每分鐘字數
10
PhilipLorca
00:00
速度
A few years ago, Ismael travelled from Mexico City to the Pilbara Region for a temporary job involving irrigation. He had never seen such a wide, dry landscape before. The ground seemed endless, and the extreme heat made every exercise outdoors feel harder than expected. Still, he wanted to improve his English, learn new skills, and maximize the experience.
At work, he helped irrigate an irregular section of land where several pipes had become blocked. One unresolved problem involved a microwave-sized control box that kept losing power. His supervisor joked that the machine had more excuses than a 20-year-old student who had forgotten an assignment. Ismael laughed, although he was definitely hoping the problem would be fixed before lunch.
During breaks, he practised typing on his laptop. His list included YouTube, Wii U, Sicily, mischief, thief, isle, island, whilst, while, thick, bridge, robbery, awkward, and mysterious. He also typed strange combinations such as 'trick with a trick', 'Si, Ci, Pie', and 'THIS & THAT.' Symbols were part of the challenge too: %&, %%&&, and % & appeared repeatedly across the page.
One afternoon, he read about a 161-year-old building in Sicily and a one-year-old restoration project designed to protect it. Another article described a 4-year-old child who could already identify different architectural styles. Ismael found the story surprisingly interesting.
That evening, he played ping pong with Zack and Zetta before watching a video about the Pilbara. The presenter spoke about hundreds of kilometres of road, thousands of workers, and vehicles travelling at 60 mph in another country. Ismael finished his practice feeling tired but satisfied. His typing was not perfect, but it was faster, calmer, and more accurate than before. Most importantly, he was making fewer awkward mistakes each day.