1 . Vehicles on our roads are now mostly petrol and diesel (柴油) cars, but their days cannot continue for much longer. A recent university study found that current electric cars could be used for 87 percent of daily car journeys in the US. That figure could rise to 98 percent by 2020.

One hurdle to the widespread adoption of electric cars has been “range anxiety” — drivers concerns about running out of electricity on a journey. While petrol stations are conveniently located across national road systems, the necessary network of electric charging stations is still being developed. That said, charging points are becoming increasingly common throughout the USA.

Attitudes towards electric vehicles have changed greatly over the last few years. Not that long ago, electric cars were met with distrust, and their high prices drove customers away. Thanks to improvements in battery capacity, recharging times, performance and price, the current generation of electric cars are starting to persuade picky consumers. Plug-in cars will soon give internal combustion engine (内燃机) models a run for their money.

As well as development on the road, electric vehicles are taking to the seas and skies. Electric boats are among the oldest methods of electric travel, having enjoyed several decades of popularity from the late 19th to the early 20th century before petrol-powered outboard motors took over. Now, the global drive for renewable energy sources is bringing electric boats back. Steps towards electric air travel are also being made, with Airbus and NASA among the organizations developing and testing battery-powered planes. The experiments could soon make commercial electric flight a reality.

Electric vehicles do not produce any emissions (排放). If the US could replace 87 percent of its cars with electric vehicles, it would reduce the national demand for petrol by 61 percent. However, because of the production processes and the generation of electricity required to charge these vehicles, they cannot claim (声称) to be completely emission-free. That said, as many countries continue to increase their use of renewable energy sources, electric vehicles will become even cleaner.

2 . We’ve all been there before. You’re driving down the road when suddenly a pothole(凹坑) seems to appear out of nowhere and sends the _________ bumping. Most people think potholes are _________, but artist Jim Bachor sees them as canvases (画布) for his artworks.

Bachor uses the _________ art form of mosaic(马赛克) to create eye-catching and colorful images of famous people or simple every day _________ like food. He even makes less-appealing visuals of insects.

Bachor was a graphic designer for 20 years before he began his _________ in mosaic. He regards an incidental trip to Europe as his motivation for changing his career. While _________ in Italy, Bachor fell in love with Pompeii, the preserved ancient Roman city. A tour guide pointed out a mosaic, mainly made of glass and marble, and told Bachor, “Glass and marble don’t _________. So, this looks essentially the same as the artist intended.” Bachor says, “That kind of staying power just _________ me so much.”

A year later Bachor returned to attend a mosaic class in Ravenna, Italy, to learn the proper way to _________ the ancient technique. Years after that, he mastered the technique. He __________ that mosaic could be just as significant today as the art form over 1,000 years ago. “I just saw that there was a(n) __________ to bring it into the new age as a contemporary subject,” he says.

So, Bachor decided to make a series of __________ for those potholes. He has __________ mosaic art around Chicago, Detroit and New York City.

While he may not get __________ from drivers or passengers, Bachor’s art is __________ a pleasant surprise to discover.

6 . Earlier this year, we asked our readers to vote for their favorite children's museums. Shortly after announcing the winners, these museums had to close their doors to help protect their communities from the spread of COVID-19. But they also bring some of their programming online.

The Magic House | St. Louis, Missouri

The folks at The Magic House in St. Louis are sharing their expertise through their Magic at Home series. Each edition features a project that kids and their parents can do with household materials, like making a banjo or animal figures.

City Museum | St. Louis, Missouri

While the City Museum is closed to visitors, the museum staff, artists and historians have launched City Museum on Air. This series takes place each weekday with an eclectic lineup of programming - everything from free art classes, storytelling sessions and museum tours at upcoming exhibits.

Kohl Children's Museum | Glenview, Illinois

This winning children's museum calls itself "The place where awesome lives," and would-be visitors can bring that awesome into the home through its library of online teaching resources, story time sessions and "Home Zone" projects. Kids can learn how to fold paper airplanes, learn about the physics of wheels or make their own recycled paper.

7 . Overview

If you've been missing afternoon drink outings to bars, restaurants, or pubs, this Withlocals Virtual Aperitivo(意大利小吃)Lesson with a Roman Local is a great way to still experience a fun, social activity while sipping(抿一口)on some delicious drinks. Your instructor teaches you how to make a traditional Italian aperitivo in real time, and talks about Italian culture in a private, online setting that you can experience right from home.

What To Expect

Stop at: Rome

It is a fun virtual experience with a local from Rome. Pour yourself a drink(or two)and join a local host or a class on how the Romans spend their afternoons. Ingredients(材料)list and Aperitivo workshop included. Excited to get started? Please have these ingredients ready before we start the class!

Duration: 1 hour

Admission Ticket Free

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers' questions.

Q: What is the maximum group size during Withlocals Virtual Aperitivo Lesson with a Roman Local?

A: This activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers.

Reviews by Viator travelers

Amazing class and host!

Adi, Jun. 2020

Bea is an incredible host! She guided us through the class very well and gave us a lot of historical context on everything we made. The crostini recipes were delicious, the aperitivos were amazing, and most of all, we loved learning about the culture and history behind all of it.

8 . My journey to isolation (隔离) was somewhat accidental.

I saw an advertisement for a job as a leader for an expedition (探险) to Antarctica-and I have to_________it was the penguin in the ad that_________my attention. The ad noted that they were looking for someone to lead a_________of expeditioners in one of the most_________and isolated places on the planet. I took part in an_________and then got a job that I knew I would regret if I didn’t_________it. Leading 18 strangers for a full year-through months of darkness and with no_________from the freezing cold -----I learned some_________lessons.

After the journey, I wrote two best-selling books and became a motivational speaker. Being in isolation meant I had to do lots of self_________.I kept a__________, and every day I would think__________of how I had operated as a leader. That discipline of__________myself taught me how to tell right from wrong.

I often think back to__________I saw the picture of the penguin that__________me to look at the ad for the job. It’s a moment that__________my life completely.

9 . Twenty years ago, I became involved in pet therapy (治疗) work. As digging deeper into the job, I had an urge to be a recorder of their daily work to let more and more people know their efforts and contributions. After all, they could not say our languages. It was when I got familiar with the work that I got my golden retriever puppy (金毛寻回犬), whom I named Angel. As she matured and went through obedience training, I realized that she would be a good partner.

Angel is ten now and still works every week. As a rule, she visits two hospitals, a day care for the elderly, and our library’s PAWS for Reading program. Angel has also helped out at a children’s special-needs camp. She is so popular that everywhere we go people recognize her, especially the kids she has worked with.

We have seen some very special things through our pet therapy work. I brought Angel to our local hospital to visit a woman who was completely paralyzed (瘫痪的) on her right side from a stroke. One day, my husband, Jack asked her if she wanted to give Angel a treat. She nodded and gently took the treat, raised her right hand and started petting Angel. Her friend was in the room and said, “She hasn’t been able to move that hand since she had her stroke!”

Somehow it seems appropriate that when Angel visits the hospital, she also performs tricks for the patients with her paws. The best one is when she crouches on the floor and crosses her paws. She stays still and doesn’t move until Jack says “Best wishes”. It’s the best wishes for all the people Angel meets as well as for her.

10 . 3rd Walk the Talk: The Health for All Challenge 2020

JOIN US VIRTUALLY

World Health Organization(WHO)is taking the 3rd Walk the Talk: The Health for All Challenge virtually this year. In the context of COVID-19, WHO, through several online platforms, will host exercise moments, information sessions, and live chats with experts on topics from physical and mental health to nutrition and healthy ageing.

While the first two editions attracted thousands of participants in Geneva, we hope to reach more people during the virtual edition. We look forward to working with the many partners who have supported the first two editions, including governments, civil society organizations, and scientific and academic bodies.

The event will also celebrate health and be a platform to promote the need for all people to have access to health services and for health champions to demonstrate how they are striving to promote and protect the health of people in their own way.

What is on offer?

The Virtual Walk the Talk will be held over 16-17 May 2020, people invited to join in from their homes wherever they are globally.

It will offer opportunities for people to participate in a variety of virtual, timed events yoga, exercise classes for all ages and abilities, meditation, walking in place(or in locations within the guidelines of your national authorities). The aim is to get people moving for their own health and that of others.

Purposes of the event

●To encourage healthy lifestyles, not only in the context of COVID-19, but as a long-term strategy for good health.

●To recognize the sacrifice of health workers caring for us in our whole life. 2020 has been designated as the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, and we are seeing the global importance of health workers in the current response to COVID-19.