More and more people like bicycling and it is no surprise. It is fun, healthy and good for the environment. Maybe that's why there are 1.4 billion bicycles and only 400 million cars on roads worldwide today. Bikes can take you almost anywhere, and there is no oil cost!

    Get on a bicycle and ride around your neighbourhood. You may discover something new all around you. Stopping and getting off a bike is easier than stopping and getting out of your car. You can bike to work and benefit(受益）from the enjoyable exercise without polluting the environment. You don't even have to ride all the way.

    Folding(折叠）bikes work well for people who ride the train. Just fold the bike and take it with you. You can do the same on an airplane. A folding bike can be packed in a suitcase. You can take a common bike with you when you fly, too. But be sure to look for information by getting on airline websites. Not all airlines are bicycle-friendly to travelers.

    Health benefit of Bicycling:

    ⒈It helps to prevent heart diseases.

    ⒉Bicycling helps to control your weight.

    ⒊A15-minute bike ride to and from work three times a week burns off five kilos of fat in a year.

    ⒋Bicycling can improve(改善）your mood. Exercises like bicycling has been shown to make people feel better, more relaxed and self-confident.

    ⒌Bicycling is healthier than driving.

    Some countries are better than others at protecting the environment. In Europe, Germany and northern European countries work very hard to improve the environment. The people in Germany put their rubbish into different bags—paper in one bag, plastic in another bag, etc. The rubbish is then taken away and, if possible, recycled. There are laws that do not allow people to burn too much coal.

    In the 1970s, as people learned more about environmental problems, the "Green" movement(运动)began and soon spread all over Europe. The "Green" movement tries to get governments to protect the environment. It collects information about how industry is damaging(毁坏)the environment and tells it to the newspapers.

    The Internet is shaping our lives. We already have online shopping services and mobile payment. However, this is just a start. The world's leading tech companies are planning to build smarter online communities. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It was held in Wuzhen, Zhejiang last year. The development of artificial intelligence(AI,人工智能) was a hot topic at the conference(会议). If a machine can learn and solve problems as humans do, it can be called AI.

    The company Alibaba uses AI technology in its unmanned supermarket in Wuzhen. There is no salesperson in the supermarket, just an iPad on a desk that says "please smile". {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The bigger you smile, the more discounts(折扣) you get. Payment is done automatically through your Alipay account. When you first enter the supermarket, the supermarket's AI recognizes(辨认) your face and your account.

    There is also AI that can read lips. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It recognizes your mouth's movements and turns them into voice or text messages. This could be very useful when you are trying to talk to someone on your phone in a noisy place. Police could also use the technology to help them find criminals by lip-reading recordings from video cameras.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Microsoft's chatting robot XiaoIce can not only provide useful information, but also talk with people like a real friend. XiaoIce has a WeChat account(账户). After following the account, users can start talking with her. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} She keeps improving herself by talking with users.

    These technologies are being put into wider use. We may see a smarter world and better lives in the near future.

    In the Middle Eastern country of Lebanon, there are more than 1 million refugees (难民). Youssef was 10 years old when a local Syrian musician discovered his talent: a deep, powerful voice-well-suited to traditional songs. However, Syria's civil war took place soon. He and his family lost their home.

    When the Action for Hope Music School announced that it was looking for talented children to train, his family encouraged him to attend the school. A year and a half later, Youssef, with another 11 children, was chosen to take part in a concert.

    Youssef, a shy boy, was a lead singer in the concert. He gave a confident performance of traditional Syrian songs. "We only heard the sound of a mortar(迫击炮）. It fell near us. A whole building came down. That is all I remember," said Youssef. "Music makes me forget everything. Music is the most important thing."

    Basma, director of Action for Hope, said," The music school offers children who suffer from the war strength (力量). They can find a good way to express themselves and stop thinking of themselves as refugees."

    "Art gives strength. It comes from the ability to create," Basma said, "People who are in difficult conditions need this strength much more than the rich."

We know animals have emotions. They can feel fear. We also think they feel love, since they have strong relationships with each other. So are animal emotions s{#blank#}1{#/blank#} to our own? And do animals have a sense of humor?

A Parrot's Joke

Sally's parrot Bongo didn't get along with her o{#blank#}2{#/blank#} parrot, Paco. In fact, Bongo clearly didn't like Paco at all! One day, Sally cooked a chicken for dinner. She started to cut the chicken with a knife. 

"Oh, no! Paco!"Bongo said loudly and laughed. Sally laughed, too, and said, "That chicken is not Paco. ""Oh…no, "said Bongo. This time, she sounded d{#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Then the parrot laughed at her own joke.

Yoga Dog

Jean enjoys yoga and so does her dog Buffy. W{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Jean does yoga, Buffy carefully places her toys on Jean's body. If a toy falls, Buffy runs to put it b {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Does this behavior have any real purpose?"She thinks it's funny!"says Jean. 

Animal Laughter

Can dogs "laugh"?Recent research shows that dogs can tell each other when they want to play. They make a special sound a kind of "laugh. "Psychologist (心理学家)Patricia recorded the sound. Then she played it to dogs and s{#blank#}6{#/blank#} their behavior. "All the dogs seemed to like the laugh, "says Patricia. So do animals have a sense of humor? If laughter is a clue, then p{#blank#}7{#/blank#} the answer is "yes!" .