A story about how an admirable character

Write a story about how an admirable character.

Outline:
1. Describe how Steven confessed to cheating in the examinations.
2. Describe Steven’s family background.
3. Explain why he had no time to study before the examinations.
4. Describe how the school dealt with Steven’s cheating.



“Mr. Xu, I have something to tell you… I cheated in this examination”, Steven informed the chief invigilator.

Mr. Xu almost dropped the pile of papers he was carrying. Steven withdrew a skillfully rolled paper from between the panels of this pencil-case as evidence. Though he was a compassionate person, Mr. Xu felt duty-bound to report the matter to the principal.

Steven’s heart beat wildly as he waited outside principal’s office. Tears of despair rolled down his cheeks as he reflected on his situation.

Always the top student in his class, Steven was almost every teacher’s favorite. Nobody, however, knew the dark secrets of his background.
His father was a drunkard and a gambler. He did not work, so Steven and his mother sold food at Chinatown where they had a small stall. Daily business brought in a small steady income. However, his drunken father always demanded money. This left them with a pittance to run the household and to settle the huge debts his father had incurred.

That particular week before the examinations was a most difficult one. Loan sharks had come demanding payment. They gave Steven’s mother one week to pay up. This meant that Steven had to forego his revision and work extra shifts. Between school and work, he hardly had enough time to sleep. Study time was of course, out of the question. Therefore, out of desperation, he resolved to cheat in his History examination. However, after had handed up his paper, his conscience bothered him for he was actually an honest boy. Therefore, he felt compelled to confess his misdeed to Mr. Xu.

Before the Committee of Heads of Departments decided what to do with Steven, Mr. Xu visited Steven’s family. There, he learnt the whole truth from Steven’s mother.

It was unanimously agreed by the committee that this was an exceptional case. Steven needed help, not punishment. With proper arrangement, Steven won a scholarship for his studies. His father was sent to a rehabilitation center. The family was also offered financial assistance by a welfare organization.