Inthemid-1950sIwasasomewhatboredearly-adolescentmalestudentwhobelievedthatdoinganymorethannecessarywaswastedeffort.OnedaythisapproachthrewmeintoembarrassmentInMrs.Totten’seighth-grademathclassatCentra
Inthemid-1950sIwasasomewhatboredearly-adolescentmalestudentwhobelievedthatdoinganymorethannecessarywaswastedeffort.Onedaythisapproachthrewmeintoembarrassment
InMrs.Totten’seighth-grademathclassatCentralAvenueSchoolinAndersonIndianawewerelearningtoaddandsubtractdecimals(小数).
Ourteachertypicallyassigneddailyhomeworkwhichwouldberecitedinclassthefollowingday.Onmostdaysourgradeswerebasedonouroralanswertohomeworkquestions.
Mrs.Tottenusuallywalkedupanddowntherowsofdesksrequestinganswersfromstudentafterstudentintheorderthequestionshadappearedonourhomeworksheets.Shewouldstarteitheratthefrontorthebackoftheclassroomandworktowardtheotherend.
SinceIwasseatednearthemiddleofabout35studentsitwaseasytofigureoutwhichquestionsImighthavetoanswer.ThisparticulartimeIhadcompletedmyusualtwoorthreeproblemsaccordingtomycalculations.
WhatIfailedtoexpectwasthatseveralstudentswereabsentwhichthrewoffmyestimate.AsMrs.Tottenmadeherwayfromthebeginningoftheclass,IdesperatelytriedtodeterminewhichmathproblemIwouldget.ItriedtoworkitoutbeforeshegottomebutIhadbrainfreezeandcouldn’tfunction.
WhenMrs.Tottenreachedmydesk,sheaskedwhatanswerI’dgotforproblemNo.14.“I…Ididn’tgetanything”Ianswered,andmyfacefeltwarm.
“Correct”shesaid.
Itturnedoutthatthecorrectanswerwaszero.
WhatdidIlearnthatday?Firstalwaysdoallyourhomework.Secondinreallifeitisn’talwayswhatyousaybuthowyousayitthatmatters.Third,Iwouldnevermakeitasamathematician.
IfIcouldchooseoneschooldaythattaughtmethemostitwouldbethatone.
1.WhatdoestheunderlinedpartinParagraph1indicate?
A.Itiswisetovalueone’stime.
B.Itisimportanttomakeaneffort
C.Itisrighttosticktoone’sbelief.
D.Itisenoughtodothenecessary.
2.UsuallyMrs.Tottenaskedherstudentsto_______.
A.recitetheirhomeworktogether
B.gradetheirhomeworkthemselves
C.answertheirhomeworkquestionsorally
D.checktheanswerstotheirhomeworkques