The Stuff

Passage A

For the 10 percent of the American population that is left-handed, life is not easy. Using a pair of scissors or writing in a spiral notebook can be very difficult. Scissors an notebooks are two items designed for right-handers. Also, have you ever seen a "southpaw" taking notes or writing an exam at one of those right-handed half-desks? The poor "lefty" has to twist like a yoga devotee or in the style of a circus acrobat in or to reach the paper. But a recent study proves that being left-handed can be psychologically damaging as well as taxing on a person physically. A survey of 2,300 people showed that 20 percent more left-handers than right-handers smoked. Could lefties smoke to rlieve the tension or to forget the problems of living in a right-handed world?

Passage B

Some people today are "survivalists." These people, because the fear some great disaster in the near future (like economic collapse or nuclear war), are preparing for a catastrophe. Hoarding food, stockpiling weapons, and achieving of self-sufficiency are some of the activities of survivalists. In Arkansas, the group feels, is the best place to be for several reasons: it is an unlikely target for nuclear attack: it offers plentiful supplies of food and water: it has a good climate. These people say that such a philosophy turns society into a "dog-eat-dog" race for life. Other people believe that after a nuclear war, the world, with radiation and dis