HESI: Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking and Math.
Reading Comprehension
Neurologists and biological psychologists have witnessed a sharp increase in the knowledge
and understanding of particular structures of the brain over the past two decades. As technology
becomes ever more advanced, scientists are able to isolate the functions of even small regions of
the human brain. One noteworthy discovery is the role of the amygdala in human fear and
aggression. The amygdala, a small, almond-shaped conglomerate, is just one part of the limbic
system. Located at the very center of the brain, the limbic system is the core of our 'emotional
brain;' each individual structure in the limbic system is somehow connected to an aspect of
human emotion. Scientists have found that electrode stimulation of the amygdala can elicit
extreme and aggressive acts. Patients or experimental subjects who experience this utter rage and
fearlessness have no rational foundation for their reaction. In other words, this aggression is
wholly attributable to electrode stimulation. On the other hand, patients with trauma or damage
to this structure exhibit a complete absence of aggression. Researchers find that no amount of
poking, prodding or harassment will evoke even remotely aggressive responses from these
subjects.
1. The author suggests that persistent passivity and imperturbability may be a direct
result of which of the following?
A. Drug-induced stimulation of the amygdala.
B. A stroke that resulted in severe tissue damage in the limbic system
C. Encephalitis as a result of head trauma
D. Activation of a strategically implanted electrode in a patient’s amygdala.
2. Which statement is not listed as a detail within the passage?
A. Electrode stimulation of the amygdala can elicit extreme aggressive acts.
B. Scientists are able to isolate the functions of even small regions of the human brain.
C. Typically, temperamental rhesus monkeys with amygdala damage are completely
imperturbable.
D. Subjects who experience this utter rage and fearlessness have no rational foundation for
their
, reaction.
3. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The human brain is as complex as it is mysterious.
B. Patients with damaged amygdalas are less aggressive than individuals with healthy ones.
C. Electrode stimulation is a valuable tool for researchers who study the human brain.
D. Scientists have learned a lot about how the amygdala affects human emotion.
The Bicycle V2
Today, bicycles are so common that it’s hard to believe they haven’t always been around. But
two hundred years ago, bicycles didn’t even exist, and the first bicycle, invented in Germany in
1818, was nothing like our bicycles today. It was made of wood and didn’t even have pedals.
Since then, however, numerous innovations and improvements in design have made the bicycle
one of the most popular means of recreation and transportation around the world. In 1839,
Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a Scottish blacksmith, dramatically improved upon the original bicycle
design. Macmillan’s machine had tires with iron rims to keep them from getting worn down. He
also used foot – operated cranks like pedals, so his bicycle could be ridden at a quick pace. It
didn’t look much like a modern bicycle, though, because its back wheel was substantially larger
than its front wheel. In 1861, the French Michaux brothers took
4. The main idea of this passage is best explained in which sentence?
A. Sentence (1): Today, bicycles are so common that it’s hard to believe they haven’t always
been around.
B. Sentence (13): It wasn’t until 1874 that the first truly modern bicycle appeared on the
scene.
, C. Sentence (4): Since then, however, numerous innovations and improvements in design
have made the bicycle one of the most popular means of recreation and transportation
around the world.
D. Sentence (18): Today they are built, used, and enjoyed all over the world.
5. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A. Bicycles are better
B. A ride through the history of bicycles
C. Cycle your way to fitness
D. The popularity of bicycles
6. Sentence (8); It didn’t look much like a modern bicycle, through because its back
wheel was substantially larger than its front wheel, “follows which pattern?
A. Fact, fact
B. Fact, opinion
C. Opinion, fact
D. Opinion, opinion
7. Macmillan added iron rims to the tires of his bicycle to….
o Add wight to the bicycle
o Makes the tires last longer
o Makes the ride less bumpy
o Makes the ride less tiring
Jazz
Jazz has been called "the art of expression set to music", and "America's great
, contribution to music". It has functioned as popular art and enjoyed periods of widespread
public response, in the "jazz age" of the 1920s, in the "swing era" of the late 1930s and in the
peak popularity of modern jazz in the late 1950s. The standard legend about Jazz is that it
originated around the end of the 19th century in New Orleans and moved up the Mississippi
River to Memphis, St. Louis, and finally to Chicago. It welded together the elements of
Ragtime, marching band music, and the Blues. However, the influences of what led to those
early sounds goes back to tribal African drumbeats and European musical structures. Buddy
Bolden, a New Orleans barber and cornet player, is generally considered to have been the first
real Jazz musician, around 1891. What made Jazz significantly different from the other earlier
forms of music was the use of improvisation. Jazz displayed a break from traditional music
where a composer wrote an entire piece of music on paper, leaving the musicians to break
their backs playing exactly what was written on the score. In a Jazz piece, however, the song is
simply a starting point, or sort of skeletal guide for the Jazz musicians to improvise around.
Many of the early Jazz musicians were bad sight readers and some couldn't even read music at
all. These early musicians couldn't make money very much and were stuck working menial
jobs to make a living. The second wave of New Orleans Jazz musicians included such
memorable players as Joe Oliver, Kid Ory, and Jelly Roll Morton. These men formed small
bands and took the music of earlier musicians, improved its complexity, and gained greater
success. This music is known as "hot Jazz" due to the enormously fast speeds and rhythmic
drive. A young cornet player by the name of Louis Armstrong was discovered by Joe Oliver in
New Orleans. He soon grew
up to become one of the greatest and most successful musicians of all time, and later one of the
biggest stars in the world. The impact of Armstrong and other talented early Jazz musicians
changed the way we look at music.
8. Definition of confluence.
a. Melding
b. Influence
c. Intersection
d. Coming together
Reading Comprehension
Neurologists and biological psychologists have witnessed a sharp increase in the knowledge
and understanding of particular structures of the brain over the past two decades. As technology
becomes ever more advanced, scientists are able to isolate the functions of even small regions of
the human brain. One noteworthy discovery is the role of the amygdala in human fear and
aggression. The amygdala, a small, almond-shaped conglomerate, is just one part of the limbic
system. Located at the very center of the brain, the limbic system is the core of our 'emotional
brain;' each individual structure in the limbic system is somehow connected to an aspect of
human emotion. Scientists have found that electrode stimulation of the amygdala can elicit
extreme and aggressive acts. Patients or experimental subjects who experience this utter rage and
fearlessness have no rational foundation for their reaction. In other words, this aggression is
wholly attributable to electrode stimulation. On the other hand, patients with trauma or damage
to this structure exhibit a complete absence of aggression. Researchers find that no amount of
poking, prodding or harassment will evoke even remotely aggressive responses from these
subjects.
1. The author suggests that persistent passivity and imperturbability may be a direct
result of which of the following?
A. Drug-induced stimulation of the amygdala.
B. A stroke that resulted in severe tissue damage in the limbic system
C. Encephalitis as a result of head trauma
D. Activation of a strategically implanted electrode in a patient’s amygdala.
2. Which statement is not listed as a detail within the passage?
A. Electrode stimulation of the amygdala can elicit extreme aggressive acts.
B. Scientists are able to isolate the functions of even small regions of the human brain.
C. Typically, temperamental rhesus monkeys with amygdala damage are completely
imperturbable.
D. Subjects who experience this utter rage and fearlessness have no rational foundation for
their
, reaction.
3. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The human brain is as complex as it is mysterious.
B. Patients with damaged amygdalas are less aggressive than individuals with healthy ones.
C. Electrode stimulation is a valuable tool for researchers who study the human brain.
D. Scientists have learned a lot about how the amygdala affects human emotion.
The Bicycle V2
Today, bicycles are so common that it’s hard to believe they haven’t always been around. But
two hundred years ago, bicycles didn’t even exist, and the first bicycle, invented in Germany in
1818, was nothing like our bicycles today. It was made of wood and didn’t even have pedals.
Since then, however, numerous innovations and improvements in design have made the bicycle
one of the most popular means of recreation and transportation around the world. In 1839,
Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a Scottish blacksmith, dramatically improved upon the original bicycle
design. Macmillan’s machine had tires with iron rims to keep them from getting worn down. He
also used foot – operated cranks like pedals, so his bicycle could be ridden at a quick pace. It
didn’t look much like a modern bicycle, though, because its back wheel was substantially larger
than its front wheel. In 1861, the French Michaux brothers took
4. The main idea of this passage is best explained in which sentence?
A. Sentence (1): Today, bicycles are so common that it’s hard to believe they haven’t always
been around.
B. Sentence (13): It wasn’t until 1874 that the first truly modern bicycle appeared on the
scene.
, C. Sentence (4): Since then, however, numerous innovations and improvements in design
have made the bicycle one of the most popular means of recreation and transportation
around the world.
D. Sentence (18): Today they are built, used, and enjoyed all over the world.
5. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A. Bicycles are better
B. A ride through the history of bicycles
C. Cycle your way to fitness
D. The popularity of bicycles
6. Sentence (8); It didn’t look much like a modern bicycle, through because its back
wheel was substantially larger than its front wheel, “follows which pattern?
A. Fact, fact
B. Fact, opinion
C. Opinion, fact
D. Opinion, opinion
7. Macmillan added iron rims to the tires of his bicycle to….
o Add wight to the bicycle
o Makes the tires last longer
o Makes the ride less bumpy
o Makes the ride less tiring
Jazz
Jazz has been called "the art of expression set to music", and "America's great
, contribution to music". It has functioned as popular art and enjoyed periods of widespread
public response, in the "jazz age" of the 1920s, in the "swing era" of the late 1930s and in the
peak popularity of modern jazz in the late 1950s. The standard legend about Jazz is that it
originated around the end of the 19th century in New Orleans and moved up the Mississippi
River to Memphis, St. Louis, and finally to Chicago. It welded together the elements of
Ragtime, marching band music, and the Blues. However, the influences of what led to those
early sounds goes back to tribal African drumbeats and European musical structures. Buddy
Bolden, a New Orleans barber and cornet player, is generally considered to have been the first
real Jazz musician, around 1891. What made Jazz significantly different from the other earlier
forms of music was the use of improvisation. Jazz displayed a break from traditional music
where a composer wrote an entire piece of music on paper, leaving the musicians to break
their backs playing exactly what was written on the score. In a Jazz piece, however, the song is
simply a starting point, or sort of skeletal guide for the Jazz musicians to improvise around.
Many of the early Jazz musicians were bad sight readers and some couldn't even read music at
all. These early musicians couldn't make money very much and were stuck working menial
jobs to make a living. The second wave of New Orleans Jazz musicians included such
memorable players as Joe Oliver, Kid Ory, and Jelly Roll Morton. These men formed small
bands and took the music of earlier musicians, improved its complexity, and gained greater
success. This music is known as "hot Jazz" due to the enormously fast speeds and rhythmic
drive. A young cornet player by the name of Louis Armstrong was discovered by Joe Oliver in
New Orleans. He soon grew
up to become one of the greatest and most successful musicians of all time, and later one of the
biggest stars in the world. The impact of Armstrong and other talented early Jazz musicians
changed the way we look at music.
8. Definition of confluence.
a. Melding
b. Influence
c. Intersection
d. Coming together
