At the start of a cross-subject（语境补充词）/cross-subject/ challenge, Noah's team received a real case rather than a textbook（教科书）/'tekstbuk/ exercise. The opening evidence connected mineral（矿物、无机物）/'minәrәl/, minister（部长；牧师）/ˈmɪnɪstər/, minor（较小的、二流的）/'mainә/, mirror（镜子）/ˈmɪrə/, missile（发射物、导弹）/'misail/, mission（任务）/ˈmɪʃən/, mist（雾、迷蒙）/mist/, mixture（混合、混淆）/'mikstʃә/, mode（模式）/moʊd/, moment（片刻）/ˈməʊmənt/, mood（心情、气氛）/mu:d/, moreover（而且、此外）/mɒ:'әuvә/, mosquito（蚊子）/mә'ski:tәu/, and mostly（大部份）/'mәustli/. The links looked unusual, but each detail came from a witness, label, form, or measurement（尺寸、度量）/'meʒәdmәnt/ in the case file. The team has already reviewed the complete plan.

A second folder added motion（移动、手势）/'mәuʃәn/, motivate（给与动机、刺激）/'mәutiveit/, motive（运动的、成为动机的）/'mәutiv/, motor（马达、发动机）/'mәutә/, mount（乘骑用马、框）/maunt/, movement（移动；动作）/ˈmuːvmənt/, mud（泥、诽谤）/mʌd/, murder（谋杀）/ˈmərdər/, muscle（肌肉、臂力）/'mʌsl/, mushroom（蘑菇形物、蘑菇）/'mʌʃrum/, nail（钉子、指甲）/neil/, narrow（狭窄部分、隘路）/'nærәu/, navy（海军、海军人员）/'neivi/, and nearby（附近的、近旁的）/'niәbai/. Some entries described people and places; others recorded objects, actions, or changing conditions. The students sorted each clue by time and source instead of forcing an early answer. The final choice was explained to everyone at the meeting.

The hardest set included neat（整洁的、巧妙的）/ni:t/, needle（针、尖）/'ni:dl/, negative（否定、否定语）/'negәtiv/, neighbourhood（邻域）/'neibәhud/, nephew（侄子、外甥）/'nefju:/, nest（巢、窝）/nest/, net（网、网状物）/net/, nevertheless（然而）/.nevәðә'les/, niece（侄女、甥女）/ni:s/, noble（高贵的、高尚的）/'nәubl/, normal（正常的）/ˈnɔːml/, novel（小说、长篇故事）/'nɒvl/, novelist（小说家）/'nɒvәlist/, and nowadays（时下、现今）/'nauәdeiz/. Noah checked spelling and context while a partner marked facts that could be tested. Mina, who led（lead的过去式和过去分词）/led/ the discussion（讨论）/dɪˈskʌʃn/, asked for clear evidence. Then the supervisor（管理者、监督者）/.sju:pә'vaizә/ said, “Do not hide an awkward clue merely because it weakens（削弱、减弱）/'wi:kәn/ your first idea.”

The last working board brought together nowhere（无处、到处都无）/'nәuhwєә/, nuclear（核能的）/ˈnukliər/, nut（坚果、核心）/nʌt/, nutrition（营养、营养学）/nju:'triʃәn/, obtain（获得）/əbˈteɪn/, obviously（显然）/ˈɑbviəsli/, occasion（场合；时机）/əˈkeɪʒən/, occupy（占领、占(时间）/'ɒkjupai/, occur（发生）/əˈkər/, ocean（海洋）/ˈəʊʃn/, odd（奇数的、古怪的）/ɒd/, onion（洋葱）/'ʌnjәn/, onto（到……上面）/ˈɔntu/, and opera（歌剧）/'ɒpәrә/. The group compared the four boards, removed repeated claims, and wrote（写下）/roʊt/ a short reason beside every decision（决定）/dɪˈsɪʒn/. If the first method fails, we can try another one. That rule helped them correct two mistakes without blaming a teammate（队友）/'ti:mmeit/.

The group hoped to raise awareness of（提高对……的认识）/reɪz əˈwɛrnəs əv/ choices that have an impact on（对……有影响）/hæv ən ˌɪmˈpækt ɔn/ neighbours. The hall would be home to（是……的所在地）/bi hoʊm tɪ/ an open display. Residents in favour of（支持；赞成）/ɪn ˈfeɪvər əv/ the plan spoke on behalf of（代表）/ɔn bɪˈhæf əv/ their streets and answered questions in public（公开地；在公共场合）/ɪn ˈpəblɪk/. They asked what all sides have in common（有共同之处）/hæv ɪn ˈkɑmən/; as a result（因此）/ɛz ə rɪˈzəlt/, the argument（语境补充词）/ˈɑrgjəmənt/ became（变得）/bɪˈkeɪm/ a practical discussion. The completed record told（告诉）/toʊld/ a clearer story than the first draft. It did not pretend that every clue was equally important; it showed how disciplined reading, calm cooperation（合作、协力）/kәu.ɒpә'reiʃәn/, and a checkable（语境补充词）/checkable/ decision could turn a crowded case into useful（有用的）/ˈjuːsfəl/ action.