Since an early age, I have developed an interest in art. I must admit that I am crazy about the paintings by Vincent van Gogh (1853～1890).
(consider) as one of the greatest artists all the time, this Dutch PostImpressionist artist had a great influence on 20th century art. Vincent spent his early adult life working for a firm of art dealers. Later he tried to be a minister, but he was not (success). Vincent had mental problems and was often emotional, which made difficult for him to succeed. It is not until 1880 Vincent began his career as an artist. However, during the last ten years of his life, he produced more than 2, 000 pieces, including around 900 paintings and 1, 100 drawings. Most of his bestknown works (produce) during his final two years, when he was (serious) ill.
In 1890, at the age of 37, Vincent shot himself. The only painting he sold during his lifetime, The Red Vineyard, was created in 1888. It is now exhibition in the Pushkin Museum in Moscow, Russia. Several (painting) by Vincent rank among the most expensive in the world. On November 11, 1987, Vincent's painting Irises was sold for a record of $53. 9 million. On May 15, 1990，his Portrait of Dr. Gachet was sold for $82. 5 million, thus (set) a new price record.
How do you stay true to yourself when you're surrounded by friends and your family that have an opinion on everything you do? It's not easy! Here are 4 tips which can help you live a dynamic life.
Stay true to yourself by listening to the only opinions that really matter—your own and those from people who believe in and encourage you. You know yourself better than anybody else.
Don't fear people.
The reason why most people don't take risks is the fear of what others might think of them. If you want to live the life you truly deserve, you must give up the need to be liked by everybody.
Value yourself and your choices.
When you do，others will too. Own the choices you make in your life. When you believe in yourself, others will believe in you too. Show confidence in your choices and ignore others' opinions.
Focus on appreciation.
No matter what the circumstances are, there is always something to be grateful for. All people will ask, "What am I grateful for? How can I improve my situation and use the tough time to inspire others?"
These steps, if applied, will help you transform your peace of mind, lifestyle, etc.
A. Focus on your own talents and strengths.
B. Never let others' opinions influence your choices.
C. Treat every person as if they are important.
D. When you doubt yourself, others will doubt you.
E. Stay fearless in everything you will have to do.
F. Be thankful to life and be helpful to others, and you'll lead a successful life.
G. However, there are great possibilities that you can lead the life you really want.
What are your retirement plans? Keep working? Get more exercise? Or learn something new? You may put them on hold. There's a chance that, sooner or later, you might have to move further than you were thinking, as far as Mars (火星).
On Thursday, National Geographic will show the first ever Mars show home, giving earthlings an idea of what their life could look like on the Red Planet. Set in the notsodistant year of 2037, the iglooshaped structure could be the home of your future.
It shows a house built using recycled spacecraft parts and Martian soil, called regolith, which has been microwaved into bricks. Some parts of the home are recognisable—kitchen, bedroom—but there are fundamental differences that are vital for human survival.
As the Martian atmosphere is around one hundredth as thick as the Earth's, people will need permanent shelter from the sun and society will move largely indoors. Most buildings will be connected by underground passages and the houses won't have windows. The homes will have simulated solar lighting, or natural light that has been bent several times.
Walls will need to be 10 to 12 feet thick, to protect people from dangerous rays that can pass through six feet of steel, and a double airlocked entrance to keep the home under proper pressure.
"We don't think of our houses as things that keep us alive, but on Mars your house will be a survival centre，" says Stephen Petranek, author of How We'll Live on Mars. This is not just the stuff of scifi. "Ten to twenty years from now there will certainly be people on Mars，" Petranek says.
"We've had the technology for 30 years to land people on Mars, but we haven't had the will，" Petranek says. "But two main factors have completely swung public attitudes."
The private companies' participation has forced government agencies to speed up their game, and influential films such as Gravity and The Martian have caught society's eye.
We traveled to Moscow, Russia for river sightseeing. I had never been to Russia and my impression of that country was formed by what I heard and saw on television and in the newspaper. We were to be picked up at the airport by a driver who would then take us to the hotel and then go sightseeing. We arrived on time, got our baggage and went to the gate, but no one was waiting holding a sign with our names.
We had the phone numbers of the driver and the travel agency but no phone worked in Russia. I noticed a young woman sitting next to me with a cell phone so I asked her if she spoke English and she replied "Yes". Should she call our driver or the travel agency, I would pay for the call, I asked. "No problem," she replied and called both numbers but no one answered.
A Russian woman holding a sign with someone's name on it, not ours, must have overheard this conversation and took the paper and called both numbers. Again, no one answered. She shrugged and sat down and then her phone was ringing (the phone was from my driver) and in Russian she had a conversation.
Then she started to tell me about the call from my driver, but in Russian. I said, "No Russian, English?" She said, "No English, Russian or Spanish." The young woman who had made the first call said she spoke Spanish. So the Russian woman relayed (传达) the information from our driver to the young woman in Spanish. Then the young woman told the information to me in English.
The three of us looked at each other and realized what had just happened and laughed and hugged each other. That was international kindness.
