Long lines at security checkpoints, tiny plastic cups of drink, small bags of biscuit, planes full of passengers, fees attached to every service—all reflect the realities of 21st century commercial air travel. It’s no wonder that many travelers have become nostalgic (怀旧) for the so-called “golden age” of air travel in the United States.

During the 1950s, airlines promoted commercial air travel; airline hostesses served full meals on real china, airline seats were large and frequently empty with enough legroom, and passengers were always dressed well.

After jets were introduced in the late 1950s, passengers could travel to even the most distant locations at speeds unimaginable a decade before. An airline trip from New York to London that could take up to 15 hours in the early 1950s could be made in less than seven hours by the early 1960s.

But the good memory of airline in that time can be tricky, and “golden ages” are seldom as beautiful as they seem. Until the introduction of jets in 1958, most of the nation’s commercial planes were propeller-driven (螺旋桨驱动) aircraft. Most of these planes were unpressurized, and with a maximum cruising (巡航) altitude of 10,000 to 12,000 feet, they were unable to fly over bad weather. Delays were frequent, turbulence (气流) was common, and air sickness bags were often needed. For much of this period, the old saying “Time to spare, go by air” still rang true.

Through the 1930s and into the 1940s, almost everyone flew first class. Airlines did encourage more people to fly in the 1950s and 1960s by introducing coach or tourist fares, but the savings were relative: less expensive than first class, but still pricey. Although the invention of jets did result in lower fares, the cost was still out of reach of most Americans.

We track down some of the world’s greatest rail journeys.

The Canadian

The trip from Toronto to Vancouver is sleepy 83 hours long — but considering you’ll be winding through snow-capped Rocky Mountains and Canadian Shield forests, the pace suits anyone looking for relaxation, rest and peaceful views. Huge glass windows make the most of the scenery as the train travels across 4,466 km of Canada’s diverse landscape.

The Blue Train

The train spans 1,600 km of track linking Pretoria with Cape Town. More like a hotel on rails than a train, there are carriages where passengers can rest in comfort and have full-sized baths. The journey takes 27 hours from start to finish and crosses some of the most diverse and picturesque scenery on the African continent. Don’t expect to feel the rush of wind through your hair though, as its average speed is just 57 km/h.

The Indian Pacific

Departing from Sydney, it takes about 70 hours for the Indian Pacific to cross the Australian continent on its way to Perth. Stopping at the mining town of Broken Hill, Adelaide, and Kalgoorlie you’ll cover 4,352 km at an average speed of 85 km/h. At that rate, you’ll catch the full glory of the sun setting across the horizon on the longest stretch of straight rail track in the world. Travel in spring for the best of Western Australia’s wildflowers.

Jinghu High Speed Rail

The showcase of China’s modern rail fleet was launched in 2012 and shaves 20 hours off the 1, 303 km trip from Beijing to Shanghai, delivering passengers to their destination in five super-fast hours. It is currently the fastest long-distance passenger train in the world, reaching speeds of 300 km/h.

Like many other small boys, I was fascinated by cars, especially because my oldest brother was a bit of a car guy and subscribed to cool magazines like Car and Driver and Motor Trend.

Every so often, one of those magazines would run an article on the “Cars of the Future”. 【小题1】 Yet, frankly, my car doesn’t do anything that my brother’s Studebaker didn’t do. It goes, it stops, it burns gasoline. I still have to steer it, and it still runs into things if I don’t steer it carefully.

But guess what? 【小题2】 It may not burn gasoline, I may not have to steer it, and it may be a lot better at not running into things.

【小题3】 In fact, considering the recent news about people occasionally being killed by their airbags in low-speed crashes, they obviously still need some development. But they aren’t going away, and in fact, you can expect to see cars appearing with additional, side-impact airbags, something some European car manufacturers already offer.

Better than systems to minimize injury in the event of an accident, however, are systems that minimize the likelihood of an accident happening in the first place ? Future cars may be able to remove many of the major causes of accidents, including drunk-driving, and tailgating (与前车距离过近) . Cars could be equipped with sensors that can detect alcohol in a driver’s system and prevent the car from being started, for example. As early as next year, you’ll be able to buy cars with radar-equipped control systems. If the radar determines you’re closing too quickly with the car in front, it will ease up on the throttle (油门).

Scientists are now working on a system that can brake, accelerate and steer a vehicle down a highway on its own. 【小题4】