I am constantly surprised and touched by how anxious many of my students seem to be about "bothering"( 麻烦 ) me with a question, or request 1 advice. They don't want to be a nuisance; they don't want to 2 up my "valuable" time. I wasn't all that polite, 3 instance, to a student who, following repeated 4 at my classes, phoned me at 6:50 a.m. (not my favorite hour) to say that she was 5 about her exams the next day and could I help! Most of the time, 6 , teachers are only too glad to be 7 help to a keen student. Indeed, one of the qualities a 8 student most needs is a willingness and 9 to ask good questions: the resulting discussion stimulates ( 激发 ) the student and his teacher 10 well. The reason why many students don't 11 is that they're afraid of looking 12 -- if not to the teacher, then to their fellow-students. We've all known this 13 , and it is entirely understandable. All I can 14 is that, in over ten years 15 a teacher, I've hardly ever been asked a really stupid question. I've been asked questions I've only just answered; I've been asked questions that have nothing to do 16 the matter in hand; and I've been asked to spell out the obvious for nervy and anxious students. 17 at no time have I ever felt contempt ( 轻蔑 ) for anyone 18 enough to enquire ( 询问 ) about something they don't know or don't yet 19 ; and very often the questions are so good that they open up a line of 20 that I haven't considered before.