HESI A2 Reading Comprehension
Reading
Main Ideas & Supporting Details
Ex: Burger- Main idea: patty and buns. Supporting details: toppings
Topic: What the section is about. (i.eg., nursing)
Main Idea: What the author has to say about the topic. (Nursing as a profession is important to society)
Supporting detail: Specific information. (To enter a nursing program you must first pass the HESI A2)
Fact vs Opinion
Facts can be checked through research but facts can be true or false
Opinion cannot be checked through research.
Signal words: may, ought, should, usually think, believe, always
Author’s Purpose vs. Tone
Authors Purpose:
To Entertain
To Inform
To Persuade
To Analyze
To Reflect
Authors Tone- How the Author feels about the topic
Angry
Optimistic
Intense
Sarcastic
Confident
Grim
Skeptical
Making Inferences:
What the author means but doesn’t really say.
Ask yourself..
What do I know?
What is there?
What is possible?
Drawing Conclusions:
Conclusions that readers make after thinking about the information in a text.
Look for clues to find out all the author’s ideas!
Not quite the same as making inferences.
Think of it this way: to conclude means to finish; therefore, drawing a conclusion means you’re trying to figure out the ending or the result of information that you’ve been given.
Inferences vs Conclusions:
Inferences: Use facts to find other facts.
Situation: Student comes out of an exam crying and mumblings, “Better luck next time.”
Inference: The student feels like they did poorly on the exam.
Conclusions: Use facts to find a next logical step.
Situation: Student comes out of exam crying and mumbling, “Better luck next time.”
Conclusion: The student will retake the exam to get a better score.
Summarizing
A summary should include the main ideas from the beginning, middle, and end of a passage.
A summary should be sequential (in order).
The information must be accurate. No opinions and no false facts!
Only include supporting details if they directly relate to one of the main ideas.