Reading Comprehension Practice Test HESI A2 Related

CONCUSSIONS:
A concussion is a traumatic injury to the brain that can interfere with the way the brain processes information and functions. A concussion often results in severe headaches, diminished alertness, and even unconsciousness. While more than one million people in the United States suffer concussions every year, many believe that, like people, no two concussions are identical.
Recently, two professional baseball players suffered concussions. The first player was injured early in the season and tried twice to return to regular play but was not medically cleared to play until the following year. Even after eight months, this player reported a recurring condition of “fogginess” that seemed to linger. The second player had brief symptoms of sleepiness and involuntary movement, or “shakiness.” A few days later, and after several tests, the second player reported that the effects of the concussion had subsided, and he was cleared to play.
No matter the duration of a person’s recovery, refraining from trying to do too much, too soon is vital. A specialist at Boston University’s Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy believes that someone who suffers a second concussion while still recovering from the first risks an even longer recovery. Full recovery from concussions is possible. Problems are seldom permanent, and for most people who have had a concussion, the long-term prognosis is typically excellent. The first baseball player recently returned to his team. And though he was told by his physician that he has no greater risk than anyone else of suffering another concussion, other physicians believe that suffering one sports-related concussion increases the likelihood of suffering another.

What is the author's primary purpose in writing the essay about Concussions?

• A. To inform.
• B. To persuade.
• C. To entertain.
• D. To analyze.

SLEEP:
Developing muscle growth is an effective way to stay healthy as we get older, but many people find it difficult to develop this muscle growth, even after modifying their exercise routine and food intake. What many people may not realize is that getting the proper amount of uninterrupted sleep plays a major role in the development of muscle. The hard work of developing muscle is done in the gym, on a track, or on the court, but the actual growth takes place during the rest periods that follow a workout. Your body immediately begins rebuilding the muscle fibers that were broken down during the course of your workout. Much of this process is carried out while you are sleeping, so without a full night of sleep, muscle fibers will not have the opportunity to rebuild.
Human growth hormone (HGH) is an amino acid that is central to regulating metabolism, building muscle, facilitating calcium retention, and stimulating the immune system. The amount of HGH in your body spikes significantly during deep sleep, which makes getting at least 7 to 10 hours of sleep every night imperative to anyone hoping to develop additional muscle growth. Recent studies have linked inadequate amounts of sleep to lowered levels of leptin, a hormone in the brain that controls appetite. Test subjects who received less sleep, or frequently interrupted sleep, would crave carbohydrates even after their caloric needs reached satiety. This can contribute to obesity and negatively affect any good habits people may have developed with regard to food intake.

What conclusion can the reader draw after reading the passage about The Sleep Workout?

• A. Getting uninterrupted sleep is more important than getting enough sleep.
• B. Insufficient sleep may result in an increased risk for obesity.
• C. Human growth hormone is not essential for muscle development.
• D. Leptin is essential for building muscle.

HYPERTENSION:
The term hypertension is used to describe the condition of chronically high blood pressure. People who are obese, experience a lot of stress, smoke tobacco products, have a diet with too much salt in it, or have diabetes are often at a higher risk for hypertension. As well, African Americans are more likely to have hypertension than other population groups.
Hypertension often develops over many years. Older people are most often diagnosed with hypertension. One reason for this is that blood vessels lose elasticity and stiffen as a person ages. This creates more resistance to the blood flowing through the body and elevates blood pressure.
Symptoms of hypertension can include blurred vision, headaches, a buzzing in the ears, fatigue, an irregular heartbeat, and nosebleeds. Hypertension that goes untreated over a period of time can lead to serious complications such as kidney disease, heart disease, loss of vision, heart attack, brain damage, and even early death.
Fortunately, treating hypertension reduces blood pressure and can lower the risk of complications. For many people, losing weight can result in a significant decrease in blood pressure. For others, physicians may prescribe one or more medications to help bring blood pressure down into a safe range.
One thing is certain: physicians believe that people over the age of 20 should monitor their blood pressure by having it checked at least once a year. Those with a history of hypertension in the immediate family should have it checked more frequently.

What does the term elasticity mean, as used in the passage about Hypertension?

• A. Firmness.
• B. Compactness.
• C. Flexibility.
• D. Rigidity.

YOGA:
Yoga is an exercise that everyone should try. Yoga was first practiced thousands of years ago. It helps connect the mind and body by taking a person through a series of poses while emphasizing controlled breathing and meditation.

Every year hundreds of thousands of people enjoy the benefits of yoga by treating the movements and postures as exercise. Yoga works by safely stretching muscles, ligaments, and tendons. This helps release the buildup of lactic acid in the muscles that can often cause stiffness, tension, and even pain. Yoga helps develop the body’s range of mobility and increases the ease of everyday movements. Many participants report improved flexibility, especially in the trunk and shoulders, after only two months of practice.
Yoga improves posture, balance, and sleep, and it also helps with weight control. Physically, many yoga poses help build upper-body strength, which is increasingly important as the body ages. Other poses help strengthen the muscles in the lower back, and when properly practiced, nearly all of the poses strengthen the body’s abdominal, or core, muscles. This helps improve the circulation of blood that increases the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the body and also removes wastes produced by the body. When combined with yoga’s benefit of lowering a person’s heart rate, the result is increased cardiovascular endurance.
The University of Maryland School of Nursing recently published a study that showed yoga was especially effective at reducing stress. In addition, researchers found that yoga surpassed traditional aerobic exercise, often significantly, in improving flexibility, pain tolerance, and daily energy levels. One enthusiast says that her advice to skeptics is simple, “Take a deep breath, stretch, and indulge in a few poses. You’ll feel better.”

What is the author's primary purpose in writing this essay?

• A. To persuade
• B. To entertain
• C. To analyze
• D. To reflect

Barefoot Running:
Barefoot running is a rapidly growing movement that encourages people to leave their shoes at home and take to the streets in only their bare feet. Barefoot running advocates are quick to point out that while shoe technology has advanced significantly since the advent of the modern running shoe, there has been little decline in the number of injuries that occur from running. Humankind has been running for millions of years, and modern running shoes have existed for less than 50 years. By wearing larger shoes with excessive cushioning, we are changing the biomechanics of how we run, thereby increasing the likelihood for injury.
Early humans ran with a “forefoot strike,” landing closer to the balls of their feet and using their foot’s natural arch as a spring to store and release energy. Modern shoe designs encourage a “heel strike,” landing on the heel and rolling forward to the toe. Barefoot running advocates believe “heel striking” replaces your reliance on the natural mechanics of your feet with the cushioning provided by your shoes, and that this is what causes many of the injuries affecting runners today.
Critics assert that while our feet may have been designed for barefoot running, our road surfaces were not. Concrete and asphalt are much firmer than any surface where our human ancestors would have been running. Broken glass and debris also may make barefoot running a significant challenge. There is little consensus when it comes to the safety and effectiveness of barefoot running, but even the most skeptical of podiatrists will agree that wearing heavily padded shoes too often can result in a weaker foot and leg structure. Spend some extra time walking barefoot around your house; aside from building up the muscles and tendons that strengthen your feet, you may just find yourself tempted to go for a run.

Which of the following statements is an opinion related to Barefoot Running?

• A. Running barefoot is natural and advantageous.
• B. The cost of modern running shoes keeps increasing.
• C. Concrete sidewalks are harder than dirt paths.
• D. The arch of the foot gives a spring to the step.