Lockheed Martin, American space system company (空间系统公司) has found a really cool way to inspire the young minds of today to the research fields in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

    It may look like a normal yellow bus, but all the magic happens once you get inside. Meet the “Mars (火星) Experience Bus,” part of Lockheed Martin's new “Generation Beyond” national education program to get the kids joining in studying what goes on outside of our home planet. The bus offers a virtual reality (VR, 虚拟现实) experience making the teenagers feel like they are driving on Mars.

    The VR experience was developed by taking advantage of software (软件) created for today's best video games, so you can imagine the picture shown is top level. The kids do seem really excited to see the bus take a virtual trip on the red planet and search unknown places. It's certainly a great way of learning about the universe by virtual reality working on a common bus.

    The Lockheed Martin's bus will start a tour in the United States to allow kids from different parts of the country to take a ride in it. The Generation Beyond project also includes an iPhone app for iOS providing real-time information about weather reports for Mars, and there's also a free deep space course for middle school teachers and students.

    One morning while Officer Vogel was on his coffee break in a restaurant, a man ran in a yelled. "Officer! A little kid is driving a car down the street!"

    He ran out at once and saw a car going slowly--about 25 miles an hour--but it was going very straight. He jumped into his police car and followed it. When the car was stopped, Officer Vogel looked inside. The driver was a little boy. His name was Rocco Morabiro and was 5. In the back seat was his two-year-old sister. Both children wen crying.

    "I want my mummy!" the boy cried." But she can't get here. I have the car." Then he had an idea." Just a minute." He told Officer Vogel." I can drive. I'll go to get her."

    "No!" Officer Vogel said. "You stay with me!" Then he drove them to the police station and he called their mother. They had many questions for Rocco. The first question was: "Where did you get the car keys?"

    Rocco said. "From the top of the refrigerator." At seven that morning Rocoo's father was work and his mother was sleeping, Rocco saw the keys on top of the refrigerator. He climbed on a chair, and took the keys.

Rocco got into the car and started the engine (引擎). When Rocco's sister heard the engine she ran to the car and cried. She wanted to go with him.

It was 7 a. m.—rush hour—so there was much traffic. Rocco drove one mile in heavy traffic. Then Officer Vogel stopped him.

    Newspapers and TV stations heard about Rocco, and a lot of reporters went to his house. Areporter asked Rocco, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

    "A truck driver," he said, smiling.

    As space science develops, man has learned more and more about space. Space is not only amazing but also dangerous. While working in space, spacemen are facing danger as well as success.

    Scientists have found out that the radiation（辐射）is the greatest danger to spacemen in space. When spacemen are working in space, they are in danger of the radiation from the sun and other stars, which is bad for their health. The harm of the radiation won't be found until their children even grandchildren are born. Some special medicine may work a little, but no really effective medicine has been found so far.

    Space rubbish is also thought to be a great danger to spacemen. It's reported that there were 9,000 man-made things flying in space. About 30% of these are satellites, 10% are spaceships, and the rest are space rubbish. An explosion（爆炸）in space in 1999 made a cloud of 300,000 fragments, each at least 4mm in size. A small piece of these even knocked a spaceship window and caused some damage（损坏）.

    Scientists are watching and reporting any possible danger all the time. They are working to deal with space rubbish. Although space is really dangerous, it interests many people on the earth. In the near future, it may be possible for people to spend a few days in a space hotel. We may even choose to leave the earth and live in space in a few years. So we should do something to help improve the space environment.

    The air pollution was so bad in Harbin, in China, on October 21, 2013 that the city had to close roads and schools, and cancel hundreds of flights from its airport.

    News reports said the smog (a mixture of smoke and fog) was so thick that people couldn't see more than 10 or 20 metres in front of them.

    It is also said that people could not even see the person standing next to them. The city's website said: "You can't see your own fingers in front of you."

    The local people said there was a "burning" smell in the air. Many people covered their noses and mouths with scarves or masks.

    The pollution was caused on several factors including: farmers burning off old corn stalks and crop stubble; coal-fired heating systems; and low winds that allowed the smoke to remain over the city.

    The smog had been building up for several days. It became worse when the city turned on the public heating system, which uses coal to heat millions of homes and offices in the city.

    Harbin has a population of more than 10 million people. It lies in northeastern China, where cold winter weather can last up to six months. The main fuel there is coal, because it is cheaper than other types of fuel.

    Air pollution from burning coal can cause health problems like heart disease. During the smog crisis* in Harbin, the number of people taken to the hospital with breathing problems was 30% higher than usual.

    The city government is trying to reduce its use of coal by adding more insulation and better roofs and windows to buildings to reduce heating needs. It has also used cleaner fuel for cars and factories.