To Tell or Not to Tell

Should you keep cheating a secret or tell a teacher?
報告老師：有人作弊 - 你該替作弊的行為守密，還是該報告老師？

Angela and Nick just finished a history test. They stop outside the classroom to talk.

Angela: That was such a difficult test! It's a good thing I studied so hard for it, or I probably would have failed.
Nick: Me, too. You go on ahead. I need to talk to Mr. Brown about something.
Angela: Oh, what about?
Nick: I saw a guy peering at a piece of paper under his desk during the test.
Angela: Really?
Nick: Yeah. I think it was a cheat sheet.
Angela: And you're going to tell the teacher? why? He probably had a really busy week and didn't have time to study.
Nick: You and I were busy this week, too, but we still made time to study.
If someone else didn't, that doesn't justify cheating.
Angela: It seems to me that this is really none of our business. After all, this cheating doesn't affect our grades on the test.
Nick: Maybe not directly, but it will  affect the class ranks. It's not fair to hard working students if someone else gets a high rank by cheating.
Angela: True. But I really feel that we shouldn't take matters into our own hands. What if he wasn't cheating?
Nick: Well, I'm just going to report what I saw to someone in authority. The teacher can take care of it.
Angela: But this is Mr. Brown. Everyone knows what a strict teacher he is. He might call the student's parents or even have him suspended!
Nick: Mr. Brown can't suspend the student yet. He'd need more evidence than just my word. He'll probably just give him a warning and keep on eye on him.
Angela: And what if our classmates find out you told on him. Everyone in the class will call you a tattletale.
Nick: I don't care. I'm doing the right thing. But I'll ask Mr. Brown not to mention my name.
Angela: I still don't see why this is such a big deal to you. It's pretty naive to think only one person cheated on the test. The fact is that lots of students cheat.
Nick: But that doesn't make it right. And I din't see them all. I just saw one, and I feel I should take some action. Furthermore, I don't think school is just about getting good grades. It's about learning things that we'll use later in life. And, more importantly, doing it in an honest way.
Angela: Maybe. But I were you, I still wouldn't tell. I really need to get going. See you tomorrow.

Grammar Gym:
"He'd need more evidence than just my word."
"word" -a letter or a group of letters that are put together and mean something.
"word" -a comment or statement from someone.
He'd need more evidence than just my statement (word).
What Henry said sounded very strange; it's hard to believe his word.
*The manager had trouble setting the dispute; there were no witnesses and it was simply one employee's word against another.

Vocabulary Tips:
peer - look at it very closely. peer over the wall to find out what is going on. 凝视，盯着看，端详。
*The old lady peered through her window trying to see who had rung the doorbell.
*Nathan peered at his watch anxiously.
cheat sheet - 作弊时使用的小炒。
*The boy hid his cheat sheet in his shoe.
*The teacher found a double-sided cheat sheet under the student's desk.
justify -  you did something and explain why you did, or give a reason to let people understand why you did it. 使合理，证明事情，为。。。辩护。
just -公正的，合理的。
*Mark tried to justify his tardiness with all kinds of lame excuses. 很爤的理由。
*How can your department justify spending so much money on travel?
take matters into your own hands - take care of it by yourself.接手，亲自处理。 'matter' -事情。
*When the police failed to find the killer, the victim's dad decided to take matters into his own hands.
cheat -作弊，欺骗。
*Tony was caught cheating on his finals.
suspend -not allow someone to do something for a period of time.暂停，暂缓，此指“使休学，使停止，使停赛。。。”
*Jodie got suspended because she kept skipping school. 逃课（学），旷课。
*The football player was suspended because he attacked the referee.
tattletale -telling someone about someone else is wrong. tell the person usually is on a high position such as teacher, boss or parents...告密者，搬弄是非的人。 'tattle'-告状，嚼舌，闲聊，闲谈。
*Laura was called a tattletale because she told the teacher who was dating in the school.
*Kids at school don't want to play with Nicole because they think she's a tattletale.
naive - 重音在“ i ”。天真，幼稚，无知的。
*I must have been naive to think that everyone would be happy about my promotion.
*Annie was so naive that she signed the contract without even consulting a lawyer.
furthermore - moreover, there is more to this.并且，此外。 ' further' -更远，更进一步，更深入的。
*Professor Williams is a respected professor in our school. Furthermore, his is loved by his students for his wit. 幽默。
evidence - something that can prove what happened.
tell on someone / told on someone - 告某人的状，大多是向上级，老师，家长等告某人的状。tell on -告状。
have time vs make time -有时间/找时间。
authority (n) - someone have control of something.
everyone knows ....-  about someone's repetition.
if I were you...I would (wouldn't) .....- 假如我是（你，他。。。）我会（不会）。。。。

Language Tips:
cram -填塞，用在读书上即是指填鸭式的方法恶补。
burn the midnight oil.- 开夜车。
all nighter -通宵KI书或工作的人。
all night -通宵
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teacher's pet -老师的宠物。即指“有些学生爱讨好老师，总是在老师身边帮忙老师擦黑板，提东西等，常向老师打其他同学的小报告，在老师面前告同学的状等来讨好老师，有时还会送礼物给老师的同学。”




Notes taking of Studioclassroom