1 . “Look at the results. What should our alpha level be to correct for multiple comparisons?” I stared at the statistics problem on the whiteboard and saw a lot of symbols and numbers but nothing that looked remotely like an “a”, let alone an “alpha”. All around me, pencils scratched out calculations as my classmates got to work. I pretended to start my own calculations as my heart beat soundly and my face turned hot.
“If I don’t know the answer to this question,” I thought, “I don’t belong in this class.”
It turns out I’m not alone. In a study of over 1,000 high school students recruited by Character Lab Research Network, about 40% said they regularly hesitated to admit when they didn’t know something in class. The struggles were especially strong among girls and were most common in math.
Why? We tend to believe that you can’t be good at math unless you’ re really smart. The more we think we need to be “brilliant” to succeed, the harder it is to reveal what we don’t know to others. But if students don’t feel comfortable voicing their questions in school, they will miss opportunities to learn from peers and teachers — the very opportunities that can make them brilliant.
To help teens overcome this resistance, you can change their feelings by sharing times you have felt reluctant to ask — like my story about statistics class.
I filled the blanks with puzzling statistics with a little help from my classmate Liz. Still in a panic, I glanced up from my paper and saw a hand shoot into the air. “What do you mean by alpha level?” Liz asked.
“Good question,” the teacher said. Now the learning could begin.
Don’t hide what you don’t know. The more you conceal your questions, the scarier it becomes to ask for help. Be brave and share your questions with the world.
1. Why does the author mention his statistics class in the first paragraph?| A．To illustrate the importance of fame. | B．To complain about the boring class. |
| C．To lead in the topic of the study. | D．To draw the interest of the readers. |
| A．Only talented students are able to do well in math. |
| B．Most senior students aren’t interested in math lesson. |
| C．The elder students would become more inactive in class. |
| D．The more questions you ask, the cleverer you will become. |
| A．He changed the question into a simple one. |
| B．He shared his experience with the students. |
| C．He built students’ courage to ask questions. |
| D．He ignored the students’ indifference in class. |
| A．Nothing is to hide | B．Everything is possible |
| C．Everyone is a talent | D．All will be answered for |
2 . In May, as our scientific institution began to open back up and whispers about face-to-face lab meetings started to float around, I panicked.
My hearing loss began when I was in graduate school. At first, I fondly thought I could overcome it with hard work. I began to record every one-on-one meeting because even with the strongest focus I just couldn’t catch everything, and taking notes is not a choice when you rely on lip-reading. In meetings, I sat in the front row, tiring myself as I strained to both hear the speaker and process the science. So, in the fourth year, I decided cochlea implants (植入耳蜗) were the right next step.
The week after I began to hear with both implants, I attended a conference. I looked over every listening environment to plan my equipment and where I needed to be located during the event. It worked OK — but it was still tiring, and I felt excluded from so much.
When meetings were held online, my experience was much better. The sound quality was clear, without the powerful noises of a physical office space or meeting room. I could sit back and let the sound come to me. It was easier to focus, participate, and think deeply about the science. I felt a sense of belonging. I began to leave meetings feeling refreshed rather than needing a short sleep.
I didn’t want to be forced back into struggling to understand. So, with anxiety, I contacted my adviser to make a simple hearing plan which includes asking presenters to use a microphone for our lab meetings. It worked. Now, a few weeks later, my anxiety is gradually giving way to scientific curiosity and questions enabled by feeling included and worthy of belonging. A few of my lab mates have even thanked me because they, too, were unable to hear people without microphones. Maybe instead of rushing back to “normal”, we can all take this chance to create environments that are more welcoming — for everyone.
1. Why did the author feel panicked?| A．Her hearing loss got worse. | B．She hated social communication. |
| C．Her institution would open back up. | D．She feared returning to in-person meetings. |
| A．Failed. | B．Struggled. | C．Managed. | D．Prepared. |
| A．Energetic. | B．Anxious. | C．Shocked. | D．Sleepy. |
| A．Online meetings work well. | B．Cochleas help people with hearing loss. |
| C．Inclusion and belonging do matter. | D．Scientific curiosity leads to development. |
