When I was a teenager growing up in Russia, I wanted to leave school and have my own life. The only way I could do this was to work in the local brick factory in my town, or get married. I was nervous when I told my father I wanted to leave school. I thought he would say, “No! You are going to college.” He took me by surprise when he said, “OK. We’ll go to the brick factory.”

Two days later, he took me to the factory. I had a very romantic idea of working in a factory. I had imagined everyone to be friends working together and having fun. I even imagined there would be music and singing. I guess I had watched too many movies as a teenager.

When we arrived at the factory gate, my father spoke to the guard and one minute later we were inside. My father said, “Take your time. Look around.” I walked around the factory looking at the building, the workers, and listening to the noise. It was horrible. I ran back to my father and said, “I want to go home.”

He asked me, “What do you think of the factory?”

“It’s terrible,” I replied.

“And marriage is even worse!” he said.

I went back to school the next day thinking about studying hard so I could get into a good college. I enjoyed studying English so I decided to major in languages at college. Thanks to my father and our trip to the brick factory, I now work at the United Nations and my father is very proud of me. I married a very good man and my life is much better than it would have been working in the factory!

1.The writer lived in       when she was a teenager.

A. Russia       B. Japan        C. China

2.At first she thought life in the factory would be       than in school.

A. more careful     B. more colorful       C. more beautiful

3.When she told her father that she wanted to leave school, he expressed his disagreement       .

A. by doing nothing    B. in a special way     C. by saying nothing

4.After they visited the factory, the girl       .

A. decided to work there     B. decided to get married    C. changed her mind

5.The underlined work “horrible” means “     ” in Chinese.

A. 糟糕的       B. 緊張的       C. 浪漫的

When I was a teenager growing up in Russia, I wanted to leave school and have my own life. The only way I could do this was to work in the local brick factory in my town, or get married. I was nervous when I told my father I wanted to leave school. I thought he would say, “No! You are going to college.” He took me by surprise when he said, “OK. We’ll go to the brick factory.”
Two days later, he took me to the factory. I had a very romantic idea of working in a factory. I had imagined everyone to be friends working together and having fun. I even imagined there would be music and singing. I guess I had watched too many movies as a teenager.
When we arrived at the factory gate, my father spoke to the guard and one minute later we were inside. My father said, “Take your time. Look around.” I walked around the factory looking at the building, the workers, and listening to the noise. It was horrible. I ran back to my father and said, “I want to go home.”
He asked me, “What do you think of the factory?”
“It’s terrible,” I replied.
“And marriage is even worse!” he said.
I went back to school the next day thinking about studying hard so I could get into a good college. I enjoyed studying English so I decided to major in languages at college. Thanks to my father and our trip to the brick factory, I now work at the United Nations and my father is very proud of me. I married a very good man and my life is much better than it would have been working in the factory!
【小題1】The writer lived in       when she was a teenager.
A. Russia       B. Japan        C. China
【小題2】At first she thought life in the factory would be       than in school.
A. more careful     B. more colorful       C. more beautiful
【小題3】When she told her father that she wanted to leave school, he expressed his disagreement       .
A. by doing nothing    B. in a special way     C. by saying nothing
【小題4】After they visited the factory, the girl       .
A. decided to work there     B. decided to get married    C. changed her mind
【小題5】The underlined work “horrible” means “    ” in Chinese.
A. 糟糕的       B. 緊張的       C. 浪漫的

For many years I had a good life. My illness was reasonably (適度的) under control, I had a nice relationship with my husband, I did work, I didn't hate. It was, as I said, a good life.
But there's a saying that the good is the enemy of the best. I finally realized this one day, and began making my best life. I changed doctors and tried a new way that could relieve(減輕) my symptoms (癥狀) , rather than just making them easier to deal with. I started talking more with my husband and listening to what he had to say. And I quit(辭掉) my job and started working for myself.
I have the best life I've ever had. I'd call it great. It is possible there's a better life for me, which would then be my "best life" , but for now I don't think so. I've started a business I love. My husband and kids are wonderful. I have a good friend and I'm close to my older sister who lives in town. Could it get better? I suppose so. But for me I think this is the best life I can have right now.
Think more about your life. Where are you living? Are you in a job you just don't mind? What makes your life "good" ? Why isn't it great? What's the enemy of the best and what can you do about it?
Enjoy your best life. We're only here for a short while, and we all need to have the best possible time we can. It's like going to Disney World. If you spend too much time standing in line waiting for the ride, pretty soon your time's up. Get out of the "good" line and have your best life.
【小題1】Which of the following is NOT included in the writer's "good life" ?

How do you like to go to school like one in Oxford, England ? There are no r_________ classes. The students go from one group to a _________ when they want to. You may find students of fourteen, sixteen or twenty-five years old all in the s_________ group. They work at their o________ studies. Nobody tells them what they should or shouldn’t be doing. The day I visited, school b_________ at nine. Some s_________ were working at a tape recorder and listening to their lessons. Others were watching TV on Maths. A group was reading in the school l________. I didn’t see anybody just sit doing n__________. Everybody was studying. At lunch time I could also see students working. They were talking a________ their lessons while they were e_________. When you think of these students you can be sure it is one of the best schools in the world.