Day 36 · The Gaokao Year

A slow English story about Driving past a school full of parents holding flowers — and remembering my own gaokao 20 years ago. 15 simple sentences. Word by word.📝 Today's sentencesThis morning, the streets felt unusually quiet.No one was honking. No one rushing.It hit me. Today is the day.I drove past a school on my way to work.Parents were everywhere, holding flowers.And just like that, I was eighteen again.And just like that, I was back in that exam room.My pencil was shaking.My heart was pounding.Part of me just wanted it over.And part of me wished I had more time.Honestly, that was almost twenty years ago.But it still feels so close.Time really does fly.I hope they ace it. Every single one of them.🔑 Vocabulary• honking /ˈhɒŋkɪŋ/• on my way to work /ɒn maɪ weɪ tə wɜːrk/• heart pounding /hɑːrt ˈpaʊndɪŋ/• wished I had more time /wɪʃt aɪ hæd mɔːr taɪm/• time flies /taɪm flaɪz/• unusually quiet /ʌnˈjuːʒuəli ˈkwaɪət/• it hit me /ɪt hɪt miː/• holding flowers /ˈhoʊldɪŋ ˈflaʊərz/• eighteen again /eɪˈtiːn əˈɡen/• exam room /ɪɡˈzæm ruːm/• pencil shaking /ˈpensəl ˈʃeɪkɪŋ/🎧 New episode every weekdaySubscribe so you don't miss the next sentence.