Have you noticed your life becoming a little easier? Now, when you go to a certain shopping mall, you can enjoy its free Wi-Fi there. When you want to take a taxi, you can book one with your phone. In fact, all these can be seen as the basic parts of a smart city.

The idea of a smart city was brought up by US company IBM in 2010. Generally, a smart city is a city that uses digital technologies such as the Internet to improve city planning, save money and resources, and make our life convenient. How smart can a city be? Here are great examples that we can learn from.

In 2009, Dubuque became the first smart city in the US. The city used smart water meters to take the place of traditional water meters. They can detect (探测) water waste and leakage (泄漏) and send data to let the house owner know. The same system is used for other city resources like electricity and natural gas. In this way, people know how they use their resources and are glad to help reduce waste.

Santander in Spain also gives us a look at the future. If people point a phone toward a nearby bus stop, the phone immediately shows all bus lines that serve the stop as well as their arrival times. The government organized a research team and provided an App (应用程序) that collects data on almost everything: light, temperature, and the movements of cars and people. Opening the App near a supermarket provides immediate information on special offers.

Many children use the Internet to get useful knowledge（知识）and information, and to relax in their free time. But some of them are not using it in a good way. Here are some rules to make sure you are safe and have fun on the Internet.

● Make rules for Internet use with your parents. For example, when you can go online, for how long and what activities you can go online.

● Check with your parents before going into a chat room. Different chat rooms have different rules and attract different kinds of people. You and your parents must make sure it’s a right place for you.

● Never agree to meet someone you met on the Internet without your parents’ permission.

Never meet anyone you met online alone.

● If something you see or read online makes you uncomfortable（不舒服）, leave the site and tell a parent or teacher right away.

Remember-not everything you read on the Internet is true.

Games and Hobbies

There are websites for nearly every game and hobby out there.

Teen Reads

Young book lovers will enjoy Teen Reads. The website includes reviews of new and popular books for teenagers, along with service, competitions and places to discuss favorite books. Teens can also work their way through the “final” reading list on the site.

Teen Nick

Fans of entertainment（娱乐）channel Teen Nick will find information on the latest shows, as well as games, videos and quizzes. While the site offers the latest news on Teen Nick shows, it also includes stories just for tens, offering suggestions on how to survive high school or giving back to school ideas.

The Insite

The Insite is set up for teens who have an interest in improving the world. Teens can learn about social fairness, how to build a positive self—image（自我形象）and how to help the Planet. They can also share artwork and writing or discuss how to make the world a better place.

Challenge You.

Challenge You is a computer game design website. Teens can design games on the site, or play games designed by other kids and teens. They can share their games with friends or take part in weekly game—building competitions. There is also a chat room where site users can discuss game building or decide when to play together.