexton in
astonishment.
one thing remarkable in his appearance.
Swathed about his forehead, and hanging
down over his face, so low as to be shaken
by his breath, Mr. Hooper had on a black
veil. On a nearer view it seemed to consist
of two folds of crape, which entirely
concealed his features, except the mouth and
chin, but probably did not intercept his sight,
further than to give a darkened aspect to all
living and inanimate things. With this
gloomy shade before him, good Mr. Hooper
walked onward, at a slow and quiet pace,
stooping somewhat, and looking on the
ground, as is customary with abstracted
men, yet nodding kindly to those of his
parishioners who still waited on the
meeting-house steps. But so wonder-struck
were they that his greeting hardly met with a
return.
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All within hearing immediately
turned about, and beheld the semblance of
Mr. Hooper, pacing slowly his meditative
way towards the meeting-house. With one
accord they started, expressing more wonder
than if some strange minister were coming
to dust the cushions of Mr. Hooper's pulpit.
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"I can't really feel as if good Mr.
Hooper's face was behind that piece of
crape," said the sexton.
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"Are you sure it is our parson?"
inquired Goodman Gray of the sexton.
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"Of a certainty it is good Mr.
Hooper," replied the sexton. "He was to
have exchanged pulpits with Parson Shute,
of Westbury; but Parson Shute sent to
excuse himself yesterday, being to preach a
funeral sermon."
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The cause of so much amazement
may appear sufficiently slight. Mr. Hooper,
a gentlemanly person, of about thirty,
though still a bachelor, was dressed with due
clerical neatness, as if a careful wife had
starched his band, and brushed the weekly
dust from his Sunday's garb. There was but
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"I don't like it," muttered an old
woman, as she hobbled into the meetinghouse. "He has changed himself into
something awful, only by hiding his face."
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"Our parson has gone mad!" cried
Goodman Gray, following him across the
threshold.
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A rumor of some unaccountable
phenomenon had preceded Mr. Hooper into
the meeting-house, and set all the
congregation astir. Few could refrain from
twisting their heads towards the door; many
stood upright, and turned directly about;
while several little boys clambered upon the
seats, and came down again with a terrible
racket. There was a general bustle, a rustling
of the women's gowns and shuffling of the
men's feet, greatly at variance with that
hushed repose which should attend the
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entrance of the minister. But Mr. Hooper
appeared not to notice the perturbation of his
people. He entered with an almost noiseless
step, bent his head mildly to the pews on
each side, and bowed as he passed his oldest
parishioner, a white-haired great-grandsire,
who occupied an arm-chair in the centre of
the aisle. It was strange to observe how
slowly this venerable man became conscious
of something singular in the appearance of
his pastor. He seemed not fully to partake of
the prevailing wonder, till Mr. Hooper had
ascended the stairs, and showed himself in
the pulpit, face to face with his
congregation, except for the black veil. That
mysterious emblem was never once
withdrawn. It shook with his measured
breath, as he gave out the psalm; it threw its
obscurity between him and the holy page, as
he read the Scriptures; and while he prayed,
the veil lay heavily on his uplifted
countenance. Did he seek to hide it from the
dread Being whom he was addressing?
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Such was the effect of this simple
piece of crape, that more than one woman of
delicate nerves was forced to leave the
meeting-house. Yet perhaps the pale-faced
congregation was almost as fearful a sight to
the minister, as his black veil to them.
Part A
1. Why does the author use the phrase “semblance of Mr. Hooper” in paragraph 3 to describe
what the villagers see walking toward the meeting-house?
A. to explain who the villagers are looking at
B. to compare Mr. Hooper to an unknown person
C. to show that the villagers mistrust Mr. Hooper
D. to emphasize that Mr. Hooper is not quite himself
Part B
2. Which two details from the passage best support the answer to Part A?
A. “Which one accord they started, expressing more wonder than if some strange minister were
coming to dust the cushions of Mr. Hooper’s pulpit.”
B. “Of a certainty it is good Mr. Hooper; replied the sexton.”
C. “’I can’t really feel as if good Mr. Hooper’s face was behind that piece of crape,” said the
sexton.”
D. “But what has good Parson Hooper got upon his face?’ cried the sexton, in astonishment.”
E. “A rumor of some unaccountable phenomenon had preceded Mr. Hooper into the meetinghouse and set all the congregation astir.”
F. “’I don’t like it,’ muttered an old woman as she hobbled into the meeting-house.”
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Part A
3. Which two themes does the author begin to develop in this excerpt from “The Minister’s
Black Veil”?
A. the importance of tolerance
B. triumph over adversity
C. fear of the unknown
D. alienation due to perceived differences
E. the impact of excessive grief
F. convention and rebellion
Part B
4. Which statement from the passage best supports BOTH themes identified in Part A?
A. “The cause of so much amazement may appear sufficiently slight.”
B. “Swathed about his forehead and hanging down over his face… Mr. Hooper had on a black
veil.”
C. “But so wonder-struck were they that his greeting hardly met with a return.”
D. “It was strange to observe how slowly this venerable man became conscious of something
singular in the appearance of his pastor.”
Part A
5. How does the tone created by the author’s description of the villagers in paragraph 1 change as
he described how the villagers react to Mr. Hooper’s veil?
A. from curiosity to acceptance
B. from satirical to straightforward
C. from excited to calm
D. from light-hearted to somber
Part B
6. Highlight two details from paragraph 1 and two details from the last three paragraphs to
support you answer to Part A.
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Answers:
1. B
2. A
3. A & C
4. C & E
5. A
6. A
7. D
8. A & C
9. C & D
10. C
11. D
12. Possible answers
a. Children with bright faces
b. Spruced bachelors looked sidelong at the pretty maidens
c. Fancied that the Sabbath sunshine made them prettier
d. “Our parson has gone mad!”
e. Did he seek to hide it from the dread Being whom he was addressing?
f. Yet perhaps the pale-faced congregation was almost as fearful as sight to the
minister as his black veil to them.
Rationale for scoring:
2 points given for correct Part A and 2 correct answers from description and reaction of
villagers in Part B.
1 point given for correct Part A and 2 correct answers collectively from Part B