Inthemid-1950s,Iwasasomewhatboredearly-adolescentmalestudentwhobelievedthatdoinganymorethannecessarywaswastedeffort.Oneday,thisapproachthrewmeintoembarrassmentInMrs.Totten’seighth-grademathclassatCentralA
Inthemid-1950s,Iwasasomewhatboredearly-adolescentmalestudentwhobelievedthatdoinganymorethannecessarywaswastedeffort.Oneday,thisapproachthrewmeintoembarrassment
InMrs.Totten’seighth-grademathclassatCentralAvenueSchoolinAnderson,Indiana,wewerelearningtoaddandsubtractdecimals(小数).
Ourteachertypicallyassigneddailyhomework,whichwouldberecitedinclassthefollowingday.Onmostdays,ourgradeswerebasedonouroralanswertohomeworkquestions.
Mrs.Tottenusuallywalkedupanddowntherowsofdesksrequestinganswersfromstudentafterstudentintheorderthequestionshadappearedonourhomeworksheets.Shewouldstarteitheratthefrontorthebackoftheclassroomandworktowardtheotherend.
SinceIwasseatednearthemiddleofabout35students,itwaseasytofigureoutwhichquestionsImighthavetoanswer.Thisparticulartime,Ihadcompletedmyusualtwoorthreeproblemsaccordingtomycalculations.
WhatIfailedtoexpectwasthatseveralstudentswereabsent,whichthrewoffmyestimate.AsMrs.Tottenmadeherwayfromthebeginningoftheclass,IdesperatelytriedtodeterminewhichmathproblemIwouldget.Itriedtoworkitoutbeforeshegottome,butIhadbrainfreezeandcouldn’tfunction.
WhenMrs.Tottenreachedmydesk,sheaskedwhatanswerI’dgotforproblemNo.14.“I…Ididn’tgetanything,” Ianswered,andmyfacefeltwarm.
“Correct,”shesaid.
Itturnedoutthatthecorrectanswerwaszero.
WhatdidIlearnthatday?First,alwaysdoallyourhomework.Second,inreallifeitisn’talwayswhatyousaybuthowyousayitthatmatters.Third,Iwouldnevermakeitasamathematician.
IfIcouldchooseoneschooldaythattaughtmethemost,itwouldbethatone.
小题1:WhatdoestheunderlinedpartinParagraph1indicate?A.Itiswisetovalueone’stime.B.ItisimportanttomakeaneffortC.Itisrighttosticktoone’sbelief.D.Itisenoughtodothenecessary.小题2:Usually,Mrs.Tottenaskedherstudentsto_______.A.recitetheirhomeworktogetherB.gradetheirhomeworkthemselvesC.answertheirhomeworkquestionso