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TOEFL Readings 36
Archaeological records ― paintings, drawings, and carvings of humans engaged in
activities involving the use of hands ― indicate that humans have been predominantly
right-handed for more than 5,000 years. In ancient Egyptian artwork, for example, the
Line right-hand is depicted as the dominant one in about 90percent of the examples. Fracture
(5) or wear patterns on tools also indicate that a majority of ancient people were right-handed.
Cro-Magnon cave paintings some 27,000years old commonly show outlines of human
hands made by placing one hand against the cave wall and applying paint with the
other. Children today make similar outlines of their hands with crayons on paper. With
few exceptions, left hands of Cro-Magnons are displayed on cave walls, indicating that
(10) the paintings were usually done by right-handers.
Anthropological evidence pushes the record of handedness in early human ancestors
back to at least 1.4 million years ago. One important line of evidence comes from
flaking patterns of stone cores used in toolmaking: implements flaked with a
clockwise motion (indicating a right-handed toolmaker) can be distinguished from
(15) those flaked with a counter-clockwise rotation (indicating a left-handed toolmaker).
Even scratches found on fossil human teeth offer clues. Ancient humans are thought
to have cut meat into strips by holding it between their teeth and slicing it with stone
knives, as do the present-day Inuit. Occasionally the knives slip and leave scratches on
the users' teeth. Scratches made with a left-to-right stroke direction (by right-handers)
(20) are more common than scratches in the opposite direction (made by left-handers).
Still other evidence comes from cranial morphology: scientists think that physical
differences between the right and left sides of the interior of the skull indicate subtle
physical differences between the two sides of the brain. The variation between the
hemispheres corresponds to which side of the body is used to perform specific
(25) activities. Such studies, as well as studies of tool use, indicate that right- or left-sided
dominance is not exclusive to modern Homo sapiens. Populations of Neanderthals,
such as Homo erectus and Homo habilis, seem to have been predominantly
right-handed, as we are.
32. What is the main idea of the passage?
(A) Human ancestors became predominantly right-handed when
they began to use tools.
(B) It is difficult to interpret the significance of anthropological evidence
concerning tool use.
(C) Humans and their ancestors have been predominantly right-handed
for over a million years.
(D) Human ancestors were more skilled at using both hands than modern
humans.
33. The word "other" in line 8 refers to
(A) outline (B) hand
(C) wall (D) paint
34. What does the author say about Cro-Magnon paintings of hands?
(A) Some are not very old.
(B) It is unusual to see such paintings.
(C) Many were made by children.
(D) The artists were mostly right-handed.
35. The word "implements" in line 13 is closest in meaning to
(A) tools (B) designs
(C) examples (D) pieces
36. When compared with implements "flaked with a counter-clockwise rotation" (line15),
it can be inferred that "implements flaked with a clockwise motion" (lines 13-14) are
(A) more common
(B) larger
(C) more sophisticated
(D) older
37. The word "clues" in line 16 is closest in meaning to
(A) solutions
(B) details
(C) damage
(D) information
38. The fact that the Inuit cut meat by holding it between their teeth is significant
because
(A) the relationship between handedness and scratches on fossil human teeth can
be verified
(B) it emphasizes the differences between contemporary humans and their ancestors
(C) the scratch patterns produced by stone knives vary significantly from patterns
produced by modern knives
(D) it demonstrates that ancient humans were not skilled at using tools
39. The word "hemispheres" in line 24 is closest in meaning to
(A) differences (B) sides
(C) activities (D) studies
40. Why does the author mention Homo erectus and Habilis in line 27
(A) To contrast them with modern humans
(B) To explain when human ancestors began to make tools
(C) To show that early humans were also predominantly right-handed
(D) To prove that the population of Neanderthals was very large
41. All of the following are mentioned as types of evidence concerning
handedness EXCEPT
(A) ancient artwork
(B) asymmetrical skulls
(C) studies of tool use
(D) fossilized hand bones
42. Which of the following conclusions is suggested by the evidence from cranial
morphology(line 21)?
(A) Differences in the hemispheres of the brain probably came about relatively recently
(B) There may be a link between handedness and differences in the brain's hemispheres.
(C) Left-handedness was somewhat more common among Neanderthals.
(D) Variation between the brain's hemispheres was not evident in the skulls of Homo erectus and Homo habilis.