Your next car might drive itself. After years of trials on city streets, driverless vehicles are now nearing the live phase. Last moth, a driverless bus began carrying passengers through Lyon, France, Most in the automobile industry think self-driving vehicles will be on the road by 2020 or before.

    Driverless cars will at first be huddled with human-driven cars. But the first places where they will become dominant（统治的）are dense urban areas — precisely the spots most damaged by the automobile age. Many advanced cities are already reducing the role of human-driven cargo. Driverless cars will quicken that process and will bring us enormous benefits.

    Driverless cars will reduce accidents by around 90 percent. That's big—the annual death toll on the world's roads is about 1.2 million a year. Pollution and carbon emissions will drop, because urban driverless cars will be electric. The old, otherwise they would stay at home most of the time and the disabled and teenagers will suddenly gain mobility.

    On the other hand, driverless cars will bring catastrophe. The best thing about the automobile age was that it employed tens of millions of people to make, market, insure and drive vehicles. Over the next 20 years, the mostly low-skilled men who now drive trucks, taxis and buses will see their jobs reduced. Carmakers are especially scared. The few cars of the future might be made by tech companies such as Apple, Baidu and Google. Imaging the impact on Germany, where the automotive sector is the largest industry.

    Dramatic change is coming, and driverless cars could arrive by 2020. But governments have barely begun thinking about it. Only 6 percent of the biggest US cities have factored them into their long-term planning.

    A decade ago anyone hardly saw the Smartphone coming. It has bought an epidemic of mass addiction. Let's hope we do a better job of handling the driverless car.

    Most visitors come to the UK expecting the rain and weather for which the country is famous. However, when summer finally arrives, British people like nothing more than heading for the coast. Here are some of more famous places of interest that you could expect to visit on a trip to Britain. Black pool, in the northwest of England, is the most visited place in the UK. Each year around 6.5 to 7 million people come to enjoy the miles of sandy beaches, the 158m Black pool Tower and the 11km-long Golden Mile, where there are entertainments, pubs, ice rinks (溜冰场) and even a zoo. On the south coast of the country you can find Brighton. Until 1786, Brighton was a sleepy village. Then the future king, George IV, decided to build a house there, and now it has become a large, international centre. Apart from the beaches, Brighton is famous for its pier (码头). There are theatres, entertainments and restaurants there. Brighton is also fantastic for shopping. If you want to travel a little further, why not go to Cornwall in the far southwest of the UK? South Cornwall offers miles of sandy beaches and beautiful scenery. The climate there is warmer than the rest of Britain, and you can even find palm trees. For a bit more excitement, go to North Cornwall. The scenery there is nicer, and the beaches are famous for their powerful waves. As a result, North Cornwall has become the home of British surfing. One word of warning though, if you are using the roads in the UK during holidays, you can expect long traffic jams on the motorways. It might be better to take the train.

    Nowadays there seems to be an app for everything. And mobile apps have been a part of our life. The following apps are part of the most popular apps.

    Everything was put neatly into my suitcase．I'm a flight attendant．I'm so organized，my half of the closet could be a display at The Container Store．My husband's half of the closet？Just thinking about it made my head ache．I carried my suitcase downstairs．Bill was in the kitchen cooking．Looking at the messy kitchen，I shouted，“Why do you have to be so messy？” Bill looked hurt，“What？” I sighed and left for the airport．

    On my last flight，an elderly couple had the seats in my section．They held hands during takeoff．Later I caught them looking into each other's eyes．Something about that look was familiar．Then I realized：it was the look Bill and I had worn in our wedding photographs．I couldn't resist asking them about the secret of their long-lasting marriage. “Have fun together，”the man said, “and never take each other for granted．”

    His words circled in my head long after we landed．Bill wasn't perfect．But then，was I？I kept complaining about his messiness and forgot his kindness，his ability to see the bright side of every situation-qualities that ran so much deeper，the reasons I had married him in the first place

    I took out my cell phone and called Bill. “I miss you already.” I said．“I miss you too，Kim，” he said．As soon as my flights were over，I rushed home．Bill met me at the door．"I have a surprise for you．"he said and led me into the kitchen．I glanced around the room．He really had worked hard．In spite of the fingerprints on that microwave floor，I could see our reflection in it：my husband and I，our smiles glowing with love for each other，just like in our wedding photos．

Our Annual Cultural Events

    A Night in Rio

    We are proud to bring the energy and enthusiasm of Brazilian Carnival to Charlotte with A Night in

    Rio! Get a taste of Carnival through dancing, live music, authentic food, drinks and marketplace. Put on your green and yellow, and join us for the unforgettable experience of Brazilian Carnival!

    Date: Saturday, February 24, 2018

    TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLY AT THE DOOR

    Location: Neighborhood Theatre, Charlotte

    Time: 7 PM

    Ritmo & Sabor

    We are thrilled to bring the annual celebration Ritmo & Sabor Festival! Featuring dance performances and FREE dance lessons and delicious, authentic Latin cuisine, this festival will be a fantastic celebration for the entire family to enjoy! Food and beer will be available for purchase. Come out to enjoy a great summer evening of Ritmo & Sabor!

    Date: Saturday July 2, 2018

    Location: International & Cultural Center, Charlotte

    Time: 5-11 PM

    FREE ADMISSION

    Las Américas

    Join us in the annual celebration LAS AMÉRICAS! We display our history and identity of Latin America through musical performances, story-telling and poetry. Enjoy yourself with local artists, shop your way through a market of arts and crafts and join in some of the finest Latin American cuisine.

    Date: August 18, 2018

    Location: Midwood International & Culture Center, Charlotte

    Time: 2-7 PM

    Admission is FREE.

    Latin American Festival

    Festival Latinoamericano returns for its 28th year, with musical artists and dance performances, a diverse authentic selection of Latin American food, visual artists, and a street festival environment with activities for the whole family.

    Location: Symphony Park at South Park Mall, Charlotte

    Date: Saturday Sept. 29 (1-8pm)

    Admission: $10; Children aged 8 & under are free.

    In the first year or so of Web business, most of the action has revolved around efforts to tap the consumer market. More recently, as the Web proved to be more than a fashion, companies have started to buy and sell products and services with one another. Such business-to-business sales make sense because business people typically know what product they are looking for.

    However, many companies still hesitate to use the Web because of doubts about its reliability. "Businesses need to feel they can trust the pathway between them and the suppliers," says senior analyst Blane Erwin of Forrester Research. Some companies are limiting the risk by conducting online transactions only with established business partners who are given access to the company's private Internet.

    Another major shift in the model for Internet commerce concerns the technology available for marketing. Until recently, Internet marketing activities have focused on strategies to "pull" customers to sites. In the past year, however, software companies have developed tools that allow companies to "push" information directly onto consumers. Companies such as Virtual Vineyards are already starting to use similar technologies to push messages to customers about special sales, product offerings, or other events. But push technology has earned the contempt of many Web users. Online culture thinks highly of the notion that the information flowing onto the screen comes there by specific request. Once commercial promotion begins to fill the screen uninvited, the distinction between the Web and television fades. That's a prospect that horrifies Net purists.

    But it is nearly inevitable that companies on the Web will need to resort to past strategies to make money. A Web site selling the right kind of products with the right mix of interactivity, hospitality, and security will attract online customers. And the cost of computing power continues to free fall, which is a good sign for any enterprises setting up shop in silicon. People looking back 5 or 10 years from now may well wonder why so few companies took the online plunge.