第四名
姓  名 林孟蓁 學  校 臺北市立成淵高級中學 年  級 二 年 一 班

 

 

No Talking

This book talks about a group of fifth graders at Laketon Elementary school. The teachers and the principal’s biggest trouble is that these kids are always so noisily talking non-stop during the lunch time at the cafeteria. As a result, the principal has to yell at them every day with a bull horn. Another problem between these fifth graders is that boys and girls don’t get along very well. One day, the main character, Dave, comes up with an idea of having a no-talking contest, boys against girls. The contest begins!

From this story, we can learn many things. For instance, it is important to have good interaction between teachers and students. Mr. Burton welcomes the new change because he modifies his class plan to fit the three-word limit for the game and gives them moral support. However, it’s not the case with Mrs. Hiatt. She is shouting at the kids, but later on Mrs. Hiatt presents a good example. She deals with her problems in her own way. Every effort she has made shows her great devotion to her work. She inspires us to know the importance of sticking to one’s rule when resolving problems. It’s also brave of her to apologize to Dave because it’s always hard for a grown-up to admit his/her wrong to children. Today, many parents are strict with their children, they often scold them for their wrongdoing .But is it always the kids’ fault? As parents, they are supposed to teach the children how to learn from mistakes, instead of shouting at them.

What impresses me most in this book is how the boys and girls start developing friendship, though they were against each other from the very start. They work together to draw teachers to join in their game. They start to solve problems all together; misunderstanding and hostility are nowhere to be found. They come to appreciate each other and become allies. Through this contest, boys and girls both become more mature. It’s also good to see them make friends with the opposite sex because we can learn so much from each other.

The most important thing in this story is no-talking. No-talking seems not that hard, but when we are in a noisy environment, we are likely to be easily affected. It is necessary that you should talk at the appropriate time, not whenever you want to, such as chatting in class or saying the wrong words in wrong places. No-talking doesn’t only mean not talking at all. Instead, it lets us learn how to listen to others. Besides, the art of talking is what everyone needs to learn. As a saying goes, “Look before you leap.” Thinking twice before talking may cause you less trouble, especially when you see two people are arguing. The best way is to keep silent. As far as I know, talking more doesn’t help stop the argument. On the contrary, keeping silent help us reflect on our deeds.

From this story, we can see everyone’s different opinions and how they cope with the no-talking contest in their own way. Although this contest seems childish and meaningless to the teachers at first, it later becomes an inspiration after the teachers learn about its significance in teaching or life. Most important of all, this story teaches us how to respect others and stay calm, help each other to keep our life in harmony.