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Unit1TheAmericandoesnotjoinintheargumentbutwatchestheotherguests.Ashelooks,heseesastrangeexpressioncomeoverthefaceofthehostess.Sheisstaringstraightahead,hermusclescontractingslightly.Shemotionstothenativeboystandingbehindherchairandwhisperssomethingtohim.Theboy'seyeswiden:hequicklyleavestheroom.Oftheguests,noneexcepttheAmericannoticesthisorseestheboyplaceabowlofmilkontheverandajustoutsidetheopendoors.TheAmericancomestowithastart.InIndia,milkinabowlmeansonlyonething--baitforasnake.Herealizestheremustbeacobraintheroom.Unit2Jefferson'scourageandidealismwerebasedonknowledge.Heprobablyknewmorethananyothermanofhisage.Hewasanexpertinagriculture,archeology,andmedicine.Hepracticedcroprotationandsoilconservationacenturybeforethesebecamestandardpractice,andheinventedaplowsuperiortoanyotherinexistence.HeinfluencedarchitecturethroughoutAmerica,andhewasconstantlyproducingdevicesformakingthetasksofordinarylifeeasiertoperform.OfallJefferson'smanytalents,oneiscentral.Hewasaboveallagoodandtirelesswriter.Hiscompleteworks,nowbeingpublishedforthefirsttime,willfillmorethanfiftyvolumes.Histalentasanauthorwassoondiscovered,andwhenthetimecametowritetheDeclarationofIndependenceatPhiladelphiain1776,thetaskofwritingitwashis.Millionshavethrilledtohiswords:Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident,thatallmenarecreatedequal…Unit3WhileIwaswaitingtoenteruniversity,IsawadvertisedinalocalnewspaperateachingpostataschoolinasuburbofLondonabouttenmilesfromwhereIlived.Beingveryshortmoneyandwantingtodosomethinguseful,Iapplied,fearingasIdidso,thatwithoutadegreeandwithnoexperienceinteachingmychancesofgettingthejobwereslim.However,threedayslateraletterarrived,askingmetogotoCroydonforaninterview.Itprovedanawkwardjourney:atraintoCroydonstation;aten-minutebusrideandthenawalkofatleastaquartertofeelnervous.Unit4Asaboyandthenasanadult,IneverlostmywonderatthepersonalitythatwasEinstein.Hewastheonlypersoniknewwhohadcometotermswithhimselfandtheworldaroundhim.Heknewwhathewantedandhewantedonlythis:tounderstandwithinhislimitsasahumanbeingthenatureoftheuniverseandthelogicandsimplicityinitsfunctioning.Heknewtherewereanswersbeyondhisintellectualreach.butthisdidnotfrustratehim.Hewascontenttogoasfarashecould.Unit5Thesealevelisrisingveryslowlyfromyeartoyear.Inalllikelihood,itwillcontinuetoriseanddosoatagreaterrateinthecourseofthenexthundredyears.Wheretherearelow-lyingcoastalareas(wherealargefractionoftheworld’spopulationlives)thewaterwilladvancesteadily,forcingpeopletoretreatinland.Eventuallytheseawillreachtwohundredfeetaboveitspresentlevel,andwillbesplashingagainstthewindowsalongthetwentiethfloorsofManhattan’sskyscrapers.Floridawilldisappearbeneaththewaves,aswillmuchoftheBritishIsles,thecrowdedNilevalley,andthelow-lyingareasofChina,India,andRussia.Notonlywillmanycitiesbedrowned,butmuchofthemostproductivefarmingareasoftheworldwillbelost.Asthefoodsupplydrops,starvationwillbewidespreadandthestructureofsocietymaycollapseunderthepressureUnit6Now,inthelastmonthofmyresidency,sleepingwasnolongeraproblem.TherewerestillsituationsinwhichIcouldn'tbecertainmydecisionhadbeentherightone,butIhadlearnedtoacceptthisasaconstantproblemforasurgeon,onethatcouldneverbecompletelyresolved-andIcouldlivewithit.So,onceIhadmadeaconsidereddecision,Inolongerdweltonit.Reviewingitwasn'tgoingtohelpandIknewthatwithmyknowledgeandexperience,anydecisionI'dmadewasboundtobeasoundone.Itwasanicefeeling.Unit7Andshedidn’tjusttalk.ShehasbeenadrivingforceinthecommunityorganizationBUILD(BaltimoreUnitedinLeadershipDevelopment).Togethertheydrovedrugdealersoffavacantlotandbuiltaplayground.Theyestablishedanextended-dayprogramatschooltokeepkidsoffthestreets.Theypromptedthecityandlocalchurchestostepupeffortstoredevelopabandonedhouses.Notlongago,Armsteadranintooneofthemenwhousedtohangoutonhersteps.”Hey,Mom!”heexploded,givingherahug.Hegotajob,hetoldher,adding,”Iwanttothankyouforallyourfussin’.”Armsteadismodestabouttheimpactshe’shad.Shesayssimply,”Itmakesmefeelgoodtoknowmymessagegotthroughtoatleastoneyoungman.”Unit8SchoolchildrenusedtoknowthestoryofhowAbrahamLincolnwalkedfivemilestoreturnapennyhe’doverchargedacustomer.It’sthekindofstorywethinkofasmyth.ButinthecaseofLincoln,thestoryistrue...UnlikethestoryofGeorgeWashingtonandthecherrytree.Washington’sfirstbiographerinventedthetaleoflittleGeorgesayingtohisfather,”Icannottellalie.Ididitwithmyax.”Whatisimportantinbothstories,however,isthathonestywasseenasanimportantpartoftheAmericancharacter.Unit9Well,then,supposemyauto-repairmandevisedquestionsforanintelligencetest.Orsupposeacarpenterdid,orafarmer,or,indeed,almostanyonebutanacademician.Byeveryoneofthosetests,I'dprovemyselfamoron.AndI'dbeamoron,too.InaworldwhereIcouldnotusemyacademictrainingandmyverbaltalentsbuthadtodosomethingintricateorhard,workingwithmyhands,Iwoulddopoorly.Myintelligence,then,isnotabsolute.ItsworthisdeterminedbythesocietyIlivein.Itsnumericalevaluationisdeterminedbyasmallsubsectionofthatsocietywhichhasmanagedtofoistitselfontherestofusasanarbiterofsuchmatters.Unit10Praiseislikesunlighttothehumanspirit;wecannotflowera