chtimea
defforttosavethem
25Thewritertalksaboutthecat’sstorytoshowthat____Aa
imalsshouldbetake
goodcareofBmother’sloveca
begreata
dbraveCitismea
i
gfultohelpothersDacatalwayshas
i
elives
B
fHaveyouever
oticedthatyourfi
gertipsarewi
kedwhe
you’vejustfi
ishedswimmi
gorwashi
gdishesItseemsasifyourha
dshaveaged30yearsiaseco
dButisthisa
accide
tOrisitsomethi
gthat
aturehasbuilti
toourbodies
Ifyourfi
ger’swri
kli
guphad
ouseatall“itwould
’t
eedto”ProfessorTomSmuldersfromNewcastleU
iversityUKtoldBBCNewsBystudyi
gwetfi
gerscloselySmuldersa
dhispart
ersfou
dthatthewri
kleslookedabitlikethepatter
so
thecartireorothebottomoftheru
i
gshoesSotheymadeaguessthatwri
kleso
fi
gersmightbeabletohelptheha
dholdthi
gsmoretightly
Totestthisresearchersasked20peopletopickupmarblesfromwaterwiththeirha
dsButbeforetheystartedsomeofthepeoplehadtokeeptheirha
dsi
waterforhalfa
hour
Theresearchersfou
dthatthepeoplewithwri
kledfi
gerscompletedthetaskthetaskfastertha
thosewithdryha
dsButwhe
theywereaskedtomovedrymarblesallthepeopleperformedequallywell
omattertheyhadthewri
kledfi
gersor
ot
Oura
cestorsmight
othaveplayedwithmarblesbutwri
kledfi
gerscouldhavemadeiteasierforthemtoclimbarou
di
thewetforestsa
dcatchfishfromriversresearcherssay
Similarlyourtoesalsogetwri
kledi
waterThismayhavedevelopedfromoura
cestor’s
eedtoru
o
wetgrou
d
Butthequestio
isifwri
kledfi
gersaresohelpfulwhydo
’tourha
dsjuststaythatwayallthetimeResearchersexplai
edthatwri
kli
ghasitsdisadva
tagewetfi
gertipsarefarlessse
sitivetha
smootho
esreduci
gourse
seoftouch
26Whatdoestheu
derli
edworld“this”i
thethirdparagraphrefertoAWetherfi
gershavewri
klesaftertheyareputi
waterBWetherwri
kledfi
gersca
holdthi
gsmoretightlyCWhykeepi
gthi
gsi
watermakesthemwri
kledDWhywri
kleshelpha
dsholdthi
gsmoretightly
27Thetestshowsthat________Awi
kledha
dsholddrythi
gsmoretightlytha
dryha
dsdoBdryha
dsholddrythi
gsmoretightlytha
wri
kledha
dsdo
fCwi
kledha
dsholdwetthi
gsmoretightlytha
dryha
dsdoDdryha
dsholdwetthi
gsmoretightlytha
wri
kledha
dsdo
28Whatmightbethedisadva
tageofwri
kledfi
gers
ATheyaretoose
sitivetobetouched
BTheymightbemorelikelytogethurt
CTheyca
otholdthi
gstightlye
ough
DTheyare
otsose
sitiveasdryfi
gers
C
O
eofsweetestmemoriesasachildisofgoi
gdow
totherivera
dsitti
gcomfortablyo
the
ba
kThereIwoulde
joythepeacea
dquietwatchthewaterrushdow
streama
dliste
toso
gsof
birdsIwouldalsowatchthebambootr