A. They admit their mistakes.       

B. They are open to criticism.

C. They are willing to learn.                   

D. They’re in charge of their emotions.

E. They apologize when needed.     

F. They are generous with compliments. 

We all see and hear about extraordinary people around us and wonder why can’t we be more like them? Sometimes we chuck that notion as absurd and unachievable. I would say not so fast. It’s not the big things that make someone extraordinary. It’s the small things. Things over a period of time have the power to radically change your life. They become extraordinary by making a difference in someone’s life. Here are some of the things extraordinary people do every day:

1. __________

Just because you’re the boss, it doesn’t mean you are right every time. It doesn’t mean you have the best ideas. Learn to back up your ideas or decisions with reason. Use logic to explain things, not authority. By doing this your decisions might invite criticism, but you will also get an opportunity to improve.

2. __________

My friend’s boss made a huge mistake by tying up with an event management company. The whole purpose of the tie-up was to promote his company but it failed miserably. Instead of defending his idea and carrying on as if nothing happened, he apologized to the team for not including them in the decision making. It’s OK to admit you were wrong. You will not only gain the respect of your team mates, you will also gain credibility.

3.__________

Remember the time, say in school or at work when you worked really hard but got nothing in return. Not even a thank you. It hurts when your efforts are not recognized. So every chance you get to praise someone, do it. A simple “That was some great work, keep it up,” can go a long way in making the employee feel great about themselves. A compliment can have a positive impact on their lives. Your team/family will love you for it.

4. __________

We all make mistakes, but what makes a person big is when he is ready to apologize. Don’t try to hide behind excuses: “I didn’t mean to say it, it just happened.” “I was irritated with such and such person so…” No. Don’t try to shift blame. Just come right out and say you’re sorry.

5. __________

Sometimes it is very important to stay mum. Especially when you’re angry or irritated or bitter, you don’t want to end up saying things you didn’t really mean to. So they take their time, they process their emotions, think back to what happened, and then come to a decision about how to tackle it. Before you say anything, consider other’s feelings. Never be rash with words or actions.

 

A strange thing happened to me last Sunday. It was such a beautiful day that I decided to go for a  11  in the country. On the way back home，my car stopped. It was out of  12  on a lonely   road far from a town. I decided to walk until I found someone who could  13  me a gallon（加仑） or two of petrol. I had  14  almost a mile before I finally found a big house near the road. I was           15  to see it because it was starting to get dark. I  16  at the door and a little old lady with long white hair answered. She said, “I have been  17  for you a long time. Come in. Tea is almost ready.”

“But I only came for some petrol.” I answered. I couldn’t  18  what she was talking about.

“Oh, Alfred! Petrol? You used to  19  tea.”

I quickly  20  that I needed some petrol, but she didn’t seem to hear me. She just kept calling me Alfred and talking about how long it had been since she had seen me. She was acting very strangely and I was  21  to leave. As soon as she went to get tea, I went out of the house as fast as I could.  22  , there was another house down the road and I was able to buy several gallons of petrol. When I told the man about my  23 . He said,“Oh, that is Miss Emily. She lives by herself in that big house. She’s  24  but she wouldn’t hurt anyone. She is still waiting for the man she was supposed to marry thirty years ago. The day before their  25  he left home and never came back because of the war.”

1.                A．walk           B．holiday         C．drive D．picnic

 

2.                A．work           B．petrol          C．order    D．sight

 

3.                A．buy            B．borrow         C．sell  D．send

 

4.                A．rested         B．stopped        C．stepped  D．walked

 

5.                A．amazed         B．pleased         C．surprised D．tired

 

6.                A．beat           B．stood          C．knocked  D．struck

 

7.                A．waiting         B．searching       C．longing   D．looking

 

8.                A．order          B．hear           C．imagine   D．remember

 

9.                A．like            B．have           C．drink D．make

 

10.               A．explained       B．realized        C．noticed   D．discovered

 

11.               A．excited         B．anxious         C．worried   D．amazed

 

12.               A．Fortunately     B．Lately          C．Immediately    D．Personally

 

13.               A．expression      B．idea           C．schedule  D．experience

 

14.               A．kind           B．funny          C．strange    D．angry

 

15.               A．marriage       B．journey        C．plan  D．wedding

 

 

 

A．   Decide to Be Happy B．   Lower Your Expectations C．   Learn to Enjoy the Moment D．   Look for the Good in Everything E．   Let People Deal with Their Own Problems F．   Focus More on What You Can Control Than on What You Can’t

So many times I hear people say that they will be happy once a certain event occurs. They think that once they move into a new house, start their new job, travel or retire they will be happy. But it doesn’t work that way.

If you truly want to be happy, here’s what to do.

1

You are not just a victim of circumstances or your emotions. Think about it this way. If you are in a horrible argument with someone, and the person you most respect enters the room, what will happen? The fighting will likely stop immediately, your mood will change, and so will your behavior. You do have control, and you are the one who decides how you will face the day!

2

We are never disappointed unless we have expectations. If you base your emotions on the need for certain things to happen, you will likely be let down most of the time. Instead, work hard, and treat everything good that happens as a bonus for which you can be thankful.

3

Don’t get too wrapped up in issues involving friends or family. We are each responsible for our own lives, and even when someone makes a bad mistake, it is not up to you to make things better. And remember that worry doesn’t help anyone!

4

You might not be satisfied with your income, but there’s no point complaining about it. Improve your diploma so that you can get a better job in the future. You may have an incurable illness, such as diabetes, but the fact that it’s incurable doesn’t mean that it cannot be managed.

5

   You don’t have to be a Pollyanna(盲目乐观者)about life, but you can see the bright side of almost every situation if you just make a point of looking for it. Happiness is not an uncatchable mouse! Once you have made up your mind that you are going to be happy despite what is going on around you, the task becomes easier. One of the key things to remember is that happiness doesn’t come from outside but begins on the inside and actually spread outward, and can influence everyone around you in a positive manner.

 

A. The web has large numbers of websites in. it. B. Web designers must imagine a lot when they are making a website. C. The Internet is changing and growing all the time. D. They also write the things that you see on the website. E. It's all because of the web designers. 　　 Mails, games, music, news, chat rooms and shopping! The Internet is part of the way we live today. It's easy to get onto the Internet. The only thing we need to do is to use a modem which is used for connecting a computer to a telephone line. (1)________ More and more people have computers and use the Internet. Using the Internet means surfing the World Wide Web (That's the "www" you always hear about.). (2)________ They are the places you go to get information and do things. 　　 Where do these websites come from? They are made by web designers. What happens when you click on a word or a picture? You are sent to another page. (3)________ Web designers do a lot of work by using a computer programming language. 　　 Is web design all about computer programming? No. It's about making something new.(4)________ It must look good and be fun to use. A big part of web design is art. They choose the best pictures and colours to make the website look good. (5)________ An important part of their job is to share ideas with the website manager about how to design the website well. 1. ________　　 2. ________　　 3. ________　　 4. ________　　 5. ________

 

A young man learns what’s most important in life from the guy next door.

It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, “Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday.” Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

“Jack, did you hear me?”

“Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It’s been so long since I thought of him. I’m sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago,” Jack said．

“Well, he didn’t forget you. Every time I saw him he’d ask how you were doing. He’d reminisce about the many days you spent over ‘his side of the fence’ as he put it,” Mom told him.

“I loved that old house he lived in,” Jack said.

“You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man’s influence in your life,” she said

“He’s the one who taught me carpentry,” he said．“I wouldn’t be in this business if it weren’t for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important…Mom, I’ll be there for the funeral,” Jack said．

As busy as he was, he kept his word．Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time.

Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house was exactly as he remembered．Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture….Jack stopped suddenly.

“What’s wrong, Jack?” his Mom asked.

“The box is gone.” he said．

“What box?” Mom asked．

“There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he’d ever tell me was ‘the thing I value most’.” Jack said.

It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.

“Now I’ll never know what was so valuable to him.” Jack said.

“I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom.”

It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work one day, Jack discovered a note in his mailbox “Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days.” the note read.

Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. “Mr. Harold Belser” it read．Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside.

“Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It’s the thing I valued most in my life.” A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch.

Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved:

“Jack, Thanks for your time! -Harold Belser.”

“The thing he valued most was…my time”

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. “Why?” Janet, his assistant asked．

“I need some time to spend with my son,” he said, “Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!”

1．Why did Jack think Mr. Belser died years ago?

     A．College and career prevented him from remembering Mr. Bleser.

     B．Jack was too busy with his business and family to think about Mr. Belser.

     C．Jack was too busy realizing his dreams to think about Mr. Belser.

     D．His present busy life washed away his childhood memories.

2．Jack’s mother told him on the phone about Mr. Belser EXCEPT that ______.

     A．Mr. Belser often asked how Jack was doing

     B．Mr. Belser’s funeral would take place on Wednesday

     C．Mr. Belser had asked for Jack’s mailing address

     D．Mr. Belser had pleasant memories of their time together

3．Why did Belser send Jack his gold watch?

     A．Because he was grateful for Jack’s time with him.

     B．Because he had no children or relatives.

     C．Because he thought he had to keep his word.

     D．Because Jack had always wanted it during his childhood.

4．Why did Jack say he needed some time to spend with his son?

     A．He was very tired of his work and wanted to have a good rest.

     B．He had promised to spare more time to stay with his son.

     C．He had missed his son and his family for days.

     D．He came to realize the importance of the time with his family.