With the approval of the Singapore government, a company called nuTonomy has become the first-ever to test self-driving cars with the public. Interested people could sign up for a free trial run at no cost. When they received an invitation from the company, they could book a ride on the driverless taxi service from their smartphones.Not surprisingly,the rides proved very popular,with dozens of customers eagerly trying out the cars each day.

    Driverless cars are a great option for those who do not know how to drive and for those who do not enjoy driving.Some researchers even believe that such cars can make road travel safer by reducing human errors.But since driving requires many of our senses to be on alert（高度警觉）, replacing that by machines is easier said than done.

    The environment in which cars operate is constantly changing—from roads and pedestrians to co-travelers. A driverless car needs special equipment to analyze its surroundings. Then, it must translate that information into a practical route and safe travel. To be truly autonomous, a car has to do this independently without human input. Today, some cars have a certain degree of autonomous functions. But even the completely automated vehicles still require a driver to take back control under uncertain conditions.

    The island city-state is well known for excellent roads and drivers who obey the rules. This has made it ideal for real-world testing and feedback. The government has encouraged research in autonomous vehicles, since it can improve safety and potentially reduce the traffic burden as well.

    If you can speak English，you know a lot of English words. You can read，speak and understand. But there is another kind of language you need to know——the language of the body，a part of what is called non-verbal communication. All over the world，people “talk” with their eyes. When Japanese people meet，they put their hands together. What do American and British do?

    Americans are more informal than the British. They like to be friendly. They use first name，they ask questions and they talk easily about themselves. When they sit down，they like to relax in their chairs and make themselves comfortable.

    British people are more quiet. They take more time to make friends. They like to know you before they ask you home.

    When British and American people meet someone for the first time，they shake hands. They do not usually shake hands with people they know well. Women sometimes kiss their women friends，and men kiss women friends （on one cheek only）.When a man meets a man friend，he just smiles，and says “Hello”. Men do not kiss each other. Even fathers and sons do not often kiss each other.

    You might think that “global warming” means nothing more than a rise in the world's temperature. But rising sea levels caused by it have resulted in the first evacuation (撤离) of an island nation, the citizens of Tuvalu will have to leave their homeland.

    During the 20th century, sea level rose 8~12 inches. As a result, Tuvalu has experienced lowland flooding of salt water that has polluted the country's drinking water.

    Paani Laupepa, a Tuvaluan government official, reported to the Earth Policy Institute that the nation suffered an unusually high number of fierce storms in the past ten years. Many scientists connect higher surface water temperatures resulting from global warming to greater and more damaging storms.

    Laupepa expressed dissatisfaction with the United States for refusing to sign the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement calling for industrialized nations to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions (排放), which are a main cause of global warming. “By refusing to sign the agreement, the US has effectively taken away the freedom of future generations of Tuvaluans to live where their forefathers have lived for thousands of years.” Laupepa told the BBC.

    Tuvalu has asked Australia and New Zealand to allow the gradual move of its people to both countries.

    Tuvalu is not the only country that is vulnerable (易受影响的) to rising sea levels. Maumoon Gayoon, president of the Maldives, told the United Nations that global warming has made his country of 311,000 an “endangered nation”.

    Making employees feel happy and healthy at work is good for many businesses. But it isn't always an easy thing. A study suggests that only 33% of the U. S. employees consider themselves fully engaged （投身于）in work, while 16% are greatly disengaged, and 51% are just showing up.

    But there is an exception. When it comes to employee engagement, it seems that employees in small companies are doing better. According to the same research, the largest U. S. companies are at the lowest levels of engagement, while companies with fewer than 25 employees are at the highest. And in one recent report, 75% of small business workers surveyed said they were "very" or "extremely" satisfied with their role as a small company employee.

    Unlike big companies, small companies are often short of resources but the employees can get more surprises there. Small companies offer excellent career opportunities to their employees. The bosses often know their staff very well and understand their personal needs. Employees of small companies are more likely to receive free meals, paid leave, and they can even bring their pets to work.

    But of course, there are many other draws in small businesses. One of the top draws is flexible scheduling (弹性工时). Another is being able to really see the fruits of one's labor. Besides, non-cash award is also a big draw. This could be something small that reflects employees' interests and lifestyles.

    While a parental leave might lead to some financial problems, small companies may do something to improve it. "It may be impossible for a five-person team to be reduced to four for six months," writes Camillia Velasquez, head of HR management platform, Justworks. "But it could be possible to allow new parents to take on reduced hours in a work-from-home environment." This kind of method has been realized in some small companies.

    "What kind of rubbish are you?" This question might normally cause anger, but in Shanghai it was brought about weary complaints over the past few months. On July 1st, the city introduced strict rubbish-sorting regulations that are expected to be used as a model for our country. Citizens must divide their waste into four separate categories and put it into specific public bins. They must do so at scheduled times, when monitors are present to ensure that rules are obeyed and to examine the nature of one's rubbish.

    Violators could be hit with fines of up to 200 yuan ($29). For repeat violators, the city can add black marks to their credit records, making it harder for them to obtain hank loans or even buy train tickets.

    Shanghai authorities are responding to obvious environmental problem. It produces 9 million tons of garbage a year. But like other cities in china, it lacks a recycling system. Instead, it has relied on rubbish pickers to pick out whatever can be reused. This has limits. As people get wealthier, fewer of them want to do such dirty work. The waste, meanwhile, just keeps piling up. China produces 80 billion pairs of one-off chopsticks a year.

    Many citizens appear to support the idea of recycling in general but are frustrated by the details. Rubbish must be divided according to whether it is food, recyclable, dry or hazardous(有害的), the distinctions among which can be confusing, though there are apps to help work it out. Some have complained about the rules surrounding food waste. They must put it straight in the required public bin, forcing them to tear open plastic bags and toss(投掷）it by hand, Most annoying are the short periods for throwing trash, typically a couple of hours, morning and evening. Along with the monitors at the bins, this means that people go at around the same time and can keep an eye on what is being thrown out; no one wants to look bad.

Sagrada Familia (2,056,448 visits/year)

Opening hours: 09:00—18:00 (October—March); 09:00—20:00 (April—September) Admission: $ 11, or $ 10 with the Barcelona Card.

Disabled Access: Yes.

The temple has been under construction since 1882 and they've still got another 30 to 80 years to go before it is finished. The project's vast scale and its special design have made it one of Barcelona's top tourist attractions for many years.

La Pedrera (1,133,220 visits/year)

Opening hours: November—February: 09:00—18:30; March—October: 09:00—20:00

Admission: $ 9.50. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.

Disabled Access: No.

This building used to be called Casa Mila but nowadays it's more commonly known as La Pedrera. It is a unique modernist building in Barcelona and was made of bricks and had colorful tiles (瓦). It was built between 1906 and 1912 by famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi (1852—1926) and in 1984 it was declared a UNESCO World Her it age site with other Gaudi buildings in Barcelona.

Barcelona FC Museum (1,032,763 visits/year)

Opening hours: 6th April—4th October: (Monday to Saturday) 10:00—20:00; the rest of the year: 10:00—18:30

Admission: $ 8.50 for entry to the museum and $ 17 for a guided tour.

Disabled Access: Yes.

When you buy your ticket you have two options. You can buy a ticket for the museum to see the football stadium or you can buy a dual (双的) ticket for $ 15 where you get to see the museum and the scenes at the club.

Miro Museum (518,869 visits/year)

Opening hours: Check the website for details as they vary relying on the time of the year. Admission: $ 8. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.

Disabled Access: Yes.

This museum has a wide range of Miro's works dating back as far as 1914. This art work collection not only includes his paintings but also a good selection of sculptures.