With an improved economy，many travelers have been buying first or business class seats，leaving fewer for upgrades（升级）.Here are some strategies for getting a free upgrade.

1. Fly a lot.

This is the most common way to earn a free upgrade. Most airlines reserve some spaces for travelers who fly at least 5，000 miles per year. Five years ago，this meant half or more of domestic（国内的）first class travelers sat up front for free. But now，airlines are selling more high-price seats，so on popular routes it is not unusual for more than 20 travelers to compete for one or two upgrades. But on routes with fewer business class travelers，free upgrades remain more plentiful.

2. Use miles.

If you're not a frequent traveler but still have some miles to fly，you may be able to use them for an upgrade. Be careful，though，as many airlines now ask not just for miles but also a cash co-pay. One example: on flights to Europe，American Airlines charges 5，000 miles，plus $110，for a one-way upgrade from discounted economy class to business class. For most domestic upgrades，American Airlines wants 15，000 miles plus $ 75.

3. Get lucky.

Sometimes airlines overbook coach（经济舱），and a few travelers get no seats. Agents try to ensure the airline's most loyal travelers get the nod（被选中）. Agents usually have some flexibility to make sure the plane is full and takes off on time. So it's the easiest way for them to do it-they might upgrade someone else out of order.

4. Save a life.

Flight attendants don't usually upgrade passengers, even when empty seats remain. Doctors and nurses who answer an emergency call are sometimes an exception. If they comfort a passenger, flight attendants might allow them to sit in business or first class for the rest of the flight.

   Before I studied psychology，I used to think that people would laugh when funny things occurred. While I was right about that，I discovered there are lots of other psychological reasons that make people laugh other than the funny part of a joke. When someone laughs at a joke，there will usually be more than one reason that makes him laugh-and the more reasons there are，the more powerful the joke will be.

I was attending a stand-up comedy show in Egypt，and when the man started to make fun of pedestrians crossing streets，everyone laughed their head off. The main reason why those people strongly laughed was that almost all of them felt angry with pedestrians who crossed streets carelessly. The joke wasn't only funny，it also made the audience feel that they were right about being angry at those pedestrians. That is，people were laughing because of both the funny joke and the happiness experienced as a result of the psychological support they got.

The better a joke makes a person feel，the more it includes other psychological factors，and the more the person will like it. For example，if you envy one of your friends，and someone tells a joke that is funny and，at the same time，makes your friend seem stupid，then you will probably laugh at it louder than if you weren't jealous（嫉妒的）of him.

In short, we not only laugh when we hear something funny, but also laugh when we experience some kind of happiness that results from the other psychological factors involved in the joke. I strongly discourage making fun of anyone or belittling someone to make someone else laugh. All I want to explain is that if your joke supports a person's emotions, he will certainly like it a lot.

Five Facts About Goal Setting

As we all know，goal setting plays an important role in realizing our dreams. However，we don't know exactly how to deal with it. The following tips on goal setting can help make it easier to set and reach goals：【小题1】

When it comes to making a change，the people who succeed are those who set realistic and specific（具体的）goals. "I'm going to recycle all my plastic bottles，soda cans，and magazines" is a much more realizable goal than "I'm going to do more for the environment". And that makes it easier to stick with.

It takes time for a change to become a stable habit.

It will probably take a couple of months before any changes become a regular part of your life. 【小题2】That's because your brain needs time to get used to the idea that this new thing you're doing is a part of your regular routine.

Repeating a goal makes it stick in your mind.

Say your goal out loud each morning to remind yourself of what you want and what you're working for. 【小题3】Every time you remind yourself of your goal，you're training your brain to make it happen.

Pleasing other people doesn't work.

【小题4】You have to do it because you want it，not because a girlfriend，boyfriend，coach，parent，or someone else wants you to.It will be harder to stay on track and motivated if you're doing something out of duty to another person.

Roadblocks don't mean failure.

Mistakes are actually parts of the learning process as you retrain your brain into a new way of thinking. 【小题5】But that's OK—it's normal to mess up or give up a few times when you are trying to make a change. So remember that everyone slips up（疏忽）and don't beat yourself up about it. Just remind yourself to get back on track.