Greene's frequent ink-stained trips to the past tell us that though we've gained much as time has marched forward, we have lost much as well. We have lost, as Greene emphasizes, our inability to escape the technology that aids us. This test ―The Land of The Lock‖ is just a good example of his works.
Or ripped as a Middle America icon. From Booklist, in a review of the same book: "As in almost all Greene's other mysteriously popular books — the smarmily personal nonfiction and the truly icky fiction — the tone here is ersatz insightful. It's Bob's world, and the rest of us are too stupid to understand that if only we were appreciative of the little things about life in the 1950s (Greene's piece of nirvana), we would all be so much happier."
Keys: 1. ―on the latch‖ meant the door was closed but not locked.(line 3) 2. crime rate rising more dramatically in those allegedly tranquil areas than in cities.(line9-10) 3. The as pointed out that it is the insurance companies that pay foing to pay what the new atmosphere of distrust …the Land of the Lock.(line2327)
4. In today’s company, you probably carry some kind of access card, electronic or otherwise, that allows you in and out of your place of work. On the contrary, a decade ago, most private businesses had a policy of free access.(line 36-38,42-43) 5. He thinks with all this ―security‖, we are perhaps the most insecure nation in the history of civilized man.(line 64-65) 6. We may have locked the evils out, but in so doing we have locked ourselves in.(line 70-71)
Always stay near the curb. If someone in a vehicle stops and asks for directions, answer from a distance. Do not approach the vehicle. If followed, go immediately to an area with lights and people. If needed, turn around and walk in the opposite direction; your follower will also have to reverse directions. Do not display cash openly, especially when leaving an ATM.
For his role as the Last Unironic Man, Greene is lauded as a Middle America icon. "With the death of Charles Kuralt, Chicago Tribune columnist Bob Greene inherits the mantle of America's leading Cracker Barrel journalist," Entertainment Weekly said in a review of his book, "Chevrolet Summers, Dairy Queen Nights," a collection of short pieces about Average America.
One set of tips as follows: Avoid walking or running alone at night. Instead go walking or jogging with a friend. Don’t use headphones while walking, driving or jogging. Always walk in well-lighted areas. Avoid the use of short cuts. After dark, keep away from large bushes or doorways where someone could be lurking.
How to protect yourself when using a bank’s automated teller machine; How to protect yourself from a carjacking; How to protect yourself from motor vehicle theft; How to protect yourself in parking garages; How to safeguard your home while on vacation How to protect yourself while walking at night.
Unite3:Security
Part I:Introduction of Author
-Bob Greene
Bob Greene is a 50ish Chicago Tribune columnist for whom life appears to have peaked at a 1964 Jan and Dean concert in his native Columbus, Ohio.
4. What is the difference between the today’s company and one a decade ago? 5. What does the author think of all this ―security‖?
6. What is the usage of ―lock‖?
Part IV: language points
1. on the latch: (of a door ) closed but not locked e.g. Let yourself in; the door is on the latch. Don’t forget to leave the front door on the latch if you go to bed before I come back
2. close up: shut (sth.) esp. temporarily e.g. I wanted so much to close up my store and go traveling. On the New Year’s Eve all the stores were closed up in my hometown. Other usage: The cut took a long time to close up. ( heal ) The sergeant major ordered the men to close up. (coming or bring (sth.) closer together)
Part II: Culture Notes
A. Crime prevention: 1. In the United States today, Americans are growing more concerned with their security. It is reported that the crime rate is soaring. To help people protect themselves from crime, police departments in many states have offered to citizens safety tips:
2.
In Britain there is Neighborhood Watch which is an arrangement by which people who live in a particular street or area watch each other’s houses and tell the police if they see anything suspicious. Many people have formed local Neighborhood Watch groups to try to prevent crime, but others have refused to join them because they do not like the idea of being watched by their neighbors.