A chip inserted in a young quadriplegic's (四肢麻痹患者) brain is already improving his quality of life. Soon the benefits may be more widespread.

    A 25-year-old man unable to move from the neck down recently did what many assumed impossible. After a knife attack that had left him paralyzed, all he could move was his head, which he used to push a switch and call for a nurse. And he could turn his wheelchair by blowing into a straw near his face. That was it.

    Then last June, a Foxborough (Mass.) company called Cyber Kinetics opened the man's skull and inserted a special chip no larger than a baby aspirin. That insert has given him a few additional and precious abilities. When connected to a special computer via a cable, the chip translates the young man's thoughts into commands that let him move a cursor across a PC screen and open e-mail. He can draw a circle with a computer painting program. And he can use a robotic hook(钩) to perform simple tasks like picking up a candy and sliding it across a table.

    All he has to do is to think.

    Several new studies have begun or been completed in the past year. In fact, more than half of the scientific papers in this field, called brain-to-computer interaction (BCI), have been published in the past two years, notes Jonathan Wolpaw, a research physician at Wadsworth Center, the New York State Health Dept.'s research laboratory.

    Brain surgeries (手术) are no longer rare: Thousands of Parkinson's disease patients have had special devices inserted in their brains to ease uncontrollable shaking and other symptoms. The inserts themselves have improved, so the body doesn't reject them as furiously(猛烈地). And significant development has been achieved in software used to interpret the brain's signals and change them into commands understood by computers.

    But increased demand for thought technology remains the biggest reason for the field's progress. Today, 4 million Americans live with paralysis according to the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation.

    Scientists hope that thought technology will reduce the impact of such disabilities. People with spinal-cord injuries, for example, often lose their ability to walk because the communications network between their brain and their legs has been interrupted. The brain still commands the leg muscles to move, but they don't hear its orders.

    Thought technology, scientists hope, will bridge this communications gap. "Our goal is for you to see paralyzed people eating at a restaurant and for you not to know that they are paralyzed," says John Donoghue, founder and chief scientific officer at Cyber Kinetics.

    In the late 1990s, Google was just a start-up company operating out of a garage in PaloAlto, California. Co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin started the company while studying at Stanford University. Google's founders and its employees, then understood some of the challenges that entrepreneurs(创业者) around the world may face. An entrepreneur is a person who starts a business. They must be willing to risk financial loss in order to make money.

    Mary Grove is the director of a program called Google for Entrepreneurs. She said Google wants to help new start-up businesses grow and be successful.

Google for Entrepreneurs has opened campuses around the world. Entrepreneurs in each city can use Google's

    buildings without paying.Entrepreneurs can work with each other and learn from people who are more experienced in business.

    Yeram Kwon is the head of a company in South Korea.Her business is called L.M.Lab. It makes a product that helps people learn to perform the lifesaving technique called CPR. She said she has learned how to solve some of her business problems by attending Google events in Seoul.

    Outside of its own buildings in these cities, Google provides financial support and resources for partner organizations around the world. Building partnerships is a way for Google to spread the idea of entrepreneurialism around the world. Google can use its network to help find people who want to invest in start-up businesses. Those people need to be ready to take risks. That is something Kwon said that makes some Koreans uncomfortable. "Most

    Korean people think that it is much safer to work for big companies like Samsung and LG," she said. But, Kwon said the Korean government and technology companies are now supporting people willing to take business risks.

The Grand Canyon(大峡谷)Helicopter Tour

    You'll discover the natural beauty of the Grand Canyon as your helicopter flies to the west edge，passing over Lake Las Vegas，Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam．During the flight，you can listen to a recorded introduction to the Grand Canyon and its surroundings via headphones．At noon，you'll land for an unforgettable champagne picnic，3，200 feet below the edge．While you share a bottle of champagne，your pilot and guide will be happy to answer any questions you may have．Your flight ends with a low-level pass over the famous Las Vegas Strip．On landing，a comfortable car is waiting to bring you back to your hotel．

    Each helicopter carries a maximum of 6 people including your pilot．For a roomier experience，upgrade your flight to an EC-130 helicopter which provides larger leg room and can accommodate more weight per seat．See Additional Info for details on weight restrictions．

Pricing Information

    Services included：45-minute(approx)flight each way，hotel pickup and drop-off by   limousine，lunch．

    Our price is constantly updated．Click to check pricing & availability on your preferred  travel date．

    Additional Information

    The maximum weight per passenger to ride in an A-Star helicopter is 2751bs．If passengers weigh in between 2751bs and 3001bs，you will be required to upgrade to the    EC-130．

    Pickup is available from selected Las Vegas hotels．You must contact the local travel    agency to fix your pickup time．

    All flight times are approximate and might be influenced by weather conditions．

    Traveler Review

    This is an absolute must do．The view of the Grand Canyon at his height was absolutely amazing! Our pilot was funny，knowledgeable and a great guide．All the staff from booking to check-in and helicopter departure were fantastic．I would recommend this tour to everyone．

    Wetlands are ecosystems found in low, flat areas. Often they border ponds, rivers, lakes, and oceans. Wetlands include marshes, swamps, and bogs.

    No trees grow in a marsh, but there are lots of grassy plants. Ducks, turtles, and many different bugs (虫子) live there, too. Florida has the world's biggest freshwater marsh. The Everglades covers 4,000 square miles. The Everglades is not entirely fresh water, however. Near the sea the fresh water and salt water mix. Some plants and animals can live only in this brackish water.

    Saltwater marshes lie along the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico. During high tide these marshes are under water. During low tide these marshes can be seen. The water rushes out, carrying bits of plants, dead animals, and minerals necessary for sea animals. Many plants and animals depend upon this ever-changing environment.

    Swamps are forested wetlands. Like marshes, they are often found near rivers or lakes and have mineral soil that drain very slowly. Unlike marshes, they have trees and bushes. Swamps have trees that grow with their roots underwater. But the trees will die if their roots stay underwater too long. Animals such as water snakes and frogs live in swamps.

    Bogs have damp, soft soil. So many dead plants have piled up that there is no longer any standing water. This rotting plant matter turns into peat (泥炭). In Ireland and Scotland peat is dried and burned to heat homes. Bog soil is useful for growing wild rice. Lots of insects live there.

    Most people do not find wetlands beautiful. But wetlands are important. Marshes and swamps store water, thus reducing the flooding a heavy rain can cause. About one-third of all of America's endangered plants and animals live in wetlands. Now laws protect some wetlands. More than a dozen wetlands in the US are refuges (保护区) and wildlife preserves.

    The weather symbol shown for each day in the five day forecast represents the main weather expected on the day in question. The maximum temperature is the highest temperature forecast between dawn and dusk, whereas the minimum temperature is the lowest temperature expected from dusk on the day to dawn the following day. The wind speed and direction are the expected conditions at midday.

    Chinese movie goers set a box office record for the eve of the weeklong National Day holiday on Monday, with takings(票房收入)more than twice the previous record, according to several industry trackers. The major blockbusters(大片)contributing to the box office record were three new releases--My People, My Country, The Captain and The Climbers--which all opened on Monday.

    Industry analyst Wu Nian said more than 80 film companies invested in the three blockbusters, which would provide a substantial boost to the recently lackluster market.

    My People, My Country, a 158-minute anthology that saw seven famous directors join hands, dominated the box office, according to Maoyan(猫眼).

    Consisting of seven short stories set in historic moments to look back at New China's 70years of existence, the movie was codirected by Chen Kaige as well as 6 other directors--who have all directed domestic hits or international award winners.

    Chen, who served as chief director, said China has seen a huge transformation in the past seven decades. As the painstaking efforts of several generations had contributed to the country's achievements, Chen said the team working on the movie had decided to use it to revisit milestone moments through ordinary people's eyes.

    Another highly anticipated film, The Captain, earned 194 million yuan to occupy second place on the box office charts.

    Starring actor Zhang Hanyu, the film is based on heroic Sichuan Airlines pilot Liu Chuanjian, who completed one of the most miraculous emergency landings in China's civil aviation history.

    Also adapted from real events, The Climbers grossed 157 million yuan on Monday. With a stellar cast including Zhang Ziyi and Wu Jing, the film is about Chinese mountaineers' ascent to the summit of Mount Qomolangma, via its perilous north ridge in 1960 and 1975.Wu Jing said the film filled a gap in the market, with sports-themed titles quite rare in the world's second-largest movie market.

    Aside from the three blockbusters, eight other films--covering a wide range of styles from animation to fantasy-will be released during the holiday ending on Oct 7.