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? |
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