Gaokao tale: a dream come true for twin brothers
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High school seniors nationwide are gearing up for the Gaokao. The exam, which greatly determines which universities students will be able to enter, is just two days away. We bring you now a special report on two twin brothers, whose sense of sacrifice and hard work allowed them to reach their dream.
Yuan Ziwen and Yuan Zihao both study at the renowned Peking University.
Their outlook and diligence have made them role models for millions of high school students.
But the twins’ first year in high school was not easy...
Weighed down by work, their test scores wouldn’t even let them dream about the prestigious Peking University.
"Our teacher told us if we could make it into the top 100 of our grade, we’d be able to get into Nankai University," Yuan Zihao said.
Since then, the brothers began encouraging each other to study harder.
Their time was entirely reserved to studies, and they rarely left school.
"We only went to downtown Tianjin twice. I thought our lives belonged to the school," Zihao said.
Senior year was almost torture. The two brothers spent most of their time after school in a rented apartment nearby.
A nap was a luxury as the Gaokao got closer.
"If he fell asleep, I would wake him up. When we were really tired, we took 10-minute naps in turn," said Yuan Ziwen.
But three years of gruelling studies have paid off.
Their excellent results in the Gaokao brought them to the gates of Peking University.
The twin brothers have written a book of their high school days, which has encouraged millions of students working hard to get into their dream universities.
Ziwen says without this decision he and his brother made years ago, and without their family’s support, they would be nowhere close to where they are now.