We all know that many more people today are right-handed than left-handed. Can one trace this same pattern far back in prehistory? Much of the evidence about right-hand versus left-hand dominance comes from stencils and prints found in rock shelters in Australia and elsewhere, and in many Ice Age caves in France, Spain, and Tasmania. When a left hand has been stenciled, this implies that the artist was right-handed, and vice versa. Even though the paint was often sprayed on by mouth, one can assume that the dominant hand assisted in the operation. One also has to make the assumption that hands were stenciled palm downward—a left hand stenciled palm upward might of course look as if it were a right hand. Of 158 stencils in the French cave of Gargas, 136 have been identified as left, and only 22 as right; right-handedness was therefore heavily predominant.
Cave art furnishes other types of evidence of this phenomenon. Most engravings, for example, are best lit from the left, as befits the work of right-handed artists, who generally prefer to have the light source on the left so that the shadow of their hand does not fall on the tip of the engraving tool or brush. In the few cases where an Ice Age figure is depicted holding something, it is mostly, though not always, in the right hand.
Clues to right-handedness can also be found by other methods. Right-handers tend to have longer, stronger, and more muscular bones on the right side, and Marcellin Boule as long ago as 1911 noted the La Chapelle-aux-Saints Neanderthal skeleton had a right upper arm bone that was noticeably stronger than the left. Similar observations have been made on other Neanderthal skeletons such as La Ferrassie I and Neanderthal itself.
Fractures and other cut marks are another source of evidence. Right-handed soldiers tend to be wounded on the left. The skeleton of a 40- or 50-year-old Nabatean warrior, buried 2,000 years ago in the Negev Desert, Israel, had multiple healed fractures to the skull, the left arm, and the ribs.
Tools themselves can be revealing. Long-handed Neolithic spoons of yew wood preserved in Alpine villages dating to 3000 B.C. have survived; the signs of rubbing on their left side indicate that their users were right-handed. The late Ice Age rope found in the French cave of Lascaux consists of fibers spiraling to the right, and was therefore tressed by a righthander.
Occasionally one can determine whether stone tools were used in the right hand or the left, and it is even possible to assess how far back this feature can be traced. In stone toolmaking experiments, Nick Toth, a right-hander, held the core (the stone that would become the tool) in his left hand and the hammer stone in his right. As the tool was made, the core was rotated clockwise, and the flakes, removed in sequence, had a little crescent of cortex (the core's outer surface) on the side. Toth's knapping produced 56 percent flakes with the cortex on the right, and 44 percent left-oriented flakes. A left-handed toolmaker would produce the opposite pattern. Toth has applied these criteria to the similarly made pebble tools from a number of early sites (before 1.5 million years) at Koobi Fora, Kenya, probably made by Homo habilis. At seven sites he found that 57 percent of the flakes were right-oriented, and 43 percent left, a pattern almost identical to that produced today.
About 90 percent of modern humans are right-handed: we are the only mammal with a preferential use of one hand. The part of the brain responsible for fine control and movement is located in the left cerebral hemisphere, and the findings above suggest that the human brain was already asymmetrical in its structure and function not long after 2 million years ago. Among Neanderthalers of 70,000–35,000 years ago, Marcellin Boule noted that the La Chapelle-aux-Saints individual had a left hemisphere slightly bigger than the right, and the same was found for brains of specimens from Neanderthal, Gibraltar, and La Quina.
Paragraph 1: We all know that many more people today are right-handed than left-handed. Can one trace this same pattern far back in prehistory? Much of the evidence about right-hand versus left-hand dominance comes from stencils and prints found in rock shelters in Australia and elsewhere, and in many Ice Age caves in France, Spain, and Tasmania. When a left hand has been stenciled, this implies that the artist was right-handed, and vice versa. Even though the paint was often sprayed on by mouth, one can assume that the dominant hand assisted in the operation. One also has to make the assumption that hands were stenciled palm downward—a left hand stenciled palm upward might of course look as if it were a right hand. Of 158 stencils in the French cave of Gargas, 136 have been identified as left, and only 22 as right; right-handedness was therefore heavily predominant.
1. The phrase “assisted in” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○ initiated
○ dominated
○ helped with
○ setup
2. It can be inferred from paragraph 1 that even when paint was sprayed by mouth to make a hand stencil
○ there was no way to tell which hand was stenciled
○ the stenciled hand was the weaker hand
○ the stenciled hand was the dominant hand
○ artists stenciled more images of the dominant hand than they did of the weak
Paragraph 2: Cave art furnishes other types of evidence of this phenomenon. Most engravings, for example, are best lit from the left, as befits the work of right-handed artists, who generally prefer to have the light source on the left so that the shadow of their hand does not fall on the tip of the engraving tool or brush. In the few cases where an Ice Age figure is depicted holding something, it is mostly, though not always, in the right hand.
3. The phrase “depicted” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○ identified
○ revealed
○ pictured
○ imagined
4.Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
○ Right-handed artists could more easily have avoided casting shadows on their work, because engravings in prehistoric caves were lit from the left.
○ The tips of engraving tools and brushes indicate that these instruments were used by right-handed artists whose work was lit from the left.
○ The best lighting for most engravings suggests that they were made by right-handed people trying to avoid the shadow of their hands interfering with their work.
○ Right-handed artists try to avoid having the brush they are using interfere with the light source.
Paragraph 1: We all know that many more people today are right-handed than left-handed. Can one trace this same pattern far back in prehistory? Much of the evidence about right-hand versus left-hand dominance comes from stencils and prints found in rock shelters in Australia and elsewhere, and in many Ice Age caves in France, Spain, and Tasmania. When a left hand has been stenciled, this implies that the artist was right-handed, and vice versa. Even though the paint was often sprayed on by mouth, one can assume that the dominant hand assisted in the operation. One also has to make the assumption that hands were stenciled palm downward—a left hand stenciled palm upward might of course look as if it were a right hand. Of 158 stencils in the French cave of Gargas, 136 have been identified as left, and only 22 as right; right-handedness was therefore heavily predominant.
Paragraph 2: Cave art furnishes other types of evidence of this phenomenon. Most engravings, for example, are best lit from the left, as befits the work of right-handed artists, who generally prefer to have the light source on the left so that the shadow of their hand does not fall on the tip of the engraving tool or brush. In the few cases where an Ice Age figure is depicted holding something, it is mostly, though not always, in the right hand.
5．All of the following are mentioned in paragraphs 1 and 2 as evidence of right-handedness in art and artists EXCEPT
○ the ideal source of lighting for most engravings
○ the fact that a left hand stenciled palm upward might look like a right hand
○ the prevalence of outlines of left hands
○ figures in prehistoric art holding objects with the right hand
Paragraph 3: Clues to right-handedness can also be found by other methods. Right-handers tend to have longer, stronger, and more muscular bones on the right side, and Marcellin Boule as long ago as 1911 noted the La Chapelle-aux-Saints Neanderthal skeleton had a right upper arm bone that was noticeably stronger than the left. Similar observations have been made on other Neanderthal skeletons such as La Ferrassie I and Neanderthal itself.
6. According to paragraph 3, the La Chapelle-aux-Saints Neanderthal skeleton can be identified as right-handed because
○ other Neanderthal skeletons found nearby are also right-handed
○ the right arm bone is stronger than the left
○ it is similar to skeletons of La Ferrassie I and Neanderthal
○ the right side of the skeleton shows less evidence of fractures
Paragraph 4: Fractures and other cut marks are another source of evidence. Right-handed soldiers tend to be wounded on the left. The skeleton of a 40- or 50-year-old Nabatean warrior, buried 2,000 years ago in the Negev Desert, Israel, had multiple healed fractures to the skull, the left arm, and the ribs.
7. Which of the following statements about fractures and cut marks can be inferred from paragraph 4?
○ Fractures and cut marks caused by right-handed soldiers tend to occur on the right side of the injured party's body.
○ The right arm sustains more injuries because, as the dominant arm, it is used more actively.
○ In most people, the left side of the body is more vulnerable to injury since it is not defended effectively by the dominant arm.
○ Fractures and cut marks on fossil humans probably occurred after death.
Paragraph 5: Tools themselves can be revealing. Long-handed Neolithic spoons of yew wood preserved in Alpine villages dating to 3000 B.C. have survived; the signs of rubbing on their left side indicate that their users were right-handed. The late Ice Age rope found in the French cave of Lascaux consists of fibers spiraling to the right, and was therefore tressed by a righthander.
8. According to paragraph 5, what characteristic of a Neolithic spoon would imply that the spoon's owner was right-handed?
○ The direction of the fibers
○ Its long handle
○ The yew wood it is carved from
○ Wear on its left side
9. In paragraph 5, why does the author mention the Ice Age rope found in the French cave of Lascaux?
○ As an example of an item on which the marks of wear imply that it was used by a right-handed person
○ Because tressing is an activity that is easier for a right-handed person than for a left-handed person
○ Because the cave of Lascaux is the site where researchers have found several prehistoric tools made for right-handed people
○ As an example of an item whose construction shows that it was right handed made by a right-person
Paragraph 6: Occasionally one can determine whether stone tools were used in the right hand or the left, and it is even possible to assess how far back this feature can be traced. In stone toolmaking experiments, Nick Toth, a right-hander, held the core (the stone that would become the tool) in his left hand and the hammer stone in his right. As the tool was made, the core was rotated clockwise, and the flakes, removed in sequence, had a little crescent of cortex (the core's outer surface) on the side. Toth's knapping produced 56 percent flakes with the cortex on the right, and 44 percent left-oriented flakes. A left-handed toolmaker would produce the opposite pattern. Toth has applied these criteria to the similarly made pebble tools from a number of early sites (before 1.5 million years) at Koobi Fora, Kenya, probably made by Homo habilis. At seven sites he found that 57 percent of the flakes were right-oriented, and 43 percent left, a pattern almost identical to that produced today.
10. The word “criteria” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○ standards
○ findings
○ ideas
○ techniques
11. What was the purpose of Toth's toolmaking experiment described in paragraph 6?
○ To shape tools that could be used by either hand
○ To produce replicas of early tools for display in museums
○ To imitate the production of pebble tools from early sites
○ To determine which hand made the early tools
Paragraph 7: About 90 percent of modern humans are right-handed: we are the only mammal with a preferential use of one hand. The part of the brain responsible for fine control and movement is located in the left cerebral hemisphere, and the findings above suggest that the human brain was already asymmetrical in its structure and function not long after 2 million years ago. Among Neanderthalers of 70,000–35,000 years ago, Marcellin Boule noted that the La Chapelle-aux-Saints individual had a left hemisphere slightly bigger than the right, and the same was found for brains of specimens from Neanderthal, Gibraltar, and La Quina.
12. What is the author's primary purpose in paragraph 7?
○ To illustrate the importance of studying the brain
○ To demonstrate that human beings are the only mammal to desire fine control of movement
○ To contrast the functions of the two hemispheres of the brain
○ To demonstrate that right-hand preference has existed for a long time
Paragraph 1: We all know that many more people today are right-handed than left-handed. Can one trace this same pattern far back in prehistory? ■Much of the evidence about right-hand versus left-hand dominance comes from stencils and prints found in rock shelters in Australia and elsewhere, and in many Ice Age caves in France, Spain, and Tasmania. ■When a left hand has been stenciled, this implies that the artist was right-handed, and vice versa. ■Even though the paint was often sprayed on by mouth, one can assume that the dominant hand assisted in the operation. One also has to make the assumption that hands were stenciled palm downward—a left hand stenciled palm upward might of course look as if it were a right hand. ■Of 158 stencils in the French cave of Gargas, 136 have been identified as left, and only 22 as right; right-handedness was therefore heavily predominant.
13. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
The stencils of hands found in these shelters and caves allow us to draw conclusions about which hand was dominant.
Where would the sentence best fit?
14．Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
Several categories of evidence indicate that people have always been predominantly right-handed
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●
●
Answer Choices
○Stencils of right-handed figures are characteristic of cave art in France, Spain, and Tasmania.
○Signs on the skeletal remains of prehistoric figures, including arm-bone size and injury marks, imply that these are the remains of right-handed people.
○Instruments such as spoons, ropes, and pebble tools show signs that indicate they were used or constructed by right-handed people.
○The amount of prehistoric art created by right-handed artists indicates that left-handed people were in the minority.
○Neanderthal skeletons often have longer finger bones in the right hand, which is evidence that the right hand was stronger.
○Nick Toth, a modem right-handed toolmaker. has shown that prehistoric tools were knapped to fit the right hand.
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參考答案：
1. ○3
2. ○2
3. ○3
4. ○3
5. ○2
6. ○2
7. ○3
8.○4
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10. ○1
11. ○4
12. ○4
13. ○2
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我們都知道，現(xiàn)在的人們更多是使用右手而非左手。能不能在史前查找出這一相似的狀況呢？有太多的來自澳大利亞地區(qū)的石屋中模板和字跡以及冰河期法國西班牙以及塔斯馬尼亞地區(qū)的巖洞上搜集到的證據(jù)證明右手較之于左手的優(yōu)勢。當(dāng)一個左手被用于塑模時暗示了制作他的工匠慣于使用右手,反之亦然。即使是制作一幅畫作需要用嘴噴涂，也可以想象慣用手是如何在這一過程中起到協(xié)助作用的。另一個假設(shè)是被用于塑模的手手掌向下-一只左手塑模朝上也許讓它看起來像一只右手。在法國Gargas巖洞中的158個模板中，有136個鑒定確認(rèn)為左手，只有22個是右手；右手習(xí)慣毫無疑問是據(jù)絕對主導(dǎo)地位的。
巖洞藝術(shù)的其他形式也為這一現(xiàn)象提供了依據(jù)。例如大多數(shù)的雕版都是左起的光照最好，因為是配合慣用右手的工匠的工作，他們經(jīng)常喜歡讓光線從左邊照過來以便他們手的影子不會投射在雕板工具或是刷子的末端。很多冰河時期的雕塑都被雕刻為拿著一些物品的摸樣，盡管不是絕對的，但是起碼大多數(shù)都是放在右手上。
其他方法也能找出使用右手習(xí)慣的線索。右撇子的右側(cè)身體會趨于更長，更壯且更多肌肉的骨骼,Marcellin Boule早在1911提到的一塊名為La Chapelle-aux-Saints的尼安德特人的右上臂骨架骨骼要明顯強壯于左側(cè)。對其他尼安德特人的骨架的調(diào)查也得到了類似的結(jié)果。例如la Ferrassie 1和尼安德特人本身。
斷裂痕與割傷痕也是論據(jù)的另一來源。右撇子勇士一般都是左側(cè)容易受傷。在內(nèi)蓋夫的戈壁中被埋了2 000多年的一個40～50歲之間的Nabatean勇士的骨架，在他的頭部、左臂和肋骨上有多處已愈合的傷痕。
工具的本身也會反映這一現(xiàn)象。新石器時代的紫杉木的長柄勺從史前3 000年一直完好的保存到現(xiàn)在；它左側(cè)的磨痕證明了它們的主人慣用右手。在法國的拉斯科斯巖洞藝術(shù)找到的冰川時代末期的繩子是由向右旋轉(zhuǎn)的纖維捆成的，當(dāng)然也就證實了出自右撇子之手。
偶爾也能確定石器是左手使用還是右手使用，甚至可以查出這些特征是在多久前的過去被留下的。在石器制造試驗中，Nick toth,一個右撇子用左手拿著一個石胚（就是一塊是要成為工具的石頭）同時用右手掄錘。由于工具的作用，胚子順時針的旋轉(zhuǎn)的同時，小碎片一點點的去掉，在一側(cè)留下月牙狀的表層（石頭胚子的表面）。Toth’s的敲打產(chǎn)生的碎痕56%留在了右側(cè)的表面， 44%留在了左側(cè)朝向的碎痕。一個左撇子工匠則會生產(chǎn)出相反的花紋，Toth將這種標(biāo)準(zhǔn)對照到數(shù)個在Kombi Fora（距今一百五十萬年前）發(fā)現(xiàn)的類似卵石工具上，他在7個地點找到的57%的碎痕是右側(cè)朝向，而百43%是左側(cè)朝向，就和今天我們所生產(chǎn)的花紋一樣。
大約90%的現(xiàn)代人是右撇子；我們都是只是優(yōu)先使用一只手的哺乳動物。大腦負(fù)責(zé)良好的控制行動的區(qū)域位于腦部的左半球，這也證明的人類大腦的機構(gòu)和功能上的不對稱性在兩百萬年前就已經(jīng)定型了。在距今70 000到35 000年的尼安德特人中，Marcellin Boule發(fā)現(xiàn)La Chapelle-aux-Saints（某人種吧）個體的大腦左半球稍微比右邊大一點，與之類似的也被發(fā)現(xiàn)在尼安德特人、直布羅陀人和拉昆尼亞人種的腦型中。
