Smart transportation is leading to the birth of new apps for smart cities in China. In recent years, technology companies have worked hard to speed up the use of robotaxis and Baidu is one of the pioneers.
In June 2019, Baidu started to test its driverless robotaxis in certain areas in Changsha. In 2020, its Apollo Go robotaxis, also known as "Luobo Kuaipao" in Chinese, officially began its service in certain areas in Changsha, Cangzhou and Beijing, with a safety officer sitting in the driver seat who would monitor(监视) the drive and deal with accidents. In March 2022, Beijing allowed Baidu to test fully driverless robotaxis on certain roads, which meant a further step forward. In June 2023, Baidu carried out its driverless taxi service in Shenzhen across an area of 188 km2 from 7 am to 10 pm daily.
Booking a ride on Apollo Go is as simple as a few taps on your phone screen. Passengers just need to tell the app Apollo Go or Baidu Map where they are and where to go. Then, a car will appear. With sensors (传感器) and cameras all over the car, a computer takes full control of the drive. A screen on the back seat shows customers the information of the ride and how the robotaxi "looks" at the space around to see other cars, humans, and anything else that might get in its way.
"The robotaxi goes at about the same speed, providing a good riding experience," a user posted online. By September 2023, the number of orders has reached four million. The user satisfaction rating for the Apollo Go app has reached 4. 9 out of 5 and 97.12% of the reviews are five-star ratings. So far, Apollo Go robotaxi service has covered 11 cities and by 2025, it plans to test its robotaxis in other 65 cities.
However, safety is the key in the development of driverless robotaxis. Didi and AutoX both had cases (事例) when the safety officer inside had to take over control of the drive. In the future, Apollo Go and the other companies should take more time to improve the system in order to provide comfortable and safe rides.
SHENZHEN Bus Group has recently opened three sightseeing bus lines and they are strongly recommended for travelers who would like to take a one-day or two-day city tour.
The Red Line. The Red Line centers on the culture and history of the city. It has daytime runs to some stops such as Lianhua Hill, Shenzhen Bus Building, Litchi Park, Dongmen, Shenzhen International Trade Center Building, Civic Center and Shopping park. |
The Blue Line It also has daytime runs including Window of the World, Chegongmiao, Shenzhen Mangrove Nature Reserve, OCT Harbor and Shenzhen University. You can experience the ecological environment as well as technological development in this city. |
The Yellow Line It has nighttime runs to the following stops: OCT Harbor, Zhuzilin, Chegongmiao Civic Plaza East, Shanghai Hotel, Shenzhen Book City's Luohu Store, Shenzhen International Trade Center Building, Xinwen Building, Civic Center and Lianhua Hill. |
Each double-deck (双层的) sightseeing bus has a glass roof to make sure you enjoy the colourful sights in the city. When you buy your tickets on the Wechat miniapp, it will show you the nearest bus stop according to your location. You can also buy bus tickets at ticket offices across the city.
Bus operation hours: 9 am. -5 p. m. (Red, Blue), 7 p. m. -9:30 p. m. (Yellow)
Tickets: 50 yuan (24-hour) or 80 yuan (48-hour) for all lines; 34. 9 yuan (one-day) for Yellow Line only; free for children shorter than 1. 4 meters and the disabled.
While the pandemic（流行病） has prevented people from traveling afar，there's a silver lining in that dark cloud：micro-tourism，or mini-vacations.
Micro-tourism refers to short-distance（短距离） travel in which people drive two or three hours to a nearby place and spend two or three days there. Instead of requiring a plan with lots of details and money，micro-tourism allows travelling to be simpler and less expensive.
According to China Daily，micro-tourism began catching on about seven years ago. With the pandemic prevention making long trips less convenient，more and more people choose to take short trips instead.
Mark Hou from Beijing is one of them. Before the pandemic，he preferred taking long trips abroad or visiting other places in China. But the pandemic meant he had to adapt （适应） to a new travel style.
"Traveling a long distance means you should take public transportation，like planes. But that would be likely to increase the chances of infection（感染）. " Hou said. "To stay healthy，short-distance travel is the better choice. " But that doesn't mean Hou has lost fun during his short trips.
After a long and tiring week at work，Hou likes to invite friends and drive to the countryside near Beijing on weekends. "Walking in the mountains or having a hot spring，we can get the fresh air and have some exercise，" Hou explained. "That can really move the stress out of our daily life. "
To meet the new needs，many cities have also created more chances for tourists. For example，Shanghai started a number of micro-tourism products for half-day and one-day tours，including exploring cultural heritage （遗产） sites in the city and experiencing country life.
"With these programs，young tourists no longer look to get 'distance'，but are willing to find new ways to experience their cities，" Feng Rao，head of a tourism research center，told People's Daily. Travel doesn't mean you need to go far away to find a place to relax. That's also the aim of the micro-tourism.
When we travel, we often have to think of hotels. There are many famous and strange hotels all over the world. The hotel I will introduce today is the first hotel in the shape of a guitar. And its name is the Guitar Hotel and it's said that it cost 1.5 billion yuan.
The hotel is in America and is operated by Hard Rock International. It has 36 floors, 1,200 luxury rooms with expensive furniture, 6 swimming pools, 19 restaurants, SPA and shopping malls.What's more, the hotel's large theater can seat 7,000 people at a time, and the furthest seats from the center of the stage are only 51 meters away.
The 122-meter-high hotel is one of the most beautiful hotels in the world. At night, lights on the building look like guitar strings（琴弦）. "The Guitar Hotel will attract visitors from across the country and around the world," said the CEO of the hotel. "They will enjoy world-class entertainment, playing and dining services."
On October 24, The hotel held a huge opening ceremony with plenty of famous stars, such as Johnny Depp and pop rock band Maroon 5. On the opening day, all rooms were reserved.
Dear friends, would you like to live in this guitar-shaped hotel? Welcome to leave a message!
Do you like to travel alone? Or do you think it's better to travel with friends? If you're still deciding, please read on. I will explain the advantages of both ways.
One of the great things about traveling alone is that you make the rules about where you go and what you eat. You'll be surprised at what you discover about yourself without any influence.
Traveling alone really shows you what you're made of and helps you to discover inner strength (内心的力量) you didn't know you had. Besides, it also gives you time to think, learn and grow. When your eyes are wide open, you'll get a whole new outlook on the world.
It's easy to think that traveling alone is lonely. Although that may sometimes be true, you're hardly ever alone. When you travel in a one-person team, this can provide a chance for you to enjoy the most interesting part of travel—communicating with the locals and meeting travelers from all corers of the world.
In fact, traveling to know more about the world is not easy. There's research to be done, flights to be booked and choices to be made, not to mention that things can—and often do—go wrong. One of the main advantages of traveling with friends is being able to share these things and support each other through the process, even if it's just someone who will wait with your bag when you go to the bathroom.
Just as your mother always says, it's true that traveling with others can give you a sense of safety, especially if you're new to travel. You know that if you get lost or have your wallet stolen, there's someone to hold your hand when you try to explain your situation in a foreign police station.
There's no right or wrong way to travel. Whether you travel alone or team up with friends, it depends on you.
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A TRIP TO A FARMLAND!
Join us for an unforgettable school trip to a farmland!
TIME: Our school trip will take place on Saturday, May 20th, and we will leave the school at 8: 00 am. We will return at around 5: 00 pm, so make sure to tell your parents to pick you up on time.
COST: The cost for the trip is $40 for each student, which includes transportation, tickets and lunch. Please bring some money if you want to buy souvenirs (纪念品) or food.
ATTENTION:
O We will be visiting a beautiful farm, where you'll be able to learn about how plants and animals are grown and raised. You will get to see some amazing sights and have tons of fun with your classmates.
O To keep you safe, please wear comfortable clothing and shoes, bring lots of water and put on sunscreen. We will be together as a group at all times, and you must stay with your teachers and classmates.
O If you want to get more information, please pay attention to:
↓
We-chat Official Accounts-School Trip ABC
☆★☆☆★☆☆★☆☆★☆☆★☆☆★☆☆★☆☆★☆
Don't miss out on this chance to see a real-life farm and learn about how it works.
Don't wait too long to sign up(注册) for the trip, as there are only 300 students available for the trip!
To travel around the world is the dream of many adventurous people. But very few people can afford a global tour because hotels, food and airplane tickets are too expensive. Some people, however, have thought of some ways to realise their dreams.
Laura Cody and Tanbay Theune, a couple from Britain, decided to travel around the world. They have found a good way to pay for their trips. They look after pets for rich house owners. In exchange, they can stay in the houses for free. They have looked after horses, cows, cats, dogs and fish. In two years, the couple has been to Australia, Germany, Spain and Italy. They have stayed in big cities and small villages. The home owners are usually very generous(慷慨的) and have given them food and wine.
Another person who tries to realise her travel dream is a photographer, Rhiannon Taylor. She travels around the world to visit, review and take photos of the best hotels. She shares the places she stays in and the food she eats on the Internet with tens of thousands of followers.
With these ways of making money, travelling around the world is no longer a dream. More and more young people are thinking creatively to make their dreams come true.
Singapore's public transport system(公共交通系)is one of thebest in the world, so you should have no problem finding your way around like alocal. There are three main forms of public transport here that you would find inany other big city— trains, buses, taxis.
TRAINS
Trains run from 6 a. m. to midnight. Single trip ticketsstart at 80 cents. If you buy an EZ-Link card for $15, you can ride the trainsand buses as you like.
If you need more information, just call Transit Linkat18007674333.
BUSES
There are several bus services in Singapore and fares (车费) start at 80 cents.Be sure to always ask the driver the cost of your ticket as he cannot give youchanges.
If you need help, just call Transit Link at 18007674333.
TAXIS
There are three main taxi companies—City Cab (65522222),Comfort (65521111) and Tibs (65528888). Booking can also be made easily bycalling the number above.
RENTAL (租)CARS
Driving in Singapore is a pleasure and if you like to travelas you like, renting a car is a good choice, Renting takes away the hassle ofgetting to places around Singapore Just sit back and enjoy the city. It alsomeans you'll get to see a lot more that a train or a bus won't let you see.
For car rental, call Avis on 6567371668.
Can you really travel around the world for free? Li Jun, a 17-year-old girl from Shenzhen Foreign Language School, still can't believe her 10- day free training camp in the Alps in Switzerland last month was true! But how did she achieve this once in-a-lifetime opportunity?
Last October, a piece of short world news in a newspaper-"Have a chance to see the world, for free", caught her eye. When she asked her friends if the story was real, they laughed at her, for they thought she was daydreaming. However, Li decided to apply online the following weekend.
"Opportunity is everywhere. I'd like to keep my eyes open and catch the chance," she told herself. What happened next was tests on health, hobbies and awareness of environmental protection. She passed all of them very easily.
On December 14, Li Jun surprised her friends with an invitation letter from the programme, the Pangaea Young Explorer Selection Camp set up by South African explorer Mike Horn. On January 11, Li left for Switzerland, with several newly bought ski suits in her suitcase. Over the next week, she and 15 other teenagers from around the world took part in exciting training lessons. They took day-trips up the
Alps to an altitude of 3, 200 metres, and went sledging at night using modern equipment. They were also encouraged to complete difficult journeys up mountains, down hills, and through forests.
Because of her performance during the training, Li was chosen as one of the eight young explorers to join Mike Horn in the South Island of New Zealand in May. She will write for the newspaper and share her fun experiences there with readers.
a. Li got an invitation letter from the programme and was trained.
b. Li read the news about seeing the world for free.
c. Li became one explorer in Mike Horn's team.
d. Li applied and passed the tests.
If you've ever traveled with other people, chances are you have to think about them. When you want to get up early to watch the sunrise, for example, your friends may think enough sleep is more important. And when you want to try the exotic food, your friends might say it looks strange and take you to a Chinese restaurant instead.
▲ . According to reports, the percentage of people who travel alone in the UK has been increasing, from 6 percent in 2011, to 12 percent in 2017, and to 15 percent this year. Most of these people said traveling alone allows them to "do what they want".
In fact, traveling alone is only a part of a recent trend of people wanting to take more time alone – or what's called "me time". "Imagine yourself as a full glass of water and everything and everyone else that needs your attention is an empty glass. When you provide what is needed to them you are using your own water supply," editor Nicole Lyons says. "But how are you refilling your glass? This is where your ‘me time' comes in."
However, it's still common that those who do things alone are losers and that they're alone simply because they don't have anybody to be with. But why can't people just be enough for themselves?
The now Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle once wrote on her blog in 2016 about how she enjoyed traveling alone. "It's not easy. But it's important," she wrote. "To be present and to power through the feelings that waffle through your head and heart of loneliness and boredom. Let that stuff go. Enjoy it alone."
