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       It’s tempting to look when you drive by an accident. You slow down and glance back, taking your eyes off the road for a brief moment. It’s a__31__ called rubbernecking, and it is a form of distracted driving. The term rubbernecking dates back to the late 1890s. It was used to describe people who turned their heads to listen to other people’s conversations. By the early 1900s, rubbernecking was used to describe tourists striving to see everything from their __32__ in wagons, cars, or buses. Today, it is a term for motorists who slow down, craning their necks to see an accident, usually on the other side of the road.

       Why do people rubberneck?__33__ it on our natural curiosity. Those flashing lights attract our attention. We may be concerned about the people__34__ in the accident. We want to find out what is going on. We can’t seem to look away, a reaction that may be tied to our fight-or-flight instinct. Our brain is evaluating the threat.__35__ rubbernecking may be a natural response, it is not a safe one.

       Tai chi is often described as “meditation in motion,” but it might well be called “medication in motion.” There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice, which __36__ in China as a martial art, has value in treating or__37__ many health problems. And you can get started even if you aren't in top shape or the best of health. In this low-impact, slow-motion exercise, you go without pausing through a series of motions named for animal actions, __38__ , “white crane spreads its wings”, or martial arts moves, such as “box both ears.” As you move, you breathe deeply and naturally, focusing your attention on your bodily sensations. Tai chi differs __39__ other types of exercise in several respects. The movements are usually circular and never forced, the muscles are relaxed__40__ tensed, the joints are not fully extended or bent, and connective tissues are not stretched. Tai chi can be easily adapted for anyone, from the most fit to people confined to wheelchairs or recovering from surgery.

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       Every year, Sherpa climbing guides help hundreds of mountaineers up Mount Everest (聖母峰), the highest mountain in the world. And in most years Sherpas are among those who die in the process. No one knows for certain how many dead bodies lie on the slopes of Mount Everest, buried in the ice and the snow. In all, over 300 mountaineers have died attempting to reach the summit, the majority of them Nepalese porters and Sherpa guides. Because of the harsh conditions, their bodies are often left unrecovered where they fall. Two of the worst years ever for fatalities were 2014, when 16 Sherpas died on the Khumbu Icefall, and 2015 when a massive avalanche engulfed the South Base Camp, killing at least 20, mostly Sherpas.

       Working as a climbing guide on Everest is one of the riskiest jobs. In addition to avalanches and falls while climbing, there are the risks of falling ice, collapsing crevasses, altitude sickness, frostbite, retinal hemorrhages, blizzards and winds powerful enough to blow you off the mountain. The riskiest place of all is above an altitude of 8,000 meters, the so-called death zone, where oxygen levels and atmospheric pressure are too low to sustain human life for any length of time. Every year, it seems, Everest is the scene of some horror stories. If it’s not avalanches or falls from the mountain, it’s fights between rival Sherpas, or overcrowding on the slopes. Over the years Everest has been climbed well over 8,000 times. The extreme weather makes the window of opportunity for summiting very small (in some years, just a few weeks during May). No wonder there have been reports of congestion so thick that climbers are sometimes forced to pick a path through the corpses of their fallen colleagues. The greatest problem of all, according to a professional Sherpa climbing guide, is that too many foreign mountaineers lack sufficient experience and training. “They think it’s easy. But Everest is never easy. It is very, very dangerous.” He says some mountaineers become so obsessed by glory that they ignore the safety warnings of their Sherpa guides and press on to the summit without them.

       The notion that lefties are smarter than righties has been around for some time. Historically, left-handed people have been viewed and treated as outcasts. In the Middle Ages, left-handed people feared being accused of witchcraft. As recently as the early 20th century, many educators in the United States forced left-handers to “retrain” their natural tendencies in order to become right-handed. Scientists also used to think that left-handedness was due to minor brain damage in early development. These myths have been discredited over the years, and some have asserted that being left-handed is actually associated with higher intelligence. While the claim is intriguing, medical literature reveals inconclusive results.

       The belief that handedness is associated with intelligence has been around for centuries. Research seems to support both sides of the argument. A 2010 study revealed that strong right-handers seemed to perform slightly better on cognitive tests when compared to left-handers. A 2015 study looked at five meta-analyses that included data on more than 16,000 individuals. They found no difference in IQ levels among left- and right-handed people, but left-handers appeared to be more likely to have an intellectual disability. However, this study indicated that people who were intellectually gifted or following typical development were also just as likely to be left-handed. Another paper looked at 18 studies measuring the full IQ scores of more than 20,000 participants. Although data suggested that right-handed people had slightly higher IQ scores compared to left-handers, the scientists noted that intelligence differences between right and left-handed people were negligible overall.

       Other studies have found lefties seem to have the upper hand when it comes to intelligence. A 2007 study found that, out of 150 subjects, left-handed participants were significantly more likely to perform better on an intelligence test than right-handed people. Right-handers also took more time to complete the test. Another study in 2019 revealed that there are genetic differences between left-handers and right-handers. Examining data on about 400,000 people, scientists discovered that the left and right hemispheres of the brain were better connected and more coordinated in regions involving language in left-handed people.