Sometimes you have to visit your friends or relatives without much time for making preparations. Your only problem seems to be what to do with your pet. You can either leave it at your home or bring it with you. Traveling with your pet is easier than you think.

You can bring your pet with you by using air travel services. These services fall into two groups, in a cabin（客舱）and cargo. In-cabin pets must be small enough to fit into a carrier that will be placed under the seat in front of you. Pets too large to fit comfortably into a carrier must travel in a cargo. Cargo holds are heated or cooled, just like the passenger area.

Pet passengers require a reservation（预约）, whether traveling in a cabin or cargo. Airlines have rules about the number of pets they will carry in order to ensure travel safety for all. So making your pet's reservation as you buy your ticket is a good idea. Of course, you should pay extra charges for both in-cabin and in-cargo pets.

Buy a health certificate from your vet（兽医）. A health certificate is only good for ten days, so if your visit is longer than that, you will have to buy another health certificate for the return trip.

As mentioned, your in-cabin pet will need a carrier. These soft-sided carriers come in several sizes, so buy or borrow one that allows your pet plenty of room. Some of these can be bought with wheels to make transport through the airport easier; these also reduce "pet space" under the airplane seat. But pets traveling in a cargo need hard-sided carriers.

   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.

What will cars be like in the future? Maybe we can sit in a car that can drive all by 【小题1】（it） in a few years’ time. In fact, with the rapid development of modern science and technology, the self-driving car is becoming a 【小题2】（real） on busy streets.

According to a report by Google, the world-famous search engine, its self-driving cars 【小题3】（travel） more than 700,000 miles on roads in California so far. The first self-driving car 【小题4】（make） by Google came out in 2009. There are cameras on the top of the car, 【小题5】 allow the computer in the car to draw a 3-D map of the surroundings. In addition, Google says that its self-driving cars can discover hundreds of separate 【小题6】（object）at the same time, which might be an improvement on the human driver experience. As 【小题7】 result, there will be far 【小题8】（few） traffic accidents caused by careless driving.

However, self-driving cars are much too 【小题9】（expense） right now. Scientists across the world are doing their best to bring down the costs, 【小题10】 hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cost that most people can afford.

   Today, we drive safer cars on safer roads, but most car accidents are the result of human error. 【小题1】 So it’s a good idea to review some basic rules for safe driving. Here are four driving tips that will help bring you and your passengers home unharmed.

Defensive driving includes keeping a safe distance and not speeding. 【小题2】 Accept small delays, such as staying in line behind a slower car instead of suddenly changing lanes.

Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how safely you drive. You are driving at the speed limit and obeying all traffic rules but someone else can crash into you. One good rule is to think everyone else on the road is a fool and be prepared for anything unexpected. 【小题4】 And it pays to be ready when you do.

Drivers need enough time to react if the car in front makes a sudden turn or stop. It can be too difficult for drivers to judge the proper distances while driving and the exact distance is adjusted by speed, so most experts suggest a “three-second rule”.

【小题5】 Drive below the speed limit if necessary, keep extra space between you and the car ahead, and be especially careful around curves. If the weather worsens, just find a safe place to wait out the storm.

Amsterdam 【小题1】 (call) the “City of Bicycles” because of the convenience of riding bicycles there. In the 1960s, a group of cycling fans had 【小题2】 idea that it would be better for everybody if cars weren't allowed in the city centre and only bicycles were. They were 【小题3】 (hope) that this would help to save energy, reduce 【小题4】 (pollute) and provide free public transport. The group painted hundreds of bicycles white and placed them in lots of neighbourhoods around Amsterdam for people to use.

【小题5】 (fortunate), it didn't work because 【小题6】 (thief) took all the bicycles within weeks! However, more than thirty years later, the “white bike” is back in town — this time with a computer chip to record its every move!【小题7】 (take) a bicycle, you have to insert a special card. People who want to use the bikes 【小题8】 (park) at special parking places have to take them to another special parking place 【小题9】 has enough room. Thanks to the good ideas of lots of people, many people around the world have been enjoying city center streets 【小题10】 cars for many years.