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2014 ‫מועד דצמבר‬ - 41 - ‫ פרק ראשו ן‬- ‫ אנגלית‬

Text II (Questions 18-22)

(1) Assume that you have graduated from college, gotten married and had children – is
it safe to say you're an adult? Not necessarily, says one British researcher. She found
that for many people, "adulthood" is not marked by traditional life-cycle events, but
rather by changes in attitude and behavior.

(5) "We discovered that the traditional markers of adulthood were of little importance
to the participants in our study," said Fiona Ulph of Southampton University. Instead,
"adulthood was defined in much more individualistic terms." Ulph's findings were
based on responses to questionnaires given to more than 1,300 men and women in the
United Kingdom. The participants were divided into four age categories: 16 to 20,

(10) 21 to 24, 25 to 30, and over 30. All were asked to identify those turning points that
signify the transition into adulthood. Certain time-honored measures of adulthood –
leaving home, getting married, finishing one's education, or becoming a parent – were
rated as no more than "slightly important."

Instead, respondents cited more abstract measures of adulthood. Regardless of age,
(15) participants identified four important developmental milestones: accepting

responsibility for the consequences of one's actions; deciding on personal beliefs and
values independently of parents or other influences; achieving financial independence
from parents; and becoming less self-oriented. Ulph reports that age did have some
influence on opinions: participants over 30 rated "accepting responsibility for the
(20) consequences of one's actions" as more important than those under 30.

Ulph believes that her findings would probably also apply to individuals living in
similar cultural environments, such as North America. She explains that "Western
societies have increasingly become less community-based and more focused on the
individual. Because people feel less constrained by society's expectations, they define

(25) adulthood in a more individualistic manner."

Ulph emphasizes, however, that her study was the first of its kind to be conducted in
Britain and that further research is needed. Meanwhile, she cautions that just because
some historically valued events might no longer be viewed as stepping stones to
adulthood, this does not mean that these events are not valued in their own right.

Questions

18. The main purpose of the text is to -

(1) argue that traditional markers of adulthood continue to be important
(2) compare two different studies on adulthood by Fiona Ulph
(3) discuss research on changing definitions of adulthood
(4) compare ideas of adulthood in similar cultural environments

)‫© 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