Scientists have found living organisms trapped in crystals(晶体) that could be 50,000 years old.

     The organisms were found in a hot, but beautiful cave system in Naica, Mexico. These ancient life forms can be seen only with a microscope. Penelope Boston, who leads the Astrobiology Institute at NASA, the space agency of the United States, says the ancient microbes(微生物) were able to live by eating minerals such as iron.

     She spoke about the discovery recently at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. If the findings are confirmed, they will show how microbes can survive in extreme conditions. Forty different kinds of microbes and some viruses were found in the underground area. The genetic structures of these organisms are 10 percent different from those of their nearest relatives.

     The caves in Naica are 800 kilometers deep. They were once used for mining lead. Before the miners began working in the caves, the area was separated from the surface and the outside world. Some of the caves are as big as the large religious centers built during Europe's Middle Ages. There are crystals covering the walls. The caves are so hot that scientists must wear special clothing to keep cool. The clothing keeps the crystals safe from human germs（病菌）or other damage. Boston said the researchers could only work for about 20 minutes at a time before they had to go to a room that was 38 degrees Celsius to cool down.

     NASA officials would not let Boston share her findings with scientific experts before last week's announcement. So scientists could not say much about the findings. But Norine Noonan, a biologist with the University of South Florida, said she believed them. "Why are we surprised?" Noonan asked. "As a biologist, I would say life on Earth is extremely tough and extremely colorful."

     Boston is also studying microbes commonly found inside caves in other countries, such as Ukraine and the United States. These microbes appear to be impossible to kill. Boston said they show how difficult life on Earth can be.

    I discovered that inside the-wonderful box lived an amazing person whose name was Information Please. There was nothing she did not know.

    One day my mother went out. I accidentally hurt my finger when I was playing with a hammer. I walked around the house sucking my finger, finally seeing the telephone. Quickly I dragged a chair over and climbed up.

    “Information Please, ”I spoke into the receiver. A click or two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear. “Information.”

    “I hurt my finger…”I cried into the phone.

    “Isn't your mother home?” came the question.

    “Nobody's home but me.” I sobbed.

    “Are you bleeding?” the voice asked.

    “No,” I replied, “I hit my finger with the hammer and it hurts.”

    “Can you open your icebox?” she asked. I said I could.

    “Then take a little piece of ice and hold it to your finger.” said the voice.

    After that, I called “Information Please” for everything. I asked her for help with my geography and she told me where Philadelphia was. She helped me with my math. She told me her name was Sally.

    Then, there was the time my pet canary（金丝雀）died. I called “Information Please” and told Sally the sad story. “Why is it that birds sing so beautifully and bring joy to all families, only to end up as a pile of feathers?” She listened, then said quietly, “Paul, always remember that there are other worlds to sing in.” Somehow, I felt better.

    One day when I called “Information Please” again, a different voice answered “Information.”

    I asked for Sally. “Are you a friend?” she said.

    “Yes,” I answered.

    “I'm sorry to have to tell you this,” she said. “She died five days ago.” Before I could hang up she said, “Wait a minute. Did you say your name was Paul?”

    “Yes.”

    “Well, Sally left a message for you. The note said, ‘Tell him I still say there are other worlds to sing in. He'll know what I mean.'” I thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally meant.

    Both are so much related to each other. And both are so dissimilar! What are the differences between friendship and love? Is platonic (理想的) friendship possible between persons of opposite sex? Let us try and understand.

    What is friendship? Why do we call a person our friend? When do we call someone a very good friend? If we care for a person, if we are always ready to help that person and if we share most of our thoughts with a person, they are our good friends. We can always count upon our good friends in an emergency. We are always sure that our friend will understand why we acted in a certain way. We need not explain anything to our very good friends. The friendship is so deep and the relationship is so close.

    What about love? In a relationship of deep love, all the sharing that we discussed above are taken for granted. But love transcends (胜过) all this. During love, we are attached with a particular person, while in friendship, one may have many friends. A loving relationship makes one so much attached to the other, that one gets pained if his/her beloved is hurt! Love also involves a physical element. Friendship does not have that. This is a vital difference. Nature gives us love but does not give us friendship.

    Your heart beats will never increase in expectation of meeting your friend. You will not lie awake at night thinking about your friend. You will not feel totally lost, if you don't meet your friend for a few days. You will not have dreams in your eyes thinking about your friend. But in love, you will do all this and much more. Indeed, there is no comparison between love and friendship.

                                                     Four Books That Will Interest You to Travel the World

    There's truly nothing like travel when it comes to gaining life experience. To get you in the adventuring mood, we asked Amazon Senior Editor Chiris Schlep to help us come up with a list of books that transport readers to another time and place. Below, see his list of four books that will interest you to travel the world.

    SEATTLE: Where You'g Go, Bernadette? By Maria Sample

    Maria Sample's first novel is not exactly a love story to Seattle, but if you read it, you just might want to come here to see if people are really as self-involved as the characters in her book. What really shines through is the strange storytelling and the amusing incidents. Buy it on Amazon. price: $26.60.

    ENGLAND: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

    You can't travel to Thomas Cromwell's England without a time machine, but reading Hilary Mantel's prize-winning novel is the next best thing. It will make you long to see the ancient buildings and green grass of the English countryside, much of which is still there. Buy it on Amazon. price$25.10.

    NANTUCKET: Here's to Us by Eli Hildebrand

    Eli Hildebrand has built a writing career out of writing about her hometown island of Nantucket. Her latest is Here's to Us, which, perhaps not surprisingly, is a great beach read. Buy it on Amazon. price: $30.80.

    ITALY: Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

    This book by the popular author Jess Walters is a love story that begins on the Italian Coast in the early 60s and eventually concludes in contemporary Hollywood. As the settings shift from Italy to Edinburgh to Los Angeles, you will find yourself longing to go as well. Buy it on Amazon.price:$28.90.

    Our world natural park is one of the most famous parks in the world. Millions of visitors from different countries visit this park every year. In order to protect it, please do as follows：

    Protect the natural and cultural heritage. Don't damage or deface any buildings, displays and other facilities. Take care of all plants. Put rubbish in the bins provided.

    Take care when you are going up and down steps or stairs and when you are walking nearby the waters.

    Please buy tickets before entering the scenic spot. One ticket is only for one person. Adult：＄60 per ticket. Children over 6 and under 18, half price. People over 60 and children under 6 are free.

    If you are going into the wooded and hilly lands, for your own safety, please go with three people at least and don't take any tinder(易燃物）along with you. The hill is steep so please take care of yourself.

    This scenic spot is the reserve of water source: No fishing, swimming, washing and any behaviors that are harmful to the water source. Meanwhile, please follow the management rules of the scenic spot conscientiously.

    Opening time：From Monday to Friday, 8：00 a. m.～18：00 p.m.；From Saturday to Sunday, 6：00 am.一24：00 p. m.

    Small animals such as rabbits, peacocks, squirrels, frogs must be taken care of: None of them shall be killed.

    If you have any trouble in visiting our world natural park, please call 477-866-7044. Our staff will do our best to help you.

    Many of us know about Russia's Lake Baikal from our textbooks, or by listening to Chinese singer Li Jian's hit song, Lie Baikal. But over the past decade, the world's deepest freshwater lake has been in the spotlight for an extreme sport.

    Each March since 2005, about 150 people from around the world sign up for the Baikal Ice Marathon. They come to explore the lake's breathtaking beauty and challenge themselves in unpredictable conditions. The 26-mile (41.84-kilometers) journey starts on the lake's eastern shore. In March, the ice is a meter thick and iron-hard. Runners cross this frozen surface, finishing on the western side of the lake.

    Known as the "blue eye of Siberia", Lake Baikal has exceptionally clear waters. This means its ice is almost perfectly transparent (透明的). "Seen from above, a runner on the ice looks as if he or she were jogging through space." The New York Times noted.

    The landscape might be beautiful, but it's also harsh. Strong winds blast (侵袭) across the lake and frostbite can occur within half an hour. Runners say the cold climate is what draws them. They want to test their limits.

    "When you are in such an environment, you don't have cars around you, and you don't have the noise around. I think these extreme races allow you to be alone with nature." Alicja Barahona, a 64-year-old runner from the US, told ABC news.

    The location offers some strange and unique characteristics for this marathon. The finishing line is visible from the start, but the endless white offers no progress markers. The race also ends with little fanfare (隆重的欢迎). Tourists crowding the ice are mostly addicted to snapping selfies (自拍) and just ignore the runners.

    For some runners, the absence of spectators makes the race more challenging, because it's lonely. They must fight with themselves. "You are alone on Baikal. It is your race. You are alone with yourself. All you need to do is to defeat yourself." Veronique Messina, a French runner, told the Telegraph.