Last night, on my way home I stopped because of being attracted by some hamburgers at a fast food restaurant. On my way in, a homeless man approached me and asked, “Do you have any bottles lying around?” I knew he would recycle them for a few cents, but I didn't have any, so I said no. And again he asked, “Can you spare some change ?” I smiled, and said no again. He was very respectful; he smiled back and said, “OK, thank you.” Even though he didn't have anything, he was still in good spirits. From the way he spoke I could tell he was smart.

    Then I bought one hamburger and enjoyed my meal, but in the back of my mind I wondered whether the homeless man was hungry. After I finished my meal I decided to order another one for him. At this point I didn't know if he was still around, but I tried anyway.

    At the counter I ordered a hamburger and also a hot chocolate, because it was cold outside, and I thought it would help warm him up. They delivered me the hot chocolate first and as I waited for my hamburger, I noticed the homeless man was standing right beside me. I looked at him and smiled, “This hot chocolate is for you.” He replied like a gentleman, “Thank you so much. That's very kind of you.”

    I always believe no matter how hard up I am, there are always those who are worse off than I. When you help someone, it's not always about money, it's about love. The love you give today, someone might forget tomorrow. It doesn't matter. Love anyway, because the greatest thing you can give is love.

    Peter Thiel,the billionaire co-founder of PayPal,plans to live to be 120.Compared with some other tech billionaires,he doesn't seem particularly ambitious.Dmitry Itskov,the “godfather” of the Russian Internet,says his goal is to live to 10.000;and Sergey Brin,co-founder of Google,hopes to someday "cure death.

    They aren't being ridiculous.Their search is based on real science that could fundamentally change what we know about life and about death.It's hard to believe,though,since the human search for immortality is both ancient and filled with disastrous failures.Around 200 B.C.,the first emperor of China,Qin Shi Huang,accidentally killed himself trying to live forever;he poisoned himself by eating mercury（水银）pills.Centuries later, the search for eternal life wasn't much safer: In J492,Pope Innocent VIII died after blood transfusions from three healthy boys whose youth he believed he could absorb.

    But historical examples haven't discouraged some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley.Thiel,for example,has given $3.5 million to the Methuselah Foundation.Aubrey de Grey,Methuselah's co-founder,says SENS,the nonprofit's main research is devoted to finding drugs that cure several types of age-related damage:"Loss of cells, excessive（过多的）cell division,inadequate cell death,garbage inside the cell,garbage outside the cell,...The idea is that the human body,being a machine,has a structure that determines all aspects of its function,so if we can restore that structure—at the molecular（分子的）and cellular（细胞的）level—then we will restore function too,so we will have comprehensively renewed the body."

    But SENS,which has an annual operating budget of $5 million,is small,compared with the Brin-led Project Calico,Google's attempt to “cure death,”which is planning to pump billions into a partnership with medicine giant AbbVie.Google is secretive,but it's said to be building a drug to copy a gene associated with exceptional life span.

    Then there's the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research,started by Paul F.Glenn in 1965.Since 2007,the foundation has distributed annual "Glenn Awards,"$60,000 to independent researchers doing promising work on aging.The Glenn Foundation also works closely with the Ellison Medical Foundation,a far younger institution (founded in 1997).Ellison's passion project gives out hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to scholars seeking research on aging.Their decision to fund independent research may be paying off.Research projects funded by Ellison and Glenn appear to be developing into a testable means to stave off old age—for lab mice.The question is: Can those lab results be repeated in humans?

    There are many dangerous sea creatures in the world. The following are some examples.

    The needlefish are commonly seen living near the surface of tropical (热带的) waters. But they can also break cover the water，and once in the air they can become dangerous flying swords. Though it is rare，people have been seriously hurt and even killed by the fish．Night fishermen in small boats are at particular risk because their lights may attract the fish.

    Saltwater crocodiles are the world's largest crocodiles，sometimes reaching 23 feet in length and topping 2，200 pounds. Yet these crocodiles hunt quietly，lying in wait below shoreline waters to attack turtles and thirsty animals that have come to drink. Saltwater crocodiles kill a number of people each year.

    There is no doubt that the great white shark sits atop the ocean food chain. The world's largest fish can weigh at over 5，000 pounds and reach lengths of more than 20 feet. Great white sharks have about 3，000 teeth，which they typically sink into sea lions，seals，and sea turtles. These sharks are responsible for a third to a half of the 100 shark attacks on humans every year.

    The sea anemone (海葵) may look like the beautiful flower for which it's named，but fish that swim too close may regret it. The sea anemone，which lives on the sea floor，uses its poisonous tentacles (触须) to stab passing creatures with a kind of poison—making them helpless and fit to be eaten.

    The surgeonfish (刺尾鱼) is an attractive reef fish that is poisonous. Scientists believe that the world's seas hold some 1, 200 different surgeonfish species and think that they injure about

    50，000 people per year. But the surgeonfish poison can also bring great benefit—they are useful in the development of new drugs.

    If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven't you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language? According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles.

    The study also found the effect is greater when the younger people learn a second language. A team led by Dr. Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.

    Scans showed that grey matter density (密度) in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.

    “Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language,” said the scientists. It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn. Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and math skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible (灵活的),” he said. “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”

    The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of two and thirty-four. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,” explained the scientists.

    Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was one of the greatest artists of all time. He was born on July 15, 1606, in Leiden, Holland. Rembrandt began painting at an early age. At the age of 15, he traveled to Amsterdam to study art. But he soon returned home to paint on his own.

    Rembrandt's first paintings were of subjects from history. He used bright colors and shiny paints. These paintings were popular. Rembrandt became well-known in his community.

    In 1628, Rembrandt began to teach art. He was a respected teacher with many students. In 1632, Rembrandt again moved to Amsterdam. He began painting portraits (肖像) of many well-known people in Amsterdam. He soon became famous in Holland for his beautiful portraits.

    In 1634, he married a wealthy and educated girl named Saskia. She served as a model for many of his paintings. They moved into a large home where Rembrandt hung many of the paintings that he had collected. He enjoyed buying paintings by other artists.

    Rembrandt continued to succeed as an artist. But tragedy (悲剧) began to strike his family. Three of his four children died at a very early age. His wife, Saskia, died in 1642.

    Rembrandt became very sad. He began to paint with darker colors. But somehow, his painting grew even more beautiful. He used dark colors around the figures in his paintings. The figures themselves were painted as if a soft light were shining on them. One of Rembrandt's most famous paintings, The Night Watch, is from this period.

    Rembrandt began to paint more for himself and less for other people. Although his work was excellent, he was not able to make enough money to keep his house.

    Until he died on October 4, 1669, Rembrandt continued to paint. Rembrandt created over 600 paintings, 300 etchings (蚀刻画), and 1,400 drawings. Some of his most fascinating paintings were the portraits that he painted of himself. About 100 self-portraits leave a great record of his lifetime.

    Hawaii, 2nd Edition

    Original price: $ 22.95

    Sale price: $ 20. 95

    Summary: Hawaii is one of the world's premier(最著名的) vacation destinations, and this practical and fact- packed book shows why. Like other Traveler guides, it's a treasure of special features - walking and driving tours, in-depth Hawaiian history, a sample of the best of each island's activities, plus a selection of hotels and restaurants in every price range.

    Be the Pack Leader

    Original price: $ 25.95

    Sale price: $ 18. 95

    Summary: Bestselling author Cesar Millan takes principles of dog psychology a step further, showing you how to develop the calm energy of a successful leader and use it to improve your dog's life and your own life. With practical tips and techniques, Cesar helps you understand and read your dog's energy as well as your own energy so that you can take your connection with your dog to the next level.

    Celebrate Hanukkah

    Original price: $ 15.85

    Sale price: $7.85

    Summary: The US astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman brought a menorah(烛台) and a dreidel(陀螺)on his Space Shuttle mission in 1993. Hoffman observed the traditional spinning of the dreidel, but wisely left the menorah unlit in several thousand liters of rocket fuel. Also included is the author's sure-to-please potato pancakes' recipe.

    A New Perspective(观点) of Earth

    Original price: $26.85

    Sale price: $ 20.85

    Summary: The author Benjamin Grant describes a unique collection of satellite images of the earth that offer an unexpected look at humanity. More than 200 images of industry, agriculture, architecture and nature highlight incredible patterns while also revealing a deeper story about human influence. This extraordinary photographic journey around our planet captures the sense of wonder gained from a new, aerial point and creates a perspective of the earth as it has never been seen before.