Free NEX Reading Comprehension: Main Idea and Details Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Read the passage and answer the question that follows. Hand hygiene is the single most effective measure to prevent the spread of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Pathogens are frequently transmitted from patient to patient on the hands of healthcare workers. Proper handwashing with soap and water or the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers can significantly reduce the presence of these microorganisms. Despite its simplicity and effectiveness, compliance with recommended hand hygiene protocols among healthcare staff can be inconsistent, posing an ongoing risk to patient safety.
- Alcohol-based sanitizers are superior to soap and water.
- Healthcare workers often have poor hygiene.
- Hand hygiene is a critical component of preventing infections in hospitals. (Correct answer)
- HAIs are a minor problem in modern medicine.
Correct answer: Hand hygiene is a critical component of preventing infections in hospitals.
The passage introduces hand hygiene as a key preventative measure, explains how pathogens are transmitted, and discusses the impact of compliance. The overarching theme is the critical role of hand hygiene in preventing infections in healthcare settings.
Question 2: Based on the passage about hand hygiene, which detail supports the main idea?
- Compliance with protocols can be inconsistent.
- Pathogens are transmitted from patient to patient on the hands of healthcare workers. (Correct answer)
- Hand hygiene is a simple procedure.
- Patient safety is an ongoing risk.
Correct answer: Pathogens are transmitted from patient to patient on the hands of healthcare workers.
The statement that pathogens are transmitted on the hands of healthcare workers directly explains *why* hand hygiene is so important for preventing infections. This detail provides the mechanism of transmission that the main idea seeks to interrupt.
Question 3: According to the passage, what is a primary reason for the spread of HAIs?
- The ineffectiveness of soap and water.
- The complexity of hygiene protocols.
- Transmission of germs via healthcare workers' hands. (Correct answer)
- A lack of available alcohol-based sanitizers.
Correct answer: Transmission of germs via healthcare workers' hands.
The passage explicitly states, 'Pathogens are frequently transmitted from patient to patient on the hands of healthcare workers.' This identifies the hands of staff as a key vector for spreading infections.
Question 4: Read the passage and answer the question that follows. Sleep deprivation has a wide range of negative effects on the human body and mind. Cognitively, a lack of adequate sleep can impair attention, concentration, and memory. Physiologically, it can weaken the immune system, making an individual more susceptible to illness. Chronic sleep loss is also linked to an increased risk of serious health problems, including obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Therefore, consistently achieving 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night is as essential for health as diet and exercise.
- The only effect of sleep deprivation is tiredness.
- Sleep is more important than diet and exercise.
- Insufficient sleep has significant negative health consequences. (Correct answer)
- Everyone requires exactly 8 hours of sleep.
Correct answer: Insufficient sleep has significant negative health consequences.
The passage details the cognitive and physiological problems caused by a lack of sleep and concludes by emphasizing its importance. The central theme is that not getting enough sleep is detrimental to one's overall health.
Question 5: The passage on sleep deprivation states that a lack of sleep can directly impair which of the following?
- Physical strength
- Cognitive function (Correct answer)
- Long-term ambition
- Visual acuity
Correct answer: Cognitive function
The first sentence of the passage's body explicitly mentions that a lack of sleep 'can impair attention, concentration, and memory,' which are all elements of cognitive function. The other options are not directly stated as being impaired.
Question 6: Which of the following statements is NOT supported by the passage on sleep deprivation?
- Sleep loss can make a person more likely to get sick.
- Chronic sleep deprivation is the direct cause of heart disease. (Correct answer)
- Getting enough sleep is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle.
- Memory can be negatively affected by a lack of sleep.
Correct answer: Chronic sleep deprivation is the direct cause of heart disease.
The passage states that chronic sleep loss is linked to an *increased risk* of serious health problems, not that it is the *direct cause* of them. It also mentions a range of 7-9 hours, not a specific number, and it equates sleep's importance to diet and exercise, not placing it above them.
Free NEX Reading Comprehension: Main Idea and Details Questions and Answers 1
Read the passage and answer the question that follows.
Hand hygiene is the single most effective measure to prevent the spread of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
Pathogens are frequently transmitted from patient to patient on the hands of healthcare workers.
Proper handwashing with soap and water or the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers can significantly reduce the presence of these microorganisms.
Despite its simplicity and effectiveness, compliance with recommended hand hygiene protocols among healthcare staff can be inconsistent, posing an ongoing risk to patient safety.