It is worth looking at one or two
aspects of the way a mother behaves towards her baby. The usual fondling,
cuddling and cleaning requite little comment, but the position in which she
holds the baby against her body when resting is rather revealing. Careful
studies have shown the fact that 80 percent of mothers hold their infants in
their left arms, holding them against the left side of their bodies. If asked to
explain the significance of this preference most people reply that it is
obviously the result of the predominance of right-handedness in the population.
By holding the babies in their left arms, the mothers keep their dominant arm
free for manipulations. But a detailed analysis shows that this is not the case.
True, there is a slight difference between right-handed and left-handed females;
but not enough to provide adequate explanation. It emerges that 83 percent of
right-handed mothers hold the baby on the left side, but so do 78 percent of
left-handed mothers. In other words, only 22 percent of the left-handed mothers
have their dominant hands free for actions. Clearly there must be some other,
less obvious explanation. The only other clue comes from the
fact that the heart is on the side of the mother's body. Could it be that the
sound of her heartbeat is the vital factor? And in what way? Thinking along
these lines it was argued that perhaps during its existence inside the body of
the mother the unborn baby get used to the sound of the heart beat. If this is
so, then the re-discovery of this familiar sound after birth might have a
claiming effect on the infant, especially as it has just been born into a
strange and frighteningly new world; if this is so, then the mother would,
somehow, soon arrive at the discovery that her baby is more at peace if held on
the left against her heart than on the right.
单选题
We can learn a lot by observing the position in which a mother holds
her baby against her body.
A. Right
B. Wrong
C. Not mentioned
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】
单选题
Most left-handed women feel comfortable by holding their babies in
their left arm and keep the right arm free.
A. Right
B. Wrong
C. Not mentioned
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】
单选题
The number of right-handed mothers who hold the baby on the left side
exceeds that of left-handed ones by 22%.
A. Right
B. Wrong
C. Not mentioned
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】
单选题
The fact that most left-handed mothers hold the baby on their left side
renders the first explanation unsustainable.
A. Right
B. Wrong
C. Not mentioned
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】
单选题
The fact that the heart is on the left side of the mother's body
provides the most convincing explanation of all.
A. Right
B. Wrong
C. Not mentioned
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】
单选题
A baby held in the right arm of its mother can be easily frightened.
A. Right
B. Wrong
C. Not mentioned
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】
单选题
The writer's explanation of the phenomenon is supported by the fact
that babies tend to be more peaceful if held in their mother's left arms than in
the right arms.