High 2 · Reading series
Lesson 2 · The Empty Seat in the Debate
Audio track 02
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Our class debated whether the library should stay open later. Students who loved studying there filled the front row, and nearly everyone supported the idea. Then Haru noticed an empty seat: no one from the library staff had been invited.
The next day we interviewed a librarian. She welcomed more readers, but an extra hour would affect cleaning, security, and the staff members' journeys home. She suggested a trial period during exam weeks rather than a permanent change.
Some classmates felt disappointed. They thought asking staff would weaken our argument. Instead, the conversation made the proposal stronger. We could now estimate costs, arrange volunteers for simple tasks, and set a date to review the results.
At the second debate, the answer was less exciting than a quick vote. It was also more responsible. The empty seat had reminded us that a good decision requires listening to people who will carry out the plan, not only those who will enjoy it.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
我们班讨论图书馆是否该延长开放时间。喜欢在那里自习的同学坐满了前排，几乎人人都赞成。随后，春注意到一张空椅子：我们没有邀请任何图书馆工作人员。
第二天，我们采访了一位图书管理员。她欢迎更多读者，但多开一小时会影响清洁、安保和员工回家的安排。她建议先在考试周试行，而不是永久改动。
有些同学感到失望，以为询问员工会削弱我们的主张。事实恰好相反：谈过之后，提案更扎实了。我们能估算费用、安排志愿者做简单工作，还能定下评估结果的日期。
第二次讨论得出的答案，没有立刻投票那么令人兴奋，却更负责任。那张空椅子提醒我们：好的决定既要听取享受方案的人，也要听取实际执行方案的人。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- debated
- 讨论；班级商议图书馆开放时间。
- nearly
- 几乎；多数同学支持延长。
- staff
- 员工；最初缺席的关键群体。
- invited
- 邀请；工作人员原先没被请来。
- affect
- 影响；延长开放牵涉清洁与安全。
- trial period
- 试行期；建议先在考试周尝试。
- permanent
- 永久的；与短期试行相对。
- proposal
- 提案；加入执行细节后更扎实。
- estimate
- 估算；可以计算额外成本。
- responsible
- 负责任的；兼顾执行者的处境。
Background notes (Chinese)
讨论公共服务的改动，应让执行和受影响的人有机会发言。学生与图书馆员工交谈后，把笼统的延长开放提议改成可估算、可试行的方案。