Today, we drive safer cars on safer roads, but most car accidents are the result of human error. 【小题1】 So it’s a good idea to review some basic rules for safe driving. Here are four driving tips that will help bring you and your passengers home unharmed.

Defensive driving includes keeping a safe distance and not speeding. 【小题2】 Accept small delays, such as staying in line behind a slower car instead of suddenly changing lanes.

Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how safely you drive. You are driving at the speed limit and obeying all traffic rules but someone else can crash into you. One good rule is to think everyone else on the road is a fool and be prepared for anything unexpected. 【小题4】 And it pays to be ready when you do.

Drivers need enough time to react if the car in front makes a sudden turn or stop. It can be too difficult for drivers to judge the proper distances while driving and the exact distance is adjusted by speed, so most experts suggest a “three-second rule”.

【小题5】 Drive below the speed limit if necessary, keep extra space between you and the car ahead, and be especially careful around curves. If the weather worsens, just find a safe place to wait out the storm.

   If you cut down on the time you spend sitting，you might live longer. New research shows that sitting less than three hours a day might extend your life by two years.

【小题1】 But modern lifestyles and office jobs rarely give us the chance to move around. Sitting is something we do all the time and everywhere. We sit while we're eating，we sit in the car and we sit while we are watching TV. And many of us sit for many hours at work. So on average，Americans report that they sit between four and a half to five hours a day.

Exercise is important. But so is not sitting.

You may exercise often. But it does not mean you can sit for the rest of your waking hours. 【小题2】 Even if you exercise for 30 minutes a day，what goes on in the other 23-and-a-half hours a day is also very important，according to a study on how sitting all day affects the length of life. It shows that cutting television time to less than two hours a day could add one point four years to life.

【小题3】

Change is already coming to some offices，especially in the design of desks. A "standing desk" lets people stand while they work. Another new design is called the "treadmill（跑步机）desk". A treadmill is an exercise machine that lets you walk in one place. Even some U.S. schools are beginning to experiment with desks that are part bicycles to keep children moving.

Exercising while working.

【小题4】They may have got five "standing desks" for their employees or a "treadmill desk". Some other companies may not buy one for everybody but they'll have a bank of these desks where people can go for an hour a day and answer their emails or talk on the phone. People are really trying to limit the amount of time spent sitting at the desk.

Suggestions for sitting less.

If you work in an office or have a sedentary（久坐不动的）job，scientists suggest a few simple changes. Get up from your desk as often as you can. 【小题5】 Instead of emailing colleagues，walk to their offices and talk directly. If you are sitting down reading this，stand up. Move your legs. Touch your toes，if you can. Do anything but sit.

All these activities may help you live longer.

   Researchers are placing robotic dogs in the homes of lonely old people to determine whether they can improve the quality of life for humans. Alan Beck, an expert in the human-animal relationship, and Nancy Edwards, a professor of nursing, are leading the animal-assisted study concerning the influence of robotic dogs on old people’s depression, physical activity, and life satisfaction. “No one will argue that an older person is better off being more active, challenged, or stimulated (刺激), ”Edwards points out. “The problem is how we promote that, especially for those without friends or help. A robotic dog could be a solution.”

In the study, the robotic dogs, called AIBO, are placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone. Before placing AIBO in the home, researchers will collect data for six weeks. These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activities before and after AIBO being placed. Then, the researchers will study the data to determine if it has inspired any changes in the life of its owner.

“I talk to it all the time, and it responds (回应) to my voice,” says a seventy-year-old lady. “When I’m watching TV, it’ll stay in my arms until it wants to go down. It has a mind of its own.”

The AIBOs respond to certain orders. The researchers say they have some advantages over live dogs, especially for old people. Often the elderly are disabled and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it. A robotic dog removes exercise and feeding concerns.

“At the beginning, it was believed that no one would relate to the robotic dog because it is metal and not furry,” Beck says. “But it’s amazing how quickly we have given up that belief.”

“Hopefully, down the road, these robotic pets could become a more valuable health helper. They will record their masters’ blood pressure, oxygen levels, or heart rhythms. AIBOs may even one day have games that can help stimulate older people’s minds.”