There are more bicycles than residents in the Netherlands,and in cities

like Amsterdam and The Hague up to 70% of all journeys are made by bike.

    The BBC's reporter,Anna Holligan,examines what made everyone get back in the saddle（车座）.

    Before World WarⅡ,journeys in the Netherlands were mainly made by bike, but in the 1950s and 1960s,as car ownership increased quickly,this changed.As in many countries in Europe, roads became increasingly crowded.

    The jump in car number caused a huge rise in the number of deaths on the roads.In 1971 more than 3,000 people were killed by motor vehicles,and 450 of them were children.In response a social movement demanding safer cycling conditions for children was formed.Called Stop de Kindermoord,it took its name from the headline of an article written by journalist Vic Langenhoff whose own child had been killed in a road accident.

    The Dutch love of the motor vehicle was also shaken by the Middle East oil crisis of 1973,when oil-producing countries topped export to the US and Western Europe.

    These twin pressures helped to persuade the Dutch government to invest in improving cycling infrastructure（基础设施）and the Dutch urban planners started to change from the road-building policies designed mainly for cars.

    To make cycling safer and more inviting,the Dutch have built a vast network of cycle paths.These are clearly marked,have smooth surfaces,separate signs and lights for those on two wheels,and are wide enough to allow cycling side by side and overtaking.

    Even before they can walk,Dutch children live in a world of cycling.As babies they travel in special seats on bikes.As the children grow up they ride their own bikes.And,as the Dutch are not allowed to drive until 18,cycling offers teenagers an alternative form of freedom.

    The state also plays a part in teaching,with cycling lessons a compulsory（必修的）part in Dutch schools.All schools have places to park bikes and at some schools 90% of pupils cycle to class.

    English teenagers will receive cooking lessons in schools. The idea is to encourage healthy eating to solve the problem that many people are overweight. Also, it worries people that basic cooking and food preparation skills are being lost because parents use too much pre-prepared fast food.

Cooking was once regarded as an important part of education in England—even if it was mainly for girls. In recent years cooking has become less important in schools. But the rising level of obesity has led to rethink about the food that children are given and the skills they should be taught.

    “What we want is to teach young people how to do basic, simple meals, which they can use now at home and then in their life,” said Ed Balls, an education expert.

    The new lessons will start in September, but some schools without kitchens will be given a longer time to prepare. Also, there may be a shortage of teachers with the right skills, since schools have been teaching food technology rather than practical cooking. Besides, the lessons for hand-on cooking will only be one hour a week for one term. But the well-known cookery writer, Pru Leith, believe it will be worth it.

    “If we'd done this thirty years ago we might not have to face the problem about obesity and lack of knowledge about food and so on. Every child should know how to cook, not just so that they'll be healthy, but because it's a life skill which is a real pleasure.”

    The renewed interest in cooking is an effort to reduce the obesity rate, which is almost the highest in Europe, and according to the government, half of all British people will be obese in 25 years if present trends are not halted.

    In today's working world, the high school diploma program has become the initial footstep in achieving a successful career. A high school diploma is a formal document issued to certify a candidate's successful completion of a prescribed (规定的) secondary school program of studies.

    It takes four years to complete the high school diploma program. The eligibility (合格) requirements for the high school diploma vary from state to state. A high school diploma is the minimum qualification for higher education and government jobs in the United States. The opportunities for a better job are extremely limited for one who has not earned a high school diploma. To be more specific, the high school diploma can qualify one for fruitful careers in science, education, health care, the travel industry, and the legal profession.

    In some states, high school diplomas are differentiated by type such as a general diploma, an academic diploma, or a vocational diploma. A high school diploma is regarded as the minimum admission requirement for post-secondary education programs. When people apply for a green card or a US visa, a high school diploma is a valuable asset for immigrants into the United States.

    There are several ways to achieve a high school diploma. One can get the diploma through traditional classroom study. It is best suited for individuals who enjoy face-to-face interaction with their teachers and classmates. In the United States, opportunities are provided for getting high school diplomas without attending classes at school. One can earn a high school diploma at home through a combination of online and correspondence classes.

    Generally, the high school diploma programs do not have minimum age requirements. In order to get the high school diploma, the students must complete the coursework dictated by their school district. Curriculum (课程) varies from district to district. Before enrollment, a student counseling (咨询) service is recommended to most students.

    In the years ahead, AI will raise three big questions for bosses and governments. One is the effect on jobs. Although bosses publicly praise the broad benefits AI will bring very much, their main interest lies in cutting costs. One European bank asked a technology company to find a way of reducing the staff in its operations department from 50,000 to 500. This special report has shown that AI-enhanced tools can help reduce staff in departments such as customer service and human resources by a large amount. The McKinsey Global Institute finds that by 2030 up to 375m people, or 14% of the global workers in companies or countries, could have their jobs automated away. Bosses will need to decide whether they are prepared to offer and pay for retraining, and whether they will give time off for it. Many companies say they are all for workers developing new skills, but not at the employer's expense.

    A second important question is how to protect privacy as AI spreads. The Internet has already made it possible to track people's digital（数字的）behaviour in extremely small detail. AT will offer even better tools for businesses to monitor consumers(客户) and workers, both online and in the physical world. Consumers are sometimes happy to go along with this if it results in personalised（个性化的）service. But AI probably brings privacy violations (侵犯) that are seen as shocking and morally unacceptable. In the wrong hands, useful technology could be against fair and equal treatment. Countries with a record of the careful watching of a person place, especially by the police or army and human-rights abuses already using AI to monitor political activity. The police around the world will use AI to spot criminals, but may also look on ordinary citizens secretly, in order to discover things or find out information about them. New rules will be needed to ensure agreement on what degree of monitoring is acceptable.

    The third question is about the effect of AI on competition in business. Today many firms are competing to provide AI-enhanced tools to companies. But a technology company that achieves artificial intelligence could race ahead of competitors, put others out of business and lessen competition. This is unlikely to happen in the near future, but if it did it would be of great concern.

    Good health is the most valuable thing a person can have, but one cannot take good health for granted. It is important to remember that the body needs proper care in order to be healthy. There are three things that a person can do to help stay in good shape: eat right food, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly.

    Proper nutrition (营养) is important for good health. Your body cannot work well unless it receives the proper kind of "fuel"(燃料).Don't eat too much food with lots of sugar and fat. Eat plenty of foods high in protein (蛋白质) ,like meat, fish, eggs and nuts. Vegetables and fruits are very important because they provide necessary vitamins (维他命) and minerals. However, don't overeat. It is not helpful to be overweight.

    Getting the proper amount of sleep is also important. If you don't get enough sleep, you feel tired and easily get angry. You have no energy. Over a long period of time a little amount of sleep may even result in a change of personality (人的个性). Be sure to allow yourself from seven to nine hours of sleep each night. If you do, your body will feel strong and refreshed, and your mind will be sharp.

    Finally, get plenty of exercise. Exercise firms the body, strengthens the muscles, and prevents you from gaining weight. It also improves your heart and lungs. If you follow a regular exercise program, you will probably increase your life-span (寿命). Any kind of exercise is good. Most sports are excellent for keeping the body in good shapes: basketball, swimming, bicycling, running and so on are good examples. Sports are not only good for your body, but they are enjoyable and interesting, too.

    If everybody, were to eat the right foods, get plenty of sleep and exercise regularly, the world would be a happier and healthier place. We would all live to be much older and wiser.

    Desiree was only four when she lost her Dad. Instead of gradually adjusting to his death, Desiree refused to accept it and even wanted to die so as to be with her father. Concerned about her daughter, Rhonda turned to her mother, Trish Moore, for help.

    November 8 of 1993 would have been Ken's 29th birthday. So Trish advised Desiree to send her father a card. Desiree's eyes lit up as she dictated a letter, "Happy birthday, Daddy. I love you and miss you. I hope you get this and can write to me on my birthday." Trish wrote the message and their address on a small piece of paper and tied it to the end of the string on a balloon with a drawing of the Little Mermaid (美人鱼). Finally, Desiree released the balloon.

    On November 12 in eastern Canada, Wade MacKinnon was duck-hunting. Suddenly something in the bushes caught his eye. Curious, he approached to find a silver balloon. The letter finished with a mailing address in Live Oak, California. The balloon traveled 3,000 miles. What a coincidence! A Little Mermaid balloon landed at Mermaid Lake. To help Desiree, the MacKinnons wrote her a letter with a birthday card and an adaptation of The Little mermaid.

    The MacKinnons' package arrived later on Desiree's birthday. The letter read, "Happy birthday from your daddy. You must be wondering who we are. Well, it all started... There are no stores in heaven, so your daddy picked us to do the shopping. We know your daddy loves you very much and wants you to be happy and not sad. Lots of love, the MacKinnons."

    Tears in eyes, Desiree said, "I knew Daddy would find a way not to forget me." Next, Trish began to read the Little Mermaid to her, in which the mermaid was finally carried away by angels. "The mermaid goes to heaven just like Daddy!" Desiree said with delight. She understood then her father was with her always.