Most people around the world are right-handed. This also seems to be true in history. In 1799, scientists studied works of art made at different times from 1,500 B.C. to the 1950s. Most of the people shown in these works are right-handed, so the scientists guessed that right-handedness has always been common through history. Today, only about 10% to 15% of the world’s population is left-handed.
Why are there more right-handed people than left-handed ones? Scientists now know that a person’s two hands each have their own jobs. For most people, the hand is used to find things or hold things. The right hand is used to work with things. This is because of the different work of the two sides of the brain. The right side of the brain, which makes a person’s hands and eyes work together, controls the left hand. The left-side of the brain, which controls the right hand, is the centre for thinking and doing problems. These findings show that more artists should be left-handed, and studies have found that left-handedness is twice as common among artists as among people in other jobs.
No one really knows what makes a person become right-handed instead of left-handed. Scientists have found that almost 40% of the people become left-handed because their main brain is damaged when they are born. However, this doesn’t happen to everyone, so scientists guess there must be another reason why people become left-handed. One idea is that people usually get right-handed from their parents. If a person does not receive the gene(基因) for right-handedness, he/ she may become either right-handed or left-handed according to the chance and the people they work or live with.
Though right-handedness is more common than left-handedness, people no longer think left-handed people are strange or unusual. A long time ago, left-handed children were made to use their right hands like other children, but today they don’t have to.
1.How many people in the world are left-handed now?
A. Less than one sixth.
B. More than a half.
C. About 40%.
D. The passage doesn’t tell us.
2. Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined word “damaged” in this passage?
A. knocked B. changed C. broke D. harmed
3.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A. No one really knows what makes a person become right-handed.
B. Left-handedness is cleverer than right-handedness.
C. Today children are not made to use their right hands only.
D. Scientists think there must be some reason why people become left-handed.
4.The best title for this passage is _______.
A. Scientists’ New Inventions
B. Left-handed People
C. Which Hand
D. Different Brains, Different Hands
完形填空，从每题所给选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
Ever since I was a child, my mouth has caused me trouble. I'm not a bad person； I have a _______ time learning when to keep my mouth closed.
My mom has told me again and again, "Robert, your constant bad words are hurting me. If you _______ to be this rude, you will get into big trouble."
It's been a problem at school several times too when teachers have told me something I didn't want to hear. I used to feel it was my duty(职责) to _______ myself.
One day in English class I began working on my homework until I heard a classmate_______ behind me. It was Nathaniel, who liked doing that as usual.
At first, I said very _______ , "Nathaniel, would you please be quiet?"
However, Nathaniel continued talking to himself. I quickly _______ "Nathaniel, shut up(闭嘴)!"
For the next five minutes, we threw hurtful(伤感情的) words back and forth at each other.
"At least I don't have an ugly lazy eye like you!" I shouted.
I knew this would make him _______ . It would hurt his feelings and shut him up.
What I said filled him with anger. He tried to _______ over my seat and catch me as he shouted, "That's it! That's it!"
_______ at his reaction(反应), I sat back in my seat. I had never seen Nathaniel act like this before.
Later on, we were taken to the principal's office. There, Mr. Black, our English teacher, told us to _______ the matter. It wasn't until then that I finally found that _______ I hurt someone physically(身体上), the wounds eventually heal(愈合). But when I hurt them with my _______ , sometimes the pain (痛苦) never goes away.
At the end of the discussion, I said _______ to Nathaniel.
When I went back to my room, I spent some time praying(祈祷). I began to _______ how often what I said hurt others. But I believe that as I keep praying and asking God to help me, he'll tell me when to keep my_______ closed.
1.A. busy B. hard C. happy D. fantastic
2.A. decide B. like C. continue D. try
3.A. support B. separate C. smell D. spend
4.A. singing B. reading C. beating D. talking
5.A. clearly B. nicely C. carelessly D. angrily
6.A. repeated B. expressed C. replied D. shouted
7.A. nervous B. afraid C. sad D. bored
8.A. fall B. look C. hand D. reach
9.A. Angry B. Surprised C. Nervous D. Happy
10.A. discuss B. solve C. explain D. report
11.A. while B. after C. when D. where
12.A. words B. action C. ideas D. experience
13.A. goodbye B. thanks C. sorry D. okay
14.A. talk about B. hear about C. complain about D. think about
15.A. eyes B. mouth C. windows D. door
The CDS _________ out just now. They __________ very well.
A. sold; sold B. were sold; sold C. were sold; were sold D. sold; were sold
We should do our best to prevent the river from __________.
A. pollute B. polluting C. be polluted D. being polluted
–--A homeless man won a lottery ticket. He became rich over night.
---___________
A. Better safe than sorry. B. The early bird catches the worm.
C. Every dog has its day. D. Action speak louder than word
His face looks familiar(熟悉的) to me. I remember _____him ______ in my hometown.
A. to see, sometimes B. seeing, some times
C. to see, some time D. seeing, sometime
