Disposing (处理) of waste has been a problem since humans started producing it. As more and more people choose to live close together in cities，the waste disposal problem becomes increasingly difficult.

    During the eighteenth century，it was usual for several neighboring towns to get together to select a faraway spot as a dump site. People would transport household rubbish，rotted wood and old possessions to the site. Regularly some of the trash was burned and the rest was buried. The unpleasant sights and smells caused no problem because nobody lived close by. Factories and some other industrial sites also had waste to be disposed of. Those located on rivers often just poured the unwanted remains into the water. Others built huge burners with chimneys to deal with the problem.

    Several facts make these choices unacceptable to modern society. The first problem is space. Dumps(垃圾场)， are most needed in heavily populated areas. Such areas rarely have empty land suitable. Farm areas are refusing to accept rubbish from elsewhere，cheap land in major city areas to dispose wastes is nonexistent(不存在的). Awareness of pollution dangers has resulted in more strict rules of waste disposal. Pollution of rivers，ground water，land and air is a price people can no longer pay to get rid of waste. The amount of waste，however， continues to grow.

    Recycling efforts have become commonplace，and many towns require their people to take part. Even the most efficient recycling programs，however，can hope to deal with only about 50 percent of a city's reusable waste，so more people should be involved in recycling programs.

    Amazon is breaking into physical retail(零售) in a new way. The online retail giant revealed a new kind of physical store concept in a video published on Monday.

    The store, called Amazon Go, doesn't work like a typical Walmart or supermarket. Instead, it's designed so that shoppers will use an app, also called Amazon Go, to automatically add the products that they plan to buy to a digital shopping cart by scanning a QR code. They can then walk out of the building without waiting in a checkout line because Amazon will charge their Amazon account and send them a receipt(收据).

    The first Amazon Go store is located in Seattle, where Amazon is headquartered. For years, there have been rumors the e­commerce company would expand its dominance(主导地位) from digital to physical shopping. Amazon began experimenting with physical bookstores a year ago, but Amazon Go may mark its boldest(大胆的) bet on physical ones yet. By removing much of the staff needed to operate a store, Amazon keeps costs lower than traditional competitors. It's also in a strong position to bring together data on its customers' shopping habits online and offline to make better suggestions in all situations.

    However, the company could be thought of as being a threat to some of the 3.4 million Americans who work as cashiers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And Donald Trump repeatedly criticized Amazon and its founder Jeff Bezos, “He's using the Washington Post for power so that the politicians in Washington don't tax Amazon like they should be taxed.”

    “Four years ago we asked ourselves: what if we could create a shopping experience with no lines and no checkout? Could we push the boundaries of computer vision and machine learning to create a store where customers could simply take what they want and go?” The company says on an informational page about Amazon Go. For now, Amazon is starting slow. The Amazon Go is only open to Amazon employees in our Beta program, and is scheduled to open to the public in 2017.

                                                                                            San Francisco Fire Engine Tours

    San Francisco Winery Tour

    Running: February 1st through April 30^th

    This delicious tour goes through the city on its way to Treasure Island where we will stop at the famous Winery SF. Here you can enjoy 4 pours of some of the best wine San Francisco has to offer.(Included in tickets price)

    Departing from the Cannery: Tell time upon request.

    Duration(时长)：2 hours

    Price: $90

    Back to the Fifties Tour

    Running: August 16th through August 31^st

    This tour transports you back in time to one of San Francisco's most fantastic periods, the 1950s! Enjoy fun history as we take you through San Francisco for a free taste of ice cream.

    Departing form the Cannery 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm

    Duration:2 hours

    Price:$90

    Spooky Halloween Tour

    Running: October 10th through October 31st

    Join us for a ride through the historical Presidio district .Authentic fire gear （服装）is provided for your warmth as our entertainers take you to some of the most thrilling parts of San Francisco

    Departing from the Cannery: 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm

    Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes

    Price: Available upon request

    Holiday Lights Tour

    Running: December 6th through December 23nd

    This attractive tour takes you to some of San Francisco's most cheerful holiday scenes. Authentic fire gear is provided for your warmth as you get into the holiday spirit.

    Departing from the Cannery 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm

    Duration: I hour and 30 minutes

    Advance reservations required.

    Persuasion is to convince someone to agree with you, just like art which also calls for special techniques to accomplish. According to the ancient Greeks, there are three basic tools of persuasion: ethos, pathos and logos.

    Ethos is a speaker's way of convincing the audience that he is trustworthy, honest and reliable. One common way a speaker can develop ethos is by explaining how much experience or education he has in the field. After all, you're more likely to listen to advice about how to take care of your teeth from a dentist than a fireman.

    Pathos is a speaker's way of connecting with an audience's emotions. For example, a politician who is trying to convince an audience to vote for him might say that he alone can save the country from a terrible war. These words are intended to fill the audience with fear, thus making them want to vote for him. Similarly, an animal charity might show an audience pictures of injured dogs and cats to make thee viewers feel pity, so they will be more likely to donate money.

    Logos is the use of facts, statistics or other evidence to support your argument. An audience will believe you if you have convincing data to back up your claims. Presenting this evidence is much more persuasive than simply saying “believe me”.

    Although ethos, pathos and logos all have their strengths, they are often most effective when used together. So, the next time you listen to a speech, watch a commercial or listen to a friend try to convince you to lend him some money, be on the lookout for these ancient Greek tools of persuasion.

    Imagine looking at yourself in the mirror; you do not look like these stick -thin models seen across the media. Your legs are too big, your bottom is too small, and you are too pale. You are too “ugly” You stare in wonder and anger, “Why don't I look like them?" However, you don't need to imagine this situation, because this is a bitter truth for millions of people. In the media，one can quickly see the ideal body, the ideal face, and the ideal person. The advancement of unrealistic beauty on social media causes millions of people to become dissatisfied with their looks.

    Dissatisfaction with one's appearance can cause dangerous behaviors like dieting, which result in eating disorders like Anorexia Nervosa (神经性厌食症) and Bulimia Nervosa (神经性易饿病). Eating disorders have seen a dramatic increase following the rise of social media, 119% increase according to recent statistics. According to Brittany Tackett, a mental health professional,“30% -50% of patients in eating disorder hospitals used social media as a means of supporting their eating disorders.”

    Not only can social media become a support-system for unhealthy behaviors, but an article written by Rachel Simmons, a Time magazine writer, suggests that people who spend more time online tend to link their self-worth to their looks. A study conducted by Park Nicollet Melrose Center also says that in the 1990's, fifty-percent of women wanted to lose weight. Now it finds that eighty-percent of women want to lose weight. Although this higher percentage cannot be directly related to the rise of social media, one can argue that the unrealistic and damaging beauty expectations that social media presents contribute to this number.

    In addition, social media causes stress. A survey was conducted in which people were asked whether or not they used social media, and how stressed they felt they were. The study found that “social network users are, in fact, 14 percent more likely than non-users to characterize their lives as at least 'somewhat stressful.' Non-users are 28 percent more likely than users to say their lives are 'not at all' stressful”. Additionally, stress may have more connection to self-confidence than is believed.

    So，there you are again, standing in front of the mirror criticizing the parts of your body which do not follow the idealistic images of models seen on social media. Your legs are too big, your bottom is too small, and you are too pale. You are too “ugly”. Although this time, you realize it is not you who are the problem. The problem is the unhealthy and unrealistic standards that social media encourages. So the next time you are looking through Instagram, opening WeChat, or commenting on Twitter, ask yourself, “Is it worth it?”

    Many of us know about Russia's Lake Baikal from our textbooks, or by listening to Chinese singer Li Jian's hit song, Lake Baikal. But over the past decade, the world's deepest freshwater lake has been in the spotlight for an extreme sport.

    Each March since 2005, about 150 people from around the world sign up for the Baikal Ice Marathon. They come to explore the lake's breathtaking beauty and challenge themselves in unpredictable conditions.

    The 26-mile (41. 84-kilometers) journey starts on the lake's eastern shore. In March, the ice is a meter thick and iron-hard. Runners cross this frozen surface, finishing on the western side of the lake.

    Known as the "blue eye of Siberia", Lake Baikal has exceptionally clear waters. This means its ice is almost perfectly transparent. "Seen from above, a runner on the ice looks as if he or she is jogging through space," The New York Times noted.

    The landscape might be beautiful, but it's also harsh. Strong winds blast (侵袭) across the lake and frostbite (冻伤) can occur within half an hour. Runners say the cold climate is what draws them. They want to test their limits.

    "When you are in such an environment, you don't have cars around you, you don't have the noise around. I think these extreme races allow you to be alone with nature," Alicja Barahona, a 64-year-old runner from the US, told ABC News.

    The location offers some strange and unique characteristics for this marathon. The finish line is visible from the start. But the endless white offers no progress markers. The race also ends with little fanfare (喧闹). Tourists crowding the ice are mostly addicted to snapping series (自拍) and just ignore the runners.

    For some runners, the absence of spectators makes the race more challenging, because it's lonely. They must fight with themselves. "You are alone on Baikal. It is your race. You are alone with yourself. All you need to do is to defeat yourself," Veronique Messina, a French runner, told the Telegraph.