HESI A2
HESI A2 Version 4 Reading Comprehension Questions
Extract:
Croatian-born inventor Nikola Tesla is often called the "forgotten scientist". Although he
invented the alternating current (AC) motor and developed an AC electricity generation system, he never received historical credit for many of his achievements, unlike one of his first employer and eventual nemesis, inventor Thomas Edison
Tesla made the first sketches of his idea for a brushless of his idea for a brushless AC motor while he was a student at the University of Prague in 1882. His interest in electricity generation led him to Paris where he was employed by the Continental Edison Company later that year to repair Edison's direct current (DC) power plants. Two years later, Tesla immigrated to New York City and acquired a job as an engineer at
Thomas Edison's headquarters in Manhattan. Edison was impressed with Tesla's work ethic and
ingenuity. He challenged the young scientist to develop an improved design for his DC
generators for $50,000. Tesla experimented for months, finally presenting Edison with the
solution he needed. Edison reneged on the deal, telling Tesla that he didn't understand American humor. Tesla soon left Edison in order to begin his own electric light company
Tesla filed and was granted more than 30 patents for his inventions in 1887 and 1888. He soon
had financial backing for his ideas from one of Edison' main competitors, Westinghouse. In the
1890's Tesla experimented with x-rays, developed a high-voltage electrical transformer call the
Tesla coil, and demonstrated the propagation of radio waves two years before the "Father of
Radio" Guglielmo Marconi. He was also the first to harness the mammoth potential energy of
Niagara Falls. He worked with General Electric to install AC generators with turbines driven by the falling waters of the Niagara River, creating the first modern power plant although a brilliant scientist, Tesla was not an astute businessman. He created his own obscurity by relinquishing
royalty rights for his inventions to major corporations for the purpose of raising funds for future projects.
Question 1 of 5
What did Tesla accomplish while attending the University of Prague?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: While attending the University of Prague, Tesla made designs for a brushless alternating current motor. This innovation marked the beginning of his groundbreaking work in the field of electricity and laid the foundation for his future achievements. Tesla's early sketches and ideas for the AC motor at the University of Prague set him on a path that would ultimately revolutionize the way electricity was generated and utilized.
Extract:
About 6% of the earth is covered by rainforests. The largest rainforest in the world is the
Amazon Basin, which stretches over 2.3 million square miles in nine different South American countries. This area is double the length of all the other remaining rainforests in the world. Brazil contains 60%of the Amazonian rainforest, since it lies at the mouth of the river Amazon. This river is the second largest in the world and contains more than one-fifth of the world's fresh water. The Amazon rainforest is a type of wet broadleaf forest. The weather there is very humid and warm as it rains quite a bit. Because of the high rainfall, the forest is very rich and green. The
tree leaves are pointed and narrow so that the raindrops can easily drop off wet plants. This
tropical rainforest has more living species than the entire European continent. There are over 400 types of insects living in one single rain forest tree for a total of 2.5 million species. One square kilometer of rainforest may contain over 75,000 types of trees and approximately 438,000
different kinds of plants, which comes to a total of 90,000 tons of greenery overall. The Amazon rainforest is home to 2,000 birds and mammals, with one in every five birds in the world living there. Local farmers have lived off this rich and diverse land for thousands of years. They have been able to find food and water here without destroying the land. The Kayapo people of Brazil
farm in an environmentally-friendly way. Instead of chemicals, they use burned wood to enrich the soil, and plant banana trees, which attract wasps. These wasps then feed on leafcutter ants and get rid of these harmful insects. The rainforest also offers a lot of tropical fruits, such as bananas and coconuts, as food.
Cinnamon is made from the bark of a rainforest tree. Amazonian Indians use the fruit and stem
of the Buruti plant as a drink, to make bread and to build houses. Many other plants are used as medicine. But the Amazon rainforest is in very big danger of disappearing. 9,169 square miles of
forest have been cut down in 2003 in Brazil alone. An area of the size of a football field is burned down basically every minute, which means that the rain forest may be gone by the year 2030.The dangers related to this type of activity are obvious. Trees take in poisonous carbon
dioxide from the air and give off oxygen. There is more oxygen and less carbon dioxide around a
rainforest. When trees are cut down, however, the amount of carbon dioxide increases, and the
air gets warmer. This leads to global warming, which is extremely harmful to the environment. It
is estimated that the burning of Brazilian rainforests alone produces 200 million metric tons of carbon dioxide ayear. Another danger connected with destroying the rainforest is the disappearance of plants and animals. When trees are cut down, plants and animals have no more
food left and slowly die out. Killing wild animals is illegal in Brazil, but there is plenty of stealing going on. 38 million animals are stolen and sold illegally each year. The most hunted
animals are birds, especially parrots, followed by snakes and the jaguar.
Question 2 of 5
What does the sentence ‘people of Brazil farm in an environmentally friendly way’ mean in paragraph 3?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The sentence ‘people of Brazil farm in an environmentally friendly way’ in paragraph 3 implies that the farmers do not poison the soil when farming. This is supported by the information provided in the passage that the Kayapo people of Brazil use burned wood to enrich the soil instead of chemicals. By choosing this method, they maintain the fertility of the soil without causing harm to the environment. Options B, C, and D are not directly supported by the passage and do not align with the environmentally friendly farming practice described.
Extract:
About 6% of the Earth is covered by rainforests. The largest rainforest in the world is the Amazon Basin, which stretches over 2.3 million square miles across nine different South American countries. This area is double the size of all the other remaining rainforests in the world. Brazil contains 60% of the Amazonian rainforest, as it lies at the mouth of the Amazon River. This river is the second largest in the world and contains more than one-fifth of the world’s fresh water. The Amazon rainforest is classified as a type of wet broadleaf forest. The weather there is very humid and warm, with substantial rainfall contributing to the forest's rich greenery. The tree leaves are pointed and narrow, allowing raindrops to easily slide off wet plants. This tropical rainforest is home to more living species than the entire European continent, with over 400 types of insects living in a single rainforest tree, totaling around 2.5 million species. One square kilometer of rainforest may contain over 75,000 types of trees and approximately 438,000 different kinds of plants, resulting in a total of 90,000 tons of greenery overall. The Amazon rainforest is home to 2,000 species of birds and mammals, with one in every five birds in the world residing there. Local farmers have lived off this rich and diverse land for thousands of years, finding food and water without destroying the environment. The Kayapo people of Brazil farm in an environmentally friendly manner. Instead of using chemicals, they burn wood to enrich the soil and plant banana trees, which attract wasps. These wasps feed on leafcutter ants, helping to control these harmful insects. The rainforest also provides a variety of tropical fruits, such as bananas and coconuts, as food sources. Cinnamon is made from the bark of a rainforest tree, and Amazonian Indians use the fruit and stem of the Buruti plant for drinks, bread, and construction. Many other plants are used for medicinal purposes. However, the Amazon rainforest is in significant danger of disappearing. In 2003 alone, 9,169 square miles of forest were cut down in Brazil. An area the size of a football field is burned every minute, suggesting that the rainforest may be gone by the year 2030. The dangers associated with this activity are clear. Trees absorb poisonous carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen. Rainforests have more oxygen and less carbon dioxide in their vicinity. When trees are cut down, the amount of carbon dioxide increases, resulting in a warmer atmosphere. This leads to global warming, which is extremely harmful to the environment. It is estimated that the burning of Brazilian rainforests alone produces 200 million metric tons of carbon dioxide each year. Another significant danger associated with the destruction of the rainforest is the disappearance of plants and animals. When trees are cut down, plants and animals lose their food sources and gradually die out. While killing wild animals is illegal in Brazil, poaching remains a problem. An estimated 38 million animals are stolen and sold illegally each year. The most hunted animals are birds, especially parrots, followed by snakes and jaguars
Question 3 of 5
According to the information given, which of the following is NOT mentioned about the Amazon Rainforest?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The passage provides details about the Amazon Rainforest, such as its size, location, the river Amazon, and its characteristics as a wet broadleaf forest. However, there is no mention of the specific amount of rainfall in the Amazon Rainforest. The passage focuses on various aspects of the rainforest but does not discuss its precipitation levels. Therefore, the correct answer is C: 'Its rainfall.'
Extract:
About 6% of the earth is covered by rainforests. The largest rainforest in the world is the
Amazon Basin, which stretches over 2.3 million square miles in nine different South American countries. This area is double the length of all the other remaining rainforests in the world. Brazil contains 60%of the Amazonian rainforest, since it lies at the mouth of the river Amazon. This river is the second largest in the world and contains more than one-fifth oftheworldĆ¢ā‚¬ā„¢sfresh water. The Amazon rainforest is a type of wet broadleaf forest. The weather there is very humid and warm as it rains quite a bit. Because of the high rainfall, the forest is very rich and green. The
tree leaves are pointed and narrow so that the raindrops can easily drop off wet plants. This
tropical rainforest has more living species than the entire European continent. There are over 400 types of insects living in one single rain forest tree for a total of 2.5 million species. One square kilometer of rainforest may contain over 75,000 types of trees and approximately 438,000
different kinds of plants, which comes to a total of 90,000 tons of greenery overall. The Amazon rainforest is home to 2,000 birds and mammals, with one in every five birds in the world living there. Local farmers have lived off this rich and diverse land for thousands of years. They have been able to find food and water here without destroying the land. The Kayapo people of Brazil
farm in an environmentally-friendly way. Instead of chemicals, they use burned wood to enrich the soil, and plant banana trees, which attract wasps. These wasps then feed on leafcutter ants and get rid of these harmful insects. The rainforest also offers a lot of tropical fruits, such as bananas and coconuts, as food.
Cinnamon is made from the bark of a rainforest tree. Amazonian Indians use the fruit and stem
of the Buruti plant as a drink, to make bread and to build houses. Many other plants are used as medicine. But the Amazon rainforest is in very big danger of disappearing. 9,169 square miles of
forest have been cut down in 2003 in Brazil alone. An area of the size of a football field is burned down basically every minute, which means that the rain forest may be gone by the year 2030.The dangers related to this type of activity are obvious. Trees take in poisonous carbon
dioxide from the air and give off oxygen. There is more oxygen and less carbon dioxide around a
rainforest. When trees are cut down, however, the amount of carbon dioxide increases, and the
air gets warmer. This leads to global warming, which is extremely harmful to the environment. It
is estimated that the burning of Brazilian rainforests alone produces 200 million metric tons of carbon dioxide ayear. Another danger connected with destroying the rainforest is the disappearance of plants and animals. When trees are cut down, plants and animals have no more
food left and slowly die out. Killing wild animals is illegal in Brazil, but there is plenty of stealing going on. 38 million animals are stolen and sold illegally each year. The most hunted
animals are birds, especially parrots, followed by snakes and the jaguar.
Question 4 of 5
How can you describe the Amazon rainforest?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A. The description of the Amazon rainforest provided in the passage emphasizes the high levels of rainfall in the region, leading to a very humid and warm environment that supports lush greenery. The passage mentions that the tree leaves are shaped in a way that raindrops can easily drop off wet plants, contributing to the constant greenness of the forest. This information aligns with choice A, making it the most accurate description of the Amazon rainforest based on the provided passage.
Extract:
It is a well-known fact that it takes the Earth approximately 365 days to orbit the Sun. At the same time, the Earth revolves or spins around itself over the course of 24 hours, which explains why we experience day and night. One half of the Earth is always facing the Sun, while the other half is facing away. As a result, different time zones divide the globe. Moving suddenly from one time zone to another, such as when flying from Asia to North America, can cause jet lag. People often feel tired, wake up suddenly during the night, and cannot return to sleep. It takes time to adjust to a new time zone. Another important factor to consider is the slight tilt of the Earth toward the Sun. The Earth does not stand straight but leans slightly to one side. Therefore, when it revolves around the Sun, the middle part of the Earth is always closer to the Sun and receives more heat. This area is called the equator, and the regions above and below it are known as the tropics. Countries located in the tropics receive a consistent amount of daylight throughout the year, with the Sun rising at 6 AM and setting at 6 PM. In contrast, the tips of the Earth, or the poles, receive hardly any light because they are so far from the Sun. There are two main seasons at the poles: 6 months of summer, when the Sun is always shining (even at night), and 6 months of winter, characterized by constant darkness. Between the tropics and the poles lies the temperate zone, where there are four distinct seasons. The Sun rises and sets at different times throughout the year. In spring and summer, it gets light earlier; in fall and winter, it gets dark earlier. People living in temperate zones take advantage of this variation to maximize their daylight exposure. At the beginning of spring, countries in Europe and North America readjust their clocks by moving them an hour ahead. As a result, the Sun does not set around 7 or 8 PM as usual, but an hour later. This practice is called Daylight Savings Time (DST) and lasts until the beginning of fall, when people move their clocks back one hour to Standard or Regular Time. It is believed that Benjamin Franklin first suggested the introduction of Daylight Savings Time in the 18th century, but the first serious proposal came in 1907 from William Willet. However, his idea was shelved by the British government, which deemed it unnecessary. Daylight Savings Time was first implemented by the German government in 1916 in order to save energy during World War I. Shortly after, the United Kingdom followed suit, with the United States doing the same in 1918. The law was unpopular, as people had to wake up earlier, leading many to experience a feeling similar to jet lag. However, the energy crisis of the 1970s forced the U.S. to establish Daylight Savings Time as law. Studies showed that the introduction of Daylight Savings Time in the spring saved the U.S. 10,000 barrels of oil per day between 1974 and 1975. It also prevented 2,000 traffic injuries and 50 traffic-related deaths, saving the country $28 million. Currently, Americans switch to Daylight Savings Time on the first Sunday in April and revert to Standard Time on the last Sunday in October. As of 2007, the time adjustments occur even earlier in March and November.
Question 5 of 5
What can be inferred about Daylight Savings Time?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: "It will be modified starting in 2007." The passage mentions that as of 2007, the time readjustment for Daylight Savings Time will happen even earlier, in March and November. This implies that there will be modifications to the timing of Daylight Savings Time starting in 2007, aligning with the information provided in the passage about the changes in the timing of Daylight Savings Time adjustments.