(3)

　　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. After studying works of art made at different times in history, the scientists found _______.

　　A. the art began from 1,500 B.C.

　　B. the works of art ended in the 1950s

　　C. most people shown in the works of art are right-handed

　　D. most people shown in the works of art are left-handed

　　2. 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.

　　3. What is the hand for most people used to do?

　　A. It’s used to find or hold things.

　　B. It’s used to work with things.

　　C. It’s used to make a person’s eyes work together.

　　D. It’s the centre for thinking and doing problems.

　　4. 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.

　　5. The best title for this passage is _______.

　　A. Scientists’ New Inventions B. Left-handed People

　　C. Which Hand D. Different Brains, Different Hands

　　【答案与解析】本文主要说明了为什么有的人习惯用右手，有的人习惯用左手。

　　1. C。细节题。在第1段中我们可找到这样的句子…Most of the people shown in these works are right-handed，所以答案是 C。

　　2. A。细节题。根据句子 Today, only about 10% to 15% of the world’s population is left-handed 我们可知现在世界人口中有10%—15%的人是 left-handed，那么与此数接近的应该是 less than one sixth(不到六分之一)。

　　3. A。细节题。根据文章第2段第3句可知对大多数人而言，手用来 find or hold things。

　　4. B。判断题。根据文章内容，惯用左手的人比惯用右手的人聪明是没有依据的。

　　5. C。主旨题。文章告诉我们：有些人习惯用右手做事，有的人习惯用左手做事， 而这种差异到底是怎样产生的呢?没有知道真正的原因，所以选 C。

　　(4)

　　“If you want to see a thing well, reach out and touch it!”

　　That may seem a strange thing to say. But touching things can help you to see them better.

　　Your eyes can tell you that glass ball is round. But by holding it in your hands, you can feel how smooth and cool the ball is. You can feel how heavy the glass is.

　　When you feel all these about the ball, you really see it.

　　With your skin, you can feel better. For example, your fingers can tell the difference between two coins in your pocket. You can feel a little drop of water on the back of your hand, too.

　　You can even feel sounds against your skin. Have you ever wanted to know why some people like very loud music? They must like to feel the sounds of music.

　　All children soon learn what “Don’t touch!” means. They hear it often. Yet most of us keep on touching things as we grow up. In shops, we touch things we might buy, such as food, clothes and so on. To see something well, we have to touch it.

　　The bottoms of our feet can feel things, too. You know this when you walk on warm sand, cool grass or a bad floor. All feel different under your feet.

　　There are ways of learning to see well by feeling.

　　One way is to close your eyes and try to feel everything that is touching your skin. Feel the shoes on your feet, the clothes on your body, the air on your skin. At first, it is not easy to feel these things. You are too used to them!

　　Most museums are just for looking. But today some museums have some things to touch. Their signs say, “Do touch! There you can feel every thing on show. If you want to see better, reach out and touch. Then you’ll really see!”

　　1. By touching things _______.

　　A. you will have a strange feeling

　　B. you will learn how to reach out

　　C. you can tell the difference between them

　　D. you can tell what colors they are

　　2. Which of the following can be the best title of the story?

　　A. Touching by Feeling B. To See or to Feel

　　C. To See Better — Feel D. Ways of Feeling

　　3. When people buy things in shops, they often _______.

　　A. try them on first B. put their right hand on them

　　C. just has a look D. feel and touch them

　　4. Why does it say, “At first, it is not easy to feel these things?”

　　A. The things are used by people, too.

　　B. People are used to the things.

　　C. People know how to use the things.

　　D. The things are easy to feel.

　　5. Which of the following is true?

　　A. Touching can help people learn things better.

　　B. Our feet, fingers, hands and skin can help us enjoy music.

　　C. People have to learn to see by feeling as they grow up.

　　D. Visitors cannot feel the things on show in some museums.

　　【答案与解析】这篇文章通过许多例子告诉我们触摸的重要性。只有触摸才能真正地、更好地了解物体。

　　1. C。判断题。全文告诉你通过触摸你可以知道许多靠肉眼不能分辨的东西。touch可以让你知道物体的不同点。

　　2. C。主旨题。根据文章中出现的 When you feel all these about the ball, you really see it 以及 To see something well, we have to touch it 和 …to see well by feeling 等我们可以推测出只有触摸，我们才能更好的看到并了解这个物体。因此答案为 C。

　　3. D。细节题。文章第7段第2行作者谈到我们在可能要买东西的时候会去触摸它，像食物、衣服等等。由此句可知在买衣服时我们会去感觉和触摸它。

　　4. B。细节题。作者叫你去 feel the shoes on your feet...，但一开始人们并不习惯去感觉它们，因为 you are too used to them。由此可知答案为 B。

　　5. A。判断题。全文的中心就是告诉我们触摸能帮助人们了解事物。因此答案是 A。