Page 48 - index

2021 ‫מועד סתיו‬ - 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) Although no one knows exactly when gold was first discovered, we do know that it
was one of the first metals used by man. Gold cups made as early as 3500 B.C.E. have
been found by archaeologists at Ur in Mesopotamia (now Iraq). Gold jewelry from
about the same period has also been found in Egyptian tombs. The shape and style of

(5) these objects suggest that, at the time they were made, people had been working with
gold for hundreds of years and had attained a high level of craftsmanship.

One of the reasons that gold is extremely valuable is because it is so hard to find in
large quantities. People have spent much time and energy searching for gold; some
have even tried to make it. During the Middle Ages, scientists called alchemists tried

(10) to make gold from other metals. Although they were not successful, modern scientists
have been able to produce gold from lead and mercury. However, making even small
quantities of gold in this way is extremely expensive and so most of the gold we use still
comes from the earth.

Of the many explorers who searched for gold, the Spanish conquistadores are
(15) perhaps the best known. During the 1500s, they found the precious metal in the lands

of the Aztecs and the Incas. Around this time, a legend emerged about the existence of
a land where gold was supposedly as common as sand. This land was called El Dorado,
meaning "covered with gold". Throughout the centuries, many tried to find El Dorado.
Although no one ever did, people continued to dream of finding gold and becoming
(20) rich. In the 1800s, discoveries of gold in California, Australia, Alaska and South Africa
led to what were known as gold rushes; thousands of people from all over the world
travelled to these places in the hope of fulfilling their dream.

Questions

13. The main idea of the first paragraph is that -

(1) archaeologists recently discovered ancient gold objects in tombs
(2) gold was brought from Mesopotamia to Egypt
(3) gold jewelry and cups were first made in 3500 B.C.E.
(4) people have been making gold objects for thousands of years

)‫© 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