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第一单元TheDinnerPartyMonaGardnerIfirstheardthistaleinIndia,whereitistoldasiftrue—thoughanynaturalistwouldknowitcouldn’tbe.LatersomeonetoldmethatthestoryappearedinamagazineshortlybeforetheFirstWorldWar.Thatmagazinestory,andthepersonwhowroteit,Ihaveneverbeenabletotrackdown.ThecountryisIndia.Acolonialofficialandhiswifearegivingalargedinnerparty.Theyareseatedwiththeirguests—officersandtheirwives,andavisitingAmericannaturalist—intheirspaciousdiningroom,whichhasabaremarblefloor,openraftersandwideglassdoorsopeningontoaveranda.Aspiriteddiscussionspringsupbetweenayounggirlwhosaysthatwomenhaveoutgrownthejumping-on-a-chair-at-the-sight-of-a-mouseeraandamajorwhosaysthattheyhaven’t.“Awoman’sreactioninanycrisis,”themajorsays,“istoscream.Andwhileamanmayfeellikeit,hehasthatouncemoreofcontrolthanawomanhas.Andthatlastounceiswhatreallycounts.”TheAmericandoesnotjoinintheargumentbutwatchestheotherguests.Ashelooks,heseesastrangeexpressioncomeoverthefaceofthehostess.Sheisstaringstraightahead,hermusclescontractingslightly.Shemotionstothenativeboystandingbehindherchairandwhisperssomethingtohim.Theboy’seyeswiden:hequicklyleavestheroom.Oftheguests,noneexcepttheAmericannoticesthisorseestheboyplaceabowlofmilkontheverandajustoutsidetheopendoors.TheAmericancomestowithastart.InIndia,milkinabowlmeansonlyonething—baitforasnake.Herealizestheremustbeacobraintheroom.Helooksupattherafters—thelikeliestplace—buttheyarebare.Threecornersoftheroomareempty,andinthefourththeservantsarewaitingtoservethenextcourse.Thereisonlyoneplaceleft—underthetable.Hisfirstimpulseistojumpbackandwarntheothers,butheknowsthecommotionwouldfrightenthecobraintostriking.Hespeaksquickly,thetoneofhisvoicesocommandingthatitsilenceseveryone.“Iwanttoknowjustwhatcontroleveryoneatthistablehas.Iwillcountthreehundred—that’sfiveminutes—andnotoneofyouistomoveamuscle.Thosewhomovewillforfeit50rupees.Ready!”The20peoplesitlikestoneimageswhilehecounts.Heissaying“...twohundredandeighty…”when,outofthecornerofhiseye,heseesthecobraemergeandmakeforthebowlofmilk.Screamsringoutashejumpstoslamtheverandadoorssafelyshut.“Youwereright,Major!”thehostexclaims.“Amanhasjustshownusanexampleofperfectself-control.”“Justaminute,”theAmericansays,turningtohishostess.“Mrs.Wynnes,howdidyouknowthatcobrawasintheroom?”Afaintsmilelightsupthewoman’sfaceasshereplies:“Becauseitwascrawlingacrossmyfoot.”第二单元LessonsfromJeffersonBruceBliven1ThomasJefferson,thethirdPresidentoftheUnitedStates,maybelessfamousthanGeorgeWashingtonandAbrahamLincoln,butmostpeoplerememberatleastonefactabouthim:hewrotetheDeclarationofIndependence.2AlthoughJeffersonlivedmorethan200yearsago,thereismuchthatwecanlearnfromhimtoday.Manyofhisideasareespeciallyinterestingtomodernyouth.Herearesomeofthethingshesaidandwrote:3Goandsee.Jeffersonbelievedthatafreemanobtainsknowledgefrommanysourcesbesidesbooksandthatpersonalinvestigationisimportant.Whenstillayoungman,hewasappointedtoacommitteetofindoutwhethertheSouthBranchoftheJamesRiverwasdeepenoughtobeusedbylargeboats.Whiletheothermembersofthecommitteesatinthestatecapitolandstudiedpapersonthesubject,Jeffersongotintoacanoeandmadeon-the-spotobservations.4Youcanlearnfromeveryone.BybirthandbyeducationJeffersonbelongedtothehighestsocialclass.Yet,inadaywhenfewnoblepersonseverspoketothoseofhumbleoriginsexcepttogiveanorder,Jeffersonwentoutofhiswaytotalkwithgardeners,servants,andwaiters.JeffersononcesaidtotheFrenchnobleman,Lafayette,“Youmustgointothepeople’shomesasIhavedone,lookintotheircookingpotsandeattheirbread.Ifyouwillonlydothis,youmayfindoutwhypeoplearedissatisfiedandunderstandtherevolutionthatisthreateningFrance.”5Judgeforyourself.Jeffersonrefusedtoacceptotherpeople’sopinionswithoutcarefulthought.“Neitherbelievenorrejectanything,”hewrotetohisnephew,“becauseanyotherpersonhasrejectedorbelievedit.Heavenhasgivenyouamindforjudgingtruthanderror.Useit.”6Jeffersonfeltthatthepeople“maysafelybetrustedtoheareverythingtrueandfalse,andtoformacorrectjudgment.Wereitlefttometodecidewhetherweshouldhaveagovernmentwithoutnewspapersornewspaperswithoutagovernment,Ishouldnothesitateamomenttopreferthelatter.”7Dowhatyoubelieveisright.Inafreecountrytherewillalwaysbeconflictingideas,andthisisasourceofstrength.Itisconflictandnotunquestioningagreementthatkeepsfreedomalive.ThoughJeffersonwasformanyyearstheobjectofstrongcriticism,heneveransweredhiscritics.Heexpressedhisphilosophyinletterstoafriend,“Therearetwosidestoeveryquestion.Ifyoutakeonesidewithdecisionandactonitwitheffect,thosewhotaketheothersidewillofcourseresentyouractions.”8Trustthefuture;trusttheyoung.Jeffersonfeltthatthepresentshouldneverbechainedtocustomswhichhavelosttheirusefulness.“Nosociety,”hesaid,“canmakeaperpetualconstitution,orevenaperpetuallaw.Theearthbelongstothelivinggeneration.”Hedidnotfearnewideas,nordidhefearthefuture.”Howmuchpain,”heremarked,“hasbeencausedbyevilswhichhaveneverhappened!Iexpectthebest,nottheworst.Isteermyshipwithhope,leavingfearbehind.”9Jefferson’scourageandidealismwerebasedonknowledge.Heprobablyknewmorethananyothermanofhisage.Hewasanexpertinagriculture,ar