Passage 6
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.
I love the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, especially the magic of the 1971 original staring Gene Wilder. It's a wonderful tale of dreams coming true. I've watched it many times. One part of it always makes me feel good about life itself. In fact it has even been an inspiration for me to travel the world.
Do you remember when Charlie is telling Grandpa George that he's won a golden ticket to visit the Wonka chocolate factory? He is so excited but then pauses for a moment to remember that their family is very poor. He's a good boy and wants to do the right thing. But when he suggests that they could sell the ticket to earn some money, Grandpa George will have none of it! He's even more excited than Charlie and tells the boy:
“There's plenty of money out there. They print more every day. But there are only five of the tickets in the whole world. Only a dummy would give this up for something as common as money. Get that mud off your pants," he says with excitement, You've got a factory to go to!”
What great words! With his years of wisdom, he's saying that in his hand he's holding a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This is the moment to do something extraordinary and quite possibly life- changing. There's plenty of money in the world but even all of it won't equal this experience.
And so it is with travel. I quickly recognized the truth in the saying "Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.” Wealth is not only defined by our bank balance; it is also in so many other aspects of our life such as unique experiences far from home. Even a treasured photograph or the pride and satisfaction of being able to say "yes, I've been there" can be priceless.
In our lives, a golden Wonka ticket is simply the opportunity to do something, If you want to travel and see the world, then embrace the excitement of Grandpa George. Don't worry about the money it's going to cost. You'll be able to earn some later.
So, do you have the golden ticket of opportunity? If you do then get that mud off your pants because you've got a world to explore! Twenty years from now you'll have only regret if you don't.
Why does the author love the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?
