Modern life is impossible without travelling. The fastest way of travelling is by air. With a modern plane you can travel to some places in one day. But a hundred years ago, it took a month or over a year to get there.

    Travelling by train is slower than by air. But you can see the countries when you travel through. Modern trains have comfortable seats and dining cars. They make even the longest journey enjoyable.

    Some people prefer to travel by sea. They can visit many other countries and different places. Travelling by sea is a very pleasant way to spend a holiday.

    Many people like to travel by car. You can make your own timetable(时刻表). You can travel three or four hundred miles or only fifty or one hundred miles a day. You can stop anywhere you like. Among these, travelling by air is the most expensive and the fastest while travelling by ship is the slowest and the cheapest.

Driving in China

    I have been driving cars since I reached the pedals(踏板). In Canada you 116 to get a driver's license. I consider myself to be a very good driver.

    I visited China 20 years ago. I with my wife was in Shanghai to give a paper at a conference. We were amazed at the number of bicycles on the roads and the few cars. In Canada almost each family has one car, but it was clear that most Chinese depended on bicycles.

    I 2Shanghai and other Chinese cities many times since then and have watched the fast changes on the roads. There are far fewer bicycles now but 3cars. The traffic jams are almost constant (持续的). So are the accidents. On a recent visit I saw four or five4within a two­week period.

    To get a driver's license in Canada, you must drive, with an examiner, on real roads and in real traffic. However, in China you learn on a closed course, 5real traffic, get a license and only then you are able to drive on real roads.

    Driving in Canada and driving in China6two different experiences. In Canada there are traffic jams but they aren't so bad. We have more traffic lights; we obey them and drivers are usually polite, allowing other cars to cut in front of them knowing it won't make much difference. In China, if you stop7 another car cut in front of you, you will probably be there for a long time because once one car gets in, dozens of 8will follow.

    I would rather9the bus than drive my car in downtown Shanghai and Beijing. Because it's10 and stronger than most things that might run into it.