【推荐1】Norman Cousins was a businessman from the United States who often traveled around the world on business. He enjoyed his work and traveling.

Then, after returning to the United States from a busy and tiring trip to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)，Mr. Cousins got sick. Because he had pushed his body to the limit of its strength on the trip, a chemical change began to take place inside him. The material between his bones became weak.

In less than one week after his return, he could not stand. Every move that he made was painful. He was not able to sleep at night.

The doctor told him that they did not know how to cure Mr. Cousins’ problem and he might never get over the illness. Mr. Cousins, however, refused to give up hope.

Mr. Cousins thought that unhappy thoughts were causing bad chemical changes in his body. He did not want to take medicine to cure himself. Instead，he felt that happy thoughts or laughter might cure his illness.       

He began to experiment on himself while still in hospital by watching funny shows on television. Mr. Cousins quickly found that 10 minutes of real laughter during the day gave him two hours of pain-free sleep at night.

Deciding that the doctors could not help him, Mr. Cousins left the hospital and checked into a hotel room where he could continue his experiments with laughter. For eight days，Mr. Cousins rested in the hotel room watching funny shows on television，reading funny books，and sleeping whenever he felt tired. Within three weeks，he felt well enough to take a vacation to Puerto Rico where he began running on the beach for exercise.

After a few months，Mr. Cousins returned to work. He has laughed himself back to health.

【推荐2】No one has a temper naturally so good, that it does not need attention and cultivation, and no one has a temper so bad, but that, by proper culture, it may become pleasant. One of the best disciplined tempers ever seen, was that of a gentleman who was naturally quick, irritable,rash, and violent; but,by taking care of the sick, and especially of mentally deranged(疯狂的)people, he so completely mastered himself that he was never known to be thrown off his guard.

The difference in the happiness which is received by the man who governs his temper and that by the man who does not is dramatic. There is no misery so constant, so upsetting, and so intolerable to others, as that of having a character which is your master. There are corners at every turn in life, which we may run, and at which we may break out in impatience, if we choose.

Look at Roger Sherman, who rose from a humble occupation to a seat in the first Congress of the United State, and whose judgment was received with great respect by that body of distinguished men. He made himself master of his temper and cultivated it as a great business in life. There are one or two instances which show this part of his character in a light that is beautiful.

One day, after having received his highest honors, he was sitting and reading in his sitting room. A student, in a room close by, held a looking-glass in such a position as to pour the reflected rays of the sun directly in Mr Sherman’s face. He moved his chair, and the thing was repeated. A third time the chair was moved, but the looking-glass still reflected the sun in his eyes. He laid aside his book, went to the window, and many witnesses of the rude behavior expected to see the ungentlemanly student severely punished. He raised the window gently,and then— shut the window blind!

I can not help providing another instance of the power he had acquired over himself. He was naturally possessed of strong passions, but over these at length-obtained an extraordinary control. He became habitually calm and. self-possessed. Mr. Sherman was one of those men who are not ashamed to maintain the forms of religion in their families. One morning he called them all together as usual to lead them in prayer to God. The “old family Bible” was brought out and laid on the table.

Mr. Sherman took his seat and placed beside him one of his children, a child of his old age. The rest of the.family were.seated around the room, several of whom were now grown-ups. Besides these, some of the tutors of the college were boarders in the family and were present at the time. His aged mother occupied a corner of the room, opposite the place where the distinguished Judge sat.

At length, he opened the Bible, and began to read. The child who was seated,beside him made some little disturbance, upon which Mr. Sherman paused and told it to be still. Again he continued but again he had.to pause to scold the little offender, whose playful character would scarcely permit it to be still. At this.time he gently tapped its ear. The blow, if blow it.might be called, caught the attention of his aged mother, who now with some effort rose from the seat and tottered across the room. At length, she reached the chair of Mr. Sherman, and in a moment, most unexpectedly to him, she gave,him a blow on the ear with all the force she could gather. “There,” said she, “you strike your child, and I will strike mine.”

For a moment, the blood was seen mounting to the face of Mr. Sherman. But it was only for a moment and all was calm and mild as usual. He paused; he raised his glasses; he cast his eye upon his mother; again it fell upon the book fro m which he had been reading. Not a word escaped him; but again he calmly pursued the service, and soon sought in prayer an ability to set an example before his household which should be worthy of their imitation. Such a victory was worth more than the proudest one ever achieved on the field of battle.