HESI A2 Reading Comprehension

The author seems to
Food
Food and drink are necessary and desirable, but their abuse can cause serious physical and mental problems. Many physicians believe that overeating is one of the country's main health problems, since it places a great strain on the heart, can lead to diabetes, and often shortens the individual’s life span. To fill an emotional void, people often turn to food when they are bored or lonely.
Another area of concern is alcohol consumption. The results of alcohol abuse are widely publicized. The social drinker who becomes alcoholic, the drunken driver’s contribution to highway deaths, spousal and child abuse, are all concomitant problems associated with alcohol abuse.

The information presented in this article is
Food
Food and drink are necessary and desirable, but their abuse can cause serious physical and mental problems. Many physicians believe that overeating is one of the country's main health problems, since it places a great strain on the heart, can lead to diabetes, and often shortens the individual’s life span. To fill an emotional void, people often turn to food when they are bored or lonely.
Another area of concern is alcohol consumption. The results of alcohol abuse are widely publicized. The social drinker who becomes alcoholic, the drunken driver’s contribution to highway deaths, spousal and child abuse, are all concomitant problems associated with alcohol abuse.

Water is needed to sustain practically all of life functions on planet Earth. A single drop of this compound is comprised of an oxygen atom which shares its electrons with each of the two hydrogen atoms. The cycle starts when precipitation such as rain, snow, sleet or hail descends from the sky onto the ground. Water not absorbed immediately from the precipitation is known as runoff. The runoff flows across the land and collects in ground water reservoirs, rivers, streams and the ocean. Evaporation takes place when liquid water changes into water vapor, which is a gas. Water vapor returns to the air from surface water and plants. Ultimately, condensation happens when this water vapor cools and changes back into droplets of liquid. In fact, the puffy, cotton clouds that we observe are formed by condensation. When the clouds become so heavily laden with liquid droplets, precipitation then ensues. Which literary genre best defines this passage?

By writing this passage, the author intended to
Facts about the One Dollar Bill
As Americans, we should all know some statistics about our currency.
The one dollar bill is a fascinating document with a varied historical beginning. Consisting of a cotton and linen blend with minute red and blue silk fibers woven through it, the one dollar bill debuted in 1957. Due to the fact that the bill is constructed of material, laundering it does not cause any permanent harm. A special blend of ink created from a secret formula is used to write on the dollar bill, which acts as a deterrent to counterfeiters.
By sharing these important facts with others, a common understanding and appreciation of the one dollar bill is established.

The author’s reason for writing this piece seems to be to

The Golden Gate Bridge

Linking San Francisco to Marin County in California, the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most famous bridges in the world. The bridge crosses over a narrow strait which connects the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco Bay. Prior to the bridge, people traveled by ferry boat across the strait.

Although most people thought a bridge was necessary to expedite travel, some residents of the Bay Area felt the risk of building the bridge was too great. Joseph Strauss believed that nothing was impossible and dreams would never come to fruition if risks weren’t taken. So he decided to gather the best and brightest builders, architects, and workers to embark on the challenge of building a bridge across the Golden Gate Strait.

With safety nets in place, the construction began in 1937. Building the anchorages first, the builders then moved on to the towers on each end, and then to the three-foot thick cables to support the suspension bridge. Lastly, workers labored to complete the roadway, which became the most dangerous and treacherous part of the entire task. The builders had to keep the bridge balanced so it wouldn’t fall into the bay.

Today, over sixty-five years later, the bridge remains a life-line for the people of the San Francisco Bay Area.

What is the meaning of the word insomnia as mentioned in the third paragraph?

Coffee

Over the last few decades, medical experts have changed their thinking on the health effects of some common foods and beverages. Higher-fat foods and some alcoholic beverages like red wine and beer, once viewed as top threats to a healthy lifestyle, are now seen by many as less harmful and even as having some health benefits. But there is perhaps no topic that the medical community has reversed its thinking on more often than coffee. Since long before the advent of modern medicine, public opinion regarding the health effects of coffee has been diverse and ever-changing.

Opinion on coffee’s health effects can be traced back several centuries. In the 1600s, doctors in England touted coffee as a cure for alcoholism, but some women complained that coffee was making their husbands impotent. They may have been correct, as caffeine is a diuretic and can irritate the prostate (dehydration and prostatitis can both lead to erectile dysfunction).

In the late 1700s, coffeehouses began opening all over colonial America, where coffee was seen as a healthy stimulant that helped the colonists work longer hours. But by the early 1900s, public concern grew as coffee consumption was blamed for a variety of common ailments, such as nervousness, indigestion, and insomnia.

In the 1970s, medical journals published studies that linked coffee consumption with high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart attacks. In 2001, a meta-study indicated that coffee was responsible for a 20% increase in risk for urinary tract cancer.

But starting in 2007, to the surprise of many, meta-studies began to show positive health effects of coffee consumption. A 2007 study revealed that drinking coffee decreased the risk of liver cancer by 43%, and studies in 2011 showed that coffee reduced the risk of stroke and prostate cancer. Studies in 2012 and 2013 indicated that coffee reduced the risk of heart failure and heart disease.

In 2015, CNN reported that coffee was viewed by many as “practically a health food.” However, CNN also warned that given the long history of flip-flops on the health effects of coffee, medical and public opinion on coffee could easily turn negative again.

How often are the Summer Olympic Games held?
The Summer Olympic Games
Once every four years the countries of the world send their best and brightest to participate in the Summer Olympic Games. The site for the event is decided years before, and most countries contend strongly for the privilege to host the Games. The 2008 games were held in Beijing, China.
There is a lot of pageantry and tradition attached to the event. The opening ceremony is elaborate and awe-inspiring. China put on a spectacularly beautiful fireworks display to welcome the world’s athletes in 2008.
The track events, water events (swimming, diving), and precision activities such as archery and rhythmic gymnastics are wonderful to watch. Seeing these athletes perform their special skills is a treat for those of us who achieve a vicarious satisfaction from it. Everyone roots for the athletes from their own country and we thrill when our anthem is played during the medal ceremony. Being an Olympian is an honor every athlete dreams of.

What is the definition of "cavorting" in the second paragraph?

Let’s Go to the Circus

Everyone loves a circus! The bright lights, fanciful costumes, and fierce wild animals delight and entertain folks of all ages. The circus calls to the child in each one of us. Ernest Hemingway wrote that it "is the only ageless delight that you can buy for money…”

“Circus” is a magic word inspiring all sorts of exciting, colorful images. It's a theater of mind-boggling feats, elephants thundering around the rings, horses dancing, clowns cavorting and the sequins glittering under the lights.

There are historical references to animal displays and athletic competitions from the earliest days of civilization. The Romans were famous for their extravaganzas in the Coliseum. The shows we see today cannot compare to those great spectacles, but all who go to a circus enjoy the experience. It allows us all to be a child again and watch in awe as the athletes perform on the high wire or control the savage beasts in the center ring.

What is the main idea of the passage?

Coffee

Over the last few decades, medical experts have changed their thinking on the health effects of some common foods and beverages. Higher-fat foods and some alcoholic beverages like red wine and beer, once viewed as top threats to a healthy lifestyle, are now seen by many as less harmful and even as having some health benefits. But there is perhaps no topic that the medical community has reversed its thinking on more often than coffee. Since long before the advent of modern medicine, public opinion regarding the health effects of coffee has been diverse and ever-changing.

Opinion on coffee’s health effects can be traced back several centuries. In the 1600s, doctors in England touted coffee as a cure for alcoholism, but some women complained that coffee was making their husbands impotent. They may have been correct, as caffeine is a diuretic and can irritate the prostate (dehydration and prostatitis can both lead to erectile dysfunction).

In the late 1700s, coffeehouses began opening all over colonial America, where coffee was seen as a healthy stimulant that helped the colonists work longer hours. But by the early 1900s, public concern grew as coffee consumption was blamed for a variety of common ailments, such as nervousness, indigestion, and insomnia.

In the 1970s, medical journals published studies that linked coffee consumption with high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart attacks. In 2001, a meta-study indicated that coffee was responsible for a 20% increase in risk for urinary tract cancer.

But starting in 2007, to the surprise of many, meta-studies began to show positive health effects of coffee consumption. A 2007 study revealed that drinking coffee decreased the risk of liver cancer by 43%, and studies in 2011 showed that coffee reduced the risk of stroke and prostate cancer. Studies in 2012 and 2013 indicated that coffee reduced the risk of heart failure and heart disease.

In 2015, CNN reported that coffee was viewed by many as “practically a health food.” However, CNN also warned that given the long history of flip-flops on the health effects of coffee, medical and public opinion on coffee could easily turn negative again