2 . London and Paris are two of Europe’s biggest tourist destinations, just a few hours away from each other by road or rail and an hour’s distance by air. What about the train-ferry combination that many recall fondly from their childhoods? Well, though it’s budget-saving, this option is too time-consuming today, so better leave it to your memories. Since the UK is not part the Schengen Area, passengers need to go through passport control prior to boarding.

Air trips

Though flying between London and Paris is by no means recommended, there are still a few people traveling between the two dynamic cities by air. A very low one-way fare is possible through advanced booking, but of course it’s rare, and that doesn’t include the taxi and rail fares traveling to and from the airports.

* One-way fares from Paris can be as low as 49;

* From London, Air France flies with fares as low as £39(46), and British Airways as low as £48 (56).

Rail trips

The only direct train between London and Paris is the Eurostar, which travels 15 -17 times per weekday. Eurostar’s 2015 edition trains can make the journey in two hours at speeds of up to 320 km/h. Besides, they offer good seating space.

* Fares begin at a reasonable £58(68), round trip;

* The earlier you book, the more you save.

Bus trips

The bus is by far the least expensive and longest way to travel between Paris and London. Eurolines and OUIBUS are two major bus lines traveling between the two capitals. The journey takes between seven and nine hours. Both lines advertise free Wi-Fi.

* One-way Eurolines fares begin at 15;

* One-way OUIBUS fares begin at 15 too, but early bird sales can even lower the fare.

4 . Today, bicycles are elegantly simple machines that are common around the world. Many people ride bicycles for recreation, whereas others use them as a means of transportation. The first bicycle was invented in Germany in 1818. Because it was made of wood, it wasn’t very strong nor did it have pedals (脚踏板).   Riders moved it by pushing their feet against the ground.

In 1839, Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a Scottish blacksmith, invented a much better bicycle. Macmillan’s machine had iron-covered wheels to keep them from getting worn down. He also used foot-operated levers, similar to pedals, so his bicycle could be ridden at a quick pace. It didn’t look much like the modern bicycle, though, because its back wheel was substantially larger than its front wheel. Although Macmillan’s bicycles could be ridden easily, they were never produced in large numbers.

In 1861, Frenchman Pierre Michaux and his brother Ernest invented a bicycle with an improved pedal mechanism. They called their bicycle a VELOCIPEDE, but most people called it a “bone shaker” because of the effect of the wood andiron frame. Despite the impolite nickname, the VELOCIPEDE was a hit. After a few years, the Michaux family was making hundreds of the machines annually, mostly for fun-seeking young people.

Ten years later, James Starley, an English inventor, made several innovations that revolutionized bicycle design. He made the front wheel many times larger than the back wheel, put a gear on the pedals to make the bicycle more efficient, and lightened the wheels by using wire spokes. Although this bicycle was much lighter and less tiring to ride, it was still clumsy, extremely top-heavy, and ridden mostly for entertainment.

It wasn’t until 1874 that the first truly modern bicycle appeared on the scene. Invented by another Englishman, H. J. Lawson, the safety bicycle would look familiar to today’s cyclists. The safety bicycle had equal-sized wheels, which made it easier to ride. Lawson also attached a chain to the pedals to drive the back wheel. By 1893, the safety bicycle had been further improved with air-filled rubber tires, a diamond-shaped frame, and easy braking. With the improvements provided by Lawson; bicycles became extremely popular and useful for transportation. Today, they are built, used, and enjoyed all over the world.

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Like all big cities, Paris has a traffic problem: lots of cars, traffic jams and pollution from exhaust fumes (废气). So since 2007, the city     1     (begin) a plan to improve the situation.

Under the Velib scheme (公共自行车计划), people can take a bicycle, use it as long as they want, and then leave it at the same or another bicycle station. The first half hour is free,     2     if you don’t return it after 30 minutes, you have to pay. The bicycles are as heavy as 25 kilograms, and they’re all grey and have     3     (basket).

Paris isn’t the first city     4     (operate)a scheme like this. Not everybody thinks it’s a great idea. One Parisian (巴黎人) said, “These bicycles are only suitable     5     short journeys. ”

A city spokesman said, “The bicycle scheme won’t solve all our traffic problems, but it might work in     6     (reduce) air pollution. Traffic, together with factory fumes,     7    (be) big problem. Global warming and dramatic climate changes are becoming more and more serious,     8     is partly because rain-forests are     9     (gradual) disappearing. And it’s also because there’s so much pollution. Unless we do something now, there will be more traffic jams and temperatures will continue to rise, so the problems in our environment will get even     10     (bad). ”

10 . Singapore’s public transport system is one of the best in the world, so you should have no problem finding your way around like a local. There are four main forms of public transport that you would find in any other major city—trains, buses, taxis and rental cars.

TRAINS

Trains run from 6:00 am to midnight. Single trip tickets start at 80 cents. If you buy an EZ-Link card for $15, you can ride the trains and buses as you like.

If you need more information, just call Transit Link on 180076743330.

BUSES

There are several bus services in Singapore and fares start at 80 cents. Be sure always to ask the driver the cost of your ticket as he cannot give change.

If you need help, just call Transit Link on 18007674333.

TAXIS

There are three main taxi companies—City Cab, Comfort and Tibs. Booking can also be easy by calling the numbers listed above.

RENTAL CARS

Driving in Singapore is a pleasure and if you like to travel at your own pace, renting a car is a good choice. Renting takes away the trouble of getting to places around Singapore. Just sit back and enjoy the city. It also means you’ll get to see a lot more that a train or a bus won’t let you see.

For car rental, call Avis on + 6567371668.