About five hundred years ago, an earthquake (地震) happened in a small village. Luckily for them, nothing was destroyed (毁坏) and no one was hurt. But a huge stone fell from a nearby mountain and stopped in the middle of the road.

    When the earthquake stopped, many people came to the road and saw the stone. Some of the strongest men tried to lift the stone out of the road. But they couldn't move it. They tried to push it but failed. They tried to pull it with ropes but nothing worked.

    "Well," they said sadly, "there's nothing we can do about it. We'll have to change the way."

    At this time a boy about 12 years old said, "I think I can help you to move the stone away.

    "You?" they shouted. "What are you talking about?" The men all laughed at the boy.?

    The next morning, some people came into the road. One of them shouted, "The stone is gone." More people ran out to see what had happened. It was true. The stone wasn't on the road any longer. It wasn't even near the road.

    The boy walked over to where the stone had been and said, "I buried it."

    The people looked rather surprised. "You see," he said, "I dug a deep hole next to the stone and I dug a small incline (斜坡) up to the stone and the stone rolled (滚) down into the hole itself. Then I covered it with earth."

    The villagers shouted, "Clever boy! Clever boy!" And some of them said, "Why didn't we think out this good idea?"

    Several months ago, a couple with a little girl moved in next door to me. The girl seemed too quiet to make any noise, while the parents were always 1her loudly. Whenever we met my new neighbors, I always spoke, but the only 2 I ever got was a hello from the 4-year-old girl.

    I usually go out for breakfast and one day when I returned, they were just coming from their home and the little girl was holding the door open for others. I stayed in the car doing unnecessary things as I wasn't in a 3. The parents were telling her to get into the car immediately. I looked up and saw the little girl was still holding the door open, waiting for me.

As a disabled man, I can't hurry at 4, but I hurried as much as I could and thanked her. She was smiling like a lovely angel. I was so 5 by her small act of kindness. That afternoon I was shopping and I saw a white bear. I thought of the girl and said to myself. "I believe she would like that" so I bought it.

    The next day there was a knock on the door and it was the little girl and her parents. She was so 6of her bear and thanked me as if I had never been thanked before. The mother and father both thanked me. 

    Now when we meet, we all speak, and in a friendly manner I might add. As time passes, I don't hear that shouting as often.7, hardly at all.

    Last night we had about four inches of snow. I looked out at my car and wondered 8 I was going to keep my doctor's appointment(约会). When I opened the outside door, there was my car with all the snow cleaned. I can't express how I felt at that moment. The man next door was the only person I knew in the whole building,9when I saw him the next day, I asked him if he was the good man that cleaned my snow. He said No. He wanted to but his wife said she wanted to do it.

    Isn't it amazing that a 4-year-old girl can change so many things for the better? It is said that good things usually come from 10.

    I know a Catherine who is smart, educated and interesting. But I avoid her because she never 1 complaining(抱怨)! For years, I fought against my feelings, because I really like and admire(赞赏) her, but I've found I just can't be her friend. Her world is 2“but.”. The trip would have been nice, but the drive was too long.  The food was good, but the light of the restaurant was too  3.  The hotel was too hot, the bed hurt her back and the room service was too slow. Her complaints were 4 changing me.  Months ago, my best friend Daisy was listening to me complaining about Catherine 5 she just became really angry. “Either break up with her, or leave me alone.” She shouted at me, “I'm tired of listening to your complaining. ” Her honesty surprised me, and I began to keep myself away from Catherine. Later, I did 6 her.

    Now I try to remain happy and positive (积极的) about life, and find friends of the same. There's been scientific research lately. It shows that people who find 7 to be thankful for their lives are actually happier, and I believe that is true. Endless complaining seems to control your life if you let it come into your brain. And too much complaining will actually make your life 8.

    Some people take “gratitude ( 感激之情) walks” every day, where they 9their lives in a positive way. By developing a grateful attitude, you can be turned away from what's troubling you, and 10 what makes you happy. Then you will have a beautiful life. 

    Last year, we took a trip to New York City. When we arrived at our 1, it was around 2 a. m. My son, Joseph, looked out at the lights of Times Square and said he wanted to go 2. I told him it was too 3 to go out, but he kept looking out of the window and said, "Just for two minutes."

    My wife and I just looked at each other, smiled and said, "Two minutes." We got dressed and walked into the center of Times Square. 4 we got there, my son pointed at the lights and said, "Dad, 5!" And then he started to fall asleep. So we had go back to the hotel.

    It took us 20 minutes to 6 for the 20 seconds we spent outside, but it made our son 7 and that meant a lot to us. That night, I learned a lesson about happiness. We sometimes have chances to 8 happy moments in our lives, but we often find 9 to do something else.

    Because of my son, I learned that I am the biggest enemy to my own happiness. 10 happiness is a door that is always open, we are the ones who have to decide if we are going to walk through the door.