At closing time（临近关门时）/æt ˈkloʊzɪŋ taɪm/, Nina reached the Westbridge registration desk with a definite plan（带着明确计划）/wɪθ ə ˈdɛfənət plæn/: enrol（注册）/in'rәul/ in elementary（基础的）/.eli'mentәri/ algebra（代数）/'ældʒibrә/, confirm her tuition（学费）/tju:'iʃәn/, and meet her tutor（导师）/'tju:tә/. As a new bachelor（本科生）/'bætʃәlә/ student from a middle-class（中产阶级的）/ˈmɪdəlˈklæs/ family, she depended on a housing allowance（补贴）/ә'lauәns/. Yet the screen showed an overdue（过期未付的）/'әuvә'dju:/ fee and a preliminary（预备的）/pri'liminәri/ quiz（考查）/kwiz/ she had supposedly failed. Nina had already completed the preliminary quiz before she reached the desk（在她到达柜台前）/ˌbiˈfɔr ʃi riʧt ðə dɛsk/. She could reckon（估计）/'rekәn/ that one misleading（误导）/mis'li:d/ record might block her whole first term.

Mr. Cole, who managed enrolment, opened the original record. The handbook（手册）/'hænd,buk/ used an old-fashioned typewriter（打字机）/'taip.raitә/ font, but its rules were clear. One segment（部分）/'segmәnt/ said a language course covered the alphabet（字母表）/'ælfәbit/, adjective（形容词）/'ædʒiktiv/, adverb（副词）/'ædvә:b/, verb（动词）/vә:b/, singular（单数）/'siŋgjulә/ forms, the hyphen（连字符）/ˈhaɪfən/, and each bracket（括号）/'brækit/. Another rule required staff to organize evidence before changing a result. The essence（实质）/'esns/ of the problem soon appeared: the system had confused Nina with another lass（姑娘）/læs/ whose surname began the same way. The overdue charge was removed after May checked the handbook.

Nina tried to converse（交谈）/kәn'vә:s/ calmly although the harsh（严厉的）/hɑ:ʃ/ notice had filled her with despair（使她充满绝望）/fɪld hər wɪθ dɪˈspɛr/. Mr. Cole said, “If the system is wrong, we can renew the enrolment tonight.” Nina replied, “I appreciate that, but I need written assurance before I go forth（继续前往）/goʊ fɔrθ/ to the housing office.” May added, “We can accommodate（为其安排）/ә'kɒmәdeit/ you now, and I will interact（沟通）/.intәr'ækt/ with finance on your behalf（代表你）/ɔn jʊr bɪˈhæf/.”

A second file explained the failed quiz. It belonged to a biotechnology（生物技术）/.baiәutek'nɔlәdʒi/ safety workshop where students had to weigh one gram of powder, measure a crystal（晶体）/'kristl/ in each centimeter, and keep long hair under a comb（梳子）/kәum/-like cover. The test warned that a loose stool（凳子）/stu:l/ could bump a bench, a sudden thrust（猛推）/θrʌst/ could make a tool penetrate（刺穿）/'penitreit/ a box, and a careless slap（拍打）/slæp/ could spill material. A whistle was the signal to stop. Someone had typed “fuck（粗俗咒骂）/fʌk/ this quiz” in a comment; the rude outburst was clearly not Nina's heartfelt（衷心的）/'hɑ:tfelt/ response. Nor had she joined the bake sale that used food as bait（诱饵）/beit/ for visitors.

The headmaster（校长）/'hed'mɑ:stә/ was reluctant（不情愿的）/ri'lʌktәnt/ to alter records without proof, but the evidence began to prevail（获胜）/pri'veil/. In the realm（领域）/relm/ of student records, a prominent（明显的）/'prɒminәnt/ database shortcoming（缺点）/'ʃɒ:t'kʌmiŋ/ had linked students by initials instead of（而不是）/ˌɪnˈstɛd əv/ full names, thereby（因此）/'ðєәbai/ creating the error. Nina did not dislike（嫌恶）/dis'laik/ the rules; she disliked being deprived of a fair place by bad data. The school promised to renew its checks and erase the false mark. With the utmost care（极其谨慎地）/wɪθ ðə ˈətˌmoʊst kɛr/, Mr. Cole printed a corrected schedule and May confirmed the allowance. Nina left with no need for an heir（继承人）/єә/, privilege, or influence—only accurate records and staff willing to listen.