The History of Right and left Hand Reading Answers

Sep 13, 2024

The history of right and left hand Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. The history of right and left hand Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total, 1-5 you have to state if the statements are true, false or not given,6-9 you have to fill in the blanks with correct words according to the image,10-13 you have to fill in the blanks with correct words.

Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. IELTS Reading practice papers, which feature topics such as The history of right and left handReading Answers. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

READING PASSAGE - 1

THE HISTORY OF RIGHT AND LEFT HAND

Do people drive on the right or the left in your country, and why? Is it something that you have even questioned? It is odd though. About two thirds of nations drive on the right side and the others, mainly Commonwealth countries, stick to the left. The ones on the left argue that this is the natural position for drivers because most of us are right-handed. In the past, going at least back to Roman times, almost everybody travelled on the left side of the road for protection in violent societies, whether on horseback, driving a carriage or walking. As most people were right-handed, weapons were kept to the left to enable them to be quickly grabbed by the right hand if needed for defence. Also, it stopped swords that were attached to the waist hitting other people coming from the opposite direction. A right-handed person usually mounts and dismounts a horse from the left, so it is safer to do this if the left side of the horse is faced towards the side of the road rather than the middle of traffic. It is logical that a horse would then be ridden on the left side of the road.

The French Revolution of 1789 was the beginning of travelling on the right for the rest of Europe. The aristocracy had always

travelled on the left like in England, and forced pedestrians over to the right as they passed in their carriages. During the revolution, anyone seen driving on the left was in danger of being arrested so it was better to join the common people on the right to avoid being detected. A law was officially introduced in Paris in 1794. The Napoleonic conquests of the early 1800s spread 'rightism' across Europe. Those at war with France stayed on the left including the British, Swedish, Germans, Austrians and the Portuguese. This division remained for more than one hundred years, until after the First World War. The major push around the world has since been to drive on the right, but Britain remained determined to stay on the left. Left hand driving in Britain was legislated in 1835 as roads became more congested during the industrial revolution. Countries that were part of the British Empire followed the same rules. Though there is evidence that the people of India may have always done so, to this day, India, Australasia and many countries in Africa and some in the Caribbean, still drive on the left. Exceptions to this are Canada, which followed the lead of the USA, and Egypt, as before becoming a British dependency it had been conquered by Napoleon. The first record of traffic rules in China dates back to 1100 BC. The Book of Rites stated, "The right side of the road is for men, the left side for women and the centre for carriages. However in modern times, most places in China drove on the left until the country made the switch in 1946. Never part of the British Empire, the population of Japan nonetheless, drives on the left. The origin of this habit goes back to the Edo period in the early 1600s and it became official in 1872. At the time the Dutch colonized Indonesia in 1596, they introduced their habit of driving on the left. When the Dutch switched to the right in 1906, Indonesia did not make the change with them.

At the time America was a British colony, people naturally drove on the left. After independence however, switching to the right immigrants from continental Europe was probably also was a symbolic way of cutting ties with the past. The growing influence of instrumental in this. In the late 1700s, cart drivers in the United States began using very large wagons for farm products that were pulled by several pairs of horses. The driver did not have a seat on the wagon, but was mounted on the left rear horse in a position that enabled whipping of the horses with the right hand. These drivers could see better if they were driving on the right, and as the wagons tended to dominate the road had aligned itself with US practices by 1920. After the Second World War ended, Sweden was the only continental European country still driving on the left. due to their size, other traffic had to follow suit. Over the next fifty years all the US states had had added laws to their statutes that mandated driving on the right. Canada too, Most of the others had either switched voluntarily before the war, or been obliged to by either Germany or Russia during the war. This last country eventually decided it needed to conform to the rest of Europe and when the change took place on 3 September 1967, at 5 o'clock in the morning, the Swedes switched over without incident. Those in Europe that drive on the left today are the UK, Ireland, Cyprus and Malta. The eleven African countries that drive on the left are all at the southern tip, including South Africa, UK Fifteen countries in Asia drive on the left including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Japan, Hong Kong, Zimbabwe and Kenya. Malaysia and Indonesia. In Oceania, the countries include Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and most of the Pacific Island nations and in South America only Guyana and Suriname drive on the left.

Questions 1-5

Do the following statements agree with the information given

in Reading Passage 1?

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

Most people in the world would prefer to drive on the right side of the road.

Answer: not given

Explanation: not given in the passage

Historically, people travelled on the right so they could protect themselves better.

Answer:false

Supporting statement: in the past, going at least back to Roman times, almost everybody traveled on the left side of the road for protection in violent societies, whether on horseback, driving a carriage or walking.

Keywords: traveled, left side, protection

Keyword location: 1st paragraph,4th line

Explanation: In the past, going at least back to Roman times, almost everybody traveled on the left side of the road for protection in violent societies, whether on horseback, driving a carriage or walking. People tend to go left in search of protection. Thus the statement is false.

French nobles stopped driving on the left to hide their identity.

Answer: true

Supporting statement: During the revolution, anyone seen driving on the left was in danger of being arrested so it was better to join the common people on the right to avoid being detected.

Keywords: left, danger, avoid, detected

Keyword location: 2nd paragraph,3rd line

Explanation: During the revolution, anyone seen driving on the left was in danger of being arrested so it was better to join the common people on the right to avoid being detected. French nobles stopped driving on the left to hide their identity. Thus the statement is true.

Most European countries switched to driving on the left at the time of the First World War.

Answer:false

Supporting statement: After the Second World War ended, Sweden was the only continental European country still driving on the left. due to their size, other traffic had to follow suit.

Keyword: Second World War, European country

Keyword location: 3rd paragraph,7 th line

Explanation: After the Second World War ended, Sweden was the only continental European country still driving on the left. due to their size, other traffic had to follow suit. It was the Second World War and not the first world war when most European countries switched to driving on the left. Thus the statement is false.

Driving on the left in Britain did not become law until the nineteenth century.

Answer:true

Supporting statement: The major push around the world has since been to drive on the right, but Britain remained determined to stay on the left. Left hand driving in Britain was legislated in 1835 as roads became more congested during the industrial revolution. Countries that were part of the British Empire followed the same rules.

Keywords: Britain, left,legislated,1835

Keyword location: 2nd paragraph,6th line

Explanation: The major push around the world has since been to drive on the right, but Britain remained determined to stay on the left. Left hand driving in Britain was legislated in 1835 as roads became more congested during the industrial revolution. Countries that were part of the British Empire followed the same rules. Driving on the left in Britain did not become law until the nineteenth century. Thus the statement is true.

Questions 6-9

Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORDS OR A NUMBER.

IELTS reading answers section requires the candidates to read the given passage and write the answers to the questions following the passage.

Some (6)............ exists that shows Indians may have historically driven on the left.

Answer:Evidence

Supporting statement: Though there is evidence that the people of India may have always done so, to this day, India, Australasia and many countries in Africa and some in the Caribbean, still drive on the left.

Keywords: evidence, India

Keyword location: 2nd paragraph,7th line

Explanation: Though there is evidence that the people of India may have always done so, to this day, India, Australasia, and many countries in Africa and some in the Caribbean, still drive on the left. Thus the correct word is evidence.

Canada is one of the (7)........... to most Commonwealth countries driving on the left.

Answer:exceptions

Supporting statement: Exceptions to this are Canada, which followed the lead of the USA, and Egypt, as before becoming a British dependency it had been conquered by Napoleon.Thus the correct word is exceptions.

Keywords: exceptions, Canada

Keyword location: 2nd paragraph,8th line

Explanation: Exceptions to this are Canada, which followed the lead of the USA, and Egypt, as before becoming a British dependency it had been conquered by Napoleon.

The people of China have been driving on the right since (8)............

Answer:1946

Supporting statement: However in modern times, most places in China drove on the left until the country made the switch in 1946.

Keywords: China,1946

Keyword location: 2nd paragraph,11th line

Explanation: However in modern times, most places in China drove on the left until the country made the switch in 1946. Thus the correct word is 1946.

Indonesia didn't stop driving on the left even thought the (9)............ changed to the right.

Answer:Dutch

Supporting statement: When the Dutch switched to the right in 1906, Indonesia did not make the change with them.

Keywords: Dutch, Indonesia

Keyword location: 2nd paragraph, last line

Explanation: When the Dutch switched to the right in 1906, Indonesia did not make the change with them. Thus the correct word is Dutch.

Questions 10-13

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS OR A NUMBER.

THE USA

At first the American colonists drove on the left like in England.

They changed to the right after independence as a (10) …….measure.

Answer: symbolic

Supporting statement: After independence however, switching to the right immigrants from continental Europe was probably also a symbolic way of cutting ties with the past.

Keyword: Europe, symbolic, independence

Keyword location: 3rd paragraph, 2nd line

Explanation: After independence, however, switching to the right immigrants from continental Europe was probably also a symbolic way of cutting ties with the past. Thus the correct word is symbolic.

The arrival of people from (11)........ may have also played a part

Answer:continental Europe

Supporting statement: After independence however, switching to the right immigrants from continental Europe was probably also a symbolic way of cutting ties with the past.

Keyword: continental Europe, past

Keyword location:3rd paragraph, 2nd line

The use of large wagons also necessitated driving on the right.

EUROPE

The majority of European countries had changed to right driving once WW2 had (12)...........

Answer:ended

Supporting statement: After the Second World War ended, Sweden was the only continental European country still driving on the left. due to their size, other traffic had to follow suit.

Keywords: European, Second World War, ended

Keyword location: 3rd Paragraph,7th line