Stone is all around us. Stone is usually very hard, 1it can also be soft. Stones have many uses.
In some2artists carve（雕刻）beautiful things out of soft stones, because they can be shaped easily. In ancient times, people carved3persons or animals out of soft stones, which could be carried along with（随身携带）. While in some European countries, statues（雕塑）are carved4hard stones and they do not change easily. In summer, the hot sun5on these statues and in winter the snow falls on them, but they6 remain beautiful.
Stone is strong and long—lasting. So, it is 7 enough for buildings. A house built of stone does not catch fire as easily as8made of wood. Some stones are coloured, so they make the9look wonderful. People can also get a fire with stones. Besides, some kinds of stones can be used to10jewellery（珠宝）. We've found stones are really amazing.
