An introduction to Cambridge that truly allows you to experience the differences between Chinese students and British students. It is also here that you understand why Cambridge can produce so many Nobel Prize winners, while China finds it difficult to do so. The fundamental difference between Western and Chinese education: obedience and cognition. British education emphasizes recognition and thinking, while Chinese education places more emphasis on obedience and standardized answers. In the UK, teachers encourage students to question and reflect: Is this correct? Are there other possibilities? In contrast, in China, students simply have to accept: what the teacher says is what it is, and what mainstream news states is what it is. The purposes of education are vastly different: one encourages independent thinking, while the other requires compliance with arrangements. So how does Cambridge University in the UK select talent? The admission standards of Cambridge University are not based on whether you can answer all the questions correctly, but rather on how you think. They hope students possess a perfect blend of four qualities: talent, passion, logical thinking, and perseverance. This makes Cambridge not the most difficult school to get into, but the one that can best filter out those who can think. Cambridge interviews often do not pursue correct answers, but rather assess the students' thinking processes.

For example, some common types of questions at Cambridge include: Humanities (Philosophy, Politics, Economics): What is freedom, and does it have limits? If taxes increase but happiness also increases, is that a good thing? Does the government have the power to convince people? Is money humanity's greatest invention? Literature and History: What is your favorite book and why? If Shakespeare were alive today, what would he write? Is history really written by the victors? Sciences (Mathematics, Physics): Why is the square of a negative number positive? If a planet's mass doubles, how will its orbital period change? Can light be stopped? Why does ice float on water? What happens when you put iron in liquid nitrogen? What could cause a sudden increase in reaction speed? Biology and Medicine: Why can't humans perform photosynthesis? How long can a person live in a world without bacteria? Why doesn't a giraffe's blood pressure make it faint? Law: If a person steals bread just to survive, are they guilty? Which is more important, law or morality? What are your views on artificial intelligence's involvement in the judiciary? These questions have no standard answers; they assess your way of thinking, reasoning process, expressive ability, and the depth of your understanding of the world.

In China, teachers usually demonstrate experiments, explain conclusions, and then require students to memorize formulas and remember conclusions. In the UK, students must get hands-on: conducting experiments, observing, and summarizing themselves. British education places more emphasis on the process of discovering knowledge, rather than memorizing the results of knowledge. At Cambridge, the individuality of students and the status of teachers are equal. During tutor meetings, students can say: "This weekend I’m helping a friend move, can we change the time?" In class, students might sit with their legs crossed, chewing gum, but discussions remain profound. No one cares about your clothing or hair color, because here, every student’s independent personality is respected. Because of the different educational methods, the cognitive abilities of society also differ. Citizens in the UK possess independent judgment, which allows for democratic elections. In some places, people are more easily influenced by short-term interests or authority. This is essentially not an intelligence issue, but rather a gap in cognitive ability determined by educational methods. The British education focuses on stimulating thinking, while Chinese education emphasizes uniform standards. One is cultivating "thinkers", while the other is cultivating "obedient people". This is why Cambridge can nurture scientists and thinkers who change the world, while China still lingers in the safety zone of standardized answers.