HESI A2
HESI A2 Version 4 Reading Comprehension Questions
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 1 of 5
What does the sentence 'people of Brazil farm in an environmentally friendly way' mean in paragraph 3?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: 'They do not poison the soil when farming.' The statement in the paragraph refers to the environmentally friendly farming practices of the Kayapo people in Brazil. Instead of using harmful chemicals, they opt for burned wood to enrich the soil. This sustainable approach helps maintain the fertility of the land without causing harm to the environment. It highlights their conscious effort to farm in a way that is beneficial and sustainable for the ecosystem, emphasizing the importance of preserving the environment while meeting their agricultural needs.
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 2 of 5
What is the meaning of the word 'mammoth' as it is used in the fourth paragraph?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: In the context of the fourth paragraph, the word 'mammoth' is used to describe the potential energy of Niagara Falls. The term 'mammoth' means massive or huge, emphasizing the enormous scale and power of the energy source. Therefore, the correct answer is 'D: Massive.' This word choice highlights the immense size and significance of the energy source being harnessed by Tesla, aligning with the description of Niagara Falls as a massive potential energy resource.
Extract:
Food
Food and drink are necessary and desirable, but their
abuse can cause serious physical and metal problem.
Many physicians believe that overeating is one of the
country's main health problems, since it places a great
strain on the heart, can lead to diabetes, and often shortens
the individual's life span. To fill an emotional void. People
often turn to food when they are bored or lonely.
Another area of concern is alcohol consumption. The
results of alcohol abuse are widely publicized. The social
drinker who becomes alcoholic, the drunken driver's
contribution to highway death, spousal and child abuse,
are all concomitant problems associated with alcohol
abuse.
Question 3 of 5
As used in the last sentence of this paragraph, the term 'concomitant' most nearly means:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: In the context provided, 'concomitant' in the last sentence of the paragraph means 'accompanying' or 'associated with.' The sentence is discussing the various issues that arise in relation to alcohol abuse, such as becoming alcoholic, contributing to highway deaths, and spousal and child abuse. Therefore, the correct term to use here is 'accompanying,' making choice A the correct answer.
Extract:
People of Hispanic origin were on the North American continent centuries before settlers arrived
from Europe in the early 1600s and the thirteen colonies joined together to form the United
States in the late 1700s. The first census of the new nation was conducted in 1790, and counted about four million people, most of whom were white. Of the white citizens, more than 80%
traced their ancestry back to England. There were close to 700,000 slaves and about 60,000 "free Negroes". Only a few Native American Indians who paid taxes were included in the census count, but the total Native American population was probably about one million. By 1815, the population of the United States was 8.4 million. Over the next 100 years, the
country took in about 35 million immigrants, with the greatest numbers coming in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In 1882, 40,000 Chinese arrived, and between 1900 and 1907, there were more
than 30,000 Japanese immigrants. But by far, the largest numbers of the new immigrants were
from central, eastern, and southern Europe. An enormous amount of racial and ethnic assimilation has taken place in the United States. In 1908, play-write Israel Zangwill first used the term "melting pot" to describe the concept of a place where many races melted in a crucible and re-formed to populate a new land. Some years during the first two decades of the 20th century, there were as many as one million new
immigrants per year, an astonishing 1 percent of the total population of the United States.
In 1921, however, the country began to limit immigration, and the Immigration Act of 1924
virtually closed the door. The total number of immigrants admitted per year dropped from as many as a million to only 150,000. A quota system was established that specified the number of
immigrants that could come from each country. It heavily favored immigrants from northern and western Europe and severely limited everyone else. This system remained in effect until 1965, although after World War II, several exceptions were made to the quota system to allow in
groups of refugees.
Question 4 of 5
How many immigrants were taken in over the 100 years leading up to 1915?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: About 35 million. The text mentions that over the 100 years leading up to 1915, the United States took in approximately 35 million immigrants. This period saw a significant influx of immigrants, with the largest numbers coming in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Immigration Act of 1924 later limited immigration, reducing the number of immigrants admitted per year. Answer choices A, C, and D do not align with the information provided in the text regarding the influx of immigrants during this period.
Extract:
Subjective exams measure your ability in several areas. Besides recall information, you must be
able to realize content logically and intelligently express yourself in a clearly understood manner. Subjective test provide opportunity for students to show their broad knowledge of a subjective
area. Answers may be in the form of paragraphs or lengthy essays. When your review for an essay exam, concentrate on main ideas rather than details. Since essay tests are less to a few questions, they are likely to deal with more important ideas of a subject. Prepare a list of question you think might be asked. Write an answer to each of your questions. Rather than writing complete sentence down your thoughts in outline form. Doing so will help
you organize the information so that you can express yourself clearly.
When you take the test, read through all the questions before you start to write. Allot time for each question, spending more time for questions worth the most points. Read each question carefully to determine exactly what they are asked. Pay attention to words such as define, illustrate, explain, list, compare, and contrast. Each work requires a different type of response. Write a brief outline of your answer on scrap paper or the back of the test. Make sure you include all the important ideas that are within the limits of the question. In other words, do not write more than is asked for each answer. When you write your answer, keep it specific and as brief as possible. In the introductory sentence it is often helpful to make a general statement that includes
important points addressed in each question. Such a topic sentence serves as a framework for your answer. Then use your outline to develop the main point and subtopics. Add substance to
your answer by including as many facts as possible to support your answer.
Check your paper before you submit it. Look for mistakes in grammar, spelling, sentence
structure, and punctuation. Unless you are certain an answer is wrong, do not change it. Your answer is an educated guess and is usually your best chance of answering correctly.
Question 5 of 5
When taking a subjective examination, you will find questions like:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Subjective examinations typically involve questions that require students to provide detailed explanations, analyses, or arguments, such as defining concepts, explaining ideas, or elaborating on topics. These types of questions are commonly found in essay exams where students are expected to demonstrate their understanding and critical thinking skills by articulating their knowledge in depth. Therefore, 'Definitions' is the most suitable answer choice as it aligns with the nature of subjective examinations that focus on comprehensive responses rather than simple recall or recognition.