The word advertising refers to any kind of public announcement that brings products and services to the attention of people. Throughout history, advertising has been an effective way to promote(促进)the trading and selling of goods. In the Middle Ages, merchants employed "town criers" to read public messages aloud to promote their goods. When printing was invented in the fifteenth century, pages of advertisements(ads)could be printed easily and were either hung in public places or put in books.

    By the end of the seventeenth century, when newspapers were beginning to be read by more people, printed materials became an important way to promote products and services. The London Gazette was the first newspaper to set aside a place just for advertising. This was so successful that by the end of the century several companies started businesses for the purpose of making newspaper ads for merchants.

    Advertising spread quickly throughout the eighteenth century. Ad writers were starting to pay more attention to the design of the ad text. Everything, from clothes to drinks, was promoted with clever methods such as repetition of the firm's name or product, words organized in eyecatching patterns, the use of pretty pictures and expressions easy to remember.

    Near the end of the nineteenth century, companies that were devoted to the production of ads came to be known as "advertising agencies(广告商)．"The agencies developed new ways to get people to think of themselves as members of a group. Throughout the twentieth century, advertising agencies promoted consumerism(消费主义)as a way of life, spreading the belief that people could be happy only if they bought the "right" products.

    Most heroes are not super. They don't appear in comic books, on television, or in movies. They just do what they believe needs to be done to make their world a better place. Bike Batman is one of them.

    Bike Batman is a 30 - year – old married engineer who lives in Seattle, Washington. He's a cyclist who also buys and sells bikes as a hobby.

    About three year, ago, he was looking for his wife. He found one on Craigslist, a website where people list things they want so sell. As he often does, he also looked at Bike Index, a popular website that allows users to register their bikes and post reports when they're taken. The bike, which he was considering purchasing, clearly matched one reported stolen on? Bike Index. Then he called the person who claimed to be the bike's owner and arranged to meet him－supposedly to complete the sale. When the two men met, Bike Batman told the thief. You've got two option. You can wait until a police officer gets here, or you can just get out of here." You can imagine what the thief did.

    After that first success, Bike Batman developed a safer routine. When he sees questionable bike ads on Craigslist, he cross-references the image with bikes reported on Bike Index. Once he has confirmed it with the owner, he arranges a meet - up with the thief and will call the Seattle police department so that officers can participate in the action. In more than half of the 22 cases in which he has got back and returned bikes y the thieves have been arrested. In one case, Bike Batman even helped a family recover a wide range of prized possessions that suspects had stolen during a home burglary.

    His nickname came from a discussion with a police officer who suggested he be called "Robin Hood". Since he wasn't exactly stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, "Batman" seemed a better fit. The idea of a superhero punishing criminals feels pretty silly to him, but the main reason he continues his work is to keep up Seattle's reputation as a friendly city.

    Here are some must-know festivals from a handbook which you cannot miss in some Asia countries.

    Singapore Night Festival

    Aug. 17-25 The annual Singapore Night Festival is a celebration of the island nation's arts and cultural heritage (遗产). A highlight of the festival is the interactive light show that transforms the front of surrounding buildings into artistic wonders. http://www.nightfestival.com

    Royal Floria

    Aug. 25-Sep. 2 This year's event marks the 10th anniversary of the Royal Floria in Putrajaya, with more than 400,000 floral displays. Floral designers and landscape architects from 10 countries are set to show their talent with their arts and cultural creations. http://www.floriaputrajaya.com

    Tet Trung Nguyen

    Aug. 25 It is believed that during Tet Trung Nguyen (Ghost Festival), spirits of the dead return home in search of their loved ones. Vietnamese pay homage(敬意) to their ancestors during the festivals by preparing feasts as prayer offerings. http://www.vietnamtourism.com

    George Town Festival

    Aug. 4-Sep. 2 The George Town Festival was inaugurated(创立) in 2010 in conjunction with the city's designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It has become one of the region's important cultural festivals, showing myriad events that include musical performances, art exhibitions and film screenings taking place across multiple venues. http://www.georgetownfestival.com

    Are you a morning person? You might not like the findings in this new research.

    From a lack of air and drinking water to solar radiation, theoretical Mars pioneers face any number of potential obstacles to settling on the red planet. Now, scientists have found something else to add to the list: seriously messed-up biological clocks.

    One day on Mars - which scientists refer to as the solar day, or “sol”- is 37 minutes longer than a day on Earth. A team of European scientists recently demonstrated why that could be a problem.

    Circadian rhythms are the body's natural cycles of rest and waking, which tend to follow roughly 24-hour light-dark cycles. These natural rhythms - which play a role in biological functions including brain wave activity and hormone production - can be interrupted by things like jet lag（时差）and night shift work.

    For the study, the researchers compared mice with healthy, 24-hour circadian clocks to mice with a genetic change that caused them to have shorter, 20-hour circadian clocks. The mice with healthy biological clocks were more likely to survive and reproduce, while the mice with shorter biological clocks were more likely to die off.

    What does this all have to do with space travel? Since the Martian sol is longer than a day on Earth, people with shorter circadian clocks could suffer from health problems as they try to adapt to the rotational speed of the red planet.

    Unfortunately, the body is unlikely to adapt to the new conditions or “learn” to develop a longer clock. As Loudon explained,“ Learning is not a likely option.”

    In other words: Sorry, super-early risers - NASA might not want you for the next Mars mission.

    If you have never been on a cruise (乘船游览), it can seem like its own world—with its own rules and secret language. So here we are going to lay out the very basics of going on a cruise.

    Do I need a passport to go on a cruise?

    You may need a passport, but you should take one anyway. Besides the fact that you are going to need an ID card to board the ship in the first place, a lot of ports require one.

    How much luggage can I take on board?

    For the most part, cruise ships aren't like planes—there isn't a strictly regulated amount of luggage you can take with you, and you are not going to be charged for bringing too much. Keep in mind that cabin storage space can be tight. Everything, including your empty luggage, is going to have to fit inside and you don't want to be tripping over it for your whole vacation.

    Things like guns and knives are banned, but regulations vary from ship to ship about things like irons (generally a no) and hair dryers (generally a yes). Some ships allow you to bring a bottle of wine, but nearly all ban bringing your own hard alcohol.

    What's the process for boarding a cruise ship?

    Boarding a cruise ship is like boarding a plane—there are regulations or when to arrive, how to check-in, and what security you have to go through. Most cruise lines have transportation available from the airport; otherwise they normally own a paid parking lot where you can leave your car.