Topic 1: The new term "BMW" is making the rounds: B is for bus, M is for Metro and W is for walking. Nowadays, many people in big cities go to work by a combination of the three means of transportation. They take a bus to the nearest metro station, take the metro to the stop nearest work, and walk the rest of the way to the office building. Such people are called the BMW group. Because BMW is a low-carbon-emission way of getting around, some people take pride in being members of the BMW group.

ORANGESKYWHITECLOUD: I will be a BMW group member when going shopping and going to school.

DASHAYU: I don't think being a BMW group member is something to be proud of because it means that it takes at least an hour to get to work every day. People in the BMW group were forced there by circumstances, and there are so many uncertainties on the way to work - for example, how long it takes to catch the bus you want.

XIAOYUEJINMINGOAWEN: Yes, I'm a BMW group member now. But I think if I work hard every day, I'll have my own BMW car some day.

LINYINLIANG: Oh, yes, I drive my BMW car to work, and it's very fast.

Topic 2:

Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan announced on Aug 26 he will resign as ruling party leader, according to Kyodo news agency. It has just been about 400 days since he took office in June 2010. Now, Japan is preparing to elect its sixth leader in five years as it tries to recover from the March earthquake and tsunami. Kan's handling of the response to the disaster and the subsequent radiation crisis at a crippled nuclear power plant put him under fire in the country.

THADDEUS_SY: Apple Inc's Steve Jobs resigned last week, and now Naoto Kan will resign, too. I wonder who will resign tomorrow.

JACYJIEXI: I'm wondering why Japan's prime minister doesn't want to serve for a long time. Naoto Kan might be the longest-serving prime minister in recent years, and I'm surprised at this phenomenon.

AUBEC: Last week, Apple Inc's CEO Steve Jobs released the new product iQuit, and Naoto Kan bought one today.

VECCOG: Naoto Kan resigned. There have been 8 prime ministers in the past 10 years in Japan, and I don't think the revolving-door political leadership is caused by their incapability. Instead, it's because they are too modest and have a strong sense of responsibility.