Last week, our class holds a discussion about that a family should own a car or not. Here are the results. Many students think it’s necessary for a family to owning a car because it’s convenient, fast or comfortable. With a car, family member can go to many places together at any time. A car is especially important when a family faces emergencies. On contrary, some students think that buying a car is unnecessary for a family. A family has to pay a lot of to keep a car in good condition. Beside, parking cars can be really annoyed. In my opinion, a family should think careful before buying a car.

5 . Maybe in the near future, driverless cars may become common on the roads. Driverless cars have already been test-driven thousands of miles.     1     For instance, it helps reduce the number of accidents and traffic jams.

    2     That is because there are many issues that must be solved before the widespread use of them. One problem is that a driverless car cannot predict problems far down the road like a driver can. The driverless cars react to an emergency only when it actually occurs. For instance, a driver starts to slow down when he sees a child riding her skateboard directly into the road 0.2 km away.     3    

Driverless cars are not suitable for extreme weather conditions.     4     They don't predict or "feel" that the roads have become icy like an experienced driver would. For instance, when a road is icy, a human driver would step on the brakes more gently than when the roads are clean and dry.

Another issue is that driverless cars have maps programmed into their memory, but these maps aren't always updated and accurate. New roads are built, and old roads are closed down.     5     Perhaps one day, driverless cars will be everywhere, but we are not ready for that just yet.

8 . North American Train Routes for a Family Vacation

The Adirondack

Considered one of the top ten scenic train rides in the world, the Adirondack train route travels from New York City's Penn Station to Montreal, Canada. The trip is great for a weekend away in either Montreal or Manhattan. The route will take you past West Point Academy, the Hudson River Valley and fifty miles of Lake Champlain.

The Vermonter

The trip from Washington, D. C. to St. Albans, Vermont, takes you from the U.S. capital, through the beautiful New England states of Connecticut and Massachusetts on the way to Vermont. As you travel through New England towns, you'll be able to see some of the most beautiful scenery in this area, including rivers, falls and covered bridges.

The Downeaster

The Downeaster was established in 2001 and was expanded several years ago northward to Freeport and Brunswick, Maine. The short ride (between three and four hours) includes a trip along the beautiful Maine coastline. With five round-trips offered each day, this route is a great way for Massachusetts families to visit Maine for a day or longer. Many of these routes carry volunteers to aid passengers with questions about local attractions and destinations.

The Pennsylvanian

Both New York City and Pittsburgh are great family vacation destinations and the Pennsylvanian route takes you through the beautiful Pennsylvanian landscape between the two major cities. The 9.5-half hour trip travels through a variety of different terrains(地形), and stops along the way including Newark, Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Altoona. The connecting train service is available for those looking to travel to Cleveland, Chicago, and Toledo from Pittsburgh.

9 . As the coronavirus（冠状病毒）outbreak continues，many Americans are fearful of using public transportation. They are also looking for ways to get exercise without going to a gym. So, it may not be surprising that . the pandemic（疫情）has led to a major increase in bicycle sales.

In the US, bicycles at big stores have sold out. And small bicycle stores cannot keep up with demand for “family-style” bicycles: the low-cost, easy-to-ride models. “The bicycle industry is seeing its biggest sales increase since the oil crisis of the 1970s,” said Jay Townley, an industry expert. He compared the sale of bicycles to the rush to buy products like toilet paper at the start of the pandemic.

The rise in bicycle . sales is not happening just in the US. Italy has created bicycle paths for the growing number of people who want to avoid public transportation. In London, city officials plan to ban cars from some central roads. Bike shop owners in Manila say demand is even stronger than what they see at Christmas time.

Of course, you can only buy a bicycle if you can find one. In the US, the shortages now mean it may take many months to get a bicycle. High demand is not the only reason for the shortage. Many bicycle factories were shut down to stop the spread of COVID-19. The increase in bicycle demand began in March as countries began to close down. In April, the sale of bicycles increased 200 percent in the US.

Joe Minutolo is the co-owner of Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop in Maine. He said he hoped the increased sales meant a change in the way people think about transportation. “People are having a chance to rethink things,” he said, “Maybe we'll all learn something out of this, and something really good will happen.”

10 . As the coronavirus (冠状病毒) outbreak continues, many Americans are fearful of using public transportation. They are also looking for ways to get exercise without going to a gym. So, it may not be surprising that the pandemic (疫情) has led to a major increase in bicycle sales.

In the US, bicycles at big stores have sold out. And small bicycle stores cannot keep up with demand for “family-style” bicycles: the low-cost, easy-to-ride models. “The bicycle industry is seeing its biggest sales increase since the oil crisis of the 1970s,” said Jay Townley, an industry expert. He compared the sale of bicycles to the rush to buy products like toilet paper at the start of the pandemic.

The rise in bicycle sales is not happening just in the US. Italy has created bicycle paths for the growing number of people who want to avoid public transportation. In London, city officials plan to ban cars from some central roads. Bike shop owners in Manila say demand is even stronger than what they see at Christmas time.

Of course, you can only buy a bicycle if you can find one. In the US, the shortages now mean it may take many months to get a bicycle. High demand is not the only reason for the shortage. Many bicycle factories were shut down to stop the spread of COVID-19. The increase in bicycle demand began in March as countries began to close down. In April, the sale of bicycles increased 200 percent in the US.

Joe Minutolo is the co-owner of Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop in Maine. He said he hoped the increased sales meant a change in the way people think about transportation. “People are having a chance to rethink things,” he said, “Maybe we’ll all learn something out of this, and something really good will happen.”