I settled into my seat on a plane to Cuba feeling frustrated. When I planned the trip, I had assumed that my Cuban partner and I would go to the field directly to collect water samples from rivers. That’s how I’d done fieldwork in Namibia and Bolivia. But not in Cuba, it seemed. Five days earlier, a Cuban scientist had emailed to inform me that we would only be meeting to talk about our planned project. Sampling would happen during a later trip.
At the airport, one of my partners greeted me. We drove to the research center where he worked, and then toured every lab in the building. I met scientists, technicians, students and even the cook. I was impressed that I was introduced to each person. The lack of hierarchy (等级制度) was unlike anything I had experienced before in academia (学术界).
The next day, we met again to brainstorm. Together, we looked at maps to plan how we were going to collect samples. Had it not been for the Cubans, I would have been unaware that the map I had left out some new reservoirs (水库) Local involvement and knowledge were key — making me wonder what I’d missed working without such a team in other places.
Six months later, I flew back to Cuba and this time, we headed to the field. I was impressed again by the lengths to which my Cuban partners went to ensure that all team members were treated equally. We drove around Cuba in bright yellow minibuses, and each minibus had a mix of members at all seniority levels. In the field, all members sweated together.
On the last night of the trip, we searched for a restaurant that could seat all 14 of us at one table. When a restaurant couldn’t accommodate the team without separating us, my partners insisted that we move on and find a place with a large enough table.
In 26 years as a professor, I have never been a fan of academia’s hierarchy. I want everyone working with me to feel as though they are part of a team. But my Cuban partners take teamwork to another level entirely. They make it clear that all team members are valued, that everyone is equal, and that true teamwork makes for better science.
【小题1】Why did the author feel frustrated in paragraph 1?| A．He was asked to host a meeting in Cuba. |
| B．He was told to change his planned project. |
| C．He couldn’t do his work in his usual way in Cuba. |
| D．He spent a long time waiting for his plane to Cuba. |
| A．It was torn up. | B．It was outdated. |
| C．It was too old to read. | D．It was about another water area. |
| A．They drove minibuses to the field. | B．They were friendly to the author. |
| C．They worked in different groups. | D．They had dinner at one table. |
| A．A fruitful trip in Cuba | B．Impressed by a Cuban team |
| C．Respect seniors in the team. | D．You’ll never know until you try |
