{{B}}
An Observation and an
Explanation{{/B}} It is worth looking at one or two aspects of the
way a mother behaves towards her baby. The usual fondling, cuddling and cleaning
require 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
heart beat 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.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 题干分析：大意：我们能通过母亲把孩子靠着身体抱着的姿势了解很多东西。从句意来看是概括性的话语而且与文章的主题相关，所以推测可能需要考牛进行推断。利用题干中出现的核心结构“holds her baby against her body”作为答案线索，找到答案相关句：It is worth looking at one or two aspects of the way a mother behaves towards her baby．The usual fondling, cuddling and cleaning require little comment but the position in which she holds the baby against her body when resting is rather revealing．划线句说“母亲把孩子靠着身体抱着的姿势很具有启迪性”，可见问题句的说法与该句的说法一致。
单选题
Most left-handed women feel comfortable by holding their babies in their left arm and keep the right arm free.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 题干分析：大意：大多数惯用左手的妇女用左手怀抱婴儿，空出右手，这样她们感到舒服。利用题干中出现的核心结构“holding their babies in their left arm and keep the right arm free”作为答案线索，发现答案相关句：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 ．…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．划线句子中提到了78%惯用左手的母亲是左手怀抱婴儿，但是并没有提到这样做会使他们感到舒服，所以判断问题句的说法为“没提到”。
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%.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 题干分析：大意：惯用右手的母亲把孩子靠着身体的左侧怀抱的人数比惯用左手的母亲人数多22%。利用题干中出现的特征词22%作为答案线索，发现答案相关句：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．文章中直接出现的数字22%是有关惯用左手的母亲让左手空出来用于做其他的工作，而与问题句的内容无关，而前一句已经点明了两种母亲人数上的差距是5%，因此判断问题句的说法“不正确”。
单选题
The fact that most left-handed mothers hold the baby on their left side renders the first explanation unsustainable.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 题干分析：大意：大多数惯用左手的母亲把孩子抱在身体的左侧这个事实表明第一种解释是不正确的。利用题干中的核心词“first explanation”作为答案线索，这样发现答案相关句：Clearly there must be some other, less obvious explanation．该句暗示题干中提到的“first explanation”在前文中，这样发现了直接答案相关句：If asked to explain(与explanation呼应)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．(该句揭示了第一种解释的内容)…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．该句说明大多数用左手的母亲也是左手怀抱孩子，因此判断问题句的说法正确。
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.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 题干分析：大意：心脏位于母亲身体的左侧这个事实提供了最令人信服的解释。注意到该句在结构上和内容上与上题有关，注意句子中出现的修饰词“most convincing”，利用题干中出现的核心结构“the heart is on the left side of the mother's body”作为答案线索，发现答案相关句：The only other clue comes from the fact that the heart is on the side of the mother's body．．该句中说“心脏位于母亲身体的左侧这个事实是最令人信服的解释”，既然这是惟一的另一个线索，因此可以得出“这个解释是最令人信服的”。
单选题
A baby held in the right arm of its mother can be easily frightened.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 题干分析：大意：把孩子抱在母亲的右手中，会让孩子很容易感到害怕。利用题干中出现的修饰词“easily frightened”作为答案线索，这样发现答案相关句：If this is so，then the re-discovery of this familiar sound after birth might have a calming effect on the infant, especially as it has just been born into a strange and frighteningly new world．该句只是说“当孩子刚刚降生到一个陌生而且可怕的新世界，孩子重新听到熟悉的声音会对孩子有安静的作用”，而与问题句的内容无关，因此判断问题句的说法为“没提到”。
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 mothers' left arms than in the right arms.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 题干分析：大意：孩子抱在左手中要比抱在右手中显得更平静，这个事实支持了作者对这个现象(人多数母亲左手怀抱孩子)的解释。该问题句是总结性的话语，因此推测该题可能需要考生进行推断。利用题干中出现的修饰词“peaceful”作为答案线索，发现答案相关句：If this is so，then the re-discovery of this familiar sound after birth might have a calming effect (与peaceful呼应)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 (与peaceful呼应)if held on the left against her heart than on the right．该句说“如果是这样(母亲的心跳对孩子有安静的作用)，母亲很快会发现把孩子抱在她身体的左边靠着心脏要比把孩子抱在右边显得更平静”，反之可以借助这个现象得出作者的解释是正确的。