Reading Comprehension Practice Test HESI A2 Related

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 might be a good title for this passage?

• A. "Everyone Should Run Barefoot"
• B. "How to Prevent Running Injuries"
• C. "Modern Road Surfaces Versus Barefoot Running"
• D. "The Debate over Barefoot Running"

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.

Evolution of the CDC:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) started in 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center (CDC). Its original goal was to stop malaria in the United States. From a small office in Atlanta, health workers spread out over the South, spraying mosquitoes and using shovels to eliminate low spots of standing water. At that time, most of the CDC’s workers were not doctors; the need was for entomologists and engineers. The founder of the CDC, Dr. Joseph Mountin, enlarged the organization’s mission to fight communicable diseases of all kinds, and over the next 20 years, the CDC would focus on smallpox, measles, and polio.
In 1970, the name was changed to the Center for Disease Control, but the mission continued to expand. By 1980, the CDC was working not only on the eradication of existing diseases but also on disease prevention. By this point, it had hundreds of doctors and researchers looking into health problems such as depression and addiction. The name changed again, to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Today, the CDC has thousands of employees and coordinates research activities with public health agencies worldwide. It is especially known for its work to protect people from epidemics and unexpected health threats, but its everyday work in the areas of environmental health, injury prevention, birth defects, healthy schools and workplaces, and health education is just as important and beneficial to all Americans.

A reader might infer from this passage that the organization
___________.

• A. succeeded in eradicating malaria
• B. has always been led by a medical doctor
• C. no longer studies communicable diseases
• D. changed its name to match its mission

SUPER FOODS:
Super foods are whole, unprocessed foods such as blueberries, walnuts, beans, oats, and broccoli. Spinach, yogurt, and pomegranates are also considered super foods. They are classified as such because they contain high levels of essential nutrients, are low in calories, and can often help prevent—and even reverse—some of the common effects of aging including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain types of cancer. Super foods help lower cholesterol levels in the blood and, some researchers believe, even improve a person’s mood.
High on the list of super foods are blueberries, fresh or frozen, which are loaded with vitamin C, antioxidants, and potassium. Blueberries are also an anti-inflammatory, which many researchers and nutritionists believe is beneficial. Lentils are a super food that helps prevent a spike in insulin levels that can increase body fat. Lentils are high in both fiber and protein, each of which contributes to stabilizing blood sugar levels and reducing excess fat, especially in the stomach area. Walnuts are a plant-based source of essential unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, which can improve cholesterol and lower the risk of heart disease by as much as 50 percent.
All oats are healthful. Oats, even instant oatmeal, are digested slowly while providing up to five grams of fiber per serving. As physicians and nutritionists continue to study super foods and their effects, consumers continue to educate themselves about the variety of benefits. In an era when consumers question the origin and nutritional value of much of the food on store shelves, super foods are some of the most healthful and natural whole foods available.

What is the main idea of the passage about Super Foods?

• A. Super foods are low in calories but provide essential nutrients that have enormous health benefits.
• B. U.S. supermarkets should make a point of stocking up on powerful super foods.
• C. Blueberries are a super food that contains a natural inflammatory as well as important vitamins and minerals.
• D. Doctors now believe that daily inclusion of super foods in the diet can reverse the aging process.

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 might be a good title for this passage about Barefoot Running?

• A. Everyone Should Run Barefoot
• B. How to Prevent Running Injuries
• C. Modern Road Surfaces Versus Barefoot Running
• D. The Debate over Barefoot Running