Page 42 - index

2018 ‫מועד אביב‬ - 41 - ‫ פרק ראשו ן‬- ‫ אנגלית‬

Text II (Questions 18-22)

(1) Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was one of the most famous Americans of his day.
He was among the authors of the Declaration of Independence and was also a publisher,
political theorist, scientist, and diplomat. In addition, he was an inventor and an
amateur musician – two interests he combined when he created an intriguing musical

(5) instrument called the glass armonica.

Franklin got his inspiration for the armonica at a concert he attended in England in
1761, in which a performer produced music by running his moistened finger around the
rims of wineglasses, each filled with a different amount of water to produce a specific
note. Franklin refined the concept, using empty glass bowls of varying sizes instead of

(10) water-filled glasses. The bowls were set in a row on their sides, from largest to smallest,
and held in place by a metal rod that ran through their centers and was connected to a
foot pedal. The person playing the instrument would use the pedal to rotate the rod and
spin the bowls while touching one or more of the rims with wet fingers. This enabled
several notes to be sounded at the same time, like a piano.

(15) The novel instrument debuted in 1762, played by Marianne Davies, a well-known
English musician. The armonica soon became a sensation. Davies performed in several
European cities and even gave armonica lessons to Marie Antoinette, the queen of
France. Prominent composers, including Mozart and Beethoven, wrote pieces for the
armonica. At the height of the armonica craze, factories had difficulty keeping up with

(20) the demand. In the early 19th century, however, the armonica's popularity waned
because its delicate sound could not be heard in the large concert halls that had become
the norm. Today, adaptations of the instrument are still played occasionally by
musicians who are captivated by its unique sound.

Questions

18. The main purpose of the first paragraph is to introduce -

(1) famous American inventors
(2) an unusual instrument and its inventor
(3) an important event in American history
(4) Benjamin Franklin's musical interests

)‫© 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