TEAS 7 Reading Practice Test Related

Magnesium is an important nutrient that supports immune system functioning and helps protect the body against cardiovascular diseases. Symptoms of magnesium deficiency rarely surface among populations in developed countries, but concern is growing that many people may not have sufficient body stores of this metal. Surveys show that most Americans do not receive a minimum daily requirement of magnesium in their diets.
Magnesium is absorbed from foods by the intestines, before the circulatory system transports it to the body's tissues. Less than one-half of ingested magnesium normally is taken up in this way.
Health issues affecting the digestive tract may impair magnesium absorbance. For example, gastrointestinal disorders such as Crohn's disease can limit magnesium uptake. The kidneys normally limit urinary excretion of magnesium, a function that can help make up for low dietary intake. However, alcohol abuse and certain medications can affect this balance and thereby lead to magnesium depletion.
Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include vomiting, fatigue, and loss of appetite. More severe cases can include symptoms such as muscular cramps, seizures, and coronary abnormalities.
Magnesium insufficiency also can affect the body's ability to absorb other cations, including calcium and potassium, and can lead to other health complications. Good sources of dietary magnesium include leafy green vegetables, potatoes, nuts, and seeds.

The word 'cation' is closest in meaning to:

• A. element
• B. nutrient similar to magnesium
• C. symptom of deficiency
• D. nutritional supplement

Mirella has recently become an ovo-lacto vegetarian, which means that she does not eat any kind of animal lesh but that she does eat eggs and dairy products. In fact, she prefers to consume either eggs or dairy products at every meal to ensure a good intake of protein. Additionally, Mirella has an allergy to wheat products, so she avoids any kind of bread.

Which of the following menu items fulfills her dietary requirements?

• A. Tofu-mushroom-spinach lasagna
• B. Veggie burger on a whole-grain bun
• C. Salmon with cream sauce
• D. Stuffed baked potato with vegetable soup

Students may take classes in a wide variety of subjects for fun or self-improvement. Some classes provide students with training in useful life skills such as cooking or personal finance. Other classes provide instruction intended for recreational purposes, with topics such as photography, pottery, or painting. Classes may consist of large or small groups, or they may involve one-on-one instruction in subjects like singing or playing a musical instrument. Classes taught by self-enrichment teachers seldom lead to a degree, and attendance in these classes is voluntary. Although often taught in non-academic settings, these classes' topics may include academic subjects such as literature, foreign languages, and history. Despite their informal nature, these courses can provide students with useful work-related skills such as knowledge of computers or foreign languages; these skills make students more attractive to potential employers.

Which of the following statements represents the central idea of this passage?

• A. Self-improvement classes teach work-related skills.
• B. Attendance is voluntary for self-improvement classes.
• C. Many different kinds of self-improvement classes are available.
• D. Cooking is one type of self-improvement classes.

Harriet Tubman was a runaway slave from Maryland who became known as the "Moses of her people." Over the course of 10 years, and at great personal risk, she led hundreds of slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad, a secret network of safe houses where runaway slaves could stay on their journey north to freedom. She later became a leader in the abolitionist movement, and during the Civil War she was a spy for the federal forces in South Carolina as well as a nurse.
Harriet Tubman's name at birth was Araminta Ross. She was one of 11 children of Harriet and Benjamin Ross born into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland. As a child, Ross was "hired out" by her master as a nursemaid for a small baby. Ross had to stay awake all night so that the baby wouldn't cry and wake the mother. If Ross fell asleep, the baby's mother whipped her. From a very young age, Ross was determined to gain her freedom.
As a slave, Araminta Ross was scarred for life when she refused to help in the punishment of another young slave. A young man had gone to the store without permission, and when he returned, the overseer wanted to whip him. He asked Ross to help but she refused. When the young man started to run away, the overseer picked up a heavy iron weight and threw it at him. He missed the young man and hit Ross instead. The weight nearly crushed her skull and left a deep scar. She was unconscious for days, and suffered from seizures for the rest of her life.
In 1844, Ross married a free black named John Tubman and took his last name. She also changed her first name, taking her mother's name, Harriet. In 1849, worried that she and the other slaves on the plantation were going to be sold, Tubman decided to run away. Her husband refused to go with her, so she set out with her two brothers, and followed the North Star in the sky to guide her north to freedom. Her brothers became frightened and turned back, but she continued on and reached Philadelphia. There she found work as a household servant and saved her money so she could return to help others escape.

How is this passage structured?

• A. cause and effect
• B. problem and solution
• C. chronological order
• D. compare and contrast

What Are the Key Facts about Seasonal Flu Vaccine?
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The single best way to protect against the flu is to get vaccinated each year.
About 2 weeks after vaccination, antibodies that provide protection against influenza virus infection develop in the body.
Yearly flu vaccination should begin in September or as soon as vaccine is available and continue throughout the influenza season, into December, January, and beyond. This is because the timing and duration of influenza seasons vary. While influenza outbreaks can happen as early as October, most of the time influenza activity peaks in January or later.
In general, anyone who wants to reduce their chances of getting the flu can get vaccinated. However, it is recommended by ACIP that certain people should get vaccinated each year. They are either people who are at high risk of having serious flu complications or people who live with or care for those at high risk for serious complications. During flu seasons when vaccine supplies are limited or delayed, ACIP makes recommendations regarding priority groups for vaccination.
People who should get vaccinated each year are:
• Children aged 6 months up to their 19th birthday
• Pregnant women
• People 50 years of age and older
• People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
• People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
• People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:

o Health care workers
o Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
o Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)

It is December, and you have not yet had a lu vaccine. What should you do if you are among the people for whom a vaccine is recommended?

• A. Call your doctor for an appointment and get the vaccine.
• B. Avoid other people as much as possible.
• C. Wait until next year and get a double dose.
• D. Contact your local public health board to inform them.