HESI EXAM: READING COMPREHENSION,
CHEMISTRY, GRAMMAR, BIOLOGY, VOCABULARY
& GENERAL KNOWLEDGE, CRITICAL THINKING AND
ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY.
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….
a) Add weight to the bicycle
b) Makes the tires last longer
c) Makes the ride less bumpy
d) Makes the ride less tiring
Missing answer
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
