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2019 מועד חורף - 41 - פרק ראשון- אנגלית
Text II (Questions 18-22)
(1) The eminent scientist Jane Goodall wrote in 1999, "I suffer from an embarrassing,
curiously humbling neurological condition called prosopagnosia, which means I have a
problem recognizing faces. I used to think that it was due to some mental laziness, and
I desperately tried to memorize the faces of people I met." Goodall, like other
(5) prosopagnosics, can see perfectly well, but her brain cannot make the connection
between a particular set of facial features and a specific person. For people who suffer
from this condition, recognizing even their nearest and dearest can be a challenge.
While individuals with mild forms of this impairment can learn to identify a limited
number of people whom they see often, those with more severe forms may not even be
(10) able to pick themselves out in a group photograph. One woman reported that when
standing before a mirror with other people, she had to make a funny face to identify
herself in the reflection. Understandably, basic social interactions are a source of
anxiety for prosopagnosics. Finding it hard to cope with a sea of faces, many keep
social encounters to a minimum. Others develop strategies to compensate for their
(15) disorder. They may learn to recognize people by their voice, their body shape, or the
way they walk. Some prosopagnosics nod in greeting to everyone they encounter;
others avoid eye contact by pretending to be lost in thought.
Until the late 1990s, prosopagnosia was thought to be an acquired – and extremely
rare – condition, caused by a stroke or brain injury. In 2006, however, a study
(20) conducted at the Institute of Human Genetics in Münster, Germany, found that the
disorder is usually inherited and is surprisingly common, affecting about one in fifty
people. Until recently, most prosopagnosics did not realize that they had a medical
condition that is shared by millions of people around the world. As scientists conduct
further research and as their findings become more widely reported in the popular
(25) media, awareness of prosopagnosia is bound to increase.
Questions
18. Which of the following statements about prosopagnosia is true according to the text?
(1) Different people can have different forms of prosopagnosia.
(2) Researchers are developing new strategies for dealing with prosopagnosia.
(3) Most prosopagnosics today speak openly about their condition.
(4) Social interactions are helpful to prosopagnosics.
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