I've often wondered if I might do more good as a travel agent rather than as a psychologist.It seems that I have been more dramatically affected by certain kinds of travel experiences than I ever have.

     My trip to Iceland is a fine example of that.The plan was to spend two days in a remote mountain hut in Iceland.I was working on a photograhic book about winter in Iceland and needed to capture images of this amazing region of high mountain peaks，smoky volcanoes，and lakes with floating icebergs.

     The moment after we arrived，the weather turned extreme making visibility impossible.It snowed so much and the wind blew so hard that we couldn't leave the tiny hut.We tried to call for help but the radio did not work.Day after day，we watched our supplies of food and fuel grow dangerously short.We got acute cabin fever(幽居病)and started going for walks and ski expeditions outside.Even when the weather finally broke，nobody came to get us even though it was three days beyond our scheduled pickup.By the time the rescue team came to pull us out，we had all given up hope.

     From then on，the world looks different to me，as does my life.It would have taken me years of psychotherapy to get to the same point.

Almost everyone has a story to tell，and interestingly，most of these experiences were not altogether pleasant at the time.In fact，it appears that the most constructive life­changing journeys were those that involved some sorts of awful and uncomfortable events that forced the person to develop new resources，increase confidence，and solve problems in new ways.

    World Expo 2010 will be held in Shanghai. It will last from May 1st to October 31st, 2010. The Expo site covers a total area of 5.28 km². It spans(横跨) both sides of the Huangpu River, with 3.93 km² in Pudong and 1.35 km² in Puxi. There are five functional zones marked A, B, C, D and E. Each of them has different functions.

    Zone A will host the national pavilions(国家馆) of Asian countries except southeast Asian ones.

    Zone B will be home to the China Pavilion(中国馆) and Oceania (大洋洲的) countries, Pavilions for International Organizations, Theme Pavilions(主题馆), Expo Centre, and Performance Centre etc.

    Zone C will host the national pavilions of European, American and African countries. A large public amusement park will be built at the entrance of this zone.

    Zone D is home to Corporate Pavilions(企业馆), the land is one of the original places of modern China's national industry. So some of the old industrial buildings will be kept and renovated(修复) into Expo pavilions.

    Zone E will host stand-alone(独立的) Corporate Pavilions, Urban Civilization Pavilion (城市文明馆), and Urban Best Practices Area.

How did the ancient Chinese keep food warm in winter?

    Facilities like electric rice cookers, microwaves, and electric kettles, make it easy for people to keep food warm and enjoy a comfortable winter. So how did Chinese people in ancient times keep food warm in winter without these? In fact, ancient Chinese people used their own methods of heat preservation as early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties.

● “Wen Ding”, ancient rice cooker

    One of the major functions of an electric rice cooker is to keep food warm. The “Wen Ding”, an ancient cooking container, served the same purpose, but instead of using electric energy, the ancient cooking container, served the same purpose, but instead of using electric energy, the ancient cooking container preserved heart by burning fuels like charcoal.

    The “Wen Ding” unearthed in Nanjing in 1989 is thought to be the oldest of its kind discovered in China, dating back to the Stone Age, The craftsmanship of making the “Wen Ding” was developed in the Bronze Age. The bronze Ding from Shang and Zhou dynasties took on different shapes and structures.

● “Ran LU”, ancient small hot pot

    The “Ran LU” is a small size cooking vessel(器皿) made of bronze, which can be divided into three parts. A charcoal stove forms the main structure, with a bottom tray to hold charcoal ashes, and a movable cup at the top. Some experts have concluded that the vessel's structure suggests it may have been used as a small hot pot and that these vessels became popular in the Warring States Period(475—221 BC)

●Bronze You, ancient kettle

    The Bronze You was one of the most common wine containers during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The Bronze You can also be used to warm wine. For example, the Bronze You with beast mask design, unearthed in Jiangxi province, has an opening where charcoals could be placed. Just as people today can't do without an electric kettle, the Bronze You allowed people to enjoy a hot drink.

●Bronze Yan, ancient steamer

    Although the “Wen Ding” was effective at keeping food warm, the ancient Chinese people later found that its burning produced pollution. As a result, the Bronze Yan was made with a two-tier structure and used to steam rice and other grains. After the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-AD 220), further improvements to the Bronze Yan led to the modern-day steamer.

    Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is an important ecological screen for the north of China and even the whole country. Building a green great wall to ensure China's ecological security is one of the most important things of autonomous region.

The largest ecological function zone in the north of China, Inner Mongolia has a variety of landscapes, including forests, grasslands, wetlands, rivers and lakes. In recent years, the region's environment has improved, with its forest and grassland area having increased and desert reduced.

    However, it still faces a number of challenges in ecological preservation. For instance, the region faces severe water shortages with the number of lakes dropping from 427 in 1987 to 145 in 2010. In addition to a lack of rainfall, huge water consumption in agricultural and industrial production has worsened the water shortage. Too much use of fertilizers has damaged the soil and affected the growth of grass, accelerating the expansion of the desert, which results from a lack of water.

The local government encourages planting trees on grassland as they can get more pay for trees than by growing grass. However, the trees they plant often have a low survival rate as they have a high water consumption rate. Also, to treat wetlands, some areas have planted a large number of a single tree species. This practice may damage biodiversity (生物多样性) and endanger the survival of certain animals.

Experts suggest taking the region's water resources and weather conditions into consideration in future ecological projects.

    It was a shock and a painful lesson for many people when the police announced the cause of a bus accident in Chongqing on Oct 28. Video footage (片段) from inside the bus suggested that after a passenger missed her stop and asked the driver to stop, but he refused. She began hitting him over the head with her cell phone. During the conflict, the driver lost control of the bus and it jumped into the Yangtze River, causing 15 deaths.

    Zheng Chuankai, a lawyer in Beijing, said the accident showed that it was important that those who cause danger to public safety face severe punishment. Such attacks are inhuman but common. In fact, it is not rare to hear of passengers attacking bus drivers in China. This month, a local court in Shenyang, Liaoning province, sentenced three people to up to three years in prison for endangering public safety by distracting bus drivers, Xinhua reported. “Passengers who interfere (妨碍) with bus drivers are endangering public safety, which is equal to serious crimes like arson (纵火) and poisoning.” Liu Changsong，a Beijing lawyer, told the Global Times.

To prevent similar cases from happening, many Chinese cities have taken measures to keep bus drivers safe. Dozens of cities including Beijing, Xi'an, Wuhan, Changsha and Nanning have plans to add safety fences to buses to protect drivers from any interference by passengers.

    The bus operator in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, has invited psychologists to teach drivers how to manage their emotions when facing an angry passenger. These measures are necessary, but they are not enough.

    “Public security is closely connected with social morality (道德). People should obey the law, be more self-disciplined and sensible.”

    Many countries have introduced measures to deal with the problem of violence against bus drivers. On every bus in the US state of New Jersey, a sign on the back of the driver's seat warns passengers that anyone attacking a driver can be fined or put into prison.

    In London, the local government has launched a program to train drivers to deal with angry passengers and avoid potential conflicts.

The Coolest Inventions

    An Oceans Vacuum(吸尘器)

    There's a collection of plastic trash in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It's bigger than Texas and growing. The way to clean it up now is to catch it with nets. That is both costly and slow. Instead, the Ocean Cleanup Project proposes a 62-mile-long floating barrier that would use natural currents to trap trash. If next year's trials succeed, a full cleanup operation would aim to start in 2020. It could reduce the trash by 42 % over 10 years.

    Easy-On Shoes

    In 2012, Matthew Walzer, a high school student with a disability, sent a note to Nike. "My dream is to go to college," he wrote, "without having to worry about someone coming to tie my shoes every day." Nike assigned a design team to the challenge. This year, they came out with their solution: the FlyEase. The basketball shoe can be fastened with one hand. A pair of Nike FlyEase shoes sells for $ 130.

    An Airport for Drones (无人机)

    As Amazon, Google, and others get ready for drone delivery service, there is one big question: What kinds of home bases will their drones have? Rwanda, in Africa, may have the answer. There, workers will soon start work on three "drone ports". The goal is to make it easier to transport food, medical supplies, electronics, and other goods through the hilly countryside. Construction is set to be completed in 2020.