1)JimDohertymaynotbeabornfarmer,buthegetsbuywithouttoomuchtrouble.Notthathehashaditeasy.Thatfirsthardwinterhefacedmusthavelefthimwiththetemptationtogiveupandgobacktothecity.Buthemanagedtogetthroughitwithoutlosingheart.He’spickedupalotofskillssincethenandmadesomerealimprovementstohisfarm,thoughwithoutmuchlaborsavingmachineryasidefromthatoldrotarycultivator.Isuspecthedoesn’tmakeallthatmuch,thoughhedoeshavehiswritingtosupplementwhatlittleprofithemakesfromthefarm.Iguesshedoesitprimarilyforthequalityoflife.Certainly,theyseemahappyfamilyandyoucanoftenseethemoutworkingtogether,onedaysprayingappletrees,thenextstackingfirewood.2)TheundergroundRailroadwasforgedbytheeffortsofthosewhowerepreparedtofightagainstslaveryandstandupforthelong-sufferingSouthernblackAmericans.Someofthosewhohelpedtotransportslavestothenorthandfreedomwereformerslavesthemselves.Othersfeltcompelledtotakepartbecauseoftheirdeeplyheldconvictions.Formanyofthoseinvolved,liberatingtheslavesfromthosewhoexploitedthembecauseamission.Whiletheireventualgoalwastoabolishslaverycompletely,inthemeantimetheywereintentonhelpingtofreeasmanyslavesaspossible,oftenatconsiderablerisk.Intheeyesofslaveowners,theyweredangerousenemiesandfrequentlyreceiveddeaththreats3)Statisticsshowthatcrimeinruralareasisnowrisingfasterthaninthecities.Theerawhenthecountrysidestoodforsafetyandsecutityhaslonggong.Nolongerisitsafeanywheretogooutleavingthedooronthelatch.Weallfeelvnlnerableandseektostrengthenthebarriersweusetoholdcriminalsatbay.Thesecanrangefromoldfashionedboltsandbarstothelatestelectronicdevices.Amoment’sreflection,however,isenoughtobringusfacetofacewiththefollowingpuzzle:wemayhavelockedtheevilsout,butindoingsowehavelockedourselvesin.thishardlyseemsacivilizedwayoflife.5)AlexHaleywasatseawhenhestartedthinkinghowbesthecouldmarkThanksgiving.Turningoverthemeaningoftheholidayinhismind,hecametoreversetheorderofthewordsandgotothinkingaboutgivingthanks.How,hewondered,couldherepaythosewhohadbeensohelpfultohiminthepast?Itseemdetohimthatthebestwayhecouldexpresshisgratitudewouldbetowritetothem.Fortoolonghehadgoneaboutwithouttroublingtotellthemhowmuchheappreciatedallthattheyhaddoneforhim.Beforelonghehadassembledpenandpaperandwasimmersedinwriting.Notlongaftertheshipreachedport,unloadingitscargotogetherwithhisletters.Thereplieswerenotswiftinarriving,butwhentheydid,hefoundthemdeeplymoving.(1)Isuspectnoteveryonewholovesthecountrywouldbehappylivingthewaywedo.Ittakesacoupleofspecialqualities.Oneisatoleranceforsolitude.Becausewearesobusyandonsuchatightbudget,wedon'tentertainmuch.Duringthegrowingseasonthereisnotimeforsocializinganyway.JimandEmilyareinvolvedinschoolactivities,buttheytoospendmostoftheirtimeathome.Theotherrequirementisenergy--alotofit.Thewaytomakeself-sufficiencyworkonasmallscaleistoresistthetemptationtobuyatractorandotherexpensivelaborsavingdevices.Instead,youdotheworkyourself.Theonlymachineryweown(notcountingthelawnmower)isalittlethree-horsepowerrotarycultivatoranda16-inchchainsaw.Yetthisstopwasonlypartofamuchlargermissionforme.JosiahHensonisbutonenameonalonglistofcourageousmenandwomenwhotogetherforgedtheUndergroundRailroad,asecretwebofescaperoutesandsafehousesthattheyusedtoliberateslavesfromtheAmericanSouth.Between1820and1860,asmanyas100,000slavestraveledtheRailroadtofreedom.InOctober2000,PresidentClintonauthorized$16millionfortheNationalUndergroundRailroadFreedomCentertohonorthisfirstgreatcivil-rightsstruggleintheU.S.Thecenterisscheduledtoopenin2004inCincinnati.Andit'sabouttime.FortheheroesoftheUndergroundRailroadremaintoolittleremembered,theirexploitsstilllargelyunsung.Iwasintentontellingtheirstories.Ithasbeenreplacedbydead-boltlocks,securitychains,electronicalarmsystemsandtripwireshookeduptoapolicestationorprivateguardfirm.Manysuburbanfamilieshaveslidingglassdoorsontheirpatios,withsteelbarselegantlybuiltinsonoonecanprythedoorsopen.Itisnotuncommon,inthemostpleasantofhomes,toseepastedonthewindowssmallnoticesannouncingthatthepremisesareundersurveillancebythissecurityforceorthatguardcompany.ThelockisthenewsymbolofAmerica.Indeed,arecentpublic-serviceadvertisementbyalargeinsurancecompanyfeaturednotchartsshowinghowmuchatriskweare,butapictureofachild'sbicyclewiththenow-usualpadlockattachedtoit.TheReverendNelsonwrotethathisdecadesasasimple,old-fashionedprincipalhadendedwithschoolsundergoingsuchswiftchangesthathehadretiredinself-doubt.IheardmoreofwhatIhaddonewrongthanwhatIdidright,hesaid,addingthatmyletterhadbroughthimwelcomereassurancethathiscareerhadbeenappreciated.AglanceatGrandma'sfamiliarhandwritingbroughtbackinaflashmemoriesofstandingalongsideherwhiterockingchair,watchinghersettin'downsomelettertorelatives.Characterbycharacter,Grandmawouldslowlyaccomplishoneword,thenthenext,sothatafinishedpagewouldconsumehours.IweptoverthepagerepresentingmyGrandma'srecenthoursinvestedinexpressingherlovinggratefulnesstome--whomsheusedtodiaper!那些玩具Thetoyshavetomeetstrict/toughsafetyrequirementsbeforetheycanbesoldtochildren.4.作为新闻Radioandtelevisionhavesupplementedratherthanreplacedthenewspaperascarrie