In Britain you're allowed to drive a car when you're seventeen. You have to get a special two-year driving license before you start. When you're learning, someone with a full license always has to be in the car with you because you aren't allowed to drive the car on the road alone. You don't have to go to a driving school—a friend can teach you. The person with you isn't allowed to take money for the lessons unless he's got a teacher's license. 

    Before you're allowed to have a full license, you have to take a driving test. You can take a test in your own car, but it has to be fit for the road. In the test, you have to drive round for half an hour and then answer a few questions. If you don't pass the test, you're allowed to take it again a few weeks later. In 1970, a woman passed her fortieth test after 212 driving lessons! When you've passed your test, you're allowed to go on driving if you like, and you must be healthy. Britain's oldest driver was a man who drove in 1974 at the age of 100. 

    Before 1904, everyone was allowed to drive, even children. Then from 1904 car drivers had to have a license. But they didn't have to take a test until 1935. In the early days of car driving, before 1978, cars weren't allowed to go faster than four miles an hour, and someone had to lead the car with a red flag.

Once a man walked to India where he had never been before. When he got there, he saw many kinds of fruits. But most were expensive. The man saw a big basket of red, long fruit. He thought it must be sour and sweet. 

He went up and asked, " How much per kilo?"And the shopkeeper said, "Two rupees(卢比). "

Two rupees in India is nothing. And it was the cheapest in the shop. So he bought a kilogram and started eating it. But after he ate some, his eyes watered, his mouth watered and burned, and his face became red. He even coughed while eating. 

But he still ate the fruit! Some locals who were looking at him shook their heads and said, "You're crazy, man. It's chilly! You can't eat so much! People use it as spice(调味品), but only a little bit to put into food for taste. They're not fruit!" But the man said, . "No, I can't stop! I can't waste my money. "

Do you think that man was stupid? In fact, we sometimes do a lot of things like that. We put money, time or effort into a relationship, business or job. Even though over a long time it won't work, and we know things will never change in the future, we still go on just because of the things we've put in. like the man. 

So even if you've lost something, let it go and move on. That's better than keeping losing. 

①Hello! My name is Emma and I'm eleven years old. I have a brother, Josh, who's just five. I live with my family on a farm in the southwest of England. I was born in London, but my parents moved to Devon when I was two. My brother was born here, in Northam. My father runs the farm and my mother is a vet (兽医). We have lots of animals on our farm like ducks, chickens, pigs, sheep, cows and horses.

②I love living in the country. I don't mind getting up early every day. I'm old enough to help my parents with the work on the farm. I love feeding ducks and chickens. It's not difficult at all. It takes me about a quarter of an hour to give them fodder every morning, but first I have breakfast myself. Sometimes I also help my dad milk the cows, especially on weekends.

③My brother and I go to a local primary school (小学). My mother always drives us to school and picks us up when lessons are over, at 3 o'clock.

④On Wednesdays, I have a karate (空手道) class so I go back home by bus. When I come back, I do my homework first and then help my parents with the animals or in the garden. We usually have dinner at six o'clock. After dinner, I often play computer games or watch TV. Before I go to bed, I always read for a while but not too long because I have to get up early the next day.