Still, Wait For Me

SWFM13: Answering questions as if performing a surgery

SWFM13: Answering questions as if performing a surgery

On 11th April, amidst SARS, amidst a sour feeling amongst the entire school population, the passing of time towards the university entrance examinations did not cease, never resting.

Libei Senior High's monthly tests gradually caught up to the first mock examinations of Jiannan City, naturally having to give way to them.

The examination grounds for the mock exams would be allocated according to the results of the students in the previous monthly tests. Xu Tingsheng was allocated to the 6th examination ground, with Huang Yaming and Fu Cheng a little further behind.

It was a day of torrential rain, the sky dim and overcast.

The lights were turned on in the classroom, shining down on the students, all wearing masks as they clutched their pens, silent and focused, answering questions as if performing a surgery.

First came the Language examination.

Before the examination began, a boy sitting behind Xu Tingsheng said: let me have a look at the multiple choice questions later.

Xu Tingsheng had forgotten his name, only vaguely remembering that he was a former classmate from 10th grade.

"Oh, okay," Xu Tingsheng said.

During the mathematics examination in the afternoon, the boy said the same thing.

Xu Tingsheng said, "Don't, you'll be done for if you do."

The boy said angrily, "You don't have to be so petty?"

Xu Tingsheng said, "You'll understand later."

After the examinations began, Xu Tingsheng earnestly did the questions that were related to geometry before taking out an eraser, using a penknife to smoothen its rounded edges. Next, he inscribed A, B, C and D, 'roll again' and 'same as above' on the six respective sides of the eraser.

Xu Tingsheng began rolling his dice.

The boy behind him was shocked for a moment before he resolutely erased the answers for the two geometry questions that he had copied earlier.

After finishing rolling the multiple choice questions, Xu Tingsheng handed in his paper.

The morning of the next day was Combined Humanities.

Xu Tingsheng turned back and said on his own initiative, "This time, you really can look at mine."

The student behind him sighed, "Bro... don't mess around."

The final paper was English, Xu Tingsheng having told Huang Yaming and Fu Cheng before entering the examination grounds, "Believe in your first impressions."

"What if there's no impression at all?"

"If it's three short and one long, choose the longest. If it's three long and one short, choose the shortest."

After the examinations had ended, the two were very happy. Asking them about it, Xu Tingsheng was told that this was the first time that they had felt like they understood the meaning of some comprehension passages.

This was the effect Xu Tingsheng had wanted. He had gotten the two to work on recognising words rather than focusing on spelling because there already wasn't much time left. If they could recognise some of the given words, the duo would be able to project the general content of the comprehension passages based on them, next connecting it to the words that followed. Purely guesswork based on that would also be good, because with a framework and clues, their answers would naturally end up closer to the correct ones.