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Jeffersondiedlongago,butmanyofhisideasarestillofgreatinterest.Unit2LessonsfromJeffersonThomasJefferson,thethirdPresidentoftheUnitedStates,maybelessfamousthanGeorgeWashingtonandAbrahamLincoln,butmostpeoplerememberatlastonefactabouthim:hewrotetheDeclarationofIndependence.AlthoughJeffersonlivedmorethan200yearsago,thereismuchthatwelearnfromhimtoday.Manyofhisideasareespeciallyinterestingtomodernyouth.Herearesomeofthethingshesaidandwrote:1.Goandsee.Jeffersonbelievedthatafreemanobtainsknowledgefrommanysourcesbesidesbooksandthatpersonalinvestigationisimportant.Whenstillayoungman,hewasappointedtoacommitteetofindoutwhethertheSouthBranchoftheJamesRiverwasdeepenoughtobeusedbylargeboats.Whiletheothermembersofthecommitteesatinthestatecapitolandstudiedpapersonthesubject,Jeffersongotintoacanoeandmadeon-the-spot-observations.2.Youcanlearnfromeveryone.BybirthandbyeducationJeffersonbelongedtothehighestsocialclass.Yet,inadaywhenfewnoblepersonseverspoketothoseofhumbleoriginsexcepttogiveanorder,Jeffersonwentoutofhiswaytotalkwithgardeners,servants,andwaiters.JeffersononcesaidtotheFrenchnobleman,Lafayette,Youmustgointothepeople'shomesasIhavedone,lookintotheircookingpotsandeattheirbread.Ifyouwillonlydothis,youmayfindoutwhypeoplearedissatisfiedandunderstandtherevolutionthatisthreateningFrance.3.Judgeforyourself.Jeffersonrefusedtoacceptotherpeople'sopinionswithoutcarefulthought.Neitherbelievenorrejectanything,hewrotetohisnephew,becauseanyotherpersonhasrejectedorbelievedit.Heavenhasgivenyouamindforjudgingtruthanderror.Useit.Jeffersonfeltthatthepeoplemaysafelybetrustedtoheareverythingtrueandfalse,andtoformacorrectjudgment.Wereitlefttometodecidewhetherweshouldhaveagovernmentwithoutnewspapersornewspaperswithoutagovernment,Ishouldnothesitateamomenttopreferthelatter.4.Dowhatyoubelieveisright.Inafreecountrytherewillalwaysbeconflictingideas,andthisisasourceofstrength.Itisconflictandnotunquestioningagreementthatkeepsfreedomalive.ThoughJeffersonwasformanyyearstheobjectofstrongcriticism,heneveransweredhiscritics.Heexpressedhisphilosophyinletterstoafriend,Therearetwosidestoeveryquestion.Ifyoutakeonesidewithdecisionandonitwitheffect,thosewhotaketheothersidewillofcourseresentyouractions.5.Trustthefuture;trusttheyoung.Jeffersonfeltthatthepresentshouldneverbechainedtocustomswhichhavelosttheirusefulness.Nosociety,hesaid,canmakeaperpetualconstitution,orevenaperpetuallaw.Theearthbelongstothelivinggeneration.Hedidnotfearnewideas,nordidhefearthefuture.Howmuchpain,heremarked,hasbeencausedbyevilswhichhaveneverhappened!Iexpectthebest,nottheworst.Isteermyshipwithhope,leavingfearbehind.6.Jefferson'scourageandidealismwerebasedonknowledge.Heprobablyknewmorethananyothermanofhisage.Hewasanexpertinagriculture,archeology,andmedicine.Hepracticedcroprotationandsoilconservationacenturybeforethesebecamestandardpractice,andheinventedaplowsuperiortoanyotherinexistence.HeinfluencedarchitecturethroughoutAmerica,andhewasconstantlyproducingdevicesformakingthetasksofordinarylifeeasiertoperform.17.OfallJefferson'smanytalents,oneiscentral.Hewasaboveallagoodandtirelesswriter.Hiscompleteworks,nowbeingpublishedforthefirsttime,willfillmorethanfiftyvolumes.Histalentasanauthorwassoondiscovered,andwhenthetimecametowritetheDeclarationofIndependenceatPhiladelphiain1776,thetaskofwritingitwashis.Millionshavethrilledtohiswords:Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident,thatallmenarecreatedequal8.WhenJeffersondiedonJuly4,1826,the50thanniversaryofAmericanindependence,helefthiscountrymenarichlegacyofideasandexamples.AmericaneducationowesagreatdebttoThomasJefferson,whobelievedthatonlyanationofeducatedpeoplecouldremainfree.2Unit3MyFirstJobTryingtomakesomemoneybeforeenteringuniversity,theauthorappliesforateachingjob.Buttheinterviewgoesfrombadtoworse...MyFirstJobWhileIwaswaitingtoenteruniversity,IsawadvertisedinalocalnewspaperateachingpostataschoolinasuburbofLondonabouttenmilesfromwhereIlived.Beingveryshortmoneyandwantingtodosomethinguseful,Iapplied,fearingasIdidso,thatwithoutadegreeandwithnoexperienceinteachingmychancesofgettingthejobwereslim.However,threedayslateraletterarrived,askingmetogotoCroydonforaninterview.Itprovedanawkwardjourney:atraintoCroydonstation;aten-minutebusrideandthenawalkofatleastaquartertofeelnervous.Theschoolwasaredbrickhousewithbigwindows,Thefrontgardenwasagravelsquare;fourevergreenshrubsstoodateachcorner,wheretheystruggledtosurvivethedustandfumesfromabusymainfromabusymainroad.Itwasclearlytheheadmasterhimselfthatopenedthedoor.Hewasshortandfat.Hehadasandy-colouredmoustache,awrinkledforeheadandhardlyanyhair.Helookedatmewithanairofsurpriseddisapproval,asacolonelmightlookataprivatewhosebootlaceswereundone.'Ahyes,'hegrunted.'You'dbettercomeinside.'Thenarrow,sunlesshallsmelledunpleasantlyofstalecabbage;thewallsweredirtywithinkmarks;itwasallsilent.Hisstudy,judgingbythecrumbsonthecarpet,wasalsohisdining-room.'You'dbettersitdown,'hesaid,andproceededtoaskmeanumberofquestions:whatsubjectsIhadtakeninmyGeneralSchoolCertificate;howoldIwas;whatgamesIplayed;thenfixingmesuddenlywithhisbloodshoteyes