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2012 ‫מועד דצמבר‬ - 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) Many people would like to become famous, but never do. Some people achieve fame and
enjoy it for as long as possible. Very few people seek fame, find it, and then spend the rest of
their lives trying to avoid it. One such person was Thomas Edward Lawrence – or, as he is
better known, Lawrence of Arabia – who is among the most famous adventurers of all time.

(5) From his earliest childhood, Lawrence planned a life of action and adventure for himself.
By the age of eight or nine, he had become fascinated by history, especially that of the Middle
Ages. He loved the stories of medieval knights who fought against evil and lived by a code of
honor and heroism. He began to train himself to be such a knight. He slept little, ate little,
and experimented with numerous tests of physical endurance.

(10) As an archeology student at Oxford University, Lawrence decided to study medieval
castles in the Middle East. In the summer of 1909, he travelled alone to the area, which was
then part of the Ottoman Empire. He walked over 400 kilometers, mostly through desert.
Along the way, he suffered four attacks of malaria and was robbed, beaten and shot. He
succeeded, however, in visiting 36 castles, making meticulous notes, drawings and

(15) photographs of what he saw. His thesis was awarded the highest honors.

On his journey, Lawrence perfected his Arabic and became familiar with the people and
customs of the places he visited. For these reasons, he was sent to Cairo as a British
intelligence officer at the beginning of World War I. During the war, he travelled all over the
Middle East and helped lead the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire. Several war

(20) correspondents visited Lawrence and returned to Europe with stories and photographs of the
Englishman in traditional Arab dress, riding a horse at the head of charging Arab armies.
"Lawrence of Arabia" became an international hero, thanks to the flood of newspaper and
magazine articles.

At first Lawrence was very pleased with his worldwide reputation. Soon, however, he
(25) became bitter and disappointed. He returned to England and attempted to live the rest of his

life as an ordinary Englishman, but fascination with him and his exploits continues to this day.

Questions

13. It can be understood that Lawrence slept and ate little (line 8) because he -

(1) spent all of his time studying history
(2) wanted to learn to be like a medieval knight
(3) was busy planning a life of action and adventure
(4) lived by a code of honor and heroism

)‫© 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