The people of Reykjavik are used to lying down for the winter, when each day brings with it only a few hours of sunlight. February coming, they’re more than ready to wake up from hibernation（冬眠）and welcome the first signs of spring. The local authorities decided this was a good time of a year to try to raise people’s spirits, and in 2002 they set up the Winter Lights Festival（February 7 to 10）. Starting out as Museum Night, when museums waived their fees and stayed open until midnight, the festival has grown to an event that marks the coming return of daylight. For a few days, the city comes alive with bright lights, street performances, theater, dances, and live music. Shops, cafés, outdoor hot pools and the museums stay open until 12:00 pm and they’re all free of charge, with free bus services provided. Here are another two things about Reykjavik that will help you celebrate the coming end of winter.

The Blue Lagoon is Iceland’s most famous tourist attraction. Being an amazing place at any time of day, it is magical at dusk, when the steamy, ice blue waters shine in color. Little wooden bridges and walkways connect smaller pools with a larger pool, which contains geothermal（地热的）seawater heated from 37℃ to 39℃. The Lava Restaurant has great views over the waters. Basic entrance to the lagoon costs $ 44.

The Imagine Peace Tower, Yoko Ono’s memorial to John Lennon, was first lit by Ono on October 9, 2007, Lennon’s birthday, and shone until December 8, the date he was killed in 1980. It’s lit on the same date every year, as well as New Year’s Eve and spring equinox, which in 2013 is on March 20. The tower contains 15 searchlights that send a column of lights 4,000m up into the night sky. Guided tours are available（可获得的）with pick-up from your hotel for $ 39.

   One summer weekend, my wife, son and I entered a running race on mountain trails（小径）. When the race started, our son took off _______, but my wife and I stayed back and ran together, enjoying the scenery. After some time, while running down a narrow, _______ trail, I walked on a big stone and had a _______, and in the process, I jammed my toe pretty hard. I realized I’d got my toe _______, but I didn’t take off my shoe and sock to check my _______. Instead, my wife and I kept running.

____, after going about half the course, I realized my watch on my wrist was _______. Slightly discouraged, I encouraged my wife to go on ahead, and I would _______ to see if I could find it. After running back for some time, I _______ my broken watch off the trail. I picked it up, and quickly put it into my pocket. Then I ________ down the trail. When I was near the end, I saw my son, who had finished 30 minutes earlier and had run back up the trail to ________ me. He ran with me to the end.

As it turned out, both my wife and son had ________ first place in their age groups, but I had no chance of placing. As I sat down to ________ after the race, I decided to take off my shoe and check my toe, and I found that my sock was in blood. Painful and hurt, there was a bright side. I ________ to receive any award in my age group, but the race ________ had a special award which was given to the most injured runner in the race.

So, how does this ________ relate to you and me in everyday life? Although everyone wants to live a life of comfort, the ________ is that we often face pain and ________. However, the key to real happiness is ________pain into something positive. In other words, ________ can make us stronger if we face them bravely.

The structure of houses has changed a lot after the first hut was built in ancient times. I often imagine what houses in the future would be like. I am sure they will be great different from what they are today.

First, houses in the future can adjust the room temperature with the changes of season. Second, they prevent waste by produce energy through their solar panels, that can be used to provide hot water in winter and cool air in summer. Beside, they can change their colors at any time satisfy their owners.

In a short, living in a future house will be amazed.