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2017 ‫מועד אפריל‬ - 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) Since ancient times, travelers setting out on long journeys have taken with them
food that is easy to carry and does not go bad. During the Age of Exploration, sailors
survived lengthy sea voyages on dried food and food preserved in salt. The dawn of the
Space Age posed new challenges: how and what to eat in the weightless conditions of a

(5) spacecraft.

American astronaut John Glenn ate the first meal in space aboard the Friendship 7
spacecraft in 1962. His meal consisted of a meat and vegetable mixture that he
squeezed into his mouth from a tube like those used for toothpaste. For dessert, he had
applesauce, served the same way. This was hardly a pleasant eating experience but did

(10) prove that humans could eat, swallow, and digest food in an environment without
gravity. In the years that followed, many improvements were made to dining in space.
Today, the food is tastier, more varied, and presented in a more conventional manner.
Food packets and utensils are set out on a tray, where they are kept from floating away
by means of magnets and Velcro fasteners.

(15) Astronauts can even enjoy ice cream, although for years, they were denied this
much-loved comfort food. By 1968, scientists had created freeze-dried ice cream,
which did not need to be kept cold. Unfortunately, it tasted nothing like the real thing.
Even worse, freeze-dried ice cream crumbled. This made it dangerous: floating pieces
of ice cream could damage the spacecraft's sensitive electronic systems. In 1973,

(20) astronauts finally got the real thing after a small freezer was installed in the Skylab
space station.

Questions

13. The main purpose of the first paragraph is to -

(1) describe the beginnings of the Space Age
(2) discuss one of the challenges faced by travelers
(3) explain how to preserve food
(4) compare astronauts with sailors

)‫© 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