Uber

Uber is available in over 70 cities throughout 40 countries worldwide. You can either choose a typical Uber unmarked car or a regular taxi. The app can show you where drivers are, so you know how long you’ll be waiting. You can also get fare quotes(报价)in advance. Your payment source is linked to the app and is automatically charged, so no physical money is ever needed.

Lyft

Lyft is a service that is also available in many large cities in the US. However, it offers something different, one of which is Lyft Line. With this service, you can find people that take the same route on a daily basis as you and split the fare with them. Lyft’s regular service lets you easily see where rides are, catch one, and easily pay right within the app.

Easy Taxi

Easy Taxi is available in 86 cities across 26 countries and lets you quickly browse through maps and find locations you’d like to be picked up at. From there, just make sure there are taxis in your area. Confirm your ride and then pay for it within the Easy Taxi app. Once you book a ride, you should see the taxi’s plate number and phone number appear on the map, making it easy for you to pick out both the car and the driver.

Curb

Curb, formerly Taxi Magic, is currently available in around 60 cities across the United States as well as select cities in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Mexico. It ties in with taxi companies and their drivers. As your taxi makes its way to your location, you’ll be able to track its progress inside the app. You can link a payment account to Curb to pay your fare through the app. You can also pay in cash.

A few years ago I was working a part-time summer job at a local ice cream shop.While handing an ice cream to an older woman at the drive-thru(餐车) window,I noticed she had a box of what appeared to be fresh tomatoes.If you’ve ever worked a drive-thru job,you know it’s hard not to look into someone’s car when you’re inches from his or her face.

As I handed her the ice cream,I said,“Those tomatoes look delicious!What kind are they?”

She replied with a big smile,“Here,have some!”Within seconds I had a handful of the prettiest tomatoes I had ever seen.Those tomatoes looked expensive.

“Oh,no,you don’t need to give me any!”I said.I weakly tried to protest:“Really,you didn’t have to give me any,but I appreciate it.”

The woman smiled again and said,“I hope you enjoy them.And to answer your question,it’s an heirloom(祖传的) seed that my mom used to plant.So they aren’t like the ones you get in the grocery store.”

After that she sped off.She was like an adult version of the tooth fairy:I gave her ice cream and she gave me tomatoes.

About two weeks later,my boss at the ice cream store sent me a text message:“I want to let you know your gardener dropped off a box of vegetables for you.”Baffled,I replied,“My gardener?”

That night,my boss showed me the box.It was full of tomatoes,cucumbers,green beans and so on.The tomato fairy was back!I was both happy and confused.Why was this woman being so generous?

I never saw her again,but to this day her random act of kindness inspires me to share my garden harvests with anyone who will have it.

A．He didn’t meet the person dropping off the vegetables.

B．He didn’t expect the woman was so generous to him.

C．He thought his boss was playing a joke on him.

D．He didn’t place an order for the tomatoes.

Google’s data centres and the offices for its 60,000 staff will be powered entirely by renewable energy from next year,in what the company has called a “landmark moment”.The internet giant is already the world’s biggest corporate buyer of renewable electricity,last year buying 44% of its power from wind and solar farms.Now it will be 100%,and an executive said it would no longer refuse to invest in nuclear power in the future.

Oman said it had taken Google five years to reach the 100% target,set in 2012,because of the complexity involved with negotiating power purchase agreements.The company’s biggest demand for energy is its data centres and it admits their overall thirst for power is growing.

Google was now looking to sign 10-year agreements for low-carbon power that was constant,such as hydro,biomass and nuclear.“We want to do contracts on renewable power,it could be biomass if the fuel source is steady and enough,it could be nuclear.We’re looking at all forms of low-carbon generation.”

But he said new nuclear power was “controversial”,the possible safety consequences were much more “dramatic” than with renewable sources,and the price was “much more difficult to guarantee” than when funding solar panels and wind turbines.“We don’t want to refuse to sign a nuclear agreement if it meets our goals of low price,safety,and other factors.We don’t want to rule that out,but today we can’t positively say there are nuclear projects out there that meet this standard,”he said.

The company’s 100% renewable energy does not mean Google is getting all its energy directly from wind and solar power,but that on an annual basis the amount it purchases from renewable sources matches the electricity its operations consume.

This month, the singing competition, American Idol, will come to an end. For years, the popular show was a platform for rising artists. With a group of famous judges and a wide range of talents, it is clear that the competitive atmosphere of American Idol will remain unrivaled by any other show. After all, its success has been “unmatched in broadcasting history.”

American Idol came from the British series Pop Idol. Through an application, contestants came into the competition and thereafter, were chosen to audition(试音) for the show. Each candidate would have to perform a piece to the judges, and participate in a strict selection process. Not only would contestants have to sing in groups, they were sometimes tasked to perform pieces without musical instruments. At the end of this stage, only 24 to 36 artists were chosen to enter the semi-final stage. Soon, the fate of the contestants would be decided by the public. During the candidate’s live performance, a free telephone number was displayed on the screen for viewers to dial, to cast their vote. At the end of the night, only 13 lucky singers would be left in the competition; by the finals, only 8 contestants would remain. Finally, a runner-up (亚军) and a winner were announced every season. Though only the winner would receive a million dollar reward and a significant record deal, other contestants would have had a chance to be known by the public. As the famous producer Simon Cowell once said, “The point of the show is not to be mean to loser, but to find a winner.”

As the final season of the program begins, past winners will return to the stage to say goodbye and a new winner will be announced. With amazing performances and an excellent cast of singers, the show’s conclusion will leave audiences nostalgic (怀旧的), but more satisfied than ever.