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2015 ‫מועד אפריל‬ - 34 - ‫ פרק ראשון‬- ‫ אנגלית‬

Text II (Questions 18-22)

(1) Had anyone been asked in 1968 which nation would dominate the world of
watchmaking at the end of the twentieth century, the answer would most probably have
been Switzerland. The Swiss, who refined waterproofing and the self-winding
mechanism, had dominated the industry for 60 years. But by 1980 their share of the

(5) market had decreased from 65 percent to less than 10 percent. Why did this happen?

The answer lies in a change so radical that it can best be termed a "paradigm shift".
A paradigm is a set of rules that both establishes boundaries and dictates behavior
within those boundaries. Once the boundaries have been drawn, inventions and ideas
that fall outside them are ignored or discredited. However, since innovation inevitably

(10) occurs, new paradigms are created, and they in turn lead to the development of new
ideas. When the paradigm shifts, revolutionary changes occur; the old paradigm is
replaced by a new idea and a corresponding set of new rules.

A change of this type occurred in the fundamental principles of watchmaking when

electronics were introduced into the design of watches. Ironically, the inventors of the
(15) electronic quartz movement were Swiss, but when they unveiled the new technology to

their colleagues in 1967, it was regarded as a useless novelty. It was the Japanese who
understood its potential and implemented the technology, thus initiating the paradigm
shift. Today, the Japanese control the watchmaking industry.

Given the fierce competition, survival in industry depends on being able to sense
(20) significant changes as well as initiate them. Dealing with paradigm shifts requires

strong nerves and the ability to overcome opposition to change. "Who wants to hear
actors talk?" demanded Harry Warner, founder of Warner Brothers' film studios, in
1927. Handling a paradigm shift successfully demands a break with traditional ways of
thinking. Ignoring it may have catastrophic consequences, as the Swiss watchmakers
(25) discovered.

Questions

18. It can be inferred from the text that Swiss watchmakers -

(1) were unable to compete with the Japanese paradigm
(2) invented the concept of the paradigm shift
(3) did not believe the Japanese were serious competitors
(4) were unable to change their traditional way of thinking in 1967

)‫© 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