阅读新视野06 Left Handedness

Crazy Reading 6
Left-Handedness
Before you read 阅读思考
Answer the following questions.
1．Are you left-handed? How many left-handed people do you know? ____________________
2．Do you know any famous people who are left-handed? _________________________
3．What percentage of people do you think are left-handed? _____________________________
Target Vocabulary 目标词汇
Match each word with the best meaning.
1．________ abnormal a．to make a plan for something
2．________architect b．feelings or ideas about someone or something
3．________ attitude c．(verb) change something for the worse; (noun) injury ; harm
4．_________ damage d．related to the body (rather than the mind)
5．_________mental e．related to the mind
6．______ mild f．job
7．__________occupation g．not serious; gentle
8．________ physical h．a trained professional who draws plans for buildings
9．__________ (to) design i．someone who never eats animals
10．_______ vegetarian j．unusual; not normal
Reading Passage 阅读文章
What do Leonardo da Vinci , Paul McCartney, and Albert Einstein have in common? They were all left-handed, along with other famous people including Pablo Picasso, Prince William, and Marilyn Monroe. In fact, an estimated 11 percent lf Americans and Europeans are left-handed.
Most people around the world are right-handed. This fact also seems to have held true throughout histouy.In1977,scientists studied works of art made at various times in history starting with cave drawings from 15,000 B.C. and ending with paintings from the 1950s. Most of the people shown in these works of art are right-handed, so scientists guessed that right-handedness has always been common.
Many researchers claim to have found relationships between left-handedness and various physical and mental characteristics, such as blond hair, blue eyes, vegetarianism, and sleep difficulties. Other studies have found a higher-than-normal level of left-handed people in certain occupations, including professional baseball and tennis players, architects, lawyers, as well as prisoners. However, some of these connections are very weak, and others haven’t been proven.
What makes a person become right-handed rather than left-handed? As yet, no one really knows fir sure,
one simple idea suggests that people normally get right-handedness from their parents. Studies have found that two right-handed parents have only a 9.5 percent chance of having a left-handed child.
Another common theory is that left-handed people suffer mild brain damage during birth, which maked them left-handed. However, if this theory were true, it wouldn’t explain why the percentage of left-handed people is so similar in every society, when birth conditions vary so much from society to society.
Whatever the reasons behind it, people’s attitudes toward left-handedness have changed a lot over the years. Statistics show that although 13 percent of young people (10-20 years old) are left-handed, only 6 percent of the elderly are left-handed. Left-handed children used to be punished until they began using their right hand lide other children but today people who are left-handed are no longer looked down on nor are they considered abnormal. For most people today either case is perfectly acceptable. There are even a number of shops now that specialize in selling products designed for left-handed people, such as left-handed scissors, can openers, guitars, and even a left-handed camera.
In 1976, Left-handers International, a group of left-handed people in Topeka, Kansas, in the United states, decided to start an annual event in order to clear up misunderstandings about left-handedness. They deceded that August 13th is International Left-handers Day, and to this day groups of left-handed people around the world celebrate their own special day .
Circle the letter of the best answer.
1. From studying works of art, scientists have learned that
a．left-handed people are better artists. c．most people in history were right-handed
b．most artists are left-handed. d．cave drawings were drawn using both hands
2. What does the third paragraph describe?
a．why people with certain characteristics are better at certain jobs
b．reasons why left-handed people are better at some jobs
c．links between left-handedness and certain occupations and characteristics
d．why people are left-handed
3. What makes a person right-handed?
a．the person’s parents c．the person’s birth
b．society d．The reason is uncertain
4. What can be assumed about the children of two left-handed parents?
a．Most of them are left-handed c. Most of them use both hands equally.
b．Most of them are right-handed. d．Very few of them are right-handed.
5．Today, only 6 percent of the elderly are left-handed because left-handed peopl e…
a．can be treated by doctors today. c．are thought of as abnormal.
b．die younger. d．were often forced to become right-handed
A ．
Circle the letter of the word or phrase that best completes the sentence. B ．Complete the passage with items from the box. One item is extra .
Part 1：Find the different word 找出不同类的单词
One of the four words is different from the other three. Circle the letter of your choice.
Part 2：Organize the paragraphs 段落重组
Number the paragraphs from 1 to 5in the correct order to make a reading on the history of film.。