John Otway
John Otway has been playing music and making records in the UK for more than 40 years. Over the years he has released more than ten albums. He has played at hundreds of concerts. He has written two autobiographies. He has worked with some of the country's best musicians and he has even made a film about his life. But despite all of this, most people have never heard of him.
Otway released his first record in 1972, but it was the punk movement a few years later that really gave him his big chance. Otway wasn't the greatest musician but his songs were always fun, and his performances on stage were always entertaining—there was a good chance he would fall off the stage at least once in each show. The punks liked him, and in 1977 he had a small hit when his single Really Free made it to No. 27 the charts in the UK. Otway really enjoyed his success but unfortunately, no more came. Not one of his records over the next 30 years was a hit.
Although he never had much commercial success, Otway had a lot of very loyal fans. When someone asked him what he would like for his 50th birthday, his reply was: "A second hit. " His fans went out and bought as many copies of the new single Bunsen Burner as they could. And in October 2002, Otway finally saw his wish come true. In the charts that featured international superstars like Will Young and Oasis, Bunsen Burner made it to No. 9. Many high street shops refused to sell the record, saying that Otway was too old and unattractive for the teenage market. Otway didn't care. He celebrated his success with an appearance on TV's biggest music show Top of the Pops.
These days John Otway continues to play his music around the country, and there are always plenty of people who are happy to go and watch him perform. He's a great example to anyone who loves making music. You don't have to be young, good-looking (or even very talented) to enjoy a long career in the music business.
Transportation and communication networks bring people together. Yet sometimes people themselves bring forth barriers to transportation and communication. In some countries, laws stop people from moving freely from place to place.
Over the centuries, many groups of people have been denied the freedom to travel because of their race, religion, or nationality. In the Middle Ages, for example, Jews were often forbidden to move about freely within certain cities. South Africa's government used to require black Africans to carry passes when they travelled within the country. Some governments required all civilians to carry identification papers and to report to government officials whenever they moved.
Countries set up customs posts at their borders. Foreign travellers must go through a customs inspection before they are allowed to travel in the country. Usually travellers have to carry special papers such as passports and visas(签证). Some countries even limit the number of visitors to their country each year. Others allow tourists to visit only certain areas of the country, or they may require that travellers be with an official guide at all times during their stay. Many of those barriers to travel also act as barriers to communication. When two governments have divisions on important matters, they usually do not want their civilians to exchange news or ideas freely. Countries often try to keep military or industrial information secret.
Today, people have the ability to travel, to communicate, and to transport goods more quickly and easily than ever before. Natural barriers that were difficult or dangerous to cross a hundred years ago can now be crossed easily. The barriers that people themselves make are not so easy to overcome. But in spite of all the different kinds of barriers, people continue to enjoy travel and the exchange of goods and ideas.
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regardless of, give up on, end in, be caught up in, not to mention, step into one's shoes, make up one's mind, call on |
Aging brings wrinkles, sagging bodies and frustrating forgetfulness. But getting older is not bad for many people. Mounting evidence suggests aging may be a key to happiness. There is conflicting research on the subject, however, and experts say it may all boil down to this: The attitude is everything.
Older adults tend to be more optimistic and have a more positive outlook on life. The big question is why seniors are happier. A recent study suggests one reason: Older adults remember the past through happy memories. Aging can bring more cheer as people become more comfortable with themselves and their roles in society. The older adults said they were enjoying more time with their family, spending more time on hobbies and having greater financial security and did not have to work.
But others are doubtful about the link between happiness and growing older.
"The notion that those in old age are happier is misleading," said Richard Easterlin, a professor of economics at the University of Southern California. "It is based on comparing people of different ages who are the same in terms of income, health and family life." Easterlin added, "When you take account of the fact that older people who have lower income than the younger are less healthy, and more likely to be living alone, then you will find it hard to accept that they are happier."
In fact, scientists have found that as people age, their health declines and social networks disappear as their friends die, which can make the elderly less happy.
Even if one does give in to age's dark side, health and happiness don't always go hand-in-hand. It's all about the attitude. Research by the University of Chicago's Yang suggests that the attitude to life and happiness is partly shaped by the era in which a person was born. It turns out that individuals who adapt the best to changes also have the highest expected levels of happiness.
Despite the conflicting findings about aging and happiness, the good news is that there doesn't appear to be a limit to how much happiness one can achieve in one's life. "Most people desire happiness" Easterlin said. "To my knowledge, no one has identified a limit to attainable happiness."
I arrived in Liberia with MSF almost three months ago. When I saw the (tragedy) scenes on the news, I felt it was my duty as a doctor to go there and offer my help. On arrival, my mission was to (relief) Emma, a Canadian (special). My daily work was surrounded by blood, vomit and death. There was an unforgettable case. A family of six were brought here and the twin girls and their parents died quickly. We did everything we could (save) the brothers despite little hope for them. Fortunately, both boys were still alive and have made a full recovery since then, compensated many other unfortunate cases. To be caught up in such a crisis creates powerful bonds between all those have come from all over the world and joined together in a common cause. It's so (inspire) to have colleagues I have worked with.
Now, it's time I should go. Someone else will step my shoes, and the tireless work the MSF members do around the world will go on. It's absolutely essential for us (collaborate) to create a global community with a shared future of peace and prosperity.
