Page 42 - index

2024 ‫מועד אביב‬ - 41 - ‫ פרק ראשון‬- ‫אנגלית‬

Text II (Questions 18-22)

(1) The sensation we refer to as pain is the result of a series of chemical reactions.
When cells in the body are damaged, they release prostaglandins, chemicals that attach
themselves to the nerve endings. The nerves then transmit a message to the brain,
specifying the location and severity of the damage. As soon as our brain receives this

(5) message, we feel pain.

At this point, we may reach for a pain reliever. Though pain relievers cannot cure
disease or heal an injury, they do alleviate pain by disrupting the transmission of pain
signals to the brain. There are two main kinds of medication for pain: non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and aspirin, and narcotics, such

(10) as morphine and codeine.

NSAIDs are used to relieve the aches and pains caused by short-term ailments such

as earache and muscle sprains, or chronic illnesses like arthritis. They inhibit damaged
cells from producing prostaglandins and thus limit the number of pain signals that reach
the brain. The relief lasts as long as the NSAIDs remain active in the body. Narcotics
(15) act in a different way. They attach to pain receptors in the brain and spinal cord,
thereby blocking the pain signals. Narcotics are generally prescribed for patients
suffering from long-term or extreme pain that does not respond to NSAIDs. In some
cases, however, a combination of an NSAID and a narcotic relieves pain better than
either kind of medication on its own.

Questions

18. An appropriate title for this text would be -

(1) Pain Relievers: Advantages and Disadvantages
(2) Feeling Pain and Dealing With It
(3) The Nature of Chronic Pain
(4) Pain: A Complex Chemical Reaction

)‫© 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