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Right And Left Handedness In Humans Reading Answers: IELTS Reading Practice Test

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Updated on Jul 02, 2024, 11:57

The IELTS Reading section is a crucial component of the International English Language Testing System designed to assess your reading comprehension skills. In this section, you'll encounter a variety of texts ranging from informative articles to excerpts from books and newspapers. Your task is to read these passages carefully and answer questions that test your ability to understand the main ideas, locate specific information, identify the writer's opinions and attitudes, and follow the development of an argument.
 

Key highlights of the IELTS Reading section:

 

  • Three passages of increasing difficulty levels.
  • A total of 40 questions were spread across the three passages.
  • Different question types such as multiple-choice, matching headings, True/False/Not Given, and sentence completion.
  • A time limit of 60 minutes to complete the entire section.
     

In the passage titled "Right And Left Handedness In Humans," you'll delve into the intriguing topic of handedness, exploring the reasons behind why some individuals predominantly use their right hand while others favour their left. This thought-provoking text delves into the biological, psychological, and cultural factors that contribute to the prevalence of right and left-handedness among humans.

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1. Right And Left Handedness In Humans Reading Passage

You should spend approximately 20 minutes answering Questions 1 - 15 based on the Reading Passage below. This approach can help manage time effectively during a reading comprehension activity or exam. 

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2. Right And Left Handedness In Humans Reading Question & Answers

Discover exciting and informative IELTS reading answers about Right And Left Handedness In Humans

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1.

Right And Left Handedness In Humans Reading Passage

General Information

  • Read Instructions: Understand each question before answering.
  • Manage Time: Spend about 20 minutes per passage.
  • Skim and Scan: Quickly get the main idea and find specific information.
  • Highlight Key Info: Underline essential words or phrases.
  • Answer All Questions: Attempt every question; no penalty for wrong answers.
  • Stay Focused: Avoid distractions and keep your attention on the task.
  • Check Spelling: Ensure correct spelling and grammar.
  • Transfer Answers Clearly: Write answers neatly on the answer sheet.
  • Don’t Dwell: Move on if stuck and return later.
  • Review: If time allows, review your answers.

 

 

 

 

Right And Left Handedness In Humans Reading Passage


 

 

Paragraph 1

Why do humans, who are essentially the only left- or right-handed animal species, exhibit this trait? Such clear lateral asymmetry, as psychologists refer to it, is not even present in our nearest ancestors among the apes. Yet, it appears that 90% of all human populations throughout history have been right-handed. After reviewing the evidence on left-handedness, Professor Bryan Turner from Deakin University discovered that handedness and sidedness go hand in hand. Hence, eight out of ten persons are right-footed, and nine out of ten are right-handed. In the human population, he observed, there is a distinctive asymmetry that is itself systematic. “Left and right, up and down, and black and white in such a way humans categorise their thoughts into.” We can group things that are essentially unclear using this collection of signals.

 

Paragraph 2

According to research, handedness has a genetic or inherited component. Despite the notion that left-handedness typically runs in families, neither left nor right-handed adults are guaranteed to give birth to children who share their handedness; in fact, only about 6% of children with two right-handed parents are left-handed. Yet, if both parents are left-handed, then maybe 40% of the offspring will be left-handed as well. 15% to 20% of the offspring will be left-handed if both parents are right-handed. One in six pairs of identical twins who share the same genes will have different handedness.

 

Paragraph 3

If it is not just genetic, what causes people to be left-handed? Researchers are looking to the brain for hints as to what additional elements might be at play. Dr. Paul Broca, a French physician and anthropologist, discovered in the 1860s that stroke victims who lost their ability to speak as a result of a blood clot in the brain also experienced right-side paralysis. As the right half of the body is controlled by the left hemisphere of the brain and the left hemisphere by the right, he recognised that the left hemisphere of the brain must have sustained injury. Today, psychologists estimate that 95% of right-handed people have their language centres in the left hemisphere, compared to 5% who have right-sided language. However, left-handed people do not exhibit the opposite tendency; rather, the majority also speak from their left hemisphere. 30% of people speak a language from their right hemisphere.

 

Paragraph 4

Dr. Brinkman, a neurological scientist at Australia's National University in Canberra, hypothesises that the evolution of speech corresponded to a preference for utilising one's right hand. Brinkman claims that as the brain changed through time, one side grew more adept at precise movement, which is required for speaking, and this change resulted in a preference for the right hand. Brinkman asserts that although most left-handers have a predominance in the left hemisphere, they still have some aptitude in the right hemisphere. Because left-handers have a more bilateral speaking function, she has noticed that when a left-handed individual has brain damage in the left hemisphere, speech recovery is frequently better.

 

Paragraph 5

According to Brinkman's research on macaque monkeys, primates (monkeys) appear to learn a preference for one or both hands from their mothers during the first year of life. However, in humans, the two hemispheres' functional specialisation leads to physical differences: regions involved in speech production are typically larger on the left side than on the right. One would not anticipate seeing such a variation in monkeys as they have not yet mastered the ability of speech, but Brinkman claims to have found a pattern in monkeys that is similar to the asymmetry found in the human brain.

 

Paragraph 6

Geschwind and Galaburda, two American scientists who examined the brains of developing human beings, found that the left-right asymmetry already occurs before birth. However, a variety of factors can impact how the brain grows. Every brain has a feminine organisational structure at first; it only changes to a masculine structure when the male embryo starts to emit hormones. Geschwind and Galaburda were aware that the right and left hemispheres of the brain develop at distinct rates of maturation. Additionally, a girl's brain matures a little bit quicker than a boy's. Therefore, males are more vulnerable to experiencing problems with the development of their brains during pregnancy, and the left hemisphere is more likely to be involved. Left-handedness and the development of certain superior skills that have their roots in the left hemisphere, such as logic, rationality, and abstraction, may arise from the brain being less lateralised. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that there are more left-handed men than women in the fields of mathematics and architecture.

 

Paragraph 7

The findings of this study may provide some relief to left-handed persons who have spent decades adjusting to a world that was made for right-handed people. But what worries writer and journalist Mr. Charles Moore is the way the term "right" maintains its own goodness. Language, according to him, subtly instructs people to believe that everything on the right is safe to trust, while anything on the left is untrustworthy or even evil. When it comes to left-handed compliments, Moore claims that "it is no mystery that left-handed children who are compelled to utilise their right hand often acquire stammering as they are stripped of their right of speech." However, attitudes towards left-handed people are gradually improving as more research is done on the factors that contribute to the condition. In fact, when asked what one change he would make to his game, tennis champion Ivan Lendl replied that he would like to switch from being a righthander to a lefthander.

2.

Right And Left Handedness In Humans Reading Question & Answers

Discover exciting and informative IELTS reading answers about Right And Left Handedness In Humans

Questions and Answers 1-7
  • Match the personalities listed A-E with the opinions listed 1-7 below using the information in the text.
  • Fill in boxes 1-7 on the answer sheet with the relevant letter A-E

 

 

Some people have more than one point of view.

 

A. Dr. Broco

B. Dr. Brinkman

C. Geschwind and Galaburda

D. Charles Moore

E. Professor Turner


 

  1. When humans first created language, they began to exhibit an inclination for right-handedness.
  2. Left-handed people face bias in society.
  3. Relative to females, males have a greater probability of being left-handed.
  4. Left-handed persons recover their speech faster than right-handed ones after a stroke.
  5. People who have strokes on the left side of their brain generally lose their ability to speak.
  6. Before birth, the two sides of the brain develop different functions.
  7. Asymmetry is a characteristic of the human body.

 

 

Right And Left Handedness In Humans Reading Answers with Explanations (1-7)

 

Type of question: Matching information

 

In this question type, you will be asked to match specific pieces of information, often dates, names, or events, from the reading passage with corresponding options provided in the question.

 

How to best answer: 
 

  • Read each statement carefully to understand the specific information being asked for.
  • Scan the passage for relevant dates or events in the reading passage that corresponds to each statement.
  • Eliminate incorrect options that do not match the information found in the passage.
  • Match the remaining options based on the information provided in the passage.
  • Verify your answers to ensure they match the information in the passage before finalising them.

 

 

1. B

 

Reference:

 

From paragraph 4: “Dr. Brinkman, a neurological scientist at Australia's National University in Canberra, hypothesises that the evolution of speech corresponded to a preference for utilising one's right hand.”
 

Explanation

Dr. Brinkman's observation indicates that left-handed individuals exhibit better speech recovery after a stroke due to their more bilateral speaking function, contrasting with right-handed individuals.


 

2. D

 

Reference:

 

From paragraph 7: “Language, according to him, subtly instructs people to believe that everything on the right is safe to trust, while anything on the left is untrustworthy or even evil."
 

Explanation

Charles Moore highlights societal bias against left-handed individuals by suggesting that language subtly favours the right side, implying a societal preference for right-handedness.


 

3. C

 

Reference:

 

From paragraph 6:  “Therefore, it should come as no surprise that there are more left-handed men than women in the fields of mathematics and architecture”.
 

Explanation

Geschwind and Galaburda's research findings suggest a gender difference in left-handedness prevalence, with males being more likely to be left-handed compared to females, especially in certain professions like mathematics and architecture.


 

4. B

 

Reference:

 

From paragraph 4: “Because left-handers have a more bilateral speaking function, she has noticed that when a left-handed individual has brain damage in the left hemisphere, speech recovery is frequently better."
 

Explanation

Dr. Brinkman's assertion indicates that left-handed individuals have a better chance of speech recovery after a stroke compared to right-handed individuals, attributed to their bilateral speaking function.


 

5. A

 

Reference:

 

From paragraph 3: "Dr. Paul Broca, a French physician and anthropologist, discovered in the 1860s that stroke survivors who impaired their ability to speak as a result of a blood clot in the brain" It is made extremely obvious in this phrase. Dr. Broca thus made the claim that "People who have strokes on their left side of the brain generally lose their ability to speak."
 

Explanation

Dr. Broca's discovery emphasises that strokes affecting the left side of the brain generally result in the loss of speech, indicating a correlation between brain hemisphere and speech function.


 

6. C

 

Reference:

 

From paragraph 6: “Geschwind and Galaburda, two American scientists who examined the brains of developing human beings, found that the left-right asymmetry already occurs before birth.”
 

Explanation

Geschwind and Galaburda's research findings suggest that the left-right brain asymmetry occurs before birth, indicating that brain development and specialisation begin in utero.


 

7. E

 

Reference:

 

From paragraph 1: "After reviewing the evidence on left-handedness, Professor Bryan Turner from Deakin University discovered that handedness and sidedness go hand in hand. Hence, eight out of ten persons are right-footed, and nine out of ten are right-handed. In the human population, he observed, there is a distinctive asymmetry that is itself systematic."
 

Explanation

Professor Turner's observation highlights the systematic asymmetry present in the human population, indicating that asymmetry is indeed a characteristic feature of the human body.

Questions and Answers 8-10
  • Fill up the blanks in the table below using the information from the passage.
  • Fill up the blanks in boxes 8-10 with your responses.

 

 

 

Percentage of left-handed children

A left-handed parent, a right-handed parent8. _______________
Parents are both left-handed9. _______________
Parents are both right-handed10. _______________

 

 

Right And Left Handedness In Humans Reading Answers with Explanations (8-10)

 

Type of question: Fill in the Blanks

 

In this question type, you will be required to complete the missing information in a given text, often by selecting words or phrases from the passage to fill the gaps appropriately. These questions assess comprehension and understanding of the passage.

 

How to answer: 

 

  • Read the entire passage carefully to understand its context and main ideas.
  • Focus on the context around the blanks for clues.
  • Pay attention to grammar cues for correct completion.
  • Use logical reasoning to fill in the missing information.
  • Verify and finalise your answers.


 

8. 15-20%

 

Reference:

 

From paragraph 2: "15% to 20% of the offspring will be left-handed if both parents are right-handed."
 

Explanation

The percentage of left-handed children when both parents are right-handed is 15-20%, as stated in the paragraph, indicating a moderate likelihood.


 

9. 40%

 

Reference:

 

From paragraph 2: “Yet, if both parents are left-handed, then maybe 40% of the offspring will be left-handed as well.”

 

Explanation

When both parents are left-handed, there's a higher likelihood of their offspring being left-handed, estimated at around 40%, as mentioned in the paragraph.


 

10. 6%

 

Reference:

 

From paragraph 3: "Despite the notion that left-handedness typically runs in families, neither left nor right-handed adults are guaranteed to give birth to children who share their handedness; in fact, only about 6% of children with two right-handed parents are left-handed."
 

Explanation

When both parents are right-handed, the likelihood of having a left-handed child decreases significantly to around 6%, as indicated in the paragraph.

Questions and Answers 11-12
  • Fill in boxes 11-12 on your answer sheet with the appropriate letters, A-D.

 

 

11. Monkey research has revealed this
 

  1. Right-handedness is uncommon among monkeys.
  2. Speech is demonstrated by monkeys.
  3. Compared to human brains, monkey brains are smaller.
  4. The monkey brain is not symmetrical.

 

12. The author claims that left-handed people

 

  1. Will frequently start to stammer.
  2. Have experienced difficulty for years.
  3. Are unreliable.
  4. They play tennis well.

 

 

Right And Left Handedness In Humans Reading Answers with Explanations (11-12)

 

Type of question: Multiple choice questions

 

In this question type, you are asked to answer the question followed by several options, typically lettered A, B, C, or D. The task is to select the correct answer from the given choices based on the information provided in the reading passage.

 

How to best answer: 
 

  • Read the question carefully and understand what it asks.
  • Pay attention to the keywords in the question.
  • Skim the passage quickly to locate relevant information.
  • Eliminate the clearly incorrect options.
  • Select the answer that best fits the information in the passage.


 

11. D

 

Reference:

 

From paragraph 5: “One would not anticipate seeing such a variation in monkeys as they have not yet mastered the ability of speech, but Brinkman claims to have found a pattern in monkeys that is similar to the asymmetry found in the human brain.”

 

Explanation

The statement suggests that the research revealed asymmetry in the monkey brain, similar to that found in humans, indicating that the monkey brain is not symmetrical.


 

12. B

 

Reference:

 

From paragraph 7: "The findings of this study may provide some relief to left-handed persons regarding right-handed people who have spent decades adjusting to a world that was made for right-handed people.”
 

Explanation

The statement indicates that left-handed people have experienced difficulty for years, as mentioned in option B.

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FAQs

Q. What are some common misconceptions about the IELTS Reading test?

Ans. Certainly! Here's the revised text:
 

Misconceptions about the IELTS reading test include the idea that you need to understand every word, read the entire passage, anticipate straightforward questions, answer questions in order, and have prior knowledge of the topics. Recognising and understanding these misunderstandings will help you tackle the test with confidence and meet its requirements effectively.

Q. What is the band score range for the IELTS Reading module?

Ans. In the IELTS reading module, your score will be between 0 and 9 based on the number of correct answers you provide. The scores are rounded to the nearest half-band. Your proficiency level can range from non-user (0) to expert user (9), and the specific requirements can vary depending on institutional or organisational standards.

Q. What are good tips/practices for IELTS Reading preparation?

Ans. To do well on the IELTS reading exam, you need to get to know the test format, improve your reading speed, learn more words, practice with sample tests, and get better at skimming and scanning. Regular practice and hard work will help you improve your skills and get a high score.