2015: Stories of American extremes
Updated 2335 GMT (0735 HKT) December 22, 2015
(CNN)You've heard of the American Dream. In 2015, CNN brought you tales of American extremes: From the town in Alaska where everyone lives in one building to the Virginia hamlet where cell phones are banned to one of the nation's richest places with children living in poverty. You might say these stories bring new meaning to the phrase "American exceptionalism."
The poor kids of Silicon Valley
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It's home to Facebook and Apple -- and children living in garages and tent camps. CNN Opinion Columnist John D. Sutter journeyed to California to explore the dichotomy of Silicon Valley, where despite enormous wealth, 23% of children live in poverty. He met kids who'd never been to the rich part of the valley and two parents who worked full-time and were still homeless. He also offered four solutions for ending child poverty in America -- and traveled to places where these ideas have worked.
On patrol with Skid Row's 'angel cop'
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Los Angeles' Skid Row is the undisputed homeless capital of the United States and just a short stroll from the power chambers of City Hall. It's also Officer Deon Joseph's beat -- and has been for 17 years. Months before the city declared an emergency on homelessness, CNN's Ann O'Neill went on patrol with Joseph to see the place through his eyes -- and meet some of the 2,000 people who call Skid Row home. These are faces you'll never forget.
America's quietest town
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Can you imagine living in a town where cell phones and other wireless devices aren't allowed? Welcome to Green Bank, West Virginia. CNN's Wayne Drash and Evelio Contreras traveled to this town out of time, which one resident calls "the place where you can come to get away from the United States." This was part of Great American Stories, an occasional series on the unexpected places and unforgettable characters that help define the country.
Northern enclosure: Alaska's one-house town
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The folks in Whittier, Alaska, know what it means to live in close quarters. All 220 of them call the same building home. CNN's Moni Basu and Evelio Contreras ventured to a place where it snows 22 feet a year (more than 1,000 times the national average) and where the 14-story Begich Towers houses not only everyone in town but the school, hospital, city government, the pharmacy -- you name it. Cozy or claustrophobic? Depends whom you ask.
相信你聽過美國夢。2015年，CNN帶你細數美國極端例子：從所有居民都擠在一棟樓的阿拉斯加到手機收不到訊號的維吉尼亞，最後是窮人小孩生活在全國最富有的矽谷。看完這些例子你可能會對「美國例外論」做出全新闡釋。
矽谷的窮小孩
矽谷是臉書及Apple的故鄉，也是窮小孩生活在垃圾與帳篷之中的家。CNN專欄作家Sutter到加州探索矽谷的對立情況，儘管矽谷非常有錢，23％的小孩卻很貧窮。他曾遇過一個小孩從來沒有踏進這個富有的區域，他爸媽也是整天工作卻還是沒有自己的家。他也提供四種解決方式來終止美國的窮二代現象，並到用這些想法成功解決問題的地區旅遊。
巡邏貧民窟的「天使警察」
洛杉磯貧民窟是美國典型的無家園城市，離市政廳只有一點點距離。它也是警察Joseph 17年來的踩點範圍。幾個月前洛杉磯宣佈進入遊民管制緊急狀況，CNN記者與Joseph一同巡邏，透過他的雙眼看見這個人稱Skid Row的地方，居住著2,000位遊民。這些遊民的臉看了永遠不會忘記。
美國最寂靜的小鎮
你可以想像自己生活在不能使用手機跟任何無線通訊設備的小鎮嗎？歡迎來到維吉尼亞州西邊的Green Bank！CNN來到這個與世隔絕的地方，居民稱做是「遠離美國之處」。這裡是偉大的美國小說用來奠定這個國家的地方：用一連串意想不到的小鎮及令人難忘的人物角色。
往北走發現阿拉斯加「一棟」小鎮
在阿拉斯加的惠蒂爾，居民知道什麼叫住在隔壁。220位居民全將這一棟樓當作是家。CNN到這個每年都會積雪22吋（為全國平均的10倍）的地方冒險，這棟14層樓高的Begich塔住宅不只是住著每一位居民，連學校，醫院，市政府甚至藥房，你說的出來的都在這。舒適方便還是緊閉噁心？看你問誰囉。
exceptionalism (n.) 例外
tent (n.) 帳篷
dichotomy (n.) 一分為二，對立
patrol (n.) 巡邏
Skid Row：自30年代的伐木工人創造skid road發展而來。後期skid road地區漸漸被廉價旅館，酒店佔據，引來失業者，酒鬼及窮人聚集，故有此俚語。
stroll (n.) 蹓躂
cozy (adj.) 舒適的
claustrophobic (adj.) 幽閉恐怖的
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