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 neighborhood. 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 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 also take a common bike with you when you fly. But be sure to look for information by getting on airline websites. Not all airlines are bicycle-friendly to travellers.

Health Benefits of Bicycling:

    It helps to prevent heart diseases.

    Bicycling helps to control your weight.

    A 15-minute bike ride to and from work three times a week burns off five kilos of fat in a year.

    Bicycling can improve your mood (心情).

    Exercise like bicycling has been shown to make people feel better, more relaxed and self-confident.

    Bicycling is healthier than driving.

    Do you love holidays but hate the fact that you put on weight (增加体重) after the holidays? You are not alone.

    Holidays are happy days with pleasure and delicious foods. Many people, however, are worried about the weight that comes along with these delicious foods.

    With proper planning, it is possible to control your weight. The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don't have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy. The following suggestions may help you.

    Do not miss meals. Before yon leave home for a feast(宴会), have a small, low-fat snack. This may help to keep you from getting too excited before delicious foods.

    Begin with clear soup, fruit or vegetables.

    A large glass of water before you eat may help you feel full.

    Use a small plate; a large plate will encourage you to have more than enough.

    Better not have high-fat foods. Dishes that look oily or creamy have much fat in them.

    Choose lean（瘦的） meat. Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables.

    If you have a sweet tooth, try mints (薄荷) and fruits. They don't have fat content as cream and chocolate.

    Don't let exercise take a break during the holidays. A 20-minute walk after a meal can help burn off excess calories (多余的热量).

    A dog spent the last four years of his life waiting a crossroad in the Thai city of Khon Kaen as if waiting for someone. People originally thought the dog had been abandoned, but then realized that he looked healthy, so people asked around about him. It turned out that the dog had indeed been spending most of his time around that crossroad, but a woman had been coming round regularly to bring him food and water.

    One day, while photographing the dog everyone called Leo, a reporter met the woman who had been taking care of him. She had come to drop off some food. After learning the story about the dog and the woman, the reporter decided to share the story on social media. The post soon went viral and the photos of Leo got shared hundreds of times. And the photos reached the eyes of Leo's former old owner.

    Nang Noi Sittisarn, a 64-year-old woman from Thailand's Roi Et Province, almost had a heart attack when her daughter showed her a photo of the beloved dog named BonBon she had lost during a car trip. When she learned that he had been waiting for her in the same spot for the last four years，her heart melted(融化).

    Auntie Noi told her daughter to drive her to where the dog was waiting. When she got there and called his name. BonBon, the poor dog started wiggling(扭动)his tail and came to her, but when she tried to take him home with her, he was unwilling to follow. She didn't want to force the dog to come with her, so she agreed to leave him with his new master. However, she and her daughter will come to visit him regularly.

Biofuels (生物燃料), gained from plants and animal matter, are a key solution to the environmental problems caused by fuels like coal. "Bioalcohol (生物酒精) is the most common biofuel and is produced by sugars found in materials such as corn. With some engine redesigned, it can be used directly by cars, buses, etc. ," says Professor Daniel Tan, "12 percent of transport fuel could come from biofuels, especially bioalcohol, by 2030. "

But a 2016 study of biofuels said, "Bioalcohol presently is mostly produced with food crops. Altogether, the environmentally-friendly biofuels rely on about 2-3 percent of the global water and land used for agriculture, which could feed a large number of hungry people. "

Energy experts have therefore been trying to deal with the problem. Recent research led by an international team found that the agave (龙舌兰) plant might offer a way out. This plant tends to be the right bioalcohol source to supersede others such as sugarcane (甘蔗) and corn.

Daniel Tan explains that the agave can be grown in unfavorable conditions and is not a major food crop. "It can grow in areas that lack water and rainfall without being watered by farmers, and it does not compete with food crops or put demands on limited water. This kind of useful plant is recently being grown in Australia. It can survive Australia's hot summers," he says.

The study finds that sugarcane produces just a little more fuel per square meter each year than the agave. However, the agave outperforms sugarcane in a range of areas, including pollution to the earth, and water using. The agave uses 69 percent less water than sugarcane and 46 percent less water than corn for the same amount of fuel produced. As for corn，it produces less fuel per square meter each year than the agave.

However, Daniel Tan states: "The first generation of bioalcohol from the agave recently faces a big competition from oil, whose recent low price makes it far more attractive to customers. Without some policy support from the government, bioalcohol production from the agave faces big challenges. "

Los Angeles is home to a popular cycling culture. The following bike shops will help you see the city in a whole new light. 

Los Angeles Bike Academy

Los Angeles Bike Academy is a bike shop with a critical mission: Provide resources and community for local underserved youth. Its initiative is its Earn-a-Bike program, where students spend time in the shop learning the basics of bike maintenance and running a store, and they graduate with their own bike. LABA also forms competitive cycling teams that race all around the country. 

The Cub House

It's a bike shop, a plant store and a nice place to wander through. It has something for everyone. Here you can play a game of ping-pong on the outdoor table, head into the mini greenhouse for a delicate plant, or just admire the vintage (老式的) cycling clothes hung on the walls. Finally, make sure to swing by the Cub House for the L. A. Invitational, a weekend party featuring multiple bike rides and a vintage car and bike show outside the store. 

Frank's

Some of the wildest bikes in L. A. are rolling out of Frank's. The house specialty here is BMX, specifically luxury models with large 29-inch wheels. These bikes are as much fun to look at as they are to ride. Since 1992, Frank's has found a business opportunity for itself as a destination for BMX builds and hard-to-find parts. The display counter has enough attractions to match a jewelry store. 

The Bicycle Stand

This spacious store features classic vintage bikes. It's worth making a trip to this store just to see their amazing collection. The store also specializes in vintage bike repainting and restorations. Besides, the Bicycle Stand team works on all kinds of rides, and the shop has a variety of refurbished (翻新的), ready-to-ride bikes for sale.

In the domain of gastronomy, one can effortlessly create a quartet of nourishing and palatable recipes, which are both healthful and delectable, within the sanctuary of one's domicile.

Lemon Pudding

Should you aspire to inaugurate your day with an incandescent grin, this opulent, saccharine, and pungent concoction will assuredly serve your purpose. It exquisitely amalgamates the piquant essence of the lemon with the nectar of the bee. Given the simplicity with which this culinary delight can be prepared, coupled with its delightful flavor and a plethora of healthful properties, this delicacy makes an exemplary dessert to be incorporated into your morning menu.

Curried Chicken Soup

In the alchemy of this particular recipe, the fowl is immersed in an olfactorily pleasing broth, enriched with dairy and the sweetness of the batata. To concoct this soup, one must gather a medley of ingredients including curry powder, the fruit of the love apple, succulent poultry, vintage grape nectar, dairy from a cow, and the lacteal fluid of a mammal. Permit yourself the indulgence of this gratifying repast as a token of appreciation for the protracted periods of onerous toil.

Orange Carrot Smoothie

Equip yourself with a salutary draught to commence your day. The Orange Carrot Smoothie, a recipe that demands minimal effort in its creation, yields a sumptuous and frosty elixir that imparts a delightful flavor, inciting a desire for more. The vivacious zest of the orange ensures a day brimming with cheer, while the flavor of the carrot seamlessly infuses a unique sweetness of the vegetable kingdom, crafting a distinctive and palatable morning beverage.

Boiled Egg Toast with Butter

For those who relish uncomplicated yet flavor-intense and wholesome repasts, this toast presents itself as the paragon of choice. Elevate the simplicity of your egg toast to new heights by the addition of butter. This recipe harmonizes a symphony of flavors that will undoubtedly satiate your cravings. Whether partaken at the dawn, midday, or dusk, this toast exemplifies the epitome of a satisfying meal, transforming the act of eating into an experience of unparalleled delight.