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Health Education Systems, Inc.
A2 V2 HESI Admission Assessment · Reading Comprehension V2
P R E P A R I N G H E A LT H C A R E P R O F E S S I O N A L S F O R S U C C E S S
HEALTH ED
HESI A2 — Reading Comprehension Version 2
A M A ZO N R A I N F O R E ST · B I C YC L E S · D AY L I G H T S AV I N G S T I M E · J A Z Z · G L A SS · H E A LT H C A R E ·
LIGHTNING · LAUGHTER
ORGANIZATION Health Education Systems, Inc. (HESI) EXAM TYPE HESI A2 Admission Assessment
VERSION Reading Comprehension V2 TOTAL QUESTIONS 25 Questions
PASSAGES COVEREDRainforest · Bicycles · DST · Jazz · Glass · FORMAT Multiple Choice — Select the Single Best
Healthcare · Homonyms Answer
READING COMPREHENSION INSTRUCTIONS
▸ Select the single best answer for each question based on the HESI A2 V2 reading passages.
▸ Questions assess: main idea identification, supporting details, vocabulary in context, inferences, author's purpose, fact vs.
opinion, and passage structure.
▸ Passages include: Amazon Rainforest, The Bicycle, Daylight Savings Time, All the Jazz, Glass, Healthcare, Homonyms, Isaac
Asimov, Laughter, Lightning, Mr. Rogers, and Nurseries.
SECTION I — MULTI-PASSAGE READING COMPREHENSION Questions 1 – 25
1. Amazon Rainforest: Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the Amazon Rainforest in paragraph 1?
A. Its size — it stretches over 2.3 million square miles.
B. The number of countries it spans — nine South American countries.
C. Its precipitation — NOT mentioned in paragraph 1.
D. The river Amazon — the second largest river in the world.
CORRECT ANSWER C — Its precipitation — NOT mentioned in paragraph 1.
RATIONALE Paragraph 1 covers: 6% of earth is rainforest, Amazon Basin is largest at 2.3 million sq miles, spans 9
countries, Brazil contains 60%, the river Amazon is second largest with 1/5 of world's fresh water, humid and
warm climate, rich and green, tree leaves are pointed/narrow. Precipitation is NOT specifically mentioned in
paragraph 1. The Amazon can be described as always green due to rain and plants shaped for rainwater
runoff. The Amazon Basin is more than one-fifth of all remaining rainforests.
, 2. Amazon Rainforest: What does the author refer to when saying "rich and diverse land" at the beginning of
paragraph 3?
A. The 400 types of insects living in one tree.
B. The 2,000 birds and mammals in the Amazon rainforest.
C. The 90,000 tons of greenery overall.
D. The 2.5 million species of insects.
CORRECT ANSWER B — The 2,000 birds and mammals in the Amazon rainforest.
RATIONALE "Rich and diverse land" at the beginning of paragraph 3 refers back to the end of paragraph 2 which states:
"The Amazon rainforest is home to 2,000 birds and mammals, with one in every five birds in the world living
there." The Kayapo people farm in an environmentally-friendly way — they do NOT poison the soil, using
burned wood instead of chemicals. The Buruti plant has more than one use: drink, bread, and houses. The
biggest problem is cutting down trees (deforestation).
3. Bicycles: Which sentence best expresses the main idea of paragraph 3 about Kirkpatrick Macmillan?
A. Sentence (1): The safety bicycle would look familiar to today's cyclists.
B. Macmillan made important changes in bicycle design.
C. Starley's addition of wire spokes made the bicycle lighter.
D. The first bicycle was invented in Germany in 1818.
CORRECT ANSWER B — Macmillan made important changes in bicycle design.
RATIONALE Paragraph 3 details Kirkpatrick Macmillan's contributions: tires with iron rims to prevent wear, foot-operated
cranks like pedals, and a larger back wheel. The main idea of the passage is that innovations and
improvements made the bicycle popular. "Revolutionized" means changed drastically. "Prone" means lying
down. Sentence (1) about the safety bicycle represents the writer's opinion. Sentence (8) follows the pattern:
opinion, fact. The first gear system was by James Starley. Wire spokes made the bicycle lighter.
4. Daylight Savings Time: What is the main idea of the DST passage?
A. Benjamin Franklin first suggested DST in the 18th century.
B. DST is the result of the Earth moving around the Sun, causing seasonal changes in daylight.
C. The German government first put DST into practice in 1916.
D. The 1970s energy crisis made DST the law.
CORRECT ANSWER B — DST is the result of the Earth moving around the Sun, causing seasonal changes in daylight.
RATIONALE The main idea is that DST results from Earth's orbit and tilt creating seasonal daylight variations. "It takes
time to get used to a new time zone" means changing time zones makes people tired (jetlag). The tropics are
closest to the Sun. At 7 p.m. Standard Time, DST is 8 p.m. (spring forward). DST was NOT popular initially —
people felt tired. It will be modified starting in 2007. "Obligatory" means requisite. Benjamin Franklin first
established the idea. Farmers opposed the bill in the House of Commons. The U.S. Department of
Transportation oversees time laws. The DST Energy Act of 1973 extended DST for energy conservation.