1Formulas and methods
Reading comprehension (entrance exams)
Method
- Read the question first so you know what you are looking for.
- Skim the passage for its topic and main point; the first or last sentence often states it.
- Go back to the exact lines that answer the question.
- For inferences, choose the option the clues most strongly support, not one that goes further.
- For labels and tables, apply every rule that fits the case and do the small calculation carefully.
English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)
Method
- Find the subject and the verb of the sentence before choosing a form.
- Strip away phrases (of the …, along with …) and extra people (you and …) to test agreement and pronoun case.
- Check each clause: can it stand alone? Join independent clauses with a comma + conjunction or a semicolon.
- Check modifiers and lists: the describing phrase next to its word, items in the same form.
- For word choice and register, pick the precise, formal and concise option.
Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)
Method
- Read the whole sentence and look for a context clue: a definition, a contrast, an example or a cause and effect.
- Split an unfamiliar word into prefix, root and suffix and translate each part.
- Read a medical term from the suffix back to the start (hepat-itis: inflammation of the liver).
- Put each option into the sentence and check that the meaning still fits.
- Choose the meaning used in this sentence, even if the word has another everyday meaning.
2Practice problems
1.Reading comprehension (entrance exams)Medium
“Tomás has worked as a paramedic for ten years. He says the hardest part of the job is not the long hours but telling families bad news.” What does Tomás find hardest about his job?
- AWorking long hours
- BGiving bad news to families
- CDriving the ambulance at night
- DLearning new medical skills
2.Reading comprehension (entrance exams)Hard
A table described in a report shows the number of flu cases at a clinic: October 12, November 30, December 54, January 41. Which statement does the data support?
- AJanuary had the most cases.
- BCases increased every month from October to January.
- CCases peaked in December and then decreased.
- DCases were the same in November and January.
3.English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)Medium
Choose the correct verb: “Mathematics ___ the subject I enjoy most.”
- Awere
- Bare
- Chave been
- Dis
4.English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)Hard
Which revision corrects the fragment? “The nurse who works on the third floor.”
- AThe nurse, who works on the third floor.
- BWho works on the third floor, the nurse.
- CThe nurse who works on the third floor is my aunt.
- DThe nurse who works on the third floor, and my aunt.
5.Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)Medium
Choose the meaning of the word in bold: “The family was apprehensive about the test results.”
- APleased and relieved
- BAngry and resentful
- CConfused and uninformed
- DAnxious or worried
6.Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)Hard
Which word means “a surgical puncture of the abdominal cavity to remove fluid”?
- AThoracentesis
- BParacentesis
- CAmniocentesis
- DLaparotomy
3Solutions
1.Reading comprehension (entrance exams)
Answer: B · Giving bad news to families
Why this is the answer
Tomás says the hardest part is “not the long hours but telling families bad news”. The structure “not … but” points to the correct answer.
B · Giving bad news to families
2.Reading comprehension (entrance exams)
Answer: C · Cases peaked in December and then decreased.
Why this is the answer
The highest count is December (54); January (41) is lower, so cases peaked in December and then fell.
C · Cases peaked in December and then decreased.
3.English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)
Answer: D · is
Why this is the answer
Subjects such as mathematics, physics and news are singular despite the final s.
4.English grammar & language usage (entrance exams)
Answer: C · The nurse who works on the third floor is my aunt.
Why this is the answer
“Who works” belongs to a relative clause, so the subject “The nurse” still needs its own verb. A adds the main verb “is”.
C · The nurse who works on the third floor is my aunt.
5.Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)
Answer: D · Anxious or worried
Why this is the answer
Apprehensive means anxious or fearful that something bad may happen.
6.Healthcare vocabulary (entrance exams)
Answer: B · Paracentesis
Why this is the answer
Paracentesis removes fluid from the abdominal cavity; thoracentesis removes fluid from the chest.