HESI A2
HESI A2 Version 1 Reading Comprehension Questions
Extract:
Eating
Consumption of food is a universal necessity. Different
cultures have developed different methods to accomplish
the task. It is interesting to discover these differences and
learn new ways to do things.
European cultures developed cutlery (knives, forks, and
spoons) to enable people to efficiently eat their food.
Correct use of this toolā€™s changes with the times-what was
polite in 1800 may not be considered proper manners
today.
China developed the chopstick as an efficient tool for
eating. Mastery of the use of chopsticks can be difficult
for the person not raised in the culture. The attempts of a
novice to use chopsticks can be very amusing to the
watcher, but frustrating for the hungry diner.
Space travel has created new challenges for consuming
food. Squeeze bottles and other unique packaging have
enabled space travelers to get their needed nutrition.
Chopsticks and forks do not work well in space.
Question 1 of 5
What statement from this extract is correct?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct statement from the extract is that China developed chopsticks for eating utensils. The text clearly states: 'China developed the chopstick as an efficient tool for eating.' This demonstrates that choice A is accurate. The passage does not discuss the tiring nature of space travel or compare the superiority of European eating methods, making choices B and C incorrect.
Extract:
Food
Food and drink are necessary and desirable, but their abuse can cause serious physical and mental problems. Many physicians believe that overeating is one of the countryā€™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 drivers contribution to highway deaths, spousal and child abuse, are all concomitant problems associated with alcohol abuse.
Question 2 of 5
The information presented in this article is
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The passage provides an overview of the potential problems associated with the abuse of food and alcohol without explicitly condemning all eating or drinking. It discusses the consequences of overeating and alcohol abuse while acknowledging that food and drink are necessary and desirable. Thus, the information is presented in an informative and balanced manner, making A the correct answer, as it indicates that the article is unbiased in its approach.
Extract:
What effect does your voice have on others? Does it persuade or irritate, attract or repel? One of
the worst qualities is harshness. If you ever get the feeling that people are uncomfortable when you speak, it may be that your harsh tones are jarring their eardrums. Your voice will sound
unpleasant if it is shrill, grating, hard, piercing, brassy, to loud, or too nasal. Harsh voice qualities usually come from too much tension in the throat and jaw. Tension tightens muscles and blocks the relaxed voice tones essential to a pleasing impression. Because tension occurs in higher pitched voices, women tend to have shriller voices than men, which usually makes them
less desirable public speakers, newscasters, or political candidates.
Question 3 of 5
The information presented is
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The information presented in the text is slanted against people with piercing voices. It highlights the negative impact of harsh voice qualities such as being shrill, grating, hard, piercing, brassy, too loud, or too nasal. The text points out that these harsh voice qualities, often due to tension in the throat and jaw, can make a person's voice unpleasant and uncomfortable for others. While it briefly mentions women potentially having shriller voices than men, it does not specifically favor newscasters or target people with deep voices. Therefore, the correct answer is C, as the text focuses on the drawbacks associated with piercing voices.
Extract:
The Water Cycle
Water is needed to sustain practically all life functions on planet Earth. A single drop of this compound is composed of an oxygen atom that shares its electrons with each of the two hydrogen atoms.
The cycle starts when precipitation, such as rain, snow, sleet, or hail, descends from the sky onto the ground. Water that is not absorbed immediately from the precipitation is known as runoff. The runoff flows across the land and collects in groundwater reservoirs, rivers, streams, and oceans.
Evaporation takes place when liquid water changes into water vapor, which is a gas. Water vapor returns to the air from surface water and plants.
Ultimately, condensation happens when this water vapor cools and changes back into droplets of liquid. In fact, the puffy, cotton clouds that we observe are formed by condensation. When the clouds become heavily laden with liquid droplets, precipitation ensues.
Question 4 of 5
Knowing that the cooling of water vapor results in condensation, one could conclude that ______ is a factor in the evaporation process.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Heat. The process of evaporation involves the conversion of liquid water into water vapor, which requires heat energy to break the bonds between water molecules. When water vapor cools, it condenses back into liquid form. Therefore, the presence of heat is a crucial factor in the evaporation process, as it provides the energy needed for water molecules to escape into the air as vapor.
Extract:
Over the last few decades, medical experts have changed their thinking on the health effects of some common foods and beverages. Higher-fat foods and some alcoholic beverages like red wine and beer, once viewed as top threats to a healthy lifestyle, are now seen by many as less harmful and even as having some health benefits. But there is perhaps no topic that the medical community has reversed its
thinking on more often than coffee. Since long before the advent of modern medicine, public opinion regarding the health effects of coffee has been diverse and ever-changing. Opinion on coffee's health effects can be traced back several centuries. In the 1600s, doctors in England touted coffee as a cure for alcoholism, but some women complained that coffee was making their husbands impotent. They may have been correct, as caffeine is a
diuretic and can irritate the prostate (dehydration and prostatitis can both lead to erectile dysfunction). In the late 1700s, coffeehouses began opening all over colonial America, where coffee was seen as a healthy stimulant that helped the colonists work longer hours. But by the early 1900s, public concern grew as coffee consumption was blamed for a variety of common ailments, such as nervousness, indigestion, and insomnia. In the 1970s, medical journals published studies that linked coffee consumption with high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart attacks. In 2001, a meta-study indicated that coffee was responsible for a 20% increase in risk for urinary tract cancer. But starting in 2007, to the surprise of many, meta-studies began to show positive health effects of coffee consumption. A 2007 study showed that coffee was viewed by many as "practically a health food." However, CNN also warned that given the long history of flip-flops on the health effects of coffee, medical and public opinion on coffee could easily turn negative again.
Question 5 of 5
What is the main idea of the passage?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Option A accurately reflects the main theme of the passage. It discusses how the perception of coffee's health effects has evolved significantly throughout history, highlighting shifts from viewing it as a cure to associating it with various health risks, and then to recognizing potential health benefits. The passage clearly outlines the changing public opinion on coffee, demonstrating how it has shifted over time, making this the most appropriate choice to capture the essence of the text.