HESI Reading Comprehension Exam
(Questions and Answers)
Questions 1 to 4 pertain to the following passage:
It is most likely that you have never had diphtheria. You probably don’t even know anyone who
has suffered from this disease. In fact, you may not even know what diphtheria is. Similarly,
diseases like whooping cough, measles, mumps, and rubella may all be unfamiliar to you. In the
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, these illnesses struck hundreds of thousands of people
in the United States each year, mostly children, and tens of thousands of people died. The names
of these diseases were frightening household words. Today, they are all but forgotten. That
change happened largely because of vaccines.
You probably have been vaccinated against diphtheria. You may even have been exposed to the
bacterium that causes it, but the vaccine prepared your body to fight off the disease so quickly
that you were unaware of the infection. Vaccines take advantage of your body’s natural ability to
learn how to combat many disease-causing germs, or microbes. What’s more, your body
remembers how to protect itself from the microbes it has encountered before. Collectively, the
parts of your body that remember and repel microbes are called the immune system. Without the
proper functioning of the immune system, the simplest illness—even the common cold—could
quickly turn deadly.
On average, your immune system needs more than a week to learn how to fight off an unfamiliar
microbe. Sometimes, that isn’t enough time. Strong microbes can spread through your body
faster than the immune system can fend them off. Your body often gains the upper hand after a
few weeks, but in the meantime you are sick. Certain microbes are so virulent that they can
overwhelm or escape your natural defenses. In those situations, vaccines can make all the
difference.
Traditional vaccines contain either parts of microbes or whole microbes that have been altered so
that they don’t cause disease. When your immune system confronts these harmless versions of
the germs, it quickly clears them from your body. In other words, vaccines trick your immune
system in order to teach your body important lessons about how to defeat its opponents.
, 1. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were a dark period for medicine.
B. You have probably never had diphtheria.
C. Traditional vaccines contain altered microbes.
D. Vaccines help the immune system function properly.
2. Which statement is not a detail from the passage?
A. Vaccines contain microbe parts or altered microbes.
B. The immune system typically needs a week to learn how to fight a new disease.
C. The symptoms of disease do not emerge until the body has learned how to fight the
microbe.
D. A hundred years ago, children were at the greatest risk of dying from now-treatable
diseases.
3. What is the meaning of the word virulent as it is used in the third paragraph?
A. tiny
B. malicious
C. contagious
D. annoying
4. What is the author’s primary purpose in writing the essay?
A. to entertain
B. to persuade
C. to inform
D. to analyze
Questions 5 to 8 pertain to the following passage :
Foodborne illnesses are contracted by eating food or drinking beverages contaminated with
bacteria, parasites, or viruses. Harmful chemicals can also cause foodborne illnesses if they have
, contaminated food during harvesting or processing. Foodborne illnesses can cause symptoms
ranging from upset stomach to diarrhea, fever, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and dehydration.
Most foodborne infections are undiagnosed and unreported, though the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention estimates that every year about 76 million people in the United States
become ill from pathogens in food. About 5,000 of these people die.
Harmful bacteria are the most common cause of foodborne illness. Some bacteria may be present
at the point of purchase. Raw foods are the most common source of foodborne illnesses because
they are not sterile; examples include raw meat and poultry contaminated during slaughter.
Seafood may become contaminated during harvest or processing. One in 10,000 eggs may be
contaminated with Salmonella inside the shell. Produce, such as spinach, lettuce, tomatoes,
sprouts, and melons, can become contaminated with Salmonella, Shigella, or Escherichia coli (E.
coli). Contamination can occur during growing, harvesting, processing, storing, shipping, or final
preparation. Sources of produce contamination vary, as these foods are grown in soil and can
become contaminated during growth, processing, or distribution. Contamination may also occur
during food preparation in a restaurant or a home kitchen. The most common form of
contamination from handled foods is the calicivirus, also called the Norwalk-like virus.
When food is cooked and left out for more than two hours at room temperature, bacteria can
multiply quickly. Most bacteria don’t produce an odor or change in color or texture, so they can
be impossible to detect. Freezing food slows or stops bacteria’s growth, but does not destroy the
bacteria. The microbes can become reactivated when the food is thawed. Refrigeration also can
slow the growth of some bacteria. Thorough cooking is required to destroy the bacteria.
5. What is the subject of the passage?
A. foodborne illnesses
B. the dangers of uncooked food
C. bacteria
D. proper food preparation
6. Which statement is not a detail from the passage?
A. Every year, more than 70 million Americans contract some form of foodborne illness.
B. Once food is cooked, it cannot cause illness.
C. Refrigeration can slow the growth of some bacteria.
D. The most common form of contamination in handled foods is calicivirus.
(Questions and Answers)
Questions 1 to 4 pertain to the following passage:
It is most likely that you have never had diphtheria. You probably don’t even know anyone who
has suffered from this disease. In fact, you may not even know what diphtheria is. Similarly,
diseases like whooping cough, measles, mumps, and rubella may all be unfamiliar to you. In the
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, these illnesses struck hundreds of thousands of people
in the United States each year, mostly children, and tens of thousands of people died. The names
of these diseases were frightening household words. Today, they are all but forgotten. That
change happened largely because of vaccines.
You probably have been vaccinated against diphtheria. You may even have been exposed to the
bacterium that causes it, but the vaccine prepared your body to fight off the disease so quickly
that you were unaware of the infection. Vaccines take advantage of your body’s natural ability to
learn how to combat many disease-causing germs, or microbes. What’s more, your body
remembers how to protect itself from the microbes it has encountered before. Collectively, the
parts of your body that remember and repel microbes are called the immune system. Without the
proper functioning of the immune system, the simplest illness—even the common cold—could
quickly turn deadly.
On average, your immune system needs more than a week to learn how to fight off an unfamiliar
microbe. Sometimes, that isn’t enough time. Strong microbes can spread through your body
faster than the immune system can fend them off. Your body often gains the upper hand after a
few weeks, but in the meantime you are sick. Certain microbes are so virulent that they can
overwhelm or escape your natural defenses. In those situations, vaccines can make all the
difference.
Traditional vaccines contain either parts of microbes or whole microbes that have been altered so
that they don’t cause disease. When your immune system confronts these harmless versions of
the germs, it quickly clears them from your body. In other words, vaccines trick your immune
system in order to teach your body important lessons about how to defeat its opponents.
, 1. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were a dark period for medicine.
B. You have probably never had diphtheria.
C. Traditional vaccines contain altered microbes.
D. Vaccines help the immune system function properly.
2. Which statement is not a detail from the passage?
A. Vaccines contain microbe parts or altered microbes.
B. The immune system typically needs a week to learn how to fight a new disease.
C. The symptoms of disease do not emerge until the body has learned how to fight the
microbe.
D. A hundred years ago, children were at the greatest risk of dying from now-treatable
diseases.
3. What is the meaning of the word virulent as it is used in the third paragraph?
A. tiny
B. malicious
C. contagious
D. annoying
4. What is the author’s primary purpose in writing the essay?
A. to entertain
B. to persuade
C. to inform
D. to analyze
Questions 5 to 8 pertain to the following passage :
Foodborne illnesses are contracted by eating food or drinking beverages contaminated with
bacteria, parasites, or viruses. Harmful chemicals can also cause foodborne illnesses if they have
, contaminated food during harvesting or processing. Foodborne illnesses can cause symptoms
ranging from upset stomach to diarrhea, fever, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and dehydration.
Most foodborne infections are undiagnosed and unreported, though the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention estimates that every year about 76 million people in the United States
become ill from pathogens in food. About 5,000 of these people die.
Harmful bacteria are the most common cause of foodborne illness. Some bacteria may be present
at the point of purchase. Raw foods are the most common source of foodborne illnesses because
they are not sterile; examples include raw meat and poultry contaminated during slaughter.
Seafood may become contaminated during harvest or processing. One in 10,000 eggs may be
contaminated with Salmonella inside the shell. Produce, such as spinach, lettuce, tomatoes,
sprouts, and melons, can become contaminated with Salmonella, Shigella, or Escherichia coli (E.
coli). Contamination can occur during growing, harvesting, processing, storing, shipping, or final
preparation. Sources of produce contamination vary, as these foods are grown in soil and can
become contaminated during growth, processing, or distribution. Contamination may also occur
during food preparation in a restaurant or a home kitchen. The most common form of
contamination from handled foods is the calicivirus, also called the Norwalk-like virus.
When food is cooked and left out for more than two hours at room temperature, bacteria can
multiply quickly. Most bacteria don’t produce an odor or change in color or texture, so they can
be impossible to detect. Freezing food slows or stops bacteria’s growth, but does not destroy the
bacteria. The microbes can become reactivated when the food is thawed. Refrigeration also can
slow the growth of some bacteria. Thorough cooking is required to destroy the bacteria.
5. What is the subject of the passage?
A. foodborne illnesses
B. the dangers of uncooked food
C. bacteria
D. proper food preparation
6. Which statement is not a detail from the passage?
A. Every year, more than 70 million Americans contract some form of foodborne illness.
B. Once food is cooked, it cannot cause illness.
C. Refrigeration can slow the growth of some bacteria.
D. The most common form of contamination in handled foods is calicivirus.
