Page 48 - index
P. 48
2023 מועד אביב - 47 - 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) Sign language is a form of communication that relies on movements of the hands
and face to convey meaning. Signing is used mainly by people who are deaf or hard of
hearing, as well as by their family members. It is also sometimes learned by those who
have trouble using spoken language due to a disability or a medical condition.
(5) The origins of sign language can be traced back to the mid-eighteenth century when
Charles-Michel de l’Epée, a French priest and educator working with deaf children
from poor families, developed a system to help them communicate. It included simple
signs to express concepts, as well as fingerspelling – spelling out the letters of a word
with a distinct hand sign for each letter. L'Epée's system led to the development of
(10) French Sign Language, which is still in use in France today and was the precursor of
many other sign languages. American Sign Language (ASL) is one of these.
A vivid visual language with its own syntax and grammar, ASL conveys meaning
through handshape – the location and movement of the hand, as well as the orientation
of the palm of the hand – and through non-manual signals such as facial expression and
(15) posture. Fingerspelling is used mainly for names of people and places. ASL has its
own ways of indicating the intended purpose of a sentence. While English speakers
may ask a question by raising the pitch of their voices and adjusting word order, users
of ASL will raise their eyebrows, widen their eyes, and tilt their bodies forward.
Geographic and sociological factors lend diversity to ASL. Just as English is
(20) spoken differently in different parts of the USA, ASL features a range of regional
accents and dialects, as well as great variation in slang and idiomatic expressions,
and in rhythm of signing. Age and gender as well as individual style, character traits,
and cultural background also influence ASL usage. Indeed, in ASL there can be as
many ways of expressing an idea as there are ASL users.
Questions
13. The main purpose of the first paragraph is to discuss -
(1) what sign language is and who uses it
(2) several different sign languages
(3) the movements and signs in sign language
(4) how meaning is conveyed in sign language
)© 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
