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2018 ‫מועד אביב‬ - 39 - ‫ פרק ראשון‬- ‫ 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) As we grow older, our hair begins to turn gray. Though it is commonly believed
that gray hair is caused by worry, hardship, or trauma, it is, in fact, part of the natural
aging process. Some people actually get their first gray hairs when they are in their
teens or early twenties. Others may be in their forties or even fifties before they see the

(5) first one. The age at which a person begins to go gray, and how quickly this happens, is
determined by genetic factors. People usually begin to gray at about the same age as
their parents and grandparents did.

In order to understand why people go gray, we need to know how hair gets its color.
Every strand of hair on our heads is made up of two parts: the shaft (the part we can

(10) see) and the root (which attaches the hair to the scalp). Each hair grows through a
structure below the surface of the skin called a follicle. Follicles contain pigment cells,
which produce melanin, the substance that gives hair its color. Depending on the
amount and type of melanin produced, hair can be any shade of brown, black, red, or
blond.

(15) As we age, the pigment cells in our hair follicles begin to die. The fewer pigment
cells a follicle has, the less melanin it produces. As a result, new hairs have little or no
color, which makes them gray, silver, or white. So the next time you accuse your
children of giving you gray hairs, remember: it's not their fault.

Questions

13. The main purpose of the text is to discuss -

(1) the factors that determine hair color
(2) how stress can affect hair growth
(3) what causes hair to turn gray
(4) genetics and the aging process

)‫© 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