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Spending you vacation in a foreign country is horrible. First, you have to start early and become increasingly anxious with each passing day. When everything is OK and you really set off, you may find yourself in a car for hours. It is hot, and you are thirsty. And finally, when you arrive at your destination, you are in a strange place with strange people around. You are confused and lost. You may be a little curious or a little excited, but as a matter of fact, very, very tired.

If your great grandparents were born in a rich country in the early 1900 s, their lifespan would have been about 50. Today, people in developed countries have a life expectancy of 80 or more. This is because of the improvements in public health, such as running water and flushing toilets, and in medical care. But these improvements have mostly benefited richer nations. There are still places in the world that don’t have clean water, enough food and enough doctors. So people there often suffer from famine and disease.