On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicted that 42% of Americans could be overweight by 2030. Our expanding waistlines lead to not only a medical problem, but according to a recent article In The New York Times, it could also endanger personal safety in some situations—in an airplane crash, for example.

    The New York Times' Christen Negroni reports that engineers and scientists are questioning whether airplane seats are adequately constructed to protect overweight travelers. Government standards for airplane seat strength（强度）— first set moe than 60 years ago — require that the seats be made for a passenger weighing 170 pounds (77kg). Today, the average American man weighs nearly 194 pounds (88kg) and the average woman 165 pounds (75kg). Negroni reports:

    “If a heavier person completely fills seat, the seat is not likely to behave as intended during a crash,” said Robert Salazar, the leading scientist at the Center for Applied Biomechanics at the University of Virginia. “The energy absorption that is built into the aircraft seat is likely to be overpowered and the passengers will not be protected properly.”

    “Nor would the injury be limited to that passenger only,” Dr. Salzar said. “If a seat or a seat belt fails,” he said, “those people who are seated nearby could be endangered from ‘the uncontrolled movements of the passenger'.”

    Most complaints about airplane seats focus on their lack of comfort and high ticket price, and whether overweight passengers should be made to buy two seats. But The New York Times' article brings up another reason to feel anxious about flying. Investigators of the issue got in touch with the airplane seat and seat belt makers, but they refused to comment on the problem. Experts agreed that crash testing should be done with overweight dummies （人体模型）. Both airplane seats and seat belts should be tested, they said.

    Fortunately, however, according to Nora Marshall, a senior adviser at the National Transportation Safety Board, the board's investigators have never seen an accident involving a commercial plane in which the weight of a passenger was a problem.

    Garbage or trash is a major kind of environmental pollution.Each person produces about 2kg of trash a day.We are making waste products faster than nature can break them down.And we are using up resources（资源）faster than they can be replaced（取代）.

    This adds up to trouble for the environment.Where does all that garbage go?What can be done to help dispose of（处理）garbage?How call we make less garbage?

    Garbage isn't just the smelly rotting fruits,vegetables or meat that we throw away in our homes.Those are only a small pan of all the stuff we throw away.We create other kinds of waste,in construction,mining and in our factories.

    Did you ever wonder what happens to your garbage?Most is burned or buried in landfills（垃圾填埋场）Less than a quarter of our waste is recycled.

    With a population of 1.3 billion（十亿）,garbage is a big problem for China.Chinese cities create around 148 million tons of garbage every year.The amount is growing at around 10 percent each year.

    Once we used about 3 billion plastic shopping bags every day in China.The result was a great waste of resources and serious pollution.So we did something about that.Now we use more cloth bags and shopping baskets when we shop.

    In the coming years China will build waste-to-energy plants in cities to clean up the garbage.But there's a lot more that needs to be done.And you can play a part.

    One afternoon I toured an art museum while waiting for my husband to finish a business meeting. I was looking forward to a quiet view of the wonderful works.

    A young couple viewing the paintings ahead of me chatted nonstop between themselves. I watched them a moment and decided she was doing all the talking. I admired his patience for tolerating her constant words. Disturbed by their noise, I moved on.

    I encountered them several times as I moved through the various rooms of art. Each time I heard her constant talking, I moved away quickly.

    I was standing at the counter of the museum gift store doing some shopping when the couple approached the exit. Before they left, the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a white object. He turned it into a long cane (手杖) and then tapped his way into the coatroom to get his wife's jacket.

    "He's a brave man," the clerk at the counter said, "Most of us would give up if we were blinded at such a young age. During his recovery, he made a promise that his life wouldn't change. So, as before, he and his wife come in whenever there's a new art show."

    "But what does he get out of the art?" I asked, "He can't see."

    "Can't see! You're wrong. He sees a lot. More than you or I do," the clerk said, "His wife describes each painting so he can see it in his head."

    I learned something about patience, courage and love that day. I saw the patience of a young wife describing paintings to a person without sight and the courage of a husband who would not allow blindness to change his life.

    And I saw the love shared by two people as I watched this couple walk away arm in arm.

    Florida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is one of the most visited states in the country and the sunshine state attracts millions of visitors each year. Are you planning a vacation to it? Here our travel guide may help you.

    La Nouba at Walt Disney World Resort

    Duration: 90 minutes

    Location: Orlando, Florida

    While you're in Orlando, spend a day at the theme parks with a Cirque du Soleil show at Downtown Disney, La Nouba is the meeting of two different worlds—the fantastic world of the circus (马戏团) people who wear bright colors and the boring world of the people living in big cities who wear dark, lifeless clothes.

    Kennedy Space Center

    Duration: Flexible

    Location: Orlando, Florida

    Spend a day exploring the attractive Kennedy Space Center, just 45 minutes from Orlando. Learn about the history of the US space program and watch beautiful IMAX films. Don't miss the chance to walk under a Saturn V rocket, and experience a real moonwalk!

    Sea World Orlando

    Duration: Varies

    Location: Orlando, Florida

    Spend a day at Sea World Orlando and come face to face with the ocean's most attractive sea animals. With several up­close meetings with killer whales, sharks and turtles, you'll feel the energy and excitement of all kinds of sea life.

    South Beach Cultural Food and Walking Tour

    Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes

    Location: Miami, Florida

    On the South Beach Cultural Food and Walking Tour, you'll explore the Art Deco district of South Beach on foot and along the way, you'll taste a variety of foods that make South Beach such an internationally well­known food region.

    Price information：

    Click the link below to check price information on your preferred travel date. Our price is constantly updated.

    Hip-hop dancing(街舞) is popular with many young people today. They like it because they can invent their own moves. They use this dance to show their love for life. It also shows that they are not afraid of problems.

    Hip-hop dancing has a history of more than 20 years. It first began in the 1980s in the US. In early times, it was seen in New York and Los Angeles. At that time, many young black people often danced to the music in the streets. They used their legs, arms, heads and even shoulders to dance. Many young people still use most of these moves today.

    Hip-hop dancing became popular all over the world because of the 1983 movie Flash dance. Some people performed Hip-hop dancing in the movie. People enjoyed their performance. They began to dance like them. Then it became popular. There are two kinds of Hip-hop dancing: new school and old school. More and more young people are learning Hip-hop dancing. People believe that it is a good way to exercise their bodies, and that it is good for their health.

    I owe my father a huge thank you! Sure, I need to thank him for all those years of paying my bills, fixing my bikes, and providing a shoulder to cry on. But this year I realized that his contributions to my childhood were much more than that.

    I grew up as Daddy's Little Girl. If I had a problem that needed fixing or a question that needed answering, he was the one I ran to. He helped me get through everything from math homework as a high school student to career choices as a young adult. He always expected that I do my best in whatever I did, and he believed I could succeed in anything I put my mind to. As a result, I learned to hold myself to those same standards. He always showed me unconditional love, which helped me learn to love myself. It was something I'd taken for granted until I realized from talking with my friends that they had no similar view of their self worth. Having fathers that didn't believe in them left them to grow up not believing in themselves.

    As I was growing up, my father also modeled how a woman should be lavished. He treated my mom with love and respect. As a result, I grew to expect nothing less than that from the men I dated and from the man I would eventually marry. Dad was a living picture of godliness (虔诚), honesty and responsibility. It was only recently that I realized what a deep effect fathers have on their daughters' lives. That is why I want to thank my dad for the godly example of love that he has been to me throughout my life.