Page 40 - index

2021 ‫מועד סתיו‬ - 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) Among the indigenous peoples of North America, there is an abiding respect for the
elders of their communities. Elders, walking libraries of time-honored narratives and
customs, have always kept alive the history of their tribes and passed on practices of
earlier times. "In the old days," notes Sidney Byrd, a Native American historian from

(5) South Dakota, "there would be a storyteller – an elder – who would go from house to
house and tell the story of the Indian people from the beginning." Indeed, it was
through such oral traditions that social values and beliefs were maintained.

Elders do not adopt this title for themselves. Rather it is a term of respect that
others in the tribe bestow upon them. An elder is not defined by age but is someone

(10) who, in the course of his or her life, has gained the wisdom to make communal
decisions that are both practical and true to their heritage. In earlier times, for example,
elders would meet to make major decisions about which crops to plant, how to protect
the village, when and where to hunt, and whether the tribe should move elsewhere.

Members of the community still seek advice from elders on all aspects of life.
(15) Public events and ceremonies rarely take place before the elders have explained how

and why different rituals are performed. Elders are also consulted by tribal leaders
about far-reaching policy decisions, such as how to negotiate with government officials
in land disputes. Elders constitute a valuable bridge between the past and the present
and also help the younger generation to cope with the challenges of today.

Questions

13. The main purpose of the text is to -

(1) discuss changes in the attitudes of indigenous peoples toward their elders over time
(2) explain how the indigenous communities of North America choose their elders
(3) present some of the oral traditions passed on by elders
(4) describe the role of elders in indigenous communities

)‫© 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