Only two countries in the advanced world provide no guarantee for paid leave from work to care for a newborn child. Last spring one of the two, Australia, gave up the bad distinction by setting up paid family leave starting in 2011. I wasn't surprised when this didn't make the news here in the United States — we're now the only wealthy country without such a policy.

    The United States does have one explicit family policy, the Family and Medical Leave Act, passed in 1993. It entitles workers to as much as 12 weeks' unpaid leave for care of a newborn or dealing with a family medical problem. Despite the modesty of the benefit, the Chamber of Commerce and other business groups fought it bitterly, describing it as “government-run personnel management” and a “dangerous precedent (先例).” In fact, every step of the way, as (usually) Democratic leaders have tried to introduce work-family balance measures into the law, business groups have been strongly opposed.

    As Yale law professor Anne Alstott argues, justifying parental support depends on defining(定义) the family as a social good that, in some sense, society must pay for. Parents are burdened in many ways in their lives: there is “no exit” when it comes to children. Society expects — and needs — parents to provide their children with continuity of care. And society expects — and needs — parents to persist in their roles for 18 years, or longer if needed.

    While most parents do this out of love, there are public punishments for not providing care. What parents do, in other words, is of deep concern to the state, for the obvious reason that caring for children is not only morally urgent but important to the future of society. To classify parenting as a personal choice for which there is no collective responsibility is not merely to ignore the social benefits of good parenting; really, it is to steal those benefits because they accrue (累积) to the whole of society as today's children become tomorrow's citizens. In fact, by some estimates, the value of parental investments in children, investments of time and money, is equal to 20-30% of GDP. If these investments bring huge social benefits — as they clearly do — the benefits of providing more social support for the family should be that much clearer.

    It is popular to travel by bike in China. China has a huge population. And it is said that there is at least one bike for every two people. Of course, many people in China ride bikes for sport or exercise, but it is also a much more commonly accepted means of everyday transportation, as compared to countries such as the United States.

    If you are living for a long time in China, chances are that you will want to buy your own bike so that you can use it whenever you want. Even if you don't use a bike for everyday transportation, owning one can be a great way to enjoy the sights in the countryside. However, if you are just visiting China, renting a bike can be a more convenient choice.

    It is important to choose the correct bike for your use. You will find that in China, the one-speed style of bike is popular. These bikes are great if you want to ride around in the city to see the sights. They are quite comfortable and easy to ride. You can often rent a bike for a day for about 15 dollars.

    However, if you wish to ride on some of the rural paths, a mountain bike style would be a better choice. They are great for different kinds of road surfaces, providing for a safer ride. If you are planning to have a wish to tour and still be able to carry packages with you, then a touring bike would be the best choice. These are the most expensive to rent, but are very suitable for carrying packages and even some of your luggage along with you.

    Here are some of the smartest animals in the world.

Pigs

    Pigs are actually very smart animals. Pigs are one of the cleanest if they are given a choice. If you provide them with enough space, they will make sure they separate their dining area from their living space. Studies have also shown that they can actually be good at video games. To get food, they will follow other pigs and then steal it from right under their noses. The victimized(受害的)pigs will then come out wiser from this. They will change their behavior next time to prevent other pigs from stealing from them.

Crows

    They are smart and creative, with the highest IQ among all birds. Crows have been known to throw nuts and shells on a road so that cars will drive over and open them. They also have the ability to make knives to cut leaves and grass.

Elephants

    They have extremely large brains, even bigger than humans'. They bury(埋葬)their dead families and friends properly, the only other animal to do this besides humans. They also know which leaves are medicinal and will eat specific plants depending on the sickness they are feeling. They also have the ability to recognize themselves in the mirror.

Bottlenose Dolphins

    They actually have the ability to watch television on the their own because of their ability to process acoustic and visual(视觉和听觉)information at the same time. They can also recognize themselves in the mirror, which they use to inspect their own bodies. Their comprehension skills are very high. Studies have shown that they even have the ability to choose the “I don't know” option during difficult tests.

    From the earliest times, man has been interested in art. People have often worked together to collect and save the world's art treasures.

    Fine art treasures from many countries are kept in an art museum called the Louvre in Paris, France. The works of art have been collected by the people of France over many centuries.

    The Louvre has not always been a museum. The first building was a fort(炮台).In 1190, it was the king's castle with high walls and a round tower. It had a moat to prevent his enemies from walking in.

    Over the years, the number of buildings around the castle grew. By 1350, the castle was no longer needed as a fort. The Louvre became a palace home for French kings and queens.

    During times of peace, new treasures were brought in. During days of war, many treasures were stolen, and the buildings were damaged.

    When Francis I became king of France in 1515, he brought in artists from many countries. One of the artists was Leonardo Da Vinci from Italy. Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" is the best known painting in the museum today.

    In 1793, the Louvre became a public museum, just as it is now. It is a place where art treasures have been saved for everyone to enjoy.

    A survey has shown that what you do on a plane can be determined by which nationality is listed on your passport.

    According to the results of an international passenger survey, Australians are the biggest drinkers on board with 36 percent choosing to down the hatch, compared to 35 percent of Americans and 33 percent of Brits.

    The Airline Passenger Experience Association ( APEX) spoke to around 1500 people, aged 18 and older, who have travelled by plane at least once during the last three months and were living in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, China, Singapore, Australia or Brazil.

The results found Chinese travelers are most likely to nod off once the sea-belt sign switches off. They are also the first to reach for their credit card for some in-flight shopping and the biggest fans of gaming. Americans on the other hand like to use their time in the air more productively —when not drinking —choosing to work while flying a 350000 feet.

Meanwhile, Brits and Germans are the best at making chat with random strangers — spending 50 percent more time than any other nationality. Comparatively, Brazilians conduct their conversations online via e-mail, messaging apps or social media.

    Despite plane food having a bad reputation, seven out of ten interviewees said they were happy to eat up on the selection in-flight snacks and meals. In-flight magazines were also popular with four out of five passengers claiming to read them.

    The international flyers did however express their desire for better in-flight entertainment. “The industry has greatly improved the comfort, entertainment and onboard service, and passengers are accepting those improvements,” said Russell Lemieux, APEX executive director. “At the same time, passengers are demanding more from their air travel experiences which will drive more improvements touching all aspects of the journey,” he added.

    It is rightly said one can share any secret with a true friend. He may know your deepest fears and weaknesses and yet will never take advantage of you. However, keeping a friend's secrets to yourself and not telling the world is what makes the bond grow strong and last forever. You need to develop trust and mutual (互相的) understanding before you start sharing secrets with each other. With friends, secret talks never seem to end and it can get really amusing to know what has been going on in your friend's mind.

    There is a certain time in life especially from the teenage years when one starts having a personal periphery (界限) in life and parents are excluded (排斥) from it. It is because there are certain things that they can't understand and we can't discuss with them. That is when friends become the best secret sharers. They are the ones to whom one reveals one's feelings and best kept secrets.

    It is a general belief that only girls share secrets. But boys have their own secrets that they discuss with only closest friends. The secret talks can range (变化) from relationships, talks about fights with parents, secret activities and anything that is not supposed to be known to others! If you think secrets are limited to only teenagers, get your facts right! Secrets can be shared at any age and there is no hard and fast rule that secrets are shared only among youngsters.

    Sharing secrets with a friend is not just fun, but it also helps to develop a lasting trust in one another. Sometimes, sharing secrets will tell you more about the person. You will come to know whether your friend is reliable and trustworthy and whether it is worth sharing your secrets with them. You can call it a test of friendship.