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2013 ‫מועד פברואר‬ - 41 - ‫ פרק ראשון‬- ‫ אנגלית‬

Text II (Questions 18-22)

(1) In 2004, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) conducted a survey of reading
habits in the United States. The survey was based on a sampling of more than 17,000
adults from all major demographic groups. The results paint a grim picture.

According to the survey, adults are reading less than they once did, and this trend
(5) has accelerated in recent years. For example, over the past 20 years, the proportion of

Americans aged 18 to 34 who read fiction has fallen by 28 percent. At one time the
most avid readers, they are now the least likely to pick up a novel. Overall, less than
half the adult American population now reads fiction, a 10 percent decline since 1982.

The study also shows a correlation between reading habits and level of education:
(10) university graduates are 75 percent more likely to read than people without degrees.

Given that a growing number of people are attending institutions of higher education in
the United States, one would have expected to see an increase in reading. Unfortunately,
however, this is not the case. Indeed, the past two decades have seen a 15.4 percent drop
in reading even among university graduates, in keeping with the pattern that prevails
(15) throughout society.

The findings are particularly troubling because the NEA study shows that serious
readers tend to play an active role in their communities. Thus, the decline in reading is
likely to adversely affect participation in the arts, volunteerism, philanthropy, and

political involvement.

Questions

18. The text mainly discusses -

(1) the National Endowment for the Arts
(2) the role of reading in community life
(3) higher education trends in the United States
(4) a survey of reading habits in the United States

19. According to the first paragraph, the participants in the survey -

(1) were all highly educated people living in the United States
(2) represented many different ethnic, economic, and age groups
(3) were disturbed by the results
(4) worked for the NEA

)‫© 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