HESI A2 Reading Comprehension Practice Test

HESI A2 Reading Comprehension Practice Test Related

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BICYCLES:
Today, bicycles are so common that it's hard to believe they haven't always been around. But two hundred years ago, bicycles didn't even exist, and the first bicycle, invented in Germany in 1818, was nothing like our bicycles today. It was made of wood and didn't even have pedals. Since then, however, numerous innovations and improvements in design have made the bicycle one of the most popular means of recreation and transportation around the world.
In 1839,Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a Scottish blacksmith, dramatically improved upon the original bicycle design. Macmillan's machine had tires with iron rims to keep them from getting worn down. He also used foot-operated cranks like pedals,so his bicycle could be ridden at a quick pace. It didn't look much like a modern bicycle, though, because its back wheel was substantially larger than its front wheel.
In 1861, the French Michaux brothers took the evolution of the bicycle a step further by inventing an improved crank mechanism. Ten years later, James Starley, an English inventor, revolutionized bicycle design. He made the front wheel many times larger than the back wheel, put a gear on the pedals to make the bicycle more efficient, and lightened the wheels by using wire spokes. Although this bicycle was much lighter and less tiring to ride, it was still clumsy, extremely top heavy, and ridden mostly for entertainment.
It wasn't until 1874 that the first truly modern bicycle appeared on the scene. (14) Invented by another Englishman, H.J. Lawson, the "safety bicycle" would look familiar to today's cyclists. This bicycle had equal-sized wheels, which made it less prone to toppling over. Lawson also attached a chain to the pedals to drive the rear wheel. With these improvements, the bicycle became extremely popular and useful for transportation. Today they are built, used, and enjoyed all over the world.

What conclusion can be drawn from the passage on bicycles?

  • A. Bicycles have been evolving for centuries.
  • B. Bicycles have evolved significantly over time.
  • C. Bicycles have remained unchanged since their invention.
  • D. Bicycles are no longer a popular means of transportation.
Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct conclusion that can be drawn from the passage is that bicycles have evolved significantly over time. The passage discusses the evolution of bicycles from their early wooden, pedal-less designs to the modern safety bicycle with equal-sized wheels and chain-driven pedals. Each inventor mentioned in the passage contributed to significant improvements in bicycle design, making them more efficient and popular for transportation and recreation. Choice A is incorrect because the passage does not mention bicycles evolving continuously for centuries, but rather highlights specific innovations over time. Choice C is incorrect as the passage clearly describes the various improvements and changes made to bicycles since their invention. Choice D is also incorrect as the passage emphasizes the continued popularity and usefulness of bicycles for transportation all over the world.

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AMAZON RAINFOREST:
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 a year. 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.

What statement about global warming is made in the passage on the Amazon Rainforest?

  • A. Global warming is caused by deforestation.
  • B. Global warming is unrelated to deforestation.
  • C. Global warming is exaggerated.
  • D. Global warming is not a concern.
Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct statement about global warming in the passage on the Amazon Rainforest is that it is caused by deforestation. The passage explains that cutting down trees in the rainforest increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, leading to global warming. This is supported by the fact that the burning of Brazilian rainforests alone produces 200 million metric tons of carbon dioxide a year. Choice B is incorrect as the passage clearly establishes a direct link between deforestation and global warming. Choice C is incorrect as the passage does not suggest that global warming is exaggerated, but rather highlights the harmful effects of deforestation. Choice D is incorrect as the passage emphasizes the serious concern of global warming due to deforestation.

THE WHITE ELEPHANT:
Centuries ago, in the country of Siam, now known as Thailand, it was the custom of the rulers to punish those who displeased them by giving the offender a white elephant. Because the animal was considered sacred, it could not be made to work as other elephants did, but still had to be fed hundreds of pounds of fruit and cared for in the most lavish style. The recipient could not give the elephant to anyone else, as it was a gift from the ruler, who would be greatly displeased should the recipient not receive the gift graciously or care for it in a grand style. This monetary burden could be a major liability to the recipient, and in many cases, they became impoverished.
This is the origin of the term "white elephant," as it is used today to denote an unwanted gift. The popular way of gift exchange played during the holiday season is an offshoot of this tradition. In this game, everyone brings a gift, and the gifts are exchanged by drawing numbers and picking a gift in turn. The second person can choose a new gift or steal the first one. It is all in good fun, and people enjoy giving silly gifts and "stealing" someone else's.

What is the purpose of white elephants in the tradition mentioned in the passage?

  • A. White elephants are symbols of wealth and power.
  • B. White elephants represent unwanted and burdensome gifts.
  • C. White elephants are used in religious ceremonies.
  • D. White elephants are mythological creatures with no real use.
Correct Answer: B

Rationale: In the tradition mentioned in the passage, white elephants were given as punishment gifts by rulers to those who displeased them. These white elephants were considered burdensome because they were sacred and could not be made to work like other elephants. The recipients had to bear the high maintenance costs and care for the white elephants in a lavish style, leading to financial burdens and sometimes impoverishment. This tradition originated the term 'white elephant' to denote unwanted gifts. Therefore, the correct answer is B. Choice A is incorrect because white elephants were not symbols of wealth and power in this context; they were burdensome gifts. Choice C is incorrect as there is no mention of white elephants being used in religious ceremonies in the passage. Choice D is incorrect as white elephants in the tradition were real elephants, not mythological creatures with no practical use.

GAME OF BRIDGE:
The ebb and flow of laughter and silence fills the room as four old friends gather to engage in a round of Bridge playing. For the beginner, Bridge can be complicated, but with time, effort, and a good teacher, even the novice can become proficient.
Composed of two main parts, bidding and playing, Bridge requires the player's undivided attention. The dealer deals the entire deck of playing cards evenly between the for players, with each person receiving thirteen cards. In the bidding portion of the game, the four suits of cards in the deck are ranked highest to lowest as follows: spades, hearts, diamonds, and finally clubs. However, during play all the suits of cards are considered equals, and they go from highest to lowest from the ace being high to the two card being low.
The highest number of tricks wins. A trick is one card played by each player for a total of four. After the lead player lays down his/her card, the other players follow suit, if possible. The highest card within the four "same suit" cards played wins the trick and picks up all four cards.
If a player cannot follow suit, he/she plays any card, but to make the game more interesting and challenging, one suit is named a trump suit which means that if a player plays a card from the trump suit, it always wins the trick. If two cards from the trump suit are played, the highest card within the trump suit wins the trick. obviously the team with the most tricks wins the hand.

Throughout this passage, the word suit means?

  • A. A set of clothing.
  • B. A group of cards in a deck.
  • C. A legal case.
  • D. A formal request.
Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B. In the passage, the word 'suit' refers to one of the four groups of cards in a deck of playing cards. The passage explains how the suits of cards, such as spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs, are used in the game of Bridge. Choice A, 'A set of clothing,' is incorrect as it does not relate to the context of playing cards. Choice C, 'A legal case,' and Choice D, 'A formal request,' are also incorrect as they have no relevance to the discussion of card games in the passage.

THE SUMMER OLYMPICS GAME:
The Summer Olympic Games are held every four years and occur during leap years. Write a C++ program that asks the user to enter a year and then tells if this is a year of Olympic Games or not. Pass the entered year to a function that determines if it is a leap year or not. Based on the finding of this function, print an appropriate message in the main() to let the user know if the Olympic Games are going to be held or not.
All years which are perfectly divisible by 4 are leap years, except for century years (years ending with 00). Century years are leap years only if they are perfectly divisible by 400. For example, 2012, 2004, and 1968 are leap years, but 1971 and 2006 are not leap years. Similarly, 1200, 1600, 2000, and 2400 are leap years, but 1700, 1800, and 1900 are not.

What is stated in the passage about the Olympic Games?

  • A. The Olympic Games are held every four years.
  • B. The Olympic Games are often postponed.
  • C. The Olympic Games are held only in leap years.
  • D. The Olympic Games only involve certain countries.
Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: 'The Olympic Games are held every four years,' as stated in the passage. The extract explicitly mentions that the Summer Olympic Games are held every four years. Choice B is incorrect as there is no mention of the Olympic Games being often postponed in the passage. Choice C is incorrect because although the Olympic Games occur during leap years, they are not exclusively held only in leap years. Choice D is incorrect as there is no indication in the passage that the Olympic Games only involve certain countries.

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 tools 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.

What conclusion can be drawn from the article on Eating?

  • A. The author thinks chopsticks are funny.
  • B. Space flight is fun and exciting.
  • C. The author enjoys trying new food.
  • D. Diversity is interesting to learn about.
Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D. The author highlights cultural diversity and the variety of eating habits in the article. The passage discusses the different eating methods developed by various cultures, such as cutlery in European cultures and chopsticks in China. It emphasizes the interest in discovering these cultural differences and learning new ways of doing things, showcasing the importance of diversity. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect as they do not align with the main focus of the article, which is cultural diversity and eating habits, rather than the author's opinion on chopsticks, space flight, or personal food preferences.

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