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.

   Many people want to achieve success in life, but it's easier said than done because there are so many distractions(分散注意力的事). Then how to be successful? 【小题1】

Imagine becoming successful.

Einstein said imagination is more important than knowledge. The more carefully you imagine your success, the easier it will be for the rest of yourself to follow through. 【小题2】 What is your success like? Taste the feeling of your success, and use it as motivation(动机)to encourage yourself.

Find the purpose of your life.

Find out the things you love to do, and use this information to find the purpose of your life. Finding what you love to do will give you motivation along the way. 【小题3】 Pretty difficult, right? Now imagine the opportunity to join in a chess game. It's much easier to achieve your goal if that is what you enjoy.

Surround yourself with people who are successful.

When you're surrounded with people who are highly driven, it's encouraging. 【小题4】 Model some of your ways around theirs, if possible. Knowledge is as free as it is powerful.

Collect as much information as you can.

Listen. Study. Understand. Learn. Repeat. Humans are amazing creatures because we can look at the world, make intellectual(理智的)connections,and use those connections to make our lives better. This is what information allows us to do. 【小题5】 You never know when your flash of wisdom will come!

   So let’s say that you’re sitting at a restaurant and when your food arrives, you take one bite and decide that something is preventing you from taking a second bite. No matter what the reason is, this dish is going back to the kitchen, and now it’s up to you to find a way to send it back politely.

First of all, the single most important thing to do when you’re sending something back is to do it immediately. If you eat half the dish before sending it back, the server and kitchen will believe that you really don’t need to send it back.

If a dish is too salty that it cannot be eaten, you should first let the server know what the situation is, and they’ll take it back to the kitchen and bring you a new one. Remember that it is not the server’s fault, so don’t take it out on them. Also, don’t be afraid that they’ll get angry at you, or someone will spit (吐) in your food. It’s their job to make sure that you’re satisfied, and if the kitchen clearly makes a mistake the server will be frustrated with the kitchen, not with the diner who has been served an inedible meal. A new dish will be cooked, and nobody’s going to spit in it.

There is, however, one example when you are sending back a dish which will really annoy both the server and the kitchen. If you order a pasta dish that contains pancetta but then send it back to the kitchen because you’re a vegetarian (素食者) and don’t know what pancetta is, and then congratulations because you’re one of the most unbearable types of customers a restaurant can have. A perfectly good plate of food is just thrown out because you don’t ask what pancetta is before ordering.

So the bottom line: Use common sense if you think that you need to send your dish back. If the kitchen do something wrong, then they’re on the hook for a new plate of food. If you do something wrong, then hopefully you’ve learned a lesson.

   When the weather turns warm，everyone wants to be in or around the water. 【小题1】 Learning how to swim is important if you plan to be near water. Many organizations provide swimming instruction for people of all ages. Check to see what classes are available（可得到的）in your area.

【小题2】 Always swim with a partner，every time—whether you're swimming in a backyard pool or in a lake. Even experienced swimmers can become tired or get muscle cramps，which might make it difficult to get out of the water. When people swim together，they can help each other or go for help in case of an emergency.

Get skilled. Speaking of emergencies，it's good to be prepared. Learning some life-saving skills，such as CPR and rescue techniques，can help you save a life. 【小题3】 Check with your YMCA or YWCA，the local hospital，or the chapter of the Red Cross.

Know your limits. Swimming can be a lot of fun—and you might want to stay in the water as long as possible. If you're not a good swimmer or you're just learning to swim，don't go in water that's so deep that you can't touch the bottom and don't try to keep up with skilled swimmers. 【小题4】 But it's a pretty sure bet they'd rather have you safe and alive.

Swim in safe areas only. 【小题5】 No one can predict changing ocean currents（流），rip currents，sudden storms，or other hidden dangers. In the event that something does go wrong，lifeguards are trained in rescue techniques.

Reducing Test Anxiety

Test anxiety arises when a student excessively worries about doing badly in a test. This can become a major hindrance (造成妨碍的事物) to test performance and cause extreme nervousness and memory problems among other symptoms. 【小题1】

Think positively. Scientific research has shown that our expectations can affect our performance. 【小题2】However, if you expect that you’ll do poorly, studying may not be enough to help you perform well. Therefore, it is a wise choice to think positively.

【小题3】 Fear releases adrenaline (肾上腺素) , preparing the body to deal with danger. Your heart rate and breathing speed up and you may feel shaky, sweaty, or dizzy. Anything you can do to reduce these physical reactions will help you think more clearly and feel more confident.

Eat before the test. Don’t skip breakfast to study. 【小题4】 Choose protein-filled snacks and avoid sugar, which can give you quick energy that may run out in the middle of the test. Eat something even if you feel sick—try crackers or toast to settle your stomach. Avoid caffeine and energy drinks, which can increase anxiety.

Get a good night’s sleep before the test. Studies have shown that you will do well in the test if you get enough sleep. 【小题5】 If the test is later in the day or the evening, or if you just couldn’t get a full night’s sleep, take a nap. Research has shown that a short nap—less than an hour—can improve alertness, memory, creativity,  productivity, and moods, and can decrease stress.