Question

Is it true that left-handed people are smarter than right-handed people? Chris McManus, professor of psychology and medical education at University College London, responds;

“If by intelligent you mean someone who performs better on IQ tests, the simply answer is no.  Studies in the U.K., U. S. and Australia have revealed that left-handed people differ from right-handers by only one IQ point, which is not noteworthy.”

Left-handedness is, however, much more common among individuals with severe learning difficulties. A slightly higher proportion of left-handers have a stutter(口吃). Other problems, such as a higher rate of accidents reported in left-handers, mostly result from a world designed for the convenience of right-handers, with many tools not made for the left-handed.

However, if by smarter you mean more talented in certain areas, left-handers may have an advantage. Left-handers’ brains are structured differently from right-handers’ in ways that can allow them to process language, relations and emotions in more diverse and creative ways. Also, a slightly larger number of left-handers than right-handers are especially gifted in music and maths. A study of musicians in professional orchestras（管弦乐队）found a greater proportion of talented left-handers, even among those who played instruments that seem designed for right-handers, such as violins. Similarly, studies of adolescents who took tests to assess mathematical ability found many more left-handers in the population. The fact that mathematicians are often musical may not be a coincidence.

For other talents and skills, the benefits of being left-handed are less clear. In one-on-one competitive sports, being in the minority can be an advantage. For example, most right-handed tennis players have little experience of playing left-handers, but left-handers have plenty of experience of playing right-handers.

Whatever the advantages are, handedness seems to be genetic. With 10 percent of people preferring their left hand, there must be some selective advantages, or else the genes would probably not survive.

1.The underlined word, “noteworthy”, in the second paragraph, probably means“_______”.

A. remarkable      B. convincing

C. helpful         D. beneficial

2. What is one of the characteristics of left-handed people?

A. They have a much higher IQ than right-handed people.

B. They have an obvious advantage in tennis.

C. They are more likely to be talented in certain fields.

D. They usually don’t have learning difficulties.

3.We can learn________ from the passage.

A. right-handers have a higher rate of accidents.

B. most right-handed tennis players are good at playing left-handers.

C. left-handers can sometimes be more gifted in music and maths than right-handers.

D. left-handers’ brains process language in the same way as right-handers’.

4.You are most likely to find this passage in the ____________ section of a magazine.

A. travel and entertainment

B. gene and health.

C. fashion and trends

D. health and lifestyle

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.C

4.B

【解析】

试题分析：文章讲述了惯用左手的人比惯用右手的人聪明吗?本文给我们做出了解释。

1.

2.细节理解题。根据文章第四段中However, if by smarter you mean more talented in certain areas, left-handers may have an advantage. 可知惯用左手的人可能在某一特地的领域有优势。

3.推理判断题。本文主要讨论了惯用左手的人是否比惯用右手的人在音乐盒数学方面更有天赋。故选C。

4.推理判断题。本文主要讨论了惯用左手的人是否比惯用右手的人聪明，应该是出自杂志的基因和健康栏目。

【名师点睛】

阅读理解有时理解文章的长难句是关键，理解不了这些句子很难理解文章的大意。下面我们分析一下这篇文章中的长句。句子1：Studies in the U.K., U. S. and Australia have revealed that left-handed people differ from right-handers by only one IQ point, which is not noteworthy.本句that引导宾语从句，在宾语从句中又包含一个非限制性定语从句。句意：在英国、美国和澳大利亚的研究表明：惯左手的人比惯用右手的人在智力上只差1分，这一点是不显著的。句子2：Other problems, such as a higher rate of accidents reported in left-handers, mostly result from a world designed for the convenience of right-handers, with many tools not made for the left-handed.此处such as a higher rate of accidents reported in left-handers是插入语，介词短语with many tools not made for the left-handed.作原因状语。其他的问题，比如，惯用左手的人出现意外事故的几率高一些，常常是因为我们很多工具是为惯用右手的人设计的，很多工具不是为惯用左手的人设计的。句子3：With 10 percent of people preferring their left hand, there must be some selective advantages, or else the genes would probably not survive.此句中又with的复合结构with+名词+现在分词的形式，表原因。包含一个there be句型。句意：因为10%的人喜欢用左手，所以一定存在一些选择性的优势，否则，这些基因就可能不存在了。句子4：Similarly, studies of adolescents who took tests to assess mathematical ability found many more left-handers in the population. 此句中who引导一个定语从句。句意：相似的是，对通过数学能力考试的青少年的研究发现，惯用左手的人多得多。

考点：考查科普说明文阅读