【推荐1】Could you imagine what it would be like if there were no other ways to get around except by using your feet? Not only would you wear out（磨破）a lot of shoes but it would take you a long time to get anywhere.

    1     But that’s just the wheel; did you know that the earliest boats were dugout canoes (独木舟)？People lit a fire on a big log (圆木) and then put the fire out and dug out the burned wood!

Then there were the Egyptians, who invented the sailing boat, but this could only be used in one direction.     2     Later the clever Romans came along and built their famous network of roads across the Roman Empire.     3    

Some of the roads did not last very long and they soon became dirt tracks (路). People travelled on roads by wagon (马车), but most things would be taken by sea in the 16th century. In the 19th century, some of the forms of transport that you know today were invented—the bike and the car.     4     The first underground railway in the world was built in London.

As it got easier to travel, people wanted to get to places faster.     5     It was first used in war, but now it has become an indispensable (不可或缺的) way of transport.

【推荐3】The possibility of self-driving robot cars has often seemed like a futurist’s dream, years away from coming into reality in the real world. Well, the future is apparently now. The California Department of Motor Vehicles began giving permits in April for companies to test truly self-driving cars on public roads. The state also cleared the way for companies to sell or rent out self-driving cars, and for companies to operate driverless taxi services. California, it should be noted, isn't leading the way here. Companies have been testing their cars in cities across the country. It's hard to predict when driverless cars will be everywhere on our roads. But however long it takes, the technology may change our transportation systems and our cities, for better or for worse, depending on how the transformation is managed.

While much of the debate so far has been focused on the safety of driverless cars, policymakers should be talking more about how self-driving cars can help reduce traffic jams, cut emissions (排放) and offer more convenient and affordable choices to move around. The arrival of driverless cars is a chance to make sure that those cars are environmentally friendly and more shared.

Do we want to copy or even worsen the traffic of today with driverless cars? Imagine a future where most adults own their self-driving cars. They accept long, slow journeys to and from work on crowded highways because they can work, entertain themselves or sleep on the ride. They take their driverless car to a date and set the empty car to circle the building to avoid paying for parking. Instead of walking a few blocks to pick up a child or the dry cleaning, they send the self-driving minibus. The convenience even leads fewer people to take public transport — an unwelcome side effect researchers have already found in ride-hailing (网约车) services. Policymakers should start thinking now about how to make sure the appearance of driverless cars doesn't worsen the transportation system we have today. The coming technological development presents a chance for cities and states to develop transportation systems designed to move more people, and more affordably. The car of the future is coming. We just have to plan for it.

【推荐2】GPS has completely transformed how we get around. But other animals have long had their navigation (导航) systems built right in --- like ants and bees.

“We know their eyes are quite sensitive to polarized light (偏振光), and the sky has a particular pattern of polarized light, connected with the position of the sun.” says Barbara Webb, a bioroboticist at the University of Edinburgh. You can see polarized light firsthand if you take a pair of polarized sunglasses and spin them against the sky --- the light passing through the lenses changes. Webb says the insects have polarization like that built into flat sides of their compound eyes. “You can think of it as the equal of having a little polarization directional filter (滤镜) over them or lots of sunglasses pointed in different directions.”

But Webb was curious about whether there's really enough information in the sky to give insects an accurate sense of direction. So her team built a sensor modeled after a desert ant eye and put it under artificial light meant to simulate the sky. They then fed that sensor input into a model meant to copy the brains of desert ants and other insects with a sky compass. And they found that with the insects' natural sensing and processing equipment, they can likely sense compass direction down to just a couple degrees of error.

A system based on that of insects could someday be a cheap, low-energy alternative to GPS. “Insects have very tiny brains, a brain that's using hardly any energy. And yet they're still able to navigate better than we can with GPS, which is a huge system.” Webb is now working on building a robot that can, like the desert ant, use light to get its direction. Although after sundown, it may have to ask for directions.

【推荐3】While it may sound like something that has come out of your nightmares, cyborg cockroaches (蟑螂机器人) have arrived as friends rather than enemies.

Scientists in Japan have designed a new remote-controlled insect, equipped with a battery “backpack” that is powered by solar panels. The cockroach, which is part insect and part machine, is intended to enter dangerous areas, monitor the environment or undertake search and rescue missions without needing to be recharged. The researchers from the RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research had to install some items into a tiny pack to allow for all the cockroach’s natural movements.

Being able to survive the tough conditions, cockroaches, the ancient insects, have been the stimulus for a number of technologies in recent years. Therefore, different teams of scientists have designed various remote controlled robo-bugs (机器虫) that can climb walls, carry objects and find humans during search-and-rescue missions.

Previously, wires were attached to the cyborg cockroach’s two sensory organs to send electrical signals that caused the “insect” to move right or left. A battery was necessary for the sending and receiving of these electrical signals, which needed to be charged up.

So the RIKEN team wanted to create a more practical one. Finally, they designed an on-board solar cell that could continuously ensure that the cockroach stayed charged while it worked. The solution was to design a special “backpack” that could neatly carry both the wireless leg-control module and rechargeable battery. This was attached to the top of the insect, and was 3D printed to fit perfectly to the surface of the cyborg cockroach. It allowed this electronic device to be firmly fitted on the “insect” for over a month.

【推荐2】The summer vacation is just around the corner. With such a long holiday to spend, have you decided where to get yourself relaxed from the great pressure of school study? Our company specializes in civil tours. We take pride in offering you the best services and in providing you with a vacation that will be fondly remembered. The following places can be your unforgettable destinations in our country.

A. The Australian Museum

The Australian Museum has an international reputation in the fields of natural history and indigenous studies research and exhibitions. The museum was established in 1827 and is Australia’s first museum of natural science and cultural artifacts.

B. Sydney Olympic Park

Home of the Best Games Ever and 2003 Rugby World, Sydney Olympic Park is a gold medal attraction and continues to serve as a major sport and social venue.

Apart from its ultra-modern sport venues, Sydney Olympic Park is set in extensive parklands. Bicentennial Park, one of Sydney’s most popular recreational areas, is criss-crossed with walking and bicycle tracks.

C. Art Gallery of New South Wales

Located within a short walking distance from Sydney’s CBD, the Art Gallery of New South Wales is one of Australia’s foremost art museums housing some of the finest works of art in the country.

The Gallery has a rich and diverse collection including key works of the Heidelberg School and favorite modern Australian artists including Brett Whiteley and Margaret Preston, as well as permanent Australian, European, Asian, contemporary and photographic galleries.

D. Koalas Park Sanctuary

Koalas are on show every day. Shows are at 10:20 A.M., 11:20 A.M., 2:00 P.M., 3:00 P.M. where you can cuddle, feed, pat and have your photo taken with the Koalas. See free roaming Koalas as well, 10 acres of rainforest. Walk in and pat our kangaroos.