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2017 ‫מועד יולי‬ - 39 - ‫ פרק ראשון‬- ‫ 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) In 1967, David Cheever, an American graduate student in horticulture, wrote a
research paper in which he suggested the idea of growing flowers in Colombia,
South America, for export to the U.S. He noted that the area around the city of Bogotá
was ideal for cultivating the carnations, roses, and chrysanthemums that are so popular

(5) with U.S. buyers. Bogotá is located high in the Andes Mountains, close to both the
Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and not far from the equator. Because of this, as
Cheever pointed out, the climate is pleasant all year round, temperatures do not vary
much, and there are about twelve hours of sunlight every day. The soil is good for
growing plants and there is plenty of water. Furthermore, Bogotá is just a three-hour

(10) flight away from the U.S. – close enough for cut flowers to arrive in perfect condition.

Cheever decided to make his idea a reality. In 1969, he moved to Colombia and
started a flower-growing business called Floramérica. He used modern production
methods in his greenhouses and created an efficient system for transporting the flowers
to Bogotá's El Dorado International Airport. Cheever's research paper and his business

(15) efforts started something of an economic revolution in Colombia. By 1974, another ten
flower-growing companies had opened; together, they exported $16 million worth of cut
flowers to the U.S. Today, the Colombian flower industry is second only to that of the
Netherlands, shipping abroad more than $1 billion worth of blooms every year.

Questions

13. The main purpose of the first paragraph is to -

(1) describe the city of Bogotá
(2) introduce a graduate student in horticulture
(3) present the ideas mentioned in Cheever's research paper
(4) explain how Cheever became interested in horticulture

)‫© 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