High 3 · Reading series
Lesson 1 · The Deadline I Could Not Control
Audio track 01
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The application for a summer program had to arrive by Friday. I finished my essay early, yet one document depended on an office that closed unexpectedly because of a storm. I watched the tracking page as if checking it could move the envelope faster.
My first thought was to give up. Instead, I read the instructions again and found an email address for questions. I explained the situation, attached the completed parts, and asked whether a scanned copy could be accepted temporarily. The office replied that it could, provided the original arrived later. I sent the scan and kept a record of the exchange.
I did not know whether I would be selected. I did know that silence would remove any chance of consideration. The delay was outside my control, but my explanation was not.
When the final decision came, I was relieved, though not only because the application had been accepted. I had learned to distinguish uncertainty from helplessness. A deadline can limit choices without making every choice disappear.
Check your understanding
哪部分延误不在主人公控制之中？
办理一份文件的办公室因暴风雨临时关闭。
项目办公室允许了什么临时做法？
先收扫描件，之后再收到原件。
主人公最后学会区分什么？
区分结果尚不确定与自己完全无能为力。
Chinese translation
夏季项目的申请材料必须在星期五前送达。我早早写完论文，另一份文件却要由某个办公室办理；那里因暴风雨意外关门。我盯着邮件追踪页面，仿佛多查看几次就能让信封走快些。
我首先想放弃，随后重新读了说明，找到咨询邮箱。我解释情况，附上已经完成的部分，询问能否暂时接受扫描件。办公室回复可以，条件是之后寄到原件。我发出扫描件，也保存了往来记录。
我不知道自己会不会被录取，却知道保持沉默就会失去被考虑的机会。延误不在我的掌控之中，解释情况却在。
最后的决定来时，我松了一口气，不只是因为申请获准。我学会了分辨‘不确定’与‘无能为力’。截止日期会限制选择，却不使每一种选择都消失。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- application
- 申请；夏季项目的资料须按时送达。
- depended on
- 取决于；一份文件要由办公室办理。
- unexpectedly
- 意外地；办公室因风暴关门。
- instructions
- 说明；重读后找到咨询方式。
- temporarily
- 暂时地；先接受扫描件。
- provided
- 条件是；之后须补原件。
- record
- 记录；保存邮件往来。
- consideration
- 考虑；沉默会失去被考虑机会。
- uncertainty
- 不确定性；录取结果尚未知。
- helplessness
- 无能为力；并非没有任何行动可选。
Background notes (Chinese)
遇到无法控制的材料延误时，文中的申请者没有擅自假定规则可通融，而是按说明联系项目方、保留记录，并遵守对方提出的条件。