In 1834, the clock tower in London was burned down. People planned to build a new clock which would be the biggest and best in the world. So the clock had to be big and keep very good time. The big clock was made in two years. Five more years later the tower was finished. Then people put the big clock in the tower, and made it ring out for the first time on July 11, 1859.

   In order to give the big clock a good name, people held a meeting. Someone wanted to call it the Queen of Bells, and someone thought Victoria was good. At last, a man named Benjamin Hall stood up. He was a big man. Before he started to speak, someone shouted, “Why not call it Big Ben?” Everybody laughed and agreed with him.

   From then on, Big Ben became its name. And it also became a famous building of London. People all over the world write to Big Ben. They even send birthday presents—bottles of oil-to help keep Big Ben running. Big Ben is not only a clock but also a dear friend of people.

    How can you get happiness? Most people may say that happiness means a nice house, a car, a big bank balance and a high paying job.

    Here in India where I live now, I have travelled through villages where people seemed to earn enough to make ends meet(收支平衡). I can see happiness. I have seen smiling faces and smiling eyes. They were very happy and made my journey easier.

    I also worked on Wall Street in 1997, in a big Investment Bank. I have seen some people with a lot of money but still unhappy because they pay more attention to their material life. I am not saying that all rich are unhappy. In fact, some rich people look angry or ill, but some poor people look happy.

    Happiness is not a thing of how much you have. Happiness is a life full of hope and good emotions. You can feel happy by listening to a good song; you can feel happy watching a beautiful sunrise; you can feel happy in lots of ways that don't need any possessions(财富) at all.

Information Card

    The summer solstice(夏至), around June 21, is the longest day of the year in the northern half of the world. On that day, the sun is the highest in the sky, so the earth gets the most hours of light. People in many countries celebrate that day in a holiday called Midsummer.

    Different countries celebrate Midsummer in different ways. In towns in Sweden, people put up a Midsummer Pole(仲夏柱) made of wood covered with flowers. They dance and sing around it. After wards, they eat fish, new potatoes and strawberries. That night, young people pick seven different flowers and put them under their pillows(枕头) when they sleep to dream about the person they will marry.

    In Finland, people go out to the country and build huge fires to celebrate Midsummer. In the past, people believed that the fires drove away bad luck. Now, they're a reason to get together with friends for a big party all night. Because Finland is so far north, the sky is light most of the night on Midsummer. Many Finnish people start their summer vacations on that day.

    In some parts of Spain, people have big parties and enjoy fireworks(烟花) on the beaches at night to celebrate Midsummer. Some people believe that plant medicines work the best if they are made on Midsummer, so women go out to collect the plants that night. Some people put the plants in water and then wash their faces with the water for good health. And of course there are special foods: fish, potatoes and corn bread.

    It's easy to tell someone good news, but what about bad news? Are there any good ways to give bad news without making people too upset? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    ★Say something good. Try to start the conversation with something good so that what you say is not all bad. For example," I know you play soccer very well, but we only need one teammate." Or you may end the conversation with a promise. "{#blank#}2{#/blank#}."

    ★Prepare your listener for the news. Use words to introduce what you're going to say, like "I'm really sorry, but..."or "I'm afraid I've got some bad news." {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    ★Try to give a reason. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Try to explain the decision: if you have to cancel a trip with friends, can you explain why?

    ★{#blank#}5{#/blank#}. If you're giving someone bad news, try to use a soft friendly voice to make you sound kind. Say things to show you understand, like "I'm really sorry. I know this must be disappointing."

I went to Grand Canyon (大峡谷) National Park in July 2012 for the first time and I knew I wanted to work there as a park ranger（管理员）. Park rangers protect the park's animals, plants, land, buildings, and people.

Now, as a park ranger for Grand Canyon National Park, I share the science, history and beauty of this park with thousands of visitors from around the world.

National parks are like outdoor museums. Park rangers have all kinds of jobs, depending on where they work and what they studied during college. I teach school field trips（实地考察）, work at visitor centers and help people stay safe during their visit.

My favorite part of my job is showing children their first look at the Grand Canyon during school field trips. Children are often amazed at the canyon's size and colors. Sometimes, they think it looks like a painting.

Being a park ranger requires a lot of energy. I walk several miles and talk with hundreds of people each day. Park rangers must enjoy working with people and speaking in front of groups. Nearly 5 million people visit Grand Canyon National Park every year.

Park rangers must also be prepared for any situation. Recently, I broke a traffic jam(堵塞). It was caused by a huge elk（麋鹿）standing in the road. Elks can become dangerous when they get scared, so I asked visitors to stop their cars and take pictures from far away. Believe it or not, I also help protect people from monkeys. It is not allowed to feed animals in national parks. But sometimes, visitors try to feed monkeys.