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1.1JimDohertymaynotbeabornfarmer,buthegetsbuywithouttoomuchtrouble.Notthathehashaditeasy.Thatfirsthardwinterhefacedmusthavelefthimwiththetemptationtogiveupandgobacktothecity.Buthemanagedtogetthroughitwithoutlosingheart.He’spickedupalotofskillssincethenandmadesomerealimprovementstohisfarm,thoughwithoutmuchlaborsavingmachineryasidefromthatoldrotarycultivator.Isuspecthedoesn’tmakeallthatmuch,thoughhedoeshavehiswritingtosupplementwhatlittleprofithemakesfromthefarm.Iguesshedoesitprimarilyforthequalityoflife.Certainly,theyseemahappyfamilyandyoucanoftenseethemoutworkingtogether,onedaysprayingappletrees,thenextstackingfirewood.1.2Ahomesteader(自耕农)isapersonwholivesaself-reliantlifestylewithmajoremphasisonhomeproduction.whiletheIndustrialAgeisbeingreplacedbyinformationandelectronics,somepeopletrytoseekanescapefromthesocial,environmental,andeconomicmadnessofthemodernageandbegintoconsiderreturningtothecountry.Asthislifestyleissoenjoyable,satisfyingandrewarding,moreandmorepeoplearepreparedtoquittheirjobinthecityandstartanewandmoremeaningfullifeontheirvariousfarms.Forsomeithasbecomenotonlyawayoflife,butawayoflookingattheworld.Ofcourse,lifeinthecountrycanbeprettytough.WhileitisanenjoymenttobesoclosetoNature,youmayhavetoreduceyourdependenceonfuelsbycuttingbackonyourdailyconsumption.Youmayalsohavetoprepareyourownmealseverydayandprovideyourownlow-costentertainmentwithouttheluxuriesthatarecommonincities.Onbalance,however,livinginthecountryhaslongbeenapartoftheAmericanDream.GenerationsofAmericanshaveconsideredthecountryanidealsettinginwhichtoliveandraiseafamily2.1TheundergroundRailroadwasforgedbytheeffortsofthosewhowerepreparedtofightagainstslaveryandstandupforthelong-sufferingSouthernblackAmericans.Someofthosewhohelpedtotransportslavestothenorthandfreedomwereformerslavesthemselves.Othersfeltcompelledtotakepartbecauseoftheirdeeplyheldconvictions.Formanyofthoseinvolved,liberatingtheslavesfromthosewhoexploitedthembecauseamission.Whiletheireventualgoalwastoabolishslaverycompletely,inthemeantimetheywereintentonhelpingtofreeasmanyslavesaspossible,oftenatconsiderablerisk.Intheeyesofslaveowners,theyweredangerousenemiesandfrequentlyreceiveddeaththreats2.2Despitethename,theUndergroundRailroadwasnotreallyarailroad,butwasanetworkofpeoplewhoassistedfugitiveslaves.ManyfugitiveswhoescapedtotheNorthandCanadareceivedassistancealongthewayfromindividualswhowereinvolvedinthisnetwork.Bytheearly19thcentury,theorganizationbecamesosuccessfulthatitisestimatedthatthatbetween1810and1850,100,000slavesescapedfromtheSouththroughtheUndergroundRailroad.Itwasnota(n)coincidencethatitwascalledtheUndergroundRailroad.Steamrailroadshadjustemergedandthetermsusedtodescribethepeoplewhohelpedandthefugitiveswererelatedtotherailroadline.Fugitiveslaveswerecalledparcelsandpassengers,thehelpersweretheconductors,thepeoplewhoprovidedtheirhomesasrefugewerecalledstationmasters,andthehomeswerereferredtoasdepotsorstations.Therouteusedwasanimportantpartofasuccessfulescape.Therewerenumeroussecretroutesthataconductorcoulduse.Theoneuseddependedonwherethesearchpartiesandslavecatcherswerestationed.Sometripsrequiredtheuseofmanydifferentroutes.Ifitappearedthattheymightbeindanger,aguidewouldchangepaths.Someguidesandfugitivesevenhidoutinbushesandswampsformanydaysuntilitwassafetocontinueon.Quicknesswasnotthemainconcern,insteadsafetywasmostimportantandasaresulttheyoftenzigzaggedinordertoavoidcapture3.1Statisticsshowthatcrimeinruralareasisnowrisingfasterthaninthecities.Theerawhenthecountrysidestoodforsafetyandsecutityhaslonggong.Nolongerisitsafeanywheretogooutleavingthedooronthelatch.Weallfeelvnlnerableandseektostrengthenthebarriersweusetoholdcriminalsatbay.Thesecanrangefromoldfashionedboltsandbarstothelatestelectronicdevices.Amoment’sreflection,however,isenoughtobringusfacetofacewiththefollowingpuzzle:wemayhavelockedtheevilsout,butindoingsowehavelockedourselvesin.thishardlyseemsacivilizedwayoflife.3.2Statisticsshowthatatsomepointinyourlife,youwillgetrobbed.Thingsgetevenworseforapartmentdwellersbecausesomanypeoplepassinandoutofanapartmentbuilding,anditismuchtoughertokeepnon-residentsout.Sowhattodo?Don'tpanic.Yes,apartmentsareliabletorobbery,butthereareoptionsotherthanbarricadingyourselfinyourapartmentwithashotgun.Wesuggestthatyouusesomecommonsensetoshiftthattargetfromyourdoor.Thentheburglarwillrobthelessguarded,notyou.Weknowwhatyou'rethinking:I'llnevergetrobbed.Who'dwanttostealahalfcanofDietCokeandanelectrictoothbrush?Ifthosereallyaretheonlythingsinyourapartment,youhaveeveryreasonnottoworry.However,ifyouhavesomethingyou'dliketokeep-say,aTV,astereo,acomputer,aPicasso-it'swisetobecautious.Yourgoalisnottosetupanysophisticatedsecuritysystemstoholdthievesatbay;yourgoalistokeepcriminalsfromeventryingtobreakintoyourapartmentinthefirstplace.Ifsomeonereallywantstobreakin,chancesarethathe/sheisgoingtofindawaybybreakingawindoworclimbingupthefireescape.Therefore,youshouldremoveallsignsthatsay,Hey,lookatme!Lotsofgoodiesandnosecurity!Comeonin!Lockthedoorwhenyouleave.Don'tleavethewindowsopenalldaylong.Don