SFL/METU
Dept. of B.E.
Reading Practice 10
December 2016
INTERMEDIATE GROUP
(Student's Copy)
LEFT-HANDEDNESS
1
There is a pervading prejudice in most countries against minorities. Jokes are told about ethnic
minorities, for example. They are usually the same jokes in each country, just the target minority is changed
– the Irish in England, the Polish in America, and so on. Members of sub-cultures are socially excluded:
those not dressed in a certain acceptable way will be barred from entering places of entertainment or even
work. Even the disabled are subjected to treatment worse than that experienced by the able-bodied in
many countries. However, one prejudice is pandemic: left- handed people are viewed with suspicion and
treated as somehow “wrong” all over the world.
2
Until the 1930s, in the developed world, left-handed children would be abused at school. In most schools,
children who showed southpaw tendencies had their left hands tied behind their backs, forcing them to
write “normally”. In some cases, corporal punishment was used – children were beaten in order to make
them conform. This practice is not unknown in certain parts of the world, even today.
3
How many people find themselves in this predicament? It is hard to say: ashamed of this trait in
themselves, or in their children, many people claim right-handedness. Undoubtedly, the left- handed are
a minority, but at between 7 and 10 % of the world’s population, or anything up to 660 million people,
they are a large minority indeed. It is also noteworthy that the geographical spread of left-handedness is
more or less even across the world – no one region seems to have a significantly higher or lower
percentage among their populations. However, within those populations, certain groups can be identified:
studies indicate that left-handedness is more common in males than females. Matters of gender aside,
left-handedness, also appears to occur more frequently in identical twins.
4
So what causes left-handedness? Hand orientation is developed in unborn children; current research
has shown that there is a genetic factor involved. Other researchers have proved that frequent ultrasound
scans, or exposure to high levels of the hormone testosterone are responsible. A study conducted in
France in the 1970s suggested that the time it takes for a baby to actually be born can also affect hand
orientation. In this study, Dr. René Grenoble attempted to prove that when the mother’s labor was
longer, the baby was more likely to be left-handed. The study, unfortunately, had to be prematurely
terminated, and it has never been resumed.
5
Whatever the causes, the left handed certainly find themselves at a disadvantage in various aspects of life.
Many such children living in western countries struggle at school when it comes to learning to write:
their writing hand drags across what they have just written, often leaving their schoolwork untidy
and inviting criticism from their teachers. School is not the only area of life where the left-handed
experience problems. They are sometimes placed at a disadvantage by the prevalence of right handed tools
in society, many of which were designed to be used comfortably with the right hand. For example,
scissors are arranged so that the line being cut along can be seen by a right-handed user, but is obscured
to a left-handed user. The computer mouse is another example.
6
Language is another aspect of everyday life loaded with prejudice against the left-handed. The English
word “dextrous”, meaning mentally or physically skillful, comes from the Latin word for right; the English
word “sinister”, meaning evil or threatening, comes from the Latin word for left. A person who can write
equally well with both hands is called “ambidextrous” (having two right hands). Examples of this prejudice
can be found from languages all over the world, including Hebrew, Mandarin Chinese and Basque.
7
It seems, then, that life is heavily loaded against the left-handed. However, this is not always the case.
In his book Right-Hand, Left-Hand, Chris McManus of University College London, argues that left-handed
people as a group have historically produced an above-average quota of high achievers. He says that lefthanders' brains are structured differently in a way that widens their range of abilities. In 2006, researchers
at Lafayette College and Johns Hopkins University found that left-handed men are 15 percent richer than
right-handed men for those who attended college, and 26 percent richer if they graduated. So maybe being
left-handed is not such a bad thing after all. It worked for Jimi Hendrix.
1
A. What do the following words refer to?
1.
that (para.1)
: ______________________________________________.
2.
this trait (para.3)
: ______________________________________________.
3. many of which (para.5) : many of _______________________________________.
B. Find words in the text which mean the following. DO NOT CHANGE THE FORM OF THE
WORDS and write ONE WORD ONLY.
1.
common; widespread (adj.) (para.1) : __________________________
2.
left out (v.) (para.1)
: __________________________
3.
ended (v.) (para.4)
: __________________________
C. Fill in the blanks with suitable information from paragraph 3 of the text.
Most
people
avoid
saying
that
they
or
their
children
are
left-handed
since
(1)_________________________ this characteristic. Although the left- handed are a minority,
(2)_________________________
is
very
high
for
a
minority
group.
The
(3)_________________________of left-handedness is also worth noting: it is a phenomenon found all
over the world; however, left- handedness is (4)_________________________ among women. Away
from gender issues, (5) _________________________ are more likely to be left-handed.
D. Answer the following questions using information from the text and IN YOUR OWN WORDS.
1. In what way are the left-handed different from other minority groups, such as the disabled?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. In what two ways were left-handed children made to write with their right hands?
a)__________________________________________________________________________
b)__________________________________________________________________________
3. What is not given as a definite cause of left-handedness?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
4. Why does the writer explain the origin of “dextrous”?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
5. How is the information in paragraph 7 different from that in the other paragraphs?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2
COLLOCATIONAL VOCABULARY
 to have/ hold / overcome/ eliminate (cultural /
racial / political / religious) prejudice
against smb/sth (n.): an unreasonable dislike
and distrust of people who are
different from
you
 to be prejudiced against smb/sth (adj.)
 to exclude smb/sth (from sth.) (v.): to
deliberately not include sth.
 to bar smb from (doing) sth. (v.): to officially
prevent smb. from entering a place or from
doing sth.
 to subject smb/sth to sth (phr. v.): to make
smb/sth experience, suffer or be affected
by sth, usually sth unpleasant
 to treat smb with respect/kindness (v.): to behave
towards smb. in a particular way
 (un)equal/(un)fair/discriminatory treatment (n.)
 to abuse smb. (v.): to speak to smb. rudely /
cruelly
 to have a tendency to do sth. (n.): a strong
chance that sth. will happen in a particular
way
 to tend to do sth. (v.)
 to conform (to sth.) (v.): to behave in a way that
is accepted by most people.
 to conform to rules/laws/safety regulations: to
obey a rule, law etc.
 to be ashamed of sth (adj.): feeling embarrassed
and guilty because of sth. you have done
 to be ashamed to do sth
 character/personality/genetic/inherited traits
(n.): a particular quality in smb.’s character
 to identify smb./sth. (v.): to recognize sth. And
understand exactly what it is
 to indicate (that) (v.): to show that sth. will
happen, is true, or exists
 exposure to sth (n.): experiencing sth. or being
affected by sth. because of being in a
particular situation or place
 to expose smb to sth (v.)
 to conduct an investigation / an experiment / a
survey/ a test (v.): to carry out an activity or
process, esp. to get information or prove facts
 to struggle with sth (v.): to try extremely hard
to achieve sth. even though it is very difficult
 to struggle (for sth)
 to struggle to do sth
* We have been working hard to overcome prejudice against
women in politics.
* Many of them admitted that they are prejudiced against white people.
* Don’t exclude your little sister from the game.
* Some of the data was specifically excluded from the report.
* The players are barred from drinking alcohol the night before a match.
* Journalists are regularly barred from entering the country.
* Her husband subjected her to years of physical abuse.
* The city was subjected to heavy bombing.
* William was careful to treat his employees with respect.
* We want to ensure equal treatment for everyone.
* The crowd started abusing him after he failed to save a goal.
* I have a tendency to talk too much when I’m nervous.
* Women tend to live longer than men.
* Most teenagers feel pressure to conform.
* Students can be expelled for refusing to conform to school rules.
* You lied to her? You should be ashamed of yourself!
* I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve never read any of his books.
* Arrogance is a very unattractive personality / character trait.
* Scientists have identified the gene that causes abnormal growth.
* A survey indicated that 89 per cent of people recycle paper.
* Even a brief exposure to radiation is very dangerous.
* Why do we still sunbathe although we know the dangers of
exposing our skin to the sun?
* Is it really necessary to conduct experiments on animals?
* She is struggling with her health.
* Millions of people are struggling for survival.
* I’ve been struggling to understand this article all afternoon.
3
VOCABULARY PRACTICE
A. The following words are bolded and italicized in the text. Match them with their synonyms. Put
the letters on the lines provided.
______ 1. prejudice ( para.1)
a) characteristic; feature
______ 2. exclude (para.1)
b) show
______ 3. subject (para.1)
c) do; carry out
______ 4. tendency (para.2)
d) recognize; determine
______ 5. conform (para.2)
e) expose
______ 6. trait (para.3)
f) bias; preconception
______ 7. identify (para.3)
g) have difficulty/trouble
______ 8. indicate (para.3)
h) not include
______ 9. conduct (para.4)
i) obey; fit in
______ 10. struggle (para.5)
j) inclination; predisposition
B. Find words in the text that are antonymous with the words given below.
1. majority ( para.1)
_______________
2. insignificant (para.3)
_______________
3. rarely (para.3)
_______________
4. unusualness (para.5)
_______________
5. reveal (para.5)
_______________
6. exclude (para.6)
_______________
7. narrow (para.7)
_______________
C. ODD ONE OUT: Find the word that does not go with the given vocabulary item and cross it out.
1.
2.
a)
b)
c)
d)
4. a)
b)
c)
d)
have
hold
eliminate
ruin
personality
genetic
rational
family
3.
prejudice
conform to
traits
conduct
4
a)
b)
c)
d)
a)
b)
c)
d)
rules
timetables
norms
laws
a survey
an organization
a study
an experiment
D. Below is an article about media violence. Fill each gap with a suitable item from the box. DO NOT
change the form of the words. Use each item only ONCE. Be careful, there are more items than you
need.
subjected
struggling
exposure
conform
conducted
indicated
tend
prejudice
Media Violence Harms Children
The debate is eventually over. It has been acknowledged that violence on television and
in the movies is damaging to children. Forty years of research has concluded that
repeated (1)____________________ to high levels of media violence teaches some
children and adolescents to settle interpersonal differences with violence. The research has
(2)____________________ that under the media's influence, children at younger ages are using
violence as a first, not a last, resort when there is conflict.
In professional journals, there are thousands of articles documenting the negative effects of the
media on the nation's youth. What has eventually emerged from these articles is that children who
are heavy viewers of television (3)____________________ to be more pessimistic, less imaginative
and less capable students than their lighter-viewing counterparts. More importantly, children who are
(4)____________________ to media violence are at an increased risk of aggressive behavior.
Every major group concerned with children has (5)____________________ studies, explored the
implications of these studies, and issued reports on the effects of media violence on children. Many
have called for limiting television and movie violence. Doctors, therapists, teachers, and youth
workers are all (6)____________________ to help youngsters who are influenced by repeated images
of violence.
5