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2019 מועד קיץ - 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 1992, the South Korean government declared the Sapsaree a national treasure.
This breed of dog, whose name means "the dog that wards off evil spirits or
misfortune", is renowned for its loyalty. One of the many well-known stories about
Sapsarees appears on a 300-year-old stone monument in Gumi, South Korea. It tells of
(5) an aristocrat who had too many drinks at a party and, on the way home, fell asleep on a
riverbank. As he slept, embers fell from his pipe and started a fire. His faithful dog
jumped into the river and then used its wet fur to douse the fire and save its master.
More recently, however, it was the Sapsaree that needed rescuing. Over the years,
war, poverty, and disease almost eradicated the breed. By 1985, just eight dogs
(10) remained. Thanks to the tireless efforts of one committed individual – a geneticist
named Ha Ji-Hong – the country's favorite shaggy-haired canine has been brought back
from the brink of extinction.
Using a combination of traditional breeding methods and advances in modern DNA
technology, Ha Ji-Hong has managed to increase the Sapsaree population significantly.
(15) Today, he has 500 breeding dogs. He has placed more than 1,200 Sapsarees with
families across South Korea and many others with hospitals, which use them in animal
therapy with patients.
Restoring the Sapsaree population has taken all of Ha Ji-Hong's energy and most of
his money. To fund the project, he had to sell his family's assets, including farmland he
(20) inherited from his father. For Ha Ji-Hong, however, it was well worth losing the family
estate to give his beloved breed a new lease on life. Seven years after Ha Ji-Hong
launched his mission, the South Korean government finally began providing money to
help with the care of his animals.
Questions
13. The main purpose of the text is to discuss -
(1) national treasures of South Korea
(2) the discoveries of geneticist Ha Ji-Hong
(3) the rescue of a beloved breed of dog
(4) attitudes towards dogs in South Korea
)© 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
