High 2 · Reading series
Lesson 33 · The Day I Asked for Help
Audio track 33
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I had three unfinished assignments and a notebook full of plans that I could not start. Each evening I told myself to work harder. By morning, I was more worried and less able to concentrate.
A teacher noticed that I stayed behind after class. When she asked how things were going, I nearly said “fine.” Instead, I showed her the list. We sorted the tasks by deadline and discussed which one could be started in fifteen minutes. She also told me where I could speak with the school counselor if the worry continued.
That afternoon I completed one small section. The rest of the list did not disappear, but it no longer looked like a single impossible wall. I told my family what we had discussed, and we made space for the next day.
Asking for help did not remove my responsibilities. It made them visible and shareable. I had mistaken silence for independence; speaking gave me a practical first step.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
我有三份未完成的作业，笔记本上写满计划，却一项也开始不了。每天晚上，我都告诉自己再努力些。到了早上，却更担心，也更难集中注意力。
老师注意到我下课后留在教室，问我情况如何。我差点说‘挺好’，最后还是把清单给她看。我们按截止日期整理任务，讨论哪一件能在十五分钟内开个头。她还告诉我，若担忧持续，可以去哪里找学校辅导员谈谈。
那天下午，我完成了一小部分。清单上的其他事并未消失，但不再像一堵无法翻越的墙。我把讨论经过告诉家人，大家也为第二天腾出了时间。
求助没有消除我的责任，却让责任变得可见，也能与人分担。我曾把沉默误当作独立；说出来，才让我踏出实际的第一步。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- assignments
- 作业；三份尚未完成。
- concentrate
- 集中注意力；担忧使这点更难。
- noticed
- 留意到；老师发现学生下课未走。
- nearly
- 差点；主人公几乎敷衍说没事。
- deadline
- 截止时间；按期限整理任务。
- counselor
- 辅导员；可继续谈担忧。
- continued
- 持续；若困扰没有缓解。
- impossible
- 不可能完成的；清单原像一道墙。
- responsibilities
- 责任；求助不等于逃避。
- independence
- 独立；主人公曾误把沉默当成它。
Background notes (Chinese)
任务多到无从下手时，具体列出期限和可先做的小步骤，可能比笼统要求自己‘更努力’有帮助。老师也为持续的担忧提供辅导资源。