He Led a Useful Life Benjamin Franklin would .seem right at home among us if he were alive today. In fact, he did a lot to shape our way of life. Right now you are probably nodding your head and thinking, 'Oh, yes, we learned all about old B.F. in the fifth grade.' But let' s see whether you really know 'all about him.' You probably know that he was a strong old fellow with a bald head who flew a kite with a key fastened to it and signed the Declaration of Independence. All that is true, but there is a lot more to know about this man who had so many useful ideas, served his country in so many different ways and made great contributions to the American ideals. A practical mind to solve problems Franklin had a practical mind. When he saw a problem, he tried to do something about it. The houses of Philadelphia were built of wood and easily caught fire. Neighbors tried to help each other, but they could do little to save a burning house. So Franklin organized a fire-fighting company. Philadelphia's fire loss became so low that the first fire-insurance company in the United States was soon set up there. Ben Franklin was one of its directors. He also persuaded the city to pave and light its streets. Again, the fact that people had trouble keeping their houses warm in winter set Franklin's active mind to work. He decided that the big fireplaces were to blame. Because they were set deep into the wall, they did not let enough heat reach the middle of the room. So he drew some plans and hired an ironworker to make the potbellied (大肚皮) Franklin stove. It stood in the middle of a room and threw off heat in every direction. His attitudes toward money He did not patent(申请专利)the invention. He was too busy with his discoveries to bother with making money. Although he was a wealthy man by the time he was forty-two, money by itself did not interest him. He valued it because it enabled him to retire from business. Then he had time to spend on other things that seemed more worthwhile. What he really cared for most of all was science. An experiment with lightning Franklin was always trying to answer the question: What makes things act the way they do? At that time learned men were puzzled about electricity. They wondered whether it was in some way like the lightning in a thunderstorm. It might be, but how could you prove it? You know how Ben Franklin proved it -- by coaxing some electricity down his kite string. That act made him famous in America and Europe. But of course Franklin did not stop there. He found a way to make the knowledge useful, he invented the lightning rod (避雷针). Public service Franklin would gladly have spent the rest of his days in quiet study and research. But he was a very important person now, and the country needed him for public service. Disagreement between the colonies and the British was becoming quite serious. Pennsylvania needed a representative in England. Would Dr. Franklin accept the post? He would. He went to London and stayed there for more than ten years. He did his best and may have helped to delay the war. But both sides were too angry to reach agreement. Franklin returned home just as the Revolutionary War began, arriving in time to sign the Declaration of Independence. He was now seventy years old, and his health was not good. He would gladly have settled down at home. But America needed help from France to carry on the war, and she asked Dr. Franklin to win this help. He answered, 'I am like a worn-out piece of carpet. If there is one comer left which can be useful to my country, I will be honored.' His first step was to turn over all his money as a loan to Congress. He wanted to prove his faith in the new American government and encourage others to support it. Then he set sail for France. In Paris, Franklin was warmly welcomed. Althou