Are you struggling with the academic reading passage “Left or Right” about lateralisation? Are you unsure about your answers and in need of a thorough explanation?
Don’t worry! This article from ECE Language Center will “dissect” the entire “Left or Right” passage, providing accurate answers with detailed explanations for every question. We will analyze the content together, identify keywords, and uncover the most effective strategies for tackling the task. Let’s get started!
An overview of some research into lateralization: the dominance of one side of the body over the other
A. Creatures across the animal kingdom have a preference for one foot, eye or even antenna. The cause of this trait, called lateralisation, is fairly simple: one side of the brain, which generally controls the opposite side of the body, is more dominant than the other when processing certain tasks. This does, on some occasions, let the animal down, such as when a toad fails to escape from a snake approaching from the right, just because its right eye is worse at spotting danger than its left. So why would animals evolve a characteristic that seems to endanger them?
B. For many years it was assumed that lateralisation was a uniquely human trait, but this notion rapidly fell apart as researchers started uncovering evidence of lateralisation in all sorts of animals. For example, in the 1970s, Lesley Rogers, now at the University of New England in Australia, was studying memory and learning in chicks. She had been injecting a chemical into chicks’ brains to stop them learning how to spot grains of food among distracting pebbles, and was surprised to observe that the chemical only worked when applied to the left hemisphere of the brain. That strongly suggested that the right side of the chicks’ brain played little or no role in the learning of such behaviours. Similar evidence appeared in songbirds and rats around the same time, and since then, researchers have built up an impressive catalogue of animal lateralisation.
C. In some animals, lateralisation is simply a preference for a single paw or foot, while in others it appears in more general patterns of behaviour. The left side of most vertebrate brains, for example, seems to process and control feeding. Since the left hemisphere processes input from the right side of the body, that means animals as diverse as fish, toads and birds are more likely to attack prey or food items viewed with their right eye. Even humpback whales prefer to use the right side of their jaws to scrape sand eels from the ocean floor.
D. Genetics plays a part in determining lateralisation, but environmental factors have an impact too. Rogers found that a chick’s lateralisation depends on whether it is exposed to light before hatching from its egg – if it is kept in the dark during this period, neither hemisphere becomes dominant. In 2004, Rogers used this observation to test the advantages of brain bias in chicks faced with the challenge of multitasking. She hatched chicks with either strong or weak lateralisation, then presented the two groups with food hidden among small pebbles and the threatening shape of a fake predator flying overhead. As predicted, the birds incubated in the light looked for food mainly with their right eye, while using the other to check out the predator. The weakly-lateralized chicks, meanwhile, had difficulty performing these two activities simultaneously.
E. Similar results probably hold true for many other animals. In 2006, Angelo Bisazza at the University of Padua set out to observe the differences in feeding behaviour between strongly-lateralized and weakly-lateralized fish. He found that strongly-lateralized individuals were able to feed twice as fast as weakly-lateralized ones when there was a threat of a predator looming above them. Assigning different jobs to different brain halves may be especially advantageous for animals such as birds or fish, whose eyes are placed on the sides of their heads. This enables them to process input from each side separately, with different tasks in mind.
F. And what of those animals who favour a specific side for almost all tasks? In 2009, Maria Magat and Culum Brown at Macquarie University in Australia wanted to see if there was a general cognitive advantage in lateralisation. To investigate, they turned to parrots, which can be either strongly right- or left-footed, or ambidextrous (without dominance). The parrots were given the intellectually demanding task of pulling a snack on a string up to their beaks, using a coordinated combination of claws and beak. The results showed that the parrots with the strongest foot preferences worked out the puzzle far more quickly than their ambidextrous peers.
G. A further puzzle is why are there always a few exceptions, like left-handed humans, who are wired differently from the majority of the population? Giorgio Vallortigara and Stefano Ghirlanda of Stockholm University seem to have found the answer via mathematical models. These have shown that a group of fish is likely to survive a shark attack with the fewest casualties if the majority turn together in one direction while a very small proportion of the group escape in the direction that the predator is not expecting.
H. This imbalance of lateralisation within populations may also have advantages for individuals. Whereas most co-operative interactions require participants to react similarly, there are some situations – such as aggressive interactions – where it can benefit an individual to launch an attack from an unexpected quarter. Perhaps this can partly explain the existence of left-handers in human societies. It has been suggested that when it comes to hand-to-hand fighting, left-handers may have the advantage over the right-handed majority. Where survival depends on the element of surprise, it may indeed pay to be different.
Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-F, below.
Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 27-30 on your answer sheet.
27. In the 1970s, Lesley Rogers discovered that
28. Angelo Bisazza’s experiments revealed that
29. Magat and Brown’s studies show that
30. Vallortigara and Ghirlanda’s research findings suggest that
lateralisation is more common in some species than in others.
it benefits a population if some members have a different lateralisation than the majority.
lateralisation helps animals do two things at the same time.
lateralisation is not confined to human beings.
the greater an animal’s lateralisation, the better it is at problem-solving.
strong lateralisation may sometimes put groups of animals in danger.
Complete the summary below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 31-35 on your answer sheet.
Lesley Rogers’ 2004 Experiment
Lateralisation is determined by both genetic and influences. Rogers found that chicks whose eggs are given during the incubation period tend to have a stronger lateralisation. Her 2004 experiment set out to prove that these chicks were better at than weakly lateralized chicks. As expected, the strongly lateralized birds in the experiment were more able to locate using their right eye while using their left eye to monitor an imitation located above them.
Reading Passage 3 has eight paragraphs, A-H.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 36-40 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
36. description of a study which supports another scientist’s findings.
37. the suggestion that a person could gain from having an opposing lateralisation to most of the population.
38. reference to the large amount of knowledge of animal lateralisation that has accumulated.
39. research findings that were among the first to contradict a previous belief.
40. a suggestion that lateralisation would seem to disadvantage animals.
Part 1: Overview of the “Left or Right” Reading Passage
Before diving into the answers, understanding the main content and structure of the passage is crucial. This helps you locate information faster and answer questions like Matching Headings or Matching Information accurately.
Summary of Main Content
This passage analyzes “lateralisation” – the dominance of one side of the brain, which leads animals (including humans) to favor one side of their body (right-handedness, left-eye dominance, etc.). The article moves from debunking the old belief that this is a uniquely human trait to presenting its evolutionary benefits, such as multitasking and problem-solving. Finally, it explains why a minority group (like left-handed people) always exists and the benefits of this difference for both the population and the individual.
Structure of the Passage by Paragraph
- Paragraph A: Introduces the concept of lateralisation and raises questions about its evolutionary benefits.
- Paragraph B: Debunks the “uniquely human” belief and highlights Lesley Rogers’ pioneering research.
- Paragraph C: Provides examples of lateralisation in animal feeding behavior.
- Paragraph D: Discusses causes (genetics, environment) and demonstrates multitasking benefits through Rogers’ experiment.
- Paragraph E: Reinforces multitasking benefits through another study on fish.
- Paragraph F: Demonstrates problem-solving benefits through research on parrots.
- Paragraph G: Explains survival benefits for the group/population when a minority of individuals are different.
- Paragraph H: Extends to individual benefits when belonging to a minority group (e.g., advantages in combat).
Part 2: Answer Key and Detailed Explanations for IELTS Reading “Left or Right” (Questions 27-40)
This is the most important part! We will go through each question, identify the correct answer, and analyze why it is correct.
Task Type: Matching Sentence Endings | Questions 27-30
🔑 Strategy: Scan for scientists’ names, locate the information, and find the option that best paraphrases their findings.
27. In the 1970s, Lesley Rogers discovered that ➡️ D. lateralisation is not confined to human beings.
- Location: Paragraph B.
- Explanation: Paragraph B states that the notion that lateralisation was a “uniquely human trait” “fell apart.” Lesley Rogers’ 1970s experiment was one of the first pieces of evidence for this. Therefore, her discovery proved that lateralisation is not limited to humans, matching option D.
28. Angelo Bisazza’s experiments revealed that ➡️ C. lateralisation helps animals do two things at the same time.
- Location: Paragraph E.
- Explanation: Bisazza’s experiment showed that fish with strong lateralisation could feed while remaining alert to predators. This is an example of “doing two things at the same time,” which perfectly matches option C.
29. Magat and Brown’s studies show that ➡️ E. the greater an animal’s lateralisation, the better it is at problem-solving.
- Location: Paragraph F.
- Explanation: The study showed that parrots with the “strongest foot preferences” (strong lateralisation) “worked out the puzzle far more quickly.” Solving a puzzle is equivalent to “problem-solving.” Thus, stronger lateralisation leads to better problem-solving, matching option E.
30. Vallortigara and Ghirlanda’s research findings suggest that ➡️ B. it benefits a population if some members have a different lateralisation than the majority.
- Location: Paragraph G.
- Explanation: Their model shows that a “group of fish” survives better if a “very small proportion” acts differently from “the majority.” Option B accurately paraphrases this conclusion.
Task Type: Summary Completion | Questions 31-35
🔑 Strategy: Read the summary carefully, identify the required information, and scan the corresponding paragraph (Paragraph D) to find the exact SINGLE WORD.
- 31. environmental
Quote: “…but environmental factors have an impact too.”
- 32. light
Quote: “…depends on whether it is exposed to light before hatching…”
- 33. multitasking
Quote: “…faced with the challenge of multitasking.”
- 34. food
Quote: “…looked for food mainly with their right eye…”
- 35. predator
Quote: “…using the other to check out the fake predator flying overhead.”
Task Type: Matching Information to Paragraphs | Questions 36-40
🔑 Strategy: Read the questions carefully, underline keywords, and scan the paragraphs to find specific information. Note that a paragraph can be used more than once.
36. description of a study which supports another scientist’s findings ➡️ E
Explanation: The question asks for a study that supports another’s findings. Paragraph D discusses Rogers’ multitasking study. Paragraph E begins with “Similar results…” and describes Bisazza’s study, which supports the previous findings.
37. the suggestion that a person could gain from having an opposing lateralisation to most of the population ➡️ H
Explanation: We need to find benefits for an “individual” when they differ from the majority. Paragraph G discusses group benefits, but Paragraph H explicitly mentions benefits for an “individual” and relates it to “left-handers in human societies.”
38. reference to the large amount of knowledge of animal lateralisation that has accumulated ➡️ B
Explanation: We need a phrase indicating a “large amount of knowledge.” At the end of Paragraph B, it says, “…researchers have built up an impressive catalogue of animal lateralisation.” “Impressive catalogue” is the expression for this idea.
39. research findings that were among the first to contradict a previous belief ➡️ B
Explanation: Find the first research that contradicted a previous belief. Paragraph B states the old belief was that it was a “uniquely human trait” and introduces Rogers’ 1970 study as the evidence that collapsed this belief.
40. a suggestion that lateralisation would seem to disadvantage animals ➡️ A
Explanation: Find the paragraph mentioning the disadvantage of lateralisation. Paragraph A gives the example of a toad being attacked by a snake and asks why this trait exists even though it seems to “endanger them.”
Through the analysis above, we can see that the “Left or Right” passage is not overly complex if you master the skills of scanning for keywords (proper nouns, dates, technical terms) and recognizing paraphrasing.
✨ Tips for handling similar reading passages:
- Skim for the main idea: Spend the first 1-2 minutes skimming the paragraphs to understand the function of each.
- Solve easy questions first: Tasks like summary completion often have easier-to-find information; do these first to build confidence.
- Pay attention to proper nouns and numbers: These are “anchors” that help you locate answers extremely quickly.
- Don’t translate word-for-word: Focus on understanding the main idea of the sentence and comparing it with the options, rather than trying to translate every single word.
Hopefully, this article from ECE Language Center has helped you gain a deeper understanding of the “Left or Right” passage and feel more confident in conquering IELTS Reading. Good luck with your studies and achieving your target band score!
Khai giảng Khóa học Hè cực HOT.
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