Page 48 - 0715

2015 ‫מועד יולי‬ - 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) The Spanish colonists who reached the coast of California in 1769 were told by the
native peoples that when the moon is full, fish come out of the sea and dance on the
beach. Though skeptical at first, the colonists soon witnessed this strange sight for
themselves. The grunion, a species of fish native to the region, can still be seen on

(5) southern California's sandy beaches on nights when the moon is full and the tide is
especially high.

Grunion, unlike most other fish, come completely out of the water to spawn.
Washed up by the high tide, the females bury themselves tail-first in the sand and lay
their eggs. After the males fertilize the eggs, the grunion return to the ocean with the

(10) next wave. The eggs remain hidden in the sand for nine or ten days, until the next tide
high enough to reach them comes in. Then they hatch and the young grunion are swept
out to sea.

Scientists cannot explain how or why the grunion's peculiar reproductive behavior
developed. But everyone knows exactly when the grunion will come ashore. Crowds of

(15) people gather on the beaches of California on certain nights of the year to watch the
dance of the grunion by the light of the full moon.

Questions

13. A good title for this text would be -

(1) Who Discovered the Grunion?
(2) The Dance of the Grunion
(3) The Life Cycle of the Grunion
(4) The Grunion: A California Native

)‫© 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