Bryan Forbes, who was born in London on 22 July 1926, made his first screen acting appearance in 1918.

    He landed supporting parts in several outstanding British films, including An Inspector Calls (1954) and The Colditz Story (1955), but it was not long before screen-writing and directing attracted him behind the camera. Together with Richard Attenborough, he set up Beaver Films in 1959. Its first film, The Angry Silence (1960), was written by Forbes and Attenborough played the lead role.

    His directing career began in 1961 with Whistle down the Wind, featuring child star Hayley Mills. Forbes directed many more films in the 1960s and early 1970s. In 1969 he took over as head of production and managing director of EMI—MGM Elstree, and the studio achieved outstanding successes. But it was a torrid time for the company. Troubled constantly by financial difficulties and staffing issues, Forbes quitted in 1971. He then directed The Step ford Wives, based on the novel by Ira Levin, and in 1975 International Velvet, starring Tatum O'Neal, in 1978.

    Forbes, who counted the late Queen Mother among his friends, continued directing, writing and acting throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. He also found success as an author with a number of novels, the latest of which, The Soldier's Story, was published last year.

    After Forbes passed away, film critic Mark Kermode said, “Once I had fun—boyish pleasure of telling Bryan Forbes how much I loved Step ford Wives. He was charming and modest. A great loss.”

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    Retirement (退休) should be time of joy and freedom. However, for some people retirement comes with feelings of depression (沮丧), which makes life difficult for them.

    Retirement is a major life change. Even good changes usually involve some kinds of loss. When you retire, you find yourself lacking whatever working used to provide. That could include, for example, 1. knowing you're working for society, 2. getting admiration from your skills, 3. having “aha” moments when you solve problems, 4. having people to socialize with, and 5. simply having a place to go and a reason to get out of bed every day. For most people, there's a financial loss, too. Also, retirement age is a time when a lot of people have to deal with losing their parents or having serious health problems of their own.

    Because of all these, retirees are more likely to get depressed.

    Depression is very harmful. First, depression can make physical health problems worse. Second, it takes a toll on relationships, because it can make people angry. Third, it's hard to get  much done when you're depressed.

    What can we do to overcome (克服) the feelings of depression? First, do all the things that help depression in general: drink enough water, exercise, talk to friends, have a hobby, laugh, and spend time in nature. If you feel depressed more often than not, it's probably time to talk to a doctor about your feelings. Second, it's important to keep busy and get out of the house when you can. Make specific plans with friends. Take a class Volunteer. Or just make sure you start each day with some kind of goal. Third, try to focus on what you've gained by retiring. Think about what you may have now that you wished you had before you were able to retire. For example, days that are less stressful, a chance to rest and take better care of your body, more time for your family and yourself. To write, to start a hobby and to learn something new are all new possibilities. Finally, tell your story. You've lived a long time and you become an oral historian each time you talk with someone about your experiences. You can also write in a journal or make a video recording of your memories. Telling your stories can help you look back on your life and career with a sense of wholeness and achievements.

How northern Europeans beat the winter blues

    Ask a child from northern Europe to draw two pictures—one on a rainy day and a second in the sunshine—and this is what you will get: in the first, as raindrops fall from the top of the page, the man behind the window has an unhappy expression. When a yellow sun sends out some light from the corner, the man is smiling.

    Northern Europeans associate rain with sadness and sunshine with happiness. They think this is true because they are so aware of how their environment affects them{#blank#}1{#/blank#}In October 2008, a group of researchers examined the influence of different daily weather factors, including temperature,wind and sunlight, on 1,200 participants. The conclusion was that good or bad weather had little effect on people's feelings{#blank#}2{#/blank#} A person who is upset on dark or cold days suffers from a negative mood, and he will be likely to experience a sad winter. This is the basis of an illness called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD){#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    AniKalayjian, professor of psychology at Fordham University, advises that we should take steps to strengthen the brain's system against weather-driven mood changes. Research on SAD has been focused on the brain's response to darkness and light. When our eyes detect darkness, the brain gives off melatonin, which starts sleep cycles{#blank#}4{#/blank#} It takes over to help us wake up and feel better when we detect light.“We can encourage people to take charge of their feelings,” says Kalayjian.“We tell them to leave the computers and the indoor games and get out there in the sun{#blank#}5{#/blank#}”

    A day of rain can potentially destroy your plan and affect your mood. But as the Scottish comedian Billy Connolly once said:“There is no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothing.”

A. Another chemical called serotonin, however, can make people happy.

B. It affects about10% of the population of northern Europe each year.

C. That's when people can recharge their serotonin and get a better mood.

D. Yet that link has no scientific basis.

E. Most studies prove that a negative feeling is associated with bad weather.

F. They determined that people actually differ in their sensitivity to weather changes.

G. It is seriously doubted among the people who suffer from SAD.

    What should you think about when trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. These may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school. On the other hand, you may not have any especially strong subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value. A knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.

    Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at metalwork or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills. If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.

    Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is better to face any weakness than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not be apologetic about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.

    “Why do birds sing?” I asked a group of children. “To attract metes(配偶)!” answered a boy. A 4-year-old girl added shyly, “birds sing because they are happy, and they want to make us happy, too.” I think both answers are probably true in a way. If birds sing happily, it shows all is well in the forest: no predators (捕食者) are present, and the birds can feed, sing and do other bird things. The sound of a relaxed robin(知更鸟) singing is easy to understand because it makes us feel this way too—it's a sound that lifts our own hearts when we hear it.

    What happens when a predator comes into their areas? The nearby birds quickly give an alarm call, a short sound that warns, “Danger is coming!” On hearing the sound, the other birds stop singing and fly for cover, the deer lift their heads and stop moving and the rabbits run into the bushes. Suddenly, the forest becomes silent.

    When humans walk through the woods in a hurry or while talking with a friend, we don't see much wildlife. We may think that there aren't many animals living there, but more likely, they know we are coming and hide minutes before our arrival. But if we learn to avoid setting off alarms, we can see many more wild animals without frightening them. To practice, find a place in a park and sit quietly for an hour. Take note as the birds begin to relax and sing again. When I do this, I am always surprised at the wonderful thing animals will do when humans simply stay still long enough.

    Do you need help in creating a character for your novel? Well, you have come to the right article.

    Write down your characters full name.

    You can also write down any other name/nickname/title he or she has. Try not to use your name or someone else's name that you know, as this may be considered personal information. You may be writing a mystery and your main character may just be referred to as, for example, the Man, all the way through the novel. Even if in this situation, to add depth to your character, you should know the character inside-out even if the reader will not.

    Describe your character's physical features.

    Does he/she have red or blonde hair? What color is his/her skin? Is he or she a human, animal, robot or imagined creature? Make your character unusual. Describe your character in an interesting way, even if your character is meant to be common or average. The possibilities are vast; just make the descriptive language good, so that it conjures up(使在脑海中显现)the character for the readers.

    Describe the character's personality in detail

    They are all great for working with as a writer, but you must choose a reasonable one that best fits your

Character—don't try to give the character an unlikely combination of many features. Don't give the character merely neutral or good features. Also add the bad habits and weaknesses. Your character is best if presented as defective (in actions, appearance or personality).Your character can make mistakes, have bad habits, and have little interesting strange habits. This is what makes the character interesting.

    Work out a good plot.

    What is a good story without a good plot? Maybe your character has become mixed up with some bad people or a strange mystery. Maybe your character has only months to live and wants to do something great

    But, the plots must be connected to the character. Keep imagining.