According to EMTP and Stat Gear CEO Avi Goldstein, every driver should be taught how to get out of a car when it becomes submerged in water.

“Accidents and natural disasters often occur so quickly that it's essential for drivers to be prepared,” says Goldstein. “In this case, preparation is simply knowing what should be done before it happens.”

        Goldstein offers the following lifesaving tips:

1.Try to stay calm. The worst thing you can do is become overly agitated and      panicked.

2. Don't try to open the door. This will cause the car fill with water very quickly.

3. Unfasten your seat belt or cut it if it's jammed.

4. Help free anyone else in the car.

5. Use a window punch — preferably spring-loaded. It's nearly impossible to break a car window with your hands or feet.

6. Exit through the broken window and swim up to safety.

      “Every car should be equipped with a window punch and seat belt cutter, but they are usually completely forgotten by car owners,” says Goldstein. For example, the T3 Tactical Auto Rescue Tool from Stat Gear features a 440c stainless steel serrated knife, seat belt cutter, spring-loaded window punch and LED light.

       Goldstein asserts that the T3 or another similar tool should always be within arms length of a driver. “If for any reason a driver becomes pinned into his or her seat, emergency tools need to be within reach--otherwise they are useless. They will do you no good in your trunk or backseat.” The following is a quick demonstration on how to escape a sinking car with a baby on board.

Forget Cyclists, Pedestrians are Real Danger

We are having a debate about this topic. Here are some letters from our readers.

■ Yes, many cyclists behave dangerously. Many drivers are disrespectful of cyclists But pedestrians are probably the worse offenders.

People of all ages happily walk along the pavement with eyes and hands glued to the mobile phone, quite unaware of what is going on around them. They may even do the same thing while crossing a road at a pedestrian crossing or elsewhere. The rest of us have to evade (避让) them or just stand still to wait for the unavoidable collision.

The real problem is that some pedestrians seem to be, at least for the moment, in worlds of their own that are, to them, much more important than the welfare of others.

——Michael Horan

■ I loved the letter from Bob Brooks about cyclists (Viewpoints, May 29). I am afraid they seem to think they own the roads.

I was walking across Altrincharn Road one morning when a cyclist went round me and on being asked what he was doing he shouted at me.

The government built a cycle lane on the road but it is hardly used.

The police do nothing. What a laugh they are!

The cyclists should all have to be made to use the cycle lanes and wear helmets, fluorescent (发荧光的)jacket and tights at night and in the morning. They should pay some sort of tax and be fined for not wearing them.

——Carol Harvey

■ Cyclists jump on and off pavements (which are meant for pedestrians), ride at speed along the pavements, and think they have a special right to go through traffic lights when they are on red.

I was almost knocked down recently by a cyclist riding on the pavement when there was a cycle lane right next to him.

Other road users, including horse riders, manage to obey the rules so why not cyclists?

It's about time they had to be registered and insured, so when they do hit a pedestrian or a vehicle, or cause an accident, at least they can be traced and there might be an opportunity to claim.

——JML

Write to Viewpoints of the newspaper.

    Teenagers who spend hours in front of the television may have a poorer diet as young adults.

    A study, which included nearly 1,400 high school students, found those who watched TV for five hours or more per day had less healthy diets than peers(同龄人) five years later. Why does this happen? Should the parents take any measures?

    On the one hand, people who spend a lot of time in front of the TV, especially teenagers, may snack more, and that may affect their long-term diet quality.

    On the other hand, TV ads for fast food, sweets and snacks tempt teenagers to eat more of those foods. And TV time might also replace exercise time for some kids.

    Lead researcher Dr. Daheia J. Barr-Anderson, of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, told Reuters Health a clear correlation between TV time during high school and diet quality in young adulthood. While the heaviest TV viewers were eating the most junk food, those who'd watched less than two hours per day had the highest intake(吸收) of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and high-calcium food. In her opinion, parents should limit and monitor TV viewing.

    As far as I am concerned, children should watch no more than two hours of television per day. And parents should set a good example by eating right, being physically active and curbing their own TV time.

    Mark felt that it was time for him to take part in his community，so he went to the neighborhood meeting after work. The area city council(委员会)woman was leading a discussion about how the quality of life was on the decline. The neighborhood faced many problems. Mark looked at the charts taped to the walls. There were charts for parking problems, crime, and for problems in vacant buildings. Mark read from the charts, “Police patrols(巡逻)cut back, illegal parking up 20%.” People were supposed to suggest solutions to the council woman. It was too much for Mark. “The problems are too big,” he thought. He turned to the man next to him and said, “I think this is a waste of my time. Nothing I can do would make a difference here.”

    As he neared the bus stop on his way home, Mark saw a woman carrying a grocery bag, and a baby. As Mark got closer, her other child，a little boy, suddenly dashed into the street. The woman tried to reach for him, but as she moved, her bag shifted(滑落), and groceries started to fall out.Mark ran to take the boy's arm and led him back to his mother. “You gotta stay with Mom,” he said. Then he picked up the fallen groceries while the woman smiled in relief. “Thanks,” she said. “You've got great timing.” “Just being neighborly,” Mark said. As he rode home, he glanced at the poster near his seat in the bus. Small acts of kindness add up.Mark smiled and thought, “Maybe that's a good place to start.”

    Louise Blanchard Bethune showed early promise in math. But Louise did not go to school. Instead, her father taught her at home until she was 11 years old. She also discovered a skill for planning houses. It developed into a lifelong interest in architecture and a place in history as the first professional female architect in the United States.

    After graduating from high school in 1874, Louise traveled and studied. She hoped to prepare herself to attend the new architecture school at Cornell University. But then Buffalo's leading architectural firm of Richard A. Waite and F.W. Caulkins offered her a job. She knew that architects gained their training from practical experience, not from school. She took the job.

Louise worked there as an assistant, 10 hours a day for five years. She learned —-and mastered—-drawing and architectural design. She also met her husband, Robert A. Bethune. Their new firm, R.A. and LBethune, opened in October 1881.

    Bethune appeared to be the strength of the business. At the turn of the 20th century, the city of Buffalo was rapidly expanding to meet the demands of growing industry. The firm received tasks to build hundreds of structures throughout western New York. The firm designed lots of schools, apartment buildings, department stores, churches and factories.

    Bethune believed that being an architect meant being an artist, a scientist and a business person. She made a point of advocating for women in the profession. She became a member of the Western Association of Architects(WAA) in 1885. In 1888, she was the first woman to join the American Institute of Architects(AIA). Besides, Bethune took a firm stand on equal treatment for women architects. She insisted on equal pay for equal work.

    Bethune left almost no papers or letters, and few people recognize her name today. But her legacy remains in the foothold she established for women in the field of architecture. She started her own firm and enjoyed a successful career.

    More than two thirds of the world's polar bears will be wiped out by 2050, according to a shocking new study. By then, scientists say, global warming will have melted 42 percent of the Arctic sea ice. By 2100, only a very few of these important creatures will be left.

    The report has been produced by the US Geological Survey. The scientists have publicized their findings in the hope of influencing US Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, who has been asked to put polar bears on the US endangered species list.

    Polar bears depend on floating sea ice as a platform for hunting seals, which are their main food. Without enough ice, polar bears would be forced to go onto the land, where they are poorly skilled hunters, and would be unlikely to adapt to the life on the land in time. Experts say few little bears would survive and the stress could make many females unable to get pregnant.

    The team of American and Canadian scientists spent six months studying bears, on the ground, from spotter planes and in the lab, using computer models. Some team members fear the result is even worse for the bears than what their report says. They say the Arctic is warming faster than anywhere in the world and much faster than their computer had been forecasting. Satellite observations have showed that the ice has decreased to an all­time low.

    However, not everyone in the scientific community believes that global warming is happening on such an alarming scale. Another investigation has found that polar bears are still being hunted by wealthy “sportsmen” who want their skins and heads. At least ten international companies offer bear­hunting trips.