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Left – Handed and Proud: Secret’s of the World’s Lefties

Are you left-handed? If so, 13 August is your day – International Left-Handers’ Day! Only 10–12% of people are lefties, but they include some very famous names: presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, Prince William, and stars like Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber. Bieber’s first guitar was actually right-handed — he tried to play it backwards before his mum bought him the right one!

Being a lefty wasn’t always easy. In the past, teachers forced left-handed children to write with their right hand –  even Prince William’s great-grandfather, King George VI. Some cultures still see the left hand as rude for eating or giving gifts. Even language is unfair to lefties: in French, gauche means both “left” and “clumsy,” and the English word “left” comes from an old word meaning “weak.” Centuries ago in Britain, some left-handed people were even accused of witchcraft!

So why are some people left-handed? Genetics matter – if both your parents are lefties, you have a 1-in-4 chance of being one too. Scientists at Oxford also found that left-handed brains connect language skills more strongly than right-handed brains.

And humans aren’t the only lefties in nature! Kangaroos favour their left paw for eating and grooming, and 90% of parrots use their left foot to hold food. Even Neanderthals, our ancient relatives from 500,000 years ago, show signs of being left-handed – scientists found scratch marks from stone tools on their teeth!

forrás: BBC

1. What percentage of the world’s population is left-handed?
a) 1–2% b) 10–12% c) 25–30% d) 50%

2. What happened when Justin Bieber first tried to play the guitar?
a) He played it upside down.
b) He tried to play a right-handed guitar backwards.
c) He refused to learn guitar.
d) He broke the guitar.

3. What is one reason some people believe explains why a person is left-handed?
a) Diet during childhood
b) Genetics — it can run in the family
c) Learning it from a teacher
d) Playing more sports

4. How do scientists know some Neanderthals may have been left-handed?
a) Cave paintings show them using their left hand.
b) Scratch marks on their teeth suggest left-hand tool use.
c) Their bones were shaped differently.
d) Ancient written records describe it.

Megoldások: 1-b, 2-b, 3-b, 4-b