Page 41 - 0415

2015 ‫מועד אפריל‬ - 40 - ‫ פרק שני‬- ‫ אנגלית‬

Reading Comprehension

This part consists of two passages, each followed by several related questions. For each
question, choose the most appropriate answer based on the text.

Text I (Questions 13-17)

(1) The man who visited clinical psychologist John F. Cleave was suffering unbearable
pain in his left arm. But the arm wasn't there: it had been amputated six months earlier,
following an accident. The knowledge that he could not actually be experiencing pain in
a missing limb was no help at all; in fact, the patient was in such agony that he could

(5) not sleep, read, or carry on a conversation.

Conventional methods of treating pain offered no relief. Finally, the man sought out
Cleave to see if hypnosis could help. Cleave immediately placed him under hypnosis
and instructed him to visualize various images of well-being and freedom from pain.
Cleave suggested that the pain would subside, leaving the patient feeling alert, cheerful,
(10) and able to function normally. Then he told the man he would awaken and "feel
wonderful" at the count of three. When the patient's eyes popped open, Cleave asked
him, "How do you feel?" As if on cue, the man replied, "Wonderful!"

As Cleave explains, "Phantom limb pain, such as this patient's, is very real. The
problem is in the brain, not in the limb itself. In effect, the patient is suffering from a
(15) memory that perpetuates pain. What I do is replace the memory with a better one."

Undeniably, hypnosis is effective in certain cases. But scientists still do not
understand the underlying mechanism by which it operates: how do suggestions
conveyed under hypnosis change what one feels? Despite the fact that there are many
unanswered questions about hypnosis, it has become increasingly accepted by the
(20) medical mainstream. In addition to relieving pain, hypnosis is used to treat physical
and mental disorders, as well as to help control destructive habits like smoking and
overeating. It has also proven effective in combatting phobias. For example, one
expert helps patients overcome their fear of flying by instructing them under hypnosis
to see the wings of the plane as an extension of their arms and to imagine that the
(25) humming of the engines is a musical symphony.

Questions

13. The main purpose of the text is to -

(1) discuss the work of a clinical psychologist
(2) compare the effectiveness of medication and hypnosis in treating pain
(3) explain the mechanism by which hypnosis operates
(4) describe how hypnosis is used to treat phantom limb pain and other disorders

)‫© 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