meanings

Hi Teacher:

I am not quite sure about the meaings of the bracketed parts in the following sentences. Would you please do me a favor?


1. The Farm occupies twenty square miles, most of it covered in tall pine forest, [with the central buildings in a ten-acre clearing two miles from the front gate.]

2. It has become fashionable in certain [liberal circles] to attack our intelligence services.

3. You will learn about [‘dead drop’], how to covertly communicate with your contacts.

4. There’s one more thing I want to discuss today. Coincidence. In our work, there is [no such animal].

5. Your not taking on this assignment might [throw a cloud on ]Admiral Whittaker.

Thanks a lot.

[Tdol]

1- The farm house, barn, etc, are in a ten-acre area, where the trees have been cut down.
2- Liberal circles are area, like in some sections of the media, where liberal thinking dominates.
3- A dead drop is used in spying- it is a place where information can be left withut physical contact between the spies.
4-It means that there is no cincidence in this area.
5- Make people think badly of him

[SweetMommaSue]

For #1:
The clearing could also be a natural clearing where the trees just didn't grow, don't you think?