Imagine looking out of your window and suddenly seeing hot lava and rocks coming down the mountain! It sounds like a terrible place to livel But there are stil many people who are quite happy living near a volcano. Why? scientists recently asked some people why they choose to live near a volcano. Most people answered that the volcano near their home was not active, so they felt it was safe to live near it. However, there are around 1,9oo active volcanoes in the world, and people live near these volcanoes too. "I am happy to live here," said one schoolteacher, "My whole family is happy to live here. We know it is active. In fact, on some days, we see smoke and ash come out of the volcano. But people think it will not erupt again for many years, so we are not worried. other people said that living near a volcano is good for them. For example, some farmers said that the volcano makes the soil in the area good for growing a lot of plants and vegetables. Others said that the volcano gives people hot water for their homes. Finally, some people also said that the volcano is very beautiful. They said they were happy to live in a place with clean air and a lot of nature, even if it was near a volcano.