Most people around the world are right-handed. This also seems to be true in history. In 1799, scientists studied works(作品) 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 left 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 (大腦). The right side of the brain, which makes a person's hands and eyes work together, controls(控制) 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 than 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(損害) when they are born. However, this doesn't happen to everyone, so scientists guess there must be another reason (原因) 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-or left-handed according to the chance (偶然性) 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 left 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 (根據(jù)) 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(標(biāo)題) for this passage is       .

A. Scientists' New Inventions

B. Left-handed People

C. Which Hand

D. Different Brains, Different Hands.

There are hundreds of funny and strange expressions in the English language. A lot of them include country names or nationalities. Take these examples:
The Dutch（丹麥人）are the target of most English expressions about nationalities. Why are there so many jokes about the Dutch in English? And what do these expressions mean? In the 17th and early 18th centuries, there were three wars between the British and the Dutch, and Dutch became a bad word. So double Dutch means something that has no meaning or is impossible to understand. A Dutch uncle is someone who gives much stronger advice than they need to. There are later expressions, which are funnier and kinder, like to go Dutch, which is nowadays a popular expression. It means to pay for your part of a bill. This often happens when a group of friends have a meal together, and each person pays for the food they ate. I’m a Dutchman is another commonly used expression. This means not being able to believe something.
An expression with a similar meaning to double Dutch is it’s all Greek to me, which means I don’t understand. The expression was made famous in Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar although the expression is actually hundreds of years older.
If you take French leave, you are not present or leave somewhere without permission. For example, you could take French leave from a classroom or the place where you work. This expression is from the 18th century when French people left parties without saying goodbye to the host or hostess.
There are Chinese whispers, which mean confused（令人困惑的）messages. This describes the fact that a message can often change as it is passed from person to person. This expression comes from the First World War when foreigners were often confused by Chinese language.
Many people find English expressions confusing, but now that you know about some of them, you can easily have fun finding out many more funny English expressions.
【小題1】Are there many jokes about the Dutch in English?
【小題2】When did Dutch become a bad word?
【小題3】What does “French leave” mean?
【小題4】Which three expressions mentioned above have similar meanings?
【小題5】What do the funny and strange expressions in the passage have in common?

－Why are there a lot of dead fish in the river?

   －Because they were ______ by the polluted water.

   A. caught            B. poisoned           C. burned        D. protected

China is very famous(著名的) for its food in the world. There are many kinds of food in China. They’re Cantonese(廣東的) food, Sichuan food, Shanghai food, Hunan food and so on. And I like Sichuan food best.
Now, Sichuan food is very popular. There are many Sichuan food restaurants all over the country. Sichuan food is very hot(辣的), but people love it. In some famous Sichuan food restaurants, you can see many people waiting there. Now in Beijing, there are more and more Sichuan food restaurants.
【小題1】How many kinds of food are mentioned(提及) in the passage?