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2020 ‫מועד אביב‬ - 49 - ‫ פרק שני‬- ‫אנגלית‬

Text II (Questions 18-22)

(1) According to a scientific study published in 2011, the record for the fastest long-
distance, non-stop flight in the animal kingdom belongs to a plump little bird. The great
snipe completes its yearly flight from nesting grounds in northern Europe to its winter
habitat in central Africa without resting. Reaching speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, it

(5) may fly for as long as 96 consecutive hours.

At first glance, great snipes do not seem especially well equipped for such an
arduous journey. Their bodies are small and chubby, and their wings are not very
aerodynamic, lacking the pointed tips characteristic of other long-distance fliers.
According to biologist Raymond Klaassen from Sweden's Lund University, it is their

(10) chubbiness that guarantees the success of their flight. Over the summer, before setting
out on their annual migration, the birds nearly double their body weight. Their ample
fat reserves are what sustains them on the long journey to Africa, by the end of which
they are thin and exhausted.

There are not many birds that fly both far and fast; usually, they can do one or the
(15) other. The peregrine falcon, for example, flies very fast – up to 200 miles per hour – but

it can only maintain this speed for very short distances. The Arctic tern, on the other
hand, travels an extraordinary distance – 22,000 miles – as it migrates between the
Arctic and the Antarctic. However, this flight takes several months, with the tern
stopping periodically to fish along its route.

(20) The only other bird that comes close to matching the great snipe's feat is the godwit.
The godwit's non-stop flight from Alaska to New Zealand, a distance of more than
7,000 miles, takes approximately nine days. However, godwits fly over the ocean and
have nowhere to stop. By contrast, snipes have several opportunities to rest along their
migratory route, but do not take advantage of them. Scientists are hard pressed to

(25) explain why.

Questions

18. An appropriate title for this text would be -

(1) The Great Snipe's Migration Route
(2) Outstanding Long-Distance Fliers
(3) The Chubbiest Bird in the Animal Kingdom
(4) The Great Snipe: Flying Far and Fast

)‫© 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