【推荐2】Car Hire

Hiring a self-drive car really adds to the enjoyment of your holiday.There are so many places of interest to visit,and if you enjoy seeing more than just the city center there’s no better way to explore than by car.

Hire Charges:

What’s included

a) Unlimited mileage （英里数）.

b) Expenses on oil,maintenance and repairs,which will be repaid on production of invoices.

C) Full insurance except personal accident (see below).

What’s not included

a) Personal accident insurance.

b) Garaging,petrol,parking and traffic fines.

Conditions of Hire:

★The shortest rental period at these special low prices is three days.For prices for periods of one or two days you only see our representative at the hotel.

★Car hire must be booked six weeks or more before arrival in London to guarantee a car.But if you have been unable to make a booking in advance please see our representative at the hotel who may still be able to help you.

★The car types on the sheet are examples of the types of cars in each price range,but particular car cannot be guaranteed.

★Upon delivery the driver (s) will be asked to sigh the car hire company’s Condition of Hire.

★If you decide to hire a car,just fill in the Booking Form and return it to us.A booking fee of £ 12 as part of the car hire cost is required.

Should you be forced to cancel your car hire booking after payment in full (two weeks before date of hire),a cancellation charge of £ 12 will be made.

【推荐3】A city in South Korea, which has the world’s highest smartphone usage rate, has placed flashing lights at a road crossing to warn “smartphone zombies” (低头族) to look up and drivers to slow down, in the hope of preventing accidents.

The designers of the system were motivated by growing worry that more pedestrians (行人) addicted to their phones will become victims in a country that already has some of the highest injury rates among developed countries.

State-run Korea Institute of Civil Engining and Building Technology believed its system of flashing lights at crossings can warn both pedestrians and drivers.

In addition to red, yellow and blue LED lights on the road, “smartphone zombies” will be warned by flashing lights and a warning sent to the phones by an app that they are about to step into traffic.

“Increasing numbers of accidents are happening at pedestrian crossings, so these lights are needed to prevent these pedestrian accidents,” said KICT senior researcher Kim Jong-hoon.

South Korea has the world’s highest smartphone usage rate, according to Pew Research Center, with about 94 percent of adults owning smartphones in 2017, compared with 77 percent in the United States and 59 percent in Japan.

For now, the warning system is set up only in Ilsan, a city about 30 km northwest of the capital, Seoul, but is expected to go nationwide, according to the institute.

Kim Dan-hee, a 23-year-old citizen of Ilsan, welcomed the system, saying she was often too absorbed in her phone to remember to look at traffic. “This flashing light makes me feel safe as it makes me look around again, and I hope that we can have more of these in town,” she said.

【推荐3】Scientists are a step closer to restoring the sight of blind people using brain implants (移植物) after many successful experiments on monkeys.

Researchers developed implants containing 1,024 electrodes (电极) and implanted them in the part of the brain that processes visual information in two monkeys. By sending electrical signals to the monkeys’ brains, researchers created dots of light that could be seen or sensed by the brain, and can be used to create the impression of shapes and objects. The monkeys performed many tasks, and, using their sight, they were able to recognize shapes including lines, moving dots and letters.

The research team believes that such technology could one day be used to simulate (模仿) sight in blind people who have been able to see at some point in their lives.

When people lose their sight, you can create a pattern of dots by stimulating (刺激) with a pattern of electrodes, and from these patterns of dots you can reproduce meaningful images, and create letters of the alphabet.

Researchers from around the world are looking for a way of restoring sight. This year, they announced they were able to use brain implants to briefly restore sight in blind patients.

In the future, a person could carry a camera on their glasses which could translate the images into electrical stimulation patterns for the brain, and send them to the electrodes. The electrodes would then get going the appropriate cells, and the person would be able to see maybe a car that’s coming by, or a person who is walking into the road.

It will give rise to a form of sight. It is hoped that the technology will be ready for trial in humans by 2023.

Studies like these will pave the way for brain implants that improve the function of the brain when we lose sight or hearing.

【推荐1】MySpace, the social networking website, is different from other websites which only provide   stories   about   other people. MySpace is a place that allows you to broadcast your own stories and personal information to as many people as you like. Started two years ago, it is a big source of information for and about American kids.

Teenagers and their parents feel very different about it. Teens are rushing to join the site, not sharing their parents’ worries. It signals yet another generation gap in the digital era.

For teenagers, it is reliable network to keep in touch with their friends. They will often list their surnames, birthdays, after­school jobs, school clubs, hobbies and other personal information.

“MySpace is an easy way to reach just about everyone. I don’t have all the phone numbers of my acquaintances. But if I want to get in touch with one of them, I could just leave them a message on MySpace,” said Abby Van Wassen. She is a 16­year­old student at Woodland Hills High of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Parents on the other hand are seriously concerned about the security problems of MySpace. “Every time we hold a parents meeting, the first question is always about MySpace,” said Kent Gates, who travels the country doing Internet safety seminars (研讨会). The National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children has received at least 288 MySpace­related complaints, according to Mary Beth Buchanan, a lawyer in Pittsburgh.

“Your profile on MySpace shows all your personal information to anyone on the Web. And MySpace even lists this information by birthplace and age. It’s like a free checklist for troublemakers and it endangers children,” Buchanan said.

【推荐2】Based on new analysis, we are rapidly approaching major climate change and the effects on society and the environment could be quite severe. Geographers predict that within the next eighty years, current world climate zones could shift and some could completely disappear. Polar regions will get colder while tropical regions will get even hotter, forcing animals to migrate   (迁徙) north.

Climate changes like these could lead to the spread of diseases. Tropical storms and hurricanes will not only increase but may also become more intense. If the changes come too quickly, animal and plant species may not be able to adapt fast enough and could disappear.

According to Science Daily, a new study predicts that by the year 2100, many of today’s familiar climates will be replaced by climates unknown in today’s world. It is urgent that we reduce the risks of these far-reaching consequences for the whole world. The planet itself has been showing signs of change. In 2004, a serious tsunami created by a major earthquake killed thousands in Sumatra and in 2008, thousands died in China because of another severe earthquake. Egypt was hit in 2009 with a major earthquake and Haiti was devastated in 2010 by yet another massive earthquake.

Within just the last few months, new reports from around the world have been coming in and most agree that our climate situation is much worse than previously thought. At this point, it doesn’t matter what is causing it, but rather, what can be done about it. What’s more, our world is getting more and more unstable every year. There is war and threat of war everywhere. Natural disasters are becoming more frequent and serious.

However, other planets are experiencing global warming as well as our own and some scientists believe there may be some connection between this. No one knows anything for sure at this point because there is simply not enough data.

【推荐3】Scientists have made great discoveries. But how have they influenced our personal lives? Do kids in your classroom even know when Einstein lived? You may be wondering: but why is it important to teach kids about modern-day scientists?

First, stories of scientists can encourage kids. Chris Hadfield is a Canadian who went to space, and he’s a real, guitar-playing person. He makes singing videos on YouTube! His story can make kids think scientists are also common people. Hearing scientists’ stories makes kids think “I can do that too!”

But not only that, the stories of famous scientists can encourage kids to never give up. Bill Nye was always refused when trying to be an astronaut. But today, he’s made a lot of successes in his role as a popular science educator and engineer. Besides, it’s no secret that scientific discoveries require trying, and trying again.

Another way some scientists can encourage kids is through their diversity. Neil deGrasse Tyson, for example, is an African-American, which is not common in his field. Such stories can make kids think anyone can be a scientist.

It’s important to know that scientists don’t need to be “gifted” or “good” at school. Often we consider a scientist as being an extremely smart kid at school. That doesn’t have to be true. They just need to have a great interest in science. Telling students stories of scientists can encourage them to show interest in science. As long as they’re interested, they are likely to become a scientist in the future.

Modern scientists teach kids that knowledge builds upon the foundation others have laid. This is important — no one can do it alone. Scientists’ stories can encourage today’s young scientists to keep trying. They’ll be encouraged not to give up on the dream of making discoveries. Even if they haven’t made important discoveries, their research may help the following scientists.