2 . If you frequent any kind of public transportation, then you’re well aware of certain types of passengers and passenger habits that are annoying. But it’s not just other passengers that get angry, there are certain things that drive the train attendant crazy.     1    . Maybe next time you’ll be able to spot the people doing some of these on the train.

We’ve all been there in that moment when someone boards a train trying to take several huge items with them to wherever they’re trying to go. They wind up taking up way too much space and blocking seats.    2    . Train attendants are the ones who bear the brunt of it (首当其冲) because they have to figure out how to deal with this person’s stuff without upsetting all the other passengers. It adds unnecessary conflict and makes the attendant’s job much harder.

    3    . It’s a totally different thing to be eating a big meal consisting of last night’s dinner leftovers. Not only is it typically unsettling for other passengers who then have to smell leftover chicken and whatever else you’re eating, but it’s bound to make a mess that attendants will then have to clean up after they depart the train.

For some reason, people have a bad habit of talking very loudly to one another to a point where you can hear them from opposite sides of the train cart (车厢). This goes for playing music as well. Some people like to play music through their phone. This really bothers fellow passengers on the train.     5    ? The train attendant.

3 . Airports are finding new ways to reduce travel stress, from eye-catching aesthetics (美学) to improved passenger flow. At Singapore’s Changi Airport, passengers get a close-up view of the world’s tallest indoor waterfall.

As you enter the airport, you look up at a large screen. Rather than showing dozens of arrivals and departures, the monitor greets you by name and tell you where and how far to walk to catch your flight. That’s the scene today in an area of the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The personalized screens are part of a new generation of technologies rapidly being used in airports around the world as cities make up for delays (延误) and compete for travelers.

“Every airport wan wants a ‘wow’ factor — something people will remember after passing through,” says Darin Friedmann, Vice President and Head of Transportation Systems for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, a leader in automated people movers (APMs) at airports. The automated I people movers built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries move more than 100 million people worldwide each year. New generations of these driverless electric trains feature oversized windows on all sides (including the doors), and HD video screens.

“In the past airports planning for people movers were focused just on getting people from here to there reliably,” says Friedmann. “Now they’re really taking the aesthetics seriously, too. After all, these trains provide travelers’ first and last impression of a city.”

Detroit’s personalized monitors are just one of many innovations designed to increase the flow of travelers through key airport choke points (阻塞点). Already, biometrics (生物识别技术) can help speed passengers through security. Before long, auto main and AI will route luggage more efficiently and reduce human error, while apps using geolocation will shout the information travelers need in real time: Exit the train at the next station; walk to the right for seven minutes to reach your gate,

In other words, today’s air travelers may be waiting in long lines, but they have something to look forward to. The airport of the future, a destination offering less stress, moments of beauty and all-around smarter travel, is arriving now.

5 . Children with strong family connections are associated with a high likelihood of flourishing in life, a study found. “What is different about this study is that it shows that family connection is associated with thriving and not just surviving or avoiding harm,” said lead study author Dr. Robert Whitaker.

Researchers surveyed over 37,000 children in 26 countries. In the study, family connection was determined by a mean score of five categories: care, support, safety, respect, and participation. Flourishing was determined by a mean score of six categories: self-acceptance, purpose in life, positive relations with others, personal growth, environmental mastery and autonomy. The essence of family connection is children feeling that they are accepted and cared for at home, which allows them to learn what their strengths and weaknesses are in a safe environment as they are building their identity,Whitaker said.

Children with the greatest level of family connection were over 49% more likely to flourish compared with those with the lowest level of family connection, according to the study. The highest scores in both family connection and flourishing came from children who said they lived with both parents, had enough food or never had their family worrying about finances. Researchers then controlled the data for families’ poverty levels to remove the effect they might have had on the numbers. After controlling the data, the strength of family connection still impacted how much children flourished.

According to Whitaker, adults have a very powerful influence on the emotional climate in the home, so it’s important to create a space where children feel seen and heard. A great opportunity to strengthen family bonds is around the dinner table. Adults should create an environment where children feel comfortable speaking freely. While they are talking,grown-ups should show that they have a genuine interest in what their children are saying. Silence is also another powerful form of communication, Whitaker said. Children and parents spending time together in silence or even doing chores can create a connection.

6 . I came across an image recently of a distance runner with a message that told readers to persevere (坚持) at all costs. It reminded me of a conversation I had. My colleague’s teaching assistant was asking for my advice. He wanted to know when to quit something. He described how he’d been playing an online game with people for some time. It hadn’t been very fun lately, but there was always that small chance of a reward (upgraded equipment, etc).

I inquired further about his relationship with the players and his gains from the game. I then discussed the sunk cost dilemma, a concept I studied in advanced school due to its personal impact. In high school, I applied to five universities, planning to choose the cheapest one. SUU offered the best scholarship, and after paying a $100 commitment fee, I heard back from another school with an even better scholarship. Despite the new offer, I stayed committed to SUU, believing that switching schools, even if it meant acknowledging the “wasted” $ 100, would have been the wiser financial choice.

A rational (理性的) decision maker is not ruled by past investments, but weighs future outcomes. I didn’t focus on future outcomes when weighing colleges. I focused on the money I sunk into SUU. Rather than evaluating future career options, I focused on the fact that I’d already taken elementary education courses.

I’m not the only one that’s fallen prey to this. I wear clothes I dislike simply because I spent money on them (and that money won’t come back). Unhealthy relationships last because of the invested time (leading to more unhappy years). However, time, effort, or money that you’ve invested doesn’t mean you should continue. Society often stresses perseverance — never quit, never give up, don’t waste. However, only you know your right path. Walking away can be the toughest choice. You might realize a path you’re on is no longer the right one or never was.