Many people wrongly think that cities don't have farms and fruits and vegetables are only grown in the country. Believe it or not, there are more urban farms popping up in cities all over the world.

    Alexandra Sullivan, a food systems researcher in New York, studies urban agriculture. Urban agriculture is another name for farming and gardening in a city environment. Ms. Sullivan studies everything from tiny gardens in empty lots between buildings to bigger fields that have been planted and grown. According to Ms. Sullivan, “Urban agriculture has existed since cities have, across the world.”

    The number of humans living in urban areas, or cities, is increasing. The amount of people who wanted to garden in urban areas is also rising. Ms. Sullivan says, “In small gardens, on rooftops and indoors, city residents grow fruits, vegetables, grains, and herbs, and raise animals to produce milk, eggs, honey, and meat. City residents use these foods as supplements to food produced by rural agriculture.” Even though some people who live in urban areas grow crops, urban residents still need to rely on food grown in rural areas. This is because a city doesn't have enough space to grow enough food for everyone living in it.

    In New York City, urban farmers have come up with many different ways to grow their own produce, even though there isn't a lot of room. For example, Brooklyn Grange is a farming operation that has two rooftop vegetable farms in New York City. All together, the farms are made up of 2.5 acres of rooftop space. This makes Brooklyn Grange one of the largest rooftop farming operations in the world.

    Brooklyn Grange grows all kinds of things. The farming company sells its vegetables to local residents and restaurants. And because the farms are on rooftops, they are specially adapted to their urban location. They use available space that is not needed for anything else. As more urban farmers find ways to grow food in cities, urban residents will be better able to get fresher materials for their meals.

    Do you know how it is when you see someone yawn and you start yawning too? Or how hard it is to be among people laughing and not laugh yourself? Well, apparently it's because we have mirror neurons (神经元) in our brains.

    Put simply, the existence of mirror neurons suggests that every time we see someone else do something, our brains imitate it, whether or not we actually perform the same action. This explains a great deal about how we learn to smile, talk, walk, dance or play sports. But the idea goes further: mirror neurons not only appear to explain physical actions, they also tell us that there is a biological basis for the way we understand other people.

    Mirror neurons can undoubtedly be found all over our brains, but especially in the area which relate to our ability to use languages, and to understand how other people feel. Researchers have found that mirror neurons relate strongly to language. A group of researchers discovered that if they gave people sentences to listen to (for example: “The hand took hold of the ball”), the same mirror neurons were triggered as when the action was actually performed (in this example, actually taking hold of a ball).

    Any problems with mirror neurons may well result in problems with behavior. Much research suggests that people with social and behavioral problems have mirror neurons which are not fully functioning. However, it is not yet known exactly how these discoveries might help find treatments for social disorders.

    Research into mirror neurons seems to provide us with ever more information concerning how humans behave and interact. Indeed, it may turn out to be the equivalent for neuroscience of what Einstein's theory of relativity was for physics. And the next time you feel the urge to cough in the cinema when someone else does-well, perhaps you'll understand why.

    Starting Cycling

    We have two services designed to give people the confidence and knowledge to cycle successfully.

    Lessons

    All our instructors have been trained to National Standards level of “Bike-ability”. This means you will be trained to a standard consistent across the whole country.

    There are three levels of skills to progress through. Children would start levels 1&2, progressing from the playground or park to cycle on less busy local roads. Teenager and adult beginners can also learn levels 1&2 in an off-road and quiet environment.

    Confident teenagers and adults can broaden their skills by learning level 3, using multi-lane roads and larger roundabouts. We provide both complete packages of lessons for the beginner or individual lessons tailors to the client. Whatever the need we can address and practice until perfect!

    Cost is ＆30 per hour.

    Guided Ride

    We know that riding on the roads in London can be scary, and if you have to navigate(确定行车路线)as well it can become a real hard task! The Guided Ride service takes all the stress out of it for you by providing the following:

    Route planned in advance to suit your skill level. Route map provided to you.

    Cycle and equipment checked. We will teach you a simple method to check basic roadworthiness(车辆性能)of your bike that you can perform on a weekly basis.

    Route discussed and focus given to any areas requiring special attention.

    Cycle along with the instructor close behind. Here the traffic can be controlled by the instructor and rider observed.

    We currently cover London Zones1&2. Please contact us if your requirements are outside of these areas.

    Cost＆30 per hour.

    During my third year of university, I spent six months studying in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Many are worried about travelling to Rio but I promise, it is worth a visit. Now I want to share my top recommendations (推荐) for experiencing Rio less as a tourist but more like a native Brazilian.

    Pedra Bonita

    Rio is full of hiking routes, and some Brazilians love to spend an afternoon hiking. My favorite route of all has to be Pedra Bonita. Pedra Bonita involves a steep climb of about an hour through tall trees, and I admit it is difficult in Rio's heat, but you are rewarded at the top with a wonderful view of the city, standing high above the green landscape and blue sea below.

    Mureta da Urca

    One thing you are sure to find in Rio is an amazing sunset, but a lot of the best spots tend to be full of tourists. In my opinion, Mureta da Urca is the most relaxing place to watch the sun set over the silver sea, with the figure of Christ the Redeemer standing tall in the background.

    Pedra do Sal

    Pedra do Sal is a historical area in the city centre and on Monday nights it is brought to life by the sound of samba. Hundreds of people gather in the street, food and drink stalls are set up and it becomes a giant street party with everyone enjoying the happy sound of live samba!

    Picanha

    If there were one Brazilian food I could bring back to the UK, it would be picanha. It is the tastiest cut of steak I have ever tasted, served alongside rice and beans.

    Bookstores are a traveller's best friends: they provide convenient shelter in bad weather, and they often host readings and other cultural events. Here is a look at the world's six greatest bookstores.

    Adrian Harrington—since 1971. Rare books; rare first editions; leather—bound sets and general antiques (古玩). Address: 64A Kensington Church Street, Kensington, London, England, U.K.

    Another Country— Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany. Another Country is an English language second-hand bookshop which is mostly used as a library. They have about 20,000 books that you can buy or borrow. Some regular events are held at the shop, such as readings, cultural events, social evenings and film nights.

    Atlantis Books—Oia, Santorini, Greece. Atlantis Books is an independent bookshop on the island of Santorini, Greece, founded in 2004 by a group of friends from Cyprus, England, and the United States. Throughout the year it has hosted literary festivals, film screenings, book readings, and good old-fashioned dance parties.

    Bart's Books—Ojai, California, U. S. A. "The World's Greatest Outdoor Bookstore", a bookstore founded by Richard Bartinsdale in 1964. Shelves of books face the street, and regular customers are asked to drop coins into the door's coin box to pay for any books they take whenever the store is closed.

    10 Corso Como—Milan, Italy, Extensive selection of publication on art, architecture, design, graphics and fashion, along with a strong emphasis on photography. It was founded in 1990 in Milan, Italy, by Carla Sozzani.

    The Bookworm—A bookshop, library, bar, restaurant and event space, now with five locations in three cities in China—Beijing, Suzhou and Chengdu. The interconnecting rooms with floor-to-ceiling books on every wall are light and airy in summer, yet warm and comfortable in winter.