Australia is the smallest continent in the world. It is a little smaller than China. It is on the Southern Hemisphere of the earth. Australia is big, but its population is small. The population of Australia is nearly as large as that of Shanghai.

    Enough laws have been made to fight against pollution. The cities in Australia have little air or water pollution. The sky is blue and the water is clean. You can clearly see fish in the rivers. Plants grow very well.

    Last month we visited Perth, the biggest city in Western Australia, and went to a wild flower exhibition. There we saw large numbers of wild flowers on show, most of which we had never seen before. We had a wonderful time. Perth is famous for its beautiful wild flowers. Every year in spring Perth has a wild flower exhibition. After visiting Perth, we spent a day in the countryside. We sat down and had a rest near a path at the foot of a hill. It was quiet and we enjoyed ourselves very much. When we heard bells ringing at the top of the hills, we looked up, but what we saw made us pick up all our things and run back to our car as quickly as we could. There were about three hundred sheep coming towards us along the path.

    Australia is famous for its sheep and kangaroos. After a short drive from any town, you will find yourself among the white sheep. Sheep, sheep, everywhere you can see sheep.

    Now is the best time for Hong Kong shopping lovers, as most shops and markets are having their seasonal sales. With the same amount of money, you can find different kinds of foods in this city. Women, young and old, rarely resist the attraction of this shopping paradise(乐园,天堂) at this time of year. Lovers will surely have an exciting Christmas and   New Year's Eve celebrations at the Time Square or in the western styled bars. Spending your holiday in Hong Kong will be easy too, as several package tours are available from GZL Travel Service, with four-day tours for less than 15 000yuan.

    Tour package 1(3200yuan):a four-day-tour including three nights' accommodation(膳宿供应), scenic helicopter flight, night ferry tour of Victoria Harbor and shuttle bus to the Peak to view the city at night.

    Tour package 2 (1880yuan): a four-day-shopping-tour including three nights' accommodation, tours to Golden Beach and the Vexwork Museum, shuttle bus to the Peak and shopping opportunities.

    Tour package 3(1480yuan):a four-day-DIY-tour including three nights' accommodation in a four-star hotel and total freedom to do what you want.

    In the future those who are taking care of old people may get help from the house itself.

    Over the last few years, new technology, such as the Internet, Wi-Fi and flat TV screens, has changed our homes and the way that we live. Now, another technology revolution is happening. A new project at the University of Hertfordshire wants to create a home that monitors people living in it who are elderly.

    The researchers have developed a wristband device（装置）which helps us to watch the elderly person who is wearing it. The device collects information to see if the person has fallen or has wandered away from where he or she should be.

    The assisted-living project is part of the university's wider Interhome project, which is the development of a smart house. The house remembers the habits of the person who lives there and it uses very low amounts of energy. The Interhome team hope that offering this service will help take care of the elderly. They say, "It's very important that these technologies are there to help and support and not replace any of the existing services."

    The Interhome is not just a research method. It's also a way for students from different scientific backgrounds to learn and develop technology. The university uses the latest technology to help students get experience by developing new hardware and software themselves. The team includes design, engineering and computer science students working together.

    "We are working on a smart-home project in Watford with some companies at the moment," says the project leader. "We are looking at how a smart home can provide even more services." This could help millions of old people around the world have a better and safer life in the future.

    No matter which place you decide to visit in Spain, you'll find a beautiful beach waiting just for you. These popular beaches can meet the needs of people from all walks of life.

    Cala de Algaiarens, Minorea

    With soft golden sand and clear water, this beach is perfect for snorkeling (浅滩潜水) and visiting underwater caves. The beach belongs to a local man, so tourists have to pay a small entry fee. The waves here can sometimes be huge so the beach isn't safe for kids.

    Cala Tarida, Ibiza

    Besides the big music festivals and the exciting nightlife, Ibiza is home to some of the most beautiful beaches; one of them is Cala Tarida. Just relax on the white sand or go swimming in clear water. It is an ideal location to spend a sunny day if you are in Ibiza.

    Beach of La Concha, San Sebastian

    It has been called the best city beach not just in Spain, but also in Europe. It's so popular during the holidays that tourists have to struggle to get some space. Even though the beach is a 10- minute walk from the city, the white sand and the amzing clear waters do make the city a new world.

    Sotavento, Canary Islands

    As an ideal choice for travelers, Sotavento offers 17 miles of white sandy beach. It is blessed with strong water and winds, making it a paradise (天堂) for surfers and kite flyers. The beach also hosts the popular World Kite Surf Championship every August.

    Although it's great to spend vacations seeing the world with family, friends, or a lover, traveling alone can also be completely incredible. A solo adventure has the potential to be life-changing. Here are some reasons you should travel alone at least once.

    If you enjoy meeting new friends, here's your chance; you will likely find some when traveling alone, Since you won't be focused on talking to anyone you know, you'll be more likely to strike up conversations with strangers. Meeting people from different backgrounds opens our minds, expands our world, and can inspire us a lot. You may meet some amazing locals or other adventurers like yourself; either way you're bound to make some new friends during your journey.

    A trip alone can ignite your creativity. Spending time alone with an open mind can be exactly what you need for your imagination to soar. Your enthusiasm and passion for life may sky-rocket from your awesome adventure.

    When traveling with a partner or a group, every idea can be bounced off someone else. When you travel alone, you will learn to be decisive; you will be making every decision alone. From where to eat, to what time to wake up, to what sights to see, and which airline to use, traveling solo forces you to rely on yours truly. As you realize you can make good choices without help from others, you will likely trust your instincts more, and this new found self-assurance and confidence will be helpful in many areas of your life.

Three Japanese tourists taking a holiday in Australia got stuck when their GPS told them they could drive from the mainland to an island, failing to mention the 15 kilometres of water and mud in between.

As they drove their hired car from Moreton Bay to nearby North Stradbroke Island, they started to notice the firm surface they were driving on giving way to the well­known bay mud. However, being confident that their GPS would direct them to a road soon, they decided to drive on, managing to travel around 500 metres before their car was up to its tires in mud. To make matters worse, the tide (潮汐) started to come in and soon forced them to seek help and abandon the vehicle. Just four hours later the car was trapped in two metres of water—to the great amusement of onlookers on the shore and passengers on passing boats and ferries.

Yuzu Noda, 21, said she was listening to the GPS and "it told us we could drive down there. It kept saying it would navigate (导航) US to a road. But we got stuck… there's lots of mud". She and her travel companions Tomonari Saeki, 22, and Keita Osada, 21, instead had to give up their plans for a day trip to the island and headed back to the Gold Coast of a lift from the RACQ tow truck (吊车) driver who was called to the trapped car. No such luck for the hired car, though—after assessing the situation, no attempt was made to recover it. The students from Tokyo, who are due to return home tomorrow, said the experience would not put them off returning to Australia for another visit. Mr Tomonari said, "It has rained every day on our six day holiday. Hopefully next time we come back it will be sunny. "

The car was covered by insurance, but the tourists will have to pay up to about $1,500 in extra charges.