Mr. Whitson taught sixth-grade science. On the first day of class， he introduced a creature called the cattywampus， an ill-adapted1 animal that was wiped out during the Ice Age. He passed around a skull as he talked. We all took notes and later had a quiz.

When he returned my paper， I was shocked. There was a big red X through each of my answers. I had failed. There had to be some mistake！ I had written down exactly what Mr. Whitson said. Then I realized that everyone in the class had failed. What had happened？

Very simple， Mr. Whitson explained. He had made up2 all the stuff about the cattywampus. There had never been any such animal. The information in our notes was， therefore， incorrect. Did we expect credit3 for incorrect answers？

Needless to say， we were outraged. What kind of test was this？ And what kind of teacher？ We should have figured it out， Mr. Whitson said. After all， at the every moment he was passing around the cattywampus skull （in truth， a cats）， hadnt he been telling us that no trace of the animal remained？ He had described its amazing night vision4， the color of its fur and any number of other facts he couldnt have known. He had given the animal a ridiculous name， and we still hadnt been suspicious. The zeroes on our papers would be recorded in his grade book， he said. And they were.

Mr. Whitson said he hoped we would learn something from this experience. Teachers and textbooks are not infallible5. In fact， no one is. He told us not to let our minds go to sleep， and to speak up6 if we ever thought he or the textbook was wrong.

Every class was an adventure with Mr. Whitson. One day he told us that his Volkswagen was a living organism. It took us two full days to put together a refutation7 he would accept. He didnt let us off the hook8 until we had proved not only that we knew what an organism was but also that we had the fortitude to stand up for the truth. We carried our brand-new skepticism into all our classes. This caused problems for the other teachers， who werent used to being challenged.

I havent made any great scientific discoveries， but Mr. Whitsons class gave me and my classmates something just as important： the courage to look people in the eye and tell them they are wrong. He also showed us that you can have fun doing it.

Not everyone sees the value in this. I once told an elementary school teacher about Mr. Whitson. The teacher was appalled. “He shouldnt have tricked you like that，” he said. I looked that teacher right in the eye and told him that he was wrong.

惠特森先生教的是六年级的自然科学。上课的第一天，他介绍了一种叫cattywampus的生物，这是一种在冰河时代因不适应环境而灭绝的动物。他在讲解时还给大家传看了一个动物头骨。我们都记了笔记，后来还做了一个小测验。

当他返给我卷子时，我惊呆了。在我的每个答案上都画有一个大大的红叉。我的成绩不及格。一定是有什么地方搞错了！我写下的恰恰全都是惠特森先生所讲的啊。随后，我意识到班上的每个人都成绩不及格。这到底是怎么回事？

很简单，惠特森先生解释说。他编造了所有关于cattywampus的资料。从来都没有这种动物。因此我们笔记上的信息是错误的。难道我们还想用的错误的答案来考及格吗？

不用说，我们都被激怒了。这是个什么测试？而且这是个什么老师啊？我们应该识破他的谎言的，惠特森先生说。毕竟，他在给大家传看cattywampus的头骨（事实上是一只猫的）时，不是每时每刻都在告诉我们这种动物没留下任何遗迹吗？而他却描述了它惊人的夜视力、毛皮的颜色以及许多他本不应知晓的其他事实。他还给这个动物取了这么个荒诞古怪的名字，而我们依旧没产生怀疑。我们试卷上的零分将被记录在他的成绩册里，他说。后来他确实这么做了。

惠特森先生说他希望我们能从这次经历中学到一些东西。老师和课本并不是绝无差错的。事实上，没人能做到这一点。他告诉我们不要让自己的思想“睡大觉”，如果我们在任何时候认为他或是课本有差错，就要大胆说出来。

跟惠特森先生上的每一堂课都像是一次历险。一天，他告诉我们，他的那辆大众汽车是一个活着的有机体。我们花了整整两天的时间才整理汇总出一个他能接受的反驳论据。可他并没有轻易放过我们，直到我们证明自己不仅知道一个有机体是什么，而且还能勇敢地站出来维护事实真相。我们把自己全新的怀疑态度带到了我们所有的课程中。这给其他老师带来了麻烦，他们不习惯自己的权威被挑战。

我并没有搞出什么重大的科学发现，但惠特森先生的课却给了我和我的同学们一个有着同等重要意义的启示：有勇气去坦然地直视对方，并指出他们的错误。他还向我们展示了我们可以享受到这样做的乐趣。

并不是所有人都能明白这其中的价值。有一次，我告诉一位小学教师有关惠特森先生的事。那个老师惊骇不已。“他不该像那样愚弄哄骗你们的，”他如是说。而我则坦然地正视着那位老师的眼睛，并告诉他，他错了。

单词卡片

1. ill-adapted： 不适应的，不协调的；wipe out： 彻底摧毁，消灭；Ice Age： 【地】冰河时代，冰川期。

2. make up： 捏造，（尤指为了欺骗）临时编造，虚构。

3. credit ： （学生成绩单上某门课程的）及格记录。

4. night vision： 夜里（或黑暗中）看清东西的能力，夜视力；any number of： 〈口〉好多，许多。

5. infallible： 不可能错误的，永无过失的。

6. speak up： 大胆地说，自由发表意见。

7. refutation： 可供反驳用的证据（或论据）。

8. off the hook： 〈口〉脱离困境，脱身；fortitude：坚忍，刚毅；stand up for：支持，维护。