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Health Care's Numbers Game: The game of health care is a risky one. Today emergency rooms are acting as primary care physicians for thousands of patients. This trend produces a vicious cycle of hospitals raising emergency room costs and passing that increase along to paying patients, who in turn pass it along to insurance companies, who in turn raise rates so even more people cannot afford the premium or the co-payment.
For years, indigent people have used emergency rooms for very minor illnesses rather than seeing an outside doctor, but now emergency rooms are seeing people with insurance, but who cannot afford the co-payment or the deductible for the office visit.
If we don't change the way the healthcare game is played, we're all going to lose.
In sentence three, the word premium means
- A. An amount to be paid for an insurance policy.
- B. Something highly valued or esteemed.
- C. An addition to ordinary wages; a bonus.
- D. A gift provided with a purchase
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: An amount to be paid for an insurance policy. In the context of the passage, the word "premium" refers to the cost that individuals pay for their insurance coverage. This is evident from the sentence mentioning "raising rates so even more people cannot afford the premium or the co-payment." Choice B, "Something highly valued or esteemed," is incorrect as it does not align with the context of discussing healthcare costs. Choice C, "An addition to ordinary wages; a bonus," is incorrect as it does not relate to insurance costs. Choice D, "A gift provided with a purchase," is also incorrect as it does not fit the context of discussing healthcare expenses. The definition of "premium" as an amount paid for an insurance policy is the most appropriate interpretation in this scenario.
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The Electoral College: The Electoral College has nothing to do with college and contains no students. The Electoral College consists of votes that each state acquires based on the number of representatives it has in Congress.
Each state has two electoral votes because each state has two senators. The remaining electoral votes are determined by the number of Congressmen, the number of which is based on the population of the state established by the Census taken each decade.
During the presidential election, most states cast all their electoral votes for the candidate who wins the popular vote in that particular state. It’s all very confusing, but the founding fathers knew what they were doing. By having and using the Electoral College, candidates campaign in every state, but just because they win the popular vote across the country
doesn’t mean they will always win the election. Case in point, in election 2000, Al Gore won
the popular vote across the country, but George W. Bush won more electoral votes. Therefore he became our 43rd president.
In the passage, the word 'cast' means to
- A. throw.
- B. turn and send in a particular direction.
- C. select actors for a play.
- D. give one's vote.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: give one's vote. In the context of the passage, the word 'cast' is used to refer to the action of states giving their electoral votes to a candidate based on the popular vote. This interpretation aligns with the electoral process described in the passage, where states allocate their electoral votes to the winning candidate.
Choice A (throw) is incorrect because 'cast' in this context does not imply physically throwing something. Choice B (turn and send in a particular direction) is incorrect as it does not capture the voting action described in the passage. Choice C (select actors for a play) is incorrect as it does not relate to the electoral process or voting.
Therefore, the most appropriate interpretation of 'cast' in this passage is to give one's vote, making option D the correct answer.
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.
As used in the last sentence of this paragraph, the term 'concomitant' most nearly means:
- A. Accompanying
- B. Quiet
- C. Separate
- D. Unpredictable
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.
The immune system is a network of cells, tissues, and organs that defends the body against attacks by foreign invaders. These invaders are primarily microbesĆ¢Ä‚¬Ä€¯tiny organisms such as bacteria, parasites, and fungiĆ¢Ä‚¬Ä€¯that can cause infections. Viruses also cause infections, but are too primitive to be classified as living organisms. The human body provides an ideal environment for many microbes. It is the immune systemĆ¢Ä‚¬Ä„¢s job to keep the microbes out or destroy them.
The immune system is amazingly complex. It can recognize and remember millions of different enemies, and it can secrete fluids and cells to wipe out nearly all of them. The secret to its success is an elaborate and dynamic communications network. Millions of cells, organized into sets and subsets, gather and transfer information in response to an infection. Once immune cells receive the alarm, they produce powerful chemicals that help to regulate their own growth and behavior, enlist other immune cells, and direct the new recruits to trouble spots.
Although scientists have learned much about the immune system, they continue to puzzle over how the body destroys invading microbes, infected cells, and tumors without harming healthy tissues. New technologies for identifying individual immune cells are now allowing scientists to determine quickly which targets are triggering an immune response.
Improvements in microscopy are permitting the first-ever observations of living B cells, T cells, and other cells as they interact within lymph nodes and other body tissues.
In addition, scientists are rapidly unraveling the genetic blueprints that direct the human immune response, as well as those that dictate the biology of bacteria, viruses, and parasites. The combination of new technology with expanded genetic information will no doubt reveal even more about how the body protects itself from disease.
What is the meaning of the word 'enlist' as it is used in the second paragraph?
- A. call into service
- B. write down
- C. send away
- D. put across
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: In the second paragraph, 'enlist' is used in the context of immune cells responding to an infection by calling other immune cells into service to address the issue. Therefore, the correct meaning of 'enlist' in this context is 'call into service.' The immune system works by activating and directing different cells to combat threats, highlighting the importance of mobilizing immune cells into action to fight infections.
Blood Pressure Regulators
The body is composed of systems that have evolved and diversified in order to maintain the natural functions and processes they regulate. One such system that has these regulators is the bodyÄ€™s cardiovascular system. The bodyÄ€™s pump, which regulates the flow of vitally needed oxygen to all cells of the body, as well as the discard of carbon dioxide and other waste products, is the heart.
Because blood pressure varies at different points within the body, differing components are needed to keep the bodyÄ€™s blood pressure regulated. Three of the basic components are baroreceptors, chemoreceptors, and the kidneys.
Baroreceptors are stretch receptors composed of fine branching nerve endings and are contained along the walls of the arteries near the heart and in other areas of the body as well. Impulses are related to this stretching along the arterial walls, which causes these baroreceptors to send out even more impulses to the heart, arteries, and veins, causing the blood pressure to go either up or down.
Chemoreceptors are located along the walls of the arteries and monitor changes in oxygen level, carbon dioxide, and pH. Just think! A fall in oxygen causes receptors to send impulses to raise the blood pressure.
The kidneys play a role in regulating blood pressure by absorbing salts and water and removing wastes. Hormones secreted by the adrenal cortex cause the kidney to keep or let go of any salt and water. This has an influence on blood volume and consequently on blood pressure.
What is the primary purpose of this passage?
- A. To inform the reader about the dangers of high blood pressure
- B. To inform the reader how high blood pressure leads to a higher risk of heart attack
- C. To inform the reader how the cardiovascular system regulates blood pressure
- D. To persuade the reader that controlling one's blood pressure is important
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The primary purpose of this passage is to inform the reader about how the cardiovascular system regulates blood pressure. The text explains the role of various components such as baroreceptors, chemoreceptors, and the kidneys in maintaining blood pressure within the body. It focuses on the mechanisms and functions of these regulators rather than discussing the dangers of high blood pressure, its link to heart attacks, or persuading the reader to control their blood pressure.
Linking San Francisco to Marin County in California, the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most famous bridges in the world. The bridge crosses over a narrow strait which connects the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco Bay. Prior to the bridge, people traveled by ferry boat across the strait.
Although most people thought a bridge was necessary to expedite travel, some residents of the
bay area felt the risk of building the bridge was too great. Joseph Strauss believed that nothing was impossible, and dreams would never come to fruition if risks weren't taken. So, he decided to gather the best and brightest builders, architects, and workers to embark on the challenge of
building a bridge across the Golden Gate Strait. With safety nets in place, the construction began in 1937. Building the anchorages first, the
builders then move on to the towers on each end, and then to the three-foot thick cables to support the suspension bridge. Lastly, workers labored to complete the roadway which became
the most dangerous and treacherous part of the entire task. The builders had to keep the bridge
balance, so it wouldn't fall into the bay.
Today, over sixty-five years later, the bridge remains a life-line for the people of the San Francisco Bay Area.
What body of water does the Golden Gate Bridge cross?
- A. San Francisco Bay
- B. Pacific Ocean
- C. Marin Strait
- D. Golden Gate Strait
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The Golden Gate Bridge crosses over the Golden Gate Strait, linking San Francisco to Marin County in California. The strait connects the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco Bay. It is essential to understand the specific geography of the area to correctly identify the body of water crossed by the bridge. Therefore, the correct answer is D, Golden Gate Strait.