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2016 ‫מועד פברואר‬ - 49 - ‫ פרק שני‬- ‫ אנגלית‬

Text II (Questions 18-22)

(1) Panama hats have graced the heads of Winston Churchill, Nikita Khrushchev,
Humphrey Bogart and Michael Jordan, to name but a few. Hand-woven, handsome and
of superior quality, Panama hats have been a symbol of elegance, luxury and style for
over a century.

(5) In the town of Montecristi in Ecuador, one of the main centers of production, master
craftsmen still ply their trade, creating the famous hats from straw. Depending on the
thickness of the straw and the quality of the weave – standard, fine or superfine – it can
take anywhere from a day to several months to make a Panama hat. The finest of them –

Superfinos – can sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars and are much sought
(10) after by customers abroad. Sadly, the weavers are rarely compensated adequately, and

the profits go to the foreign dealers who buy the hats from them for a pittance.
Moreover, cheap, mass-produced straw hats abound. As a result, the industry has been
in decline for several years. In Montecristi, where there were 2,000 master weavers just
two generations ago, only 20 remain. The weavers, now in their 70s and 80s, shake
(15) their heads when asked if their children are learning the trade. Because of Ecuador's
recent economic crisis, many young people have left the area to look for better jobs
elsewhere, and those who remain are not keen to learn the painstaking, backbreaking
craft of fine weaving.

U.S. businessman Brent Black has taken upon himself the task of breathing new life
(20) into the art of fine hat weaving in Montecristi. He believes the key to success is
ensuring that the weavers earn a decent living from their craft. To this end, Black pays
them significantly more than other dealers do and is rekindling the market with
extensive advertising campaigns.

Questions

18. According to the first paragraph, Panama hats -

(1) are made in Panama
(2) were made famous by Winston Churchill
(3) were first made 100 years ago
(4) are made by hand

)‫© כל הזכויות שמורות למרכז ארצי לבחינות ולהערכה (ע"ר‬

.‫ בלא אישור בכתב מהמרכז הארצי לבחינות ולהערכה‬- ‫ כולה או חלקים ממנה‬- ‫ או ללמדה‬,‫אין להעתיק או להפיץ בחינה זו או קטעים ממנה בכל צורה ובכל אמצעי‬