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For the first time, scientists have identified the genetic differences associated with left-handedness, a trait found in 10% of the human population. What's more, those genetic variants result in differences in brain structure, which might mean that left-handed people have better verbal skills than the right-handed majority.

While previous research into twins has indicated that genes are at least partially responsible for controlling hands, the new study, conducted by scientists from the University of Oxford , is the first to identify which genetic variants separate the lefties from the righties.

The research could suggest a potential correlation between left-handedness and superior verbal skills, said Akira Wiberg, a Medical Research Council fellow at the University of Oxford who worked on the study. "This raises the possibility for future research that left-handers might have an advantage when it comes to performing verbal tasks," he said in a news release. Further research must be conducted to test this potential advantage, according to Gwenaëlle Douaud, joint senior author of the study. "We need to assess whether this higher coordination of the language areas between left and right side of the brain in the left-handers actually gives them an advantage at the verbal ability. For this, we need to do a study that also has in-depth and detailed verbal-ability testing," she said.

Funded by the UK's Medical Research Council and Wellcome, a UK medical research charity, the researchers studied the DNA of 400,000 people, including 38,332 left-handers, from the UK Biobank, a database comprising the health information of volunteers across the country.

They isolated four genetic regions associated with left-handedness; three of those regions were linked to proteins that influence brain structure and development. Specifically, the proteins were connected to microtubules, a component of cell "scaffolding". The cytoskeleton determines the structure of cells, as well as the way they operate within the body. Previous research has demonstrated the cytoskeleton's influence on "left-right asymmetry" in other species. "Many animals show left-right asymmetry in their development, such as snail shells coiling to the left or right," Douaud said.

1.What made the left-handed people have better verbal skills?

A The genetic variants.

B The previous research.

C The age differences.

D The brain development.

解析：选A。细节理解题。根据文章第一段第二句...those genetic variants result in differences in brain structure可以得知是基因差异造就了左撇子的人的语言能力强，故选A。

2.How did the Oxford scientists separate the lefties from the righties.

A Studying the twins.

B Controlling the gene.

C Using the genes.

D Testing the language.

解析：选C。细节理解题。根据文章第二段第二句...is the first to identify which genetic variants separate the lefties from the righties可以得知牛津大学的研究者用基因来区分左撇子和右手习惯的人，故选C。

3.The underlined phrase “this potential advantage” may refer to ______.

A the further study

B good verbal performance

C the great possibility

D the sports advantage

解析：选B。词义猜测题。根据文章第三段...left-handers might have an advantage when it comes to performing verbal tasks可以得知左撇子有很强的语言能力，这是他们的潜在优势，故选B。

4.What decided the coiling of the snail shells?

A The cytoskeleton.

B The microtubules.

C The right asymmetry.

D The health information.

解析：选A。推理判断题。根据文章最后一段Previous research has demonstrated the cytoskeleton's influence on "left-right asymmetry" in other species可以得知是细胞支架决定了蜗牛的缠绕方向，故选A。