Who designed (设计) the first helicopter (直升飞机)? Who __1__ of the most famous pictures in the world? Who knew more about the human body than most __2__? There is an answer __3__ all these  questions --- Leonardo de Vinci (达芬奇).
　　Leonardo may have been the greatest genius (天才) __4__ have ever known. He lived in Italy around the year 1500, but many of his inventions seem modern to us today. For example, one of his notebooks has drawings of a helicopter. Of course, he couldn’t __5__ a helicopter with the things he had. But scientists say his idea would have worked.
　　But Leonardo __6__ an inventor. He was one of the greatest artists of his day. By the time he was twenty years old, he was called a master ( 大师) painter, and as he got older he became __7__ more famous. Sometimes he drew a hand ten different ways __8__ he was ready to paint.
　　Many of Leonardo’s wonderful paintings are still with __9__ today. You may know one of his most famous works the __10__ woman known as the Mona Lisa.

　　1. A. took                     B. made         C. painted              D. invented
　　2. A. artists            B. doctors     C. painters            D. people
　　3. A. to                 B. of             C. for            D. from
　　4. A. the scientists  B. the artists   C. the world          D. people
　　5. A. draw            B. paint        C. work                 D. build
　　6. A. was just         B. wasn’t just  C. wasn’t               D. was no longer
　　7. A. less              B. no             C. even                 D. very
　　8. A. before          B. after          C. because            D. when
　　9. A. him               B. us              C. them                 D. you
　　10. A. interesting    B. crying        C. smiling             D. surprising

Most people around the world are right-handed. This also seems to be true in history. In 1799, scientists studied works of art made at different times from 1,500 B. C. to the 1950s. Most of the people shown in these works are right-handed, so the scientists guessed that right-handedness has always been common through history. Today, only about 10% to 15% of the world's population is left-handed.

Why are there more right-handed people than left-handed ones? Scientists now know that a person's two hands each have their own jobs. For most people, the hand is used to find things or hold things. The right hand is used to work with things. This is because of the different work of the two sides of the brain(脑). The right side of the brain, which makes a person's hands and eyes work together, controls(控制) the left hand. The left-side of the brain, which controls the right hand, is the centre for thinking and doing problems. These findings show that more artists should be left-handed, and studies have found that left-handedness is twice as common among artists as among people in other jobs.

No one really knows what makes a person become right-handed instead of left-handed. Scientists have found that almost 40% of the people become left-handed because their main brain is damaged(伤害) when they are born. However, this doesn't happen to everyone, so scientists guess there must be another reason why people become left-handed. One idea is that people usually get right-handed from their parents. If a person does not receive the gene(基因)for right-handedness, he/she may become either right-handed or left-handed according (根据)to the chance and the people they work or live with.

Though right-handedness is more common than left-handedness, people no longer think left-handed people are strange or unusual. A long time ago, left-handed children were made to use their right hands like other children, but today they don't have to.

56. After studying works of art made at different times in history, the scientists

found ____________.

A. the art began from 1,500 B. C.

B. the works of art ended in the 1950s

C. most people shown in the works of art are right-handed

D. most people shown in the works of art are left-handed

57. How many people in the world are left-handed now?

A. Less than one sixth.　　　 　　　　　　 B. More than a half.

C. About 40%.　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　 D. The passage doesn't tell us.

58. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A. No one really knows what makes a person become right-handed.

B. Scientists think there must be some reason why people become left-handed.

C. Today children are not made to use their right hands only.

D. Left-handedness is cleverer than right-handedness.

59. What is the best title for this passage?

A. Left-handed People 　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Scientists' New Inventions

C. Which Hand　　　　　　　 　　　　 D. Different Brains, Different Hands