An 18-year-old boy in Henan Province has recently caught people’s attention. Wei Binjie was born on April 4, scored 444 on the gaokao, the college entrance exam, and chose to study funeral services. People found the coincidence interesting, but behind the fun lies a deeper question: are we ready to respect every job?
In Chinese culture, the number 4 is often avoided because it sounds like the word for death. Funeral work is also a field that many families do not like to talk about. For a long time, such jobs were seen as unlucky or shameful. As a result, few young people chose them, and the industry lacked well-trained professionals.
But times are changing. Wei’s choice shows a more open way of thinking. He did not let old ideas stop him. He believed that the value of a job does not come from how others see it, but from whether it truly helps people. Funeral workers help families say goodbye with dignity. Their work brings comfort to people in their hardest moments. There is nothing shameful about that.
His story has started many discussions online. Some people praised his courage, while others shared their own experiences of working in unpopular jobs. Step by step, such conversations help remove prejudice and build a society that values honest work of every kind.
Maybe the real lesson of the story is this: the score you get is important, but the choice you make with courage matters more. Every job deserves respect when it serves others well. And every young person should feel free to follow the path that truly fits them.
Words to know:
- funeral (n.) 殡葬，葬礼
- coincidence (n.) 巧合
- unlucky (adj.) 不吉利的
- dignity (n.) 尊严
- comfort (n.) 安慰
- prejudice (n.) 偏见
- remove (v.) 消除
- deserve (v.) 值得
长难句拆解 · not…but 平行结构与全倒装
① He believed that the value of a job does not come from how others see it, but from whether it truly helps people. 主干是 He believed that… 引导的宾语从句。从句内部是 does not come from A, but from B 的平行结构：A 处接 how others see it（疑问词从句），B 处接 whether it truly helps people（whether 从句），两个从句都作介词 from 的宾语。抓住 not…but 就抓住了整句的观点重心。
② People found the coincidence interesting, but behind the fun lies a deeper question: are we ready to respect every job? 主干是 People found the coincidence interesting, but…。后半句 behind the fun lies a deeper question 是全倒装，正常语序为 a deeper question lies behind the fun；冒号后是对 question 内容的同位展开。看到方位短语提前 + lie/stand 等不及物动词紧跟，就要按倒装处理，去句末找真正的主语。
同义替换 · 雅思阅读利器
题目从不照抄原文，全靠同义替换改写。做题时先在题干里圈出「信号词」，再回原文找它们的同义变体，定位速度会明显变快。本文可迁移的替换组：
- caught people’s attention → attracted widespread interest
- times are changing → attitudes are shifting（时代观念类通用）
- were seen as → were regarded as
- lacked well-trained professionals → was short of skilled workers
- remove prejudice → eliminate bias
- deserves respect → is worthy of respect
- a deeper question → a more profound issue
阅读自测 · 3 题
- 判断（T / F / NG） — Wei chose to study funeral services because of his gaokao score.
- 简答（不超过 6 个词） — What does the value of a job come from, according to Wei?
- 判断（T / F / NG） — The funeral industry has long had plenty of well-trained professionals.
参考答案与解析
- NG — 原文只是并列了生日、分数与专业选择三个事实，从未说他因分数才选殡葬；把巧合当因果，文中没有依据，属「强加因果」。
- Whether it truly helps people. — 定位到「does not come from how others see it, but from whether it truly helps people」，取 but 之后的观点重心，别答成 how others see it。
- F — 原文「the industry lacked well-trained professionals」直言人才短缺，plenty of 属「正反混淆」。
中文译文
河南一名18岁少年最近引起了人们的关注。魏斌杰出生于4月4日，高考（全国大学入学考试）考了444分，却选择就读殡葬服务专业。人们觉得这个巧合很有意思，但玩笑背后藏着一个更深的疑问：我们准备好尊重每一份职业了吗？
在中国文化里，数字4常被人避开，因为它与「死」谐音。殡葬行业也是许多家庭不愿提起的领域。长期以来，这类工作被视为不吉利或丢脸。结果，很少年轻人愿意选择，行业也缺乏训练有素的专业人才。
但时代在变。魏斌杰的选择体现了更开放的思维。他没有让旧观念拦住自己。他相信，一份工作的价值不取决于别人怎么看，而取决于它是否真正帮到了人。殡葬从业者帮助一个个家庭有尊严地告别，在人们最艰难的时刻带来慰藉。这没什么可羞耻的。
他的故事在网上引发了许多讨论。有人称赞他的勇气，也有人说起自己在冷门行业工作的经历。这样的对话一步步消除偏见，助推一个尊重各种踏实劳动的社会。
也许这个故事真正的启示是：你考出的分数固然重要，但带着勇气做出的选择更重要。只要踏实服务他人，每一份工作都值得尊重。而每个年轻人，都应能自由地走那条真正适合自己的路。