Every autumn, Lin Junior High School holds a special Science and Culture Week. Students spend five days exploring both science and world cultures in the lab and the classroom. Ben looks forward to this week because he loves making discoveries.
On the first day, Ben's group goes to the science lab. The room is silent except for the soft hum of machines. They measure sand and steel samples with a ruler—each piece is exactly one metre long and about two inches wide. Ben uses a knife carefully to cut each piece. Their teacher, Mr. Chen, acts as their boss and tells them not to rush.
The next task is to learn about famous world discoveries. One student reads a tale about how people in ancient times first made cheese. They kept milk in a bag and left it in the sun. To their surprise, the milk turned into a thick, tasty food! Ben prints this story on paper and pastes it onto the group's poster.
Another group researches Russia. They learn that Russian scientists made great advances in steel production many years ago. A student also reads a poem from Russia about a stream, a rose, and the sad feeling of being far from home. Ben finds the poem dear and beautiful, even though he does not usually enjoy poetry.
On the third day, the teacher asks each group to present their work in the school tower—a tall building with a glass top. Ben feels nervous as he climbs the stairs because he thinks their poster is not good enough. But his boss says, "Don't dismiss your own work. Every inch of effort counts." Ben feels glad when he hears this.
Two scientists from a big airline company visit the school on the last day. They do not dismiss a single project. One of them wears a long grey coat because she just returned from a cold city. She stops at Ben's group's poster and reads every word, then nods with a smile.
In the end, Ben's group wins first prize. "Your discovery about how cheese and sand can teach us science is wonderful," the scientist says. Ben walks back down the stairs, and for a moment the hall is silent. Then his classmates cheer, and laughter streams out of every room. Ben thinks that this is the best tale he will ever be part of.