Chapter 14: Let’s Give Xu Ming a Round of Applause
When Li Wenhui heard Xu Ming's prose-like reading speed, he was completely stunned, frozen in his seat.
His gaze was vacant, as if he'd lost his soul.
Question marks popped up in his mind; he couldn't understand it.
"When did Xu Ming's English get so good?"
If he was just reading quickly, it would still be acceptable. The crucial point was that Xu Ming's translation was similar to his own, and some of his vocabulary was even more appropriate. Feeling utterly bewildered, a thought involuntarily sprang into his mind:
"Did I translate it wrong too?"
Yes.
He'd rather doubt himself than accept the fact that Xu Ming's English level seemed to have improved significantly.
His math had already been suppressed; if he were also surpassed by Xu Ming in English, what would become of his dignity as a student who consistently ranked in the top five of the class?
Moreover, in his impression, Xu Ming's highest English score was always in the double digits.
However, just as he was about to convince himself, the English teacher's words directly sealed the verdict for Xu Ming.
"Let's first give Xu Ming a round of applause."
After Xu Ming finished his translation, Han Xiaolan turned to the students and led the applause.
It lasted for several seconds.
Then, with a face full of satisfaction, she said to Xu Ming, "You translated this reading comprehension very accurately."
"This shows that your efforts during the morning self-study sessions these past few days have paid off. Keep up the good work and strive to improve your English scores."
"Please take your seat."
"Thank you, Teacher Han." Xu Ming politely nodded and sat down.
Next to him, Qian Hong hadn't quite recovered his senses, still immersed in Xu Ming's translation from moments ago.
He was completely stunned.
Handing his exercise book to Xu Ming had been a habitual action; he hadn't expected Xu Ming to actually answer. But what did he hear?
Xu Ming had translated it both quickly and accurately.
All he could say was, 'Seriously, dude, you can actually do it?!'
Finally, when the class dismissal bell rang, before Qian Hong could even speak, Yang Huijuan, who was sitting in the front row, suddenly walked over, making no attempt to conceal the curiosity mixed in her expression.
She stopped in front of him and openly asked among classmates:
"Xu Ming."
"Your reading comprehension is amazing! Even Chen Lu said that in many places your translation was more accurate than hers. Do you have any tips for solving these problems?"
As her voice fell, many classmates around them also cast their gazes.
Hearing this, Xu Ming raised his eyes, not playing coy.
"It might be because I've remembered more vocabulary recently." He recalled his efforts during the past few morning self-study sessions and truthfully answered everyone's doubts.
In any case, for English, vocabulary is the absolute foundation.
Although his Language Intuition Mastery Ability was strong, if he didn't know a word, he still couldn't arrange and combine them in his mind.
So, his words were indeed perfectly valid.
"It seems we still need to memorize and practice English more." Yang Huijuan nodded in agreement.
During the next class and self-study session, Xu Ming continued to work on English problems, immersed in the speed of problem-solving after his Language Intuition Mastery Ability improved. By almost noon, he had already finished the entire exercise book.
Checking the answers one by one, he found almost no errors.
This undoubtedly gave him great confidence, making him think he might even be able to aim for a perfect score in English for the Gaokao.
However, Xu Ming also noticed something: for English Level 1, the difficulty of gaining Subject Experience increased significantly.
In this regard, it was the same situation as with Math and Physics.
According to his estimation, he would probably need to learn new university knowledge before he could gain experience and continue elevating his subject levels.
Take Math, for example: in his previous life, he regretted not choosing a Math major during his postgraduate studies, and after choosing to start a business, he had practically forgotten it all. Currently, he only remembered a few common formulas.
But during this critical period for the Gaokao, if he were to study university Math textbooks, his Homeroom Teacher would probably be the first to object.
Therefore, the best plan was to prioritize upgrading his remaining Level 0 subjects to Level 1 and drawing new Entries first.
He returned to the classroom after lunch.
Xu Ming cleared his thoughts, intending to review Chemistry and Biology.
He was naturally confident in Chemistry; besides having a certain foundation, more importantly, it was connected to Math. After all, chemical equations are essentially mathematical models.
He remembered some students using the observation method to balance equations, which took a lot of time and still couldn't avoid mistakes.
But switching to the method of undetermined coefficients, it was both fast and accurate.
Especially for complex organic combustion reactions, setting up systems of equations with unknowns made solving them particularly efficient.
"I hope I can finish reviewing this week."
He was secretly planning, and just as he was about to get into the zone, his peripheral vision caught sight of something quite unexpected.
During the school's designated lunch break, Qian Hong surprisingly wasn't sleeping.
Instead, he was seriously doing Math problems.
For third-year high school students still aiming for a bachelor's degree, the lunch break was also used for studying, unless the Homeroom Teacher happened to enter the class and forced them to sleep.
But those like Qian Hong, who had resigned themselves to attending a vocational college, would definitely prioritize catching up on sleep. In fact, that's exactly what he usually did.
Two days ago, the school held the Gaokao 100-Day Sprint Pep Rally. Although he had reluctantly tried to study hard for one lunch break, the next day he reverted to his old ways.
It was hard to imagine him being so proactive today.
With interest, Xu Ming turned his head and asked, "What kind of stimulation have you received this time?"
"It's all because of your influence." Qian Hong heard the sound, stopped what he was doing, and replied.
A hint of resentment showed in his eyes.
He thought of how Xu Ming had only studied hard for a few days and already saw such great results, with his Math and English levels rapidly improving. He couldn't help but decide to give it a try. Although he couldn't achieve Xu Ming's almost "abnormal" level of diligent study, as long as his scores changed, it wouldn't be a wasted effort.
Xu Ming undoubtedly supported Qian Hong's initiative.
While giving him a 'fighting' gesture, he didn't forget to specifically add a sentence.
"If you have any problems you don't understand, just call me."
"Mm." Qian Hong nodded and hummed in acknowledgment.
The first period in the afternoon was Homeroom Teacher Wang Qingtao's Math class. When the class bell rang, helping everyone dispel drowsiness, Xu Ming also newly acquired Subject Experience.
[Through diligent study, your [Chemistry] level has improved, gaining 3 Subject Experience Points.]
—
Wang Qingtao was wearing a black jacket today, holding only a few sheets of A4 paper in his hand as he entered the classroom.
Standing on the podium, he habitually scanned the students below, to make sure no one was still asleep.
"Class is starting."
"Anyone still feeling sleepy, quickly go to the faucet and splash some water on your face. I'll wait for you."
A faint smile played on his lips. After speaking, seeing that no one in the class moved, only then did he feel satisfied and officially started the class.
"Our principal just returned from the city today and brought back a few challenging Math problems from City No. 1 High School. I'll take this opportunity to explain them to you this period."
"Everyone listen carefully."
After saying this, Wang Qingtao no longer delayed, picked up a piece of chalk, turned around, and completely copied the problems onto the blackboard.
The students below looked up, their gazes fixed intently, with serious expressions.
Many of these challenging Math problems, obtained from the city or other channels, were often predictions for Gaokao questions.
Regardless of whether they would be tested in the Gaokao, at least understanding and mastering them now would definitely not be wrong.
(End of chapter)