Exam 4: HESI-A2-Reading

Women in Clinical Trials When new drugs or medical procedures are ready to be tested on human subjects, researchers find volunteers for clinical trials. However, far more men than women are used as subjects during these trials. It was widely assumed for many years that women and men would respond to medication in the same way. Therefore, it did not seem to matter whether men or women were participating in clinical trials. Because of this, researchers mostly drew from pools of male volunteers because they were perceived to be more low-risk (and accordingly, less expensive to include in a trial). Women who are pregnant, nursing, post-menopausal or even simply of childbearing age are considered too "risky" to participate in clinical trials. These parameters essentially eliminate all women. However, it is difficult to determine whether this decision to eliminate women was made out of beneficence or paternalism. The main problem with this gender discrepancy is that men and women are physiologically different. Their bodies process medications and respond to treatments differently. The over-representation of men in clinical trials has impeded the progress of understanding how new medications will affect women. Question: Which of the following is NOT true according to information found in the passage?

Antibiotic Resistance Antibiotic resistance occurs when micro-organisms develop means of survival despite exposure to antibiotics. The development of antibiotic resistance can be traced to two main areas of antibiotic misuse: over-prescription by doctors and unnecessary introduction into animal feed by farmers. The overuse of antibiotics by both doctors and farmers has increased antibiotic resistance by inadvertently fostering natural selection for resistance in colonies of bacteria. Bacteria that naturally carry antibiotic-resistant genes survive contact with the antibiotics. These resistant bacteria then reproduce, transferring their resistant genes to future generations of bacteria. Over time, this process yields a colony of bacteria that is fully resistant to antibiotics. Some bacteria even develop a variety of resistance genes; these bacteria are colloquially known as "super bugs" because of their ability to resist the majority of antibiotics. Staphylococcus aureus, the bacteria responsible for what is commonly known as a "Staph infection," is one of the most resistant pathogens. It is estimated that half of all Staph infections in the United States are resistant to penicillin, methicillin, tetracycline, and erythromycin-the four most common drugs used to treat such infections. The ever-increasing strength and population of these "super bugs" may pose a serious threat to human health in the near future. The problem of antibiotic resistance has no easy solution. More funding should be available to scientists working toward the research and development of new antibiotics that will fight resistant bacteria. There are also steps that laypeople should take to help prevent further development of resistant bacteria. Individuals with viral infections should not demand antibiotics from their doctors. Consumers should also put pressure on meat manufacturers to stop adding unnecessary antibiotics into animals' diets. Finally, citizens should petition the government to increase funding for scientific research done to combat the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. Question: Which is an example of opinion, rather than factual information, found in the text?

Diabetes There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. Both types of diabetes can cause a variety of serious health risks if left untreated. Some of these health problems include kidney disease, blindness, heart disease, and strokes. About 5-10% of people with diabetes have Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes most commonly develops in young people. In Type 1 diabetes, the immune system destroys the cells in the pancreas that secrete insulin. Without insulin, the body's cells cannot absorb glucose, and thus cannot produce energy. Symptoms appear after about 90% of the cells have been destroyed. Although most cases of Type 1 diabetes are genetic, some have arisen in people who have had viral infections of the pancreas. Most people who have diabetes (90-95%) have type 2 diabetes, which most commonly develops in people over age 40. Type 2 diabetes results from the inability of tissues to respond to insulin-a condition called insulin resistance. As Type 2 diabetes progresses, the pancreas produces less and less insulin, resulting in a condition called insulin deficiency. There is no cure for either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. However, there are ways to manage both types. For Type 1 diabetes, treatment requires receiving regular insulin injections. Type 2 diabetes can also be treated with insulin injections, but can be also be managed with lifestyle changes, such as weight loss, exercise, and reducing intake of carbohydrates. Which phrasal verb would best replace the term "absorb" in paragraph 2?

Light Pollution I grew up in the city, a place so full of streetlights, spotlights, and searchlights that the sky was never dark enough to see the Milky Way. But last year, I went on a camping trip through the Grand Canyon. When I saw the night sky for the first time, I was in awe. I could not believe how many stars there were. As cities push farther and farther into the wilderness, they create light pollution, the brightening of the night sky by artificial light sources. Light pollution not only hinders our ability to see the beauty of the stars, but it might be causing other problems as well. Light pollution also disrupts the lives of certain animals. For example, too much artificial light can prevent newly-hatched sea turtles from finding the ocean. Owls and other birds that hunt at night can injure themselves by flying into brightly lit buildings. So what is the solution? Obviously, we cannot turn off all of the lights every night. But we can reduce the amount of light we send into the sky. Homeowners should use motion sensors on outdoor lights. Cities should turn off (or at least dim) streetlights after midnight. Businesses and office buildings should turn off their lights when they close for the day. Turning off the lights will help animals and restore the night sky to its former glory. Question: Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

Light Pollution I grew up in the city, a place so full of streetlights, spotlights, and searchlights that the sky was never dark enough to see the Milky Way. But last year, I went on a camping trip through the Grand Canyon. When I saw the night sky for the first time, I was in awe. I could not believe how many stars there were. As cities push farther and farther into the wilderness, they create light pollution, the brightening of the night sky by artificial light sources. Light pollution not only hinders our ability to see the beauty of the stars, but it might be causing other problems as well. Light pollution also disrupts the lives of certain animals. For example, too much artificial light can prevent newly-hatched sea turtles from finding the ocean. Owls and other birds that hunt at night can injure themselves by flying into brightly lit buildings. So what is the solution? Obviously, we cannot turn off all of the lights every night. But we can reduce the amount of light we send into the sky. Homeowners should use motion sensors on outdoor lights. Cities should turn off (or at least dim) streetlights after midnight. Businesses and office buildings should turn off their lights when they close for the day. Turning off the lights will help animals and restore the night sky to its former glory. Question:  Which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

Hiccups At some point in your life, you have probably had the hiccups. Hiccups are caused by spasms in the diaphragm, a muscle located at the bottom of your chest. As we inhale, the diaphragm contracts, pulling air into the lungs. As we exhale, the diaphragm relaxes, pushing air back out through the mouth and nose. When we hiccup, the diaphragm jerks downward suddenly, pulling a quick burst of air into our lungs. As the air rushes into your body, it hits the voice box. This causes your vocal cords to snap shut, creating the sound we recognize as a hiccup. Hiccups can be triggered by many different things-eating too much, drinking too fast, sudden change of temperature, stress, fatigue, nervousness, and even excessive laughter can all cause the hiccups. While there are many home remedies for hiccups, there is no evidence to suggest that any of them are actually effective. In fact, most cases of the hiccups go away on their own. Although hiccups are usually harmless, they can be a sign of something more serious. Long-term hiccups might be a result of damage to the nerves that serve the diaphragm muscle. Persistent hiccups might also be caused by certain central nervous system disorders, traumatic brain injuries, drug abuse, or kidney disease. Question: What is the meaning of the word triggered in paragraph 2?