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.

I was tired and hungry after a long day of work. When I walked into the living room, my 12-year-old son looked __21__ at me and said, “I love you.” I didn’t know what to say. __22__ several seconds all I could do was to stand there and __23__ down at him. My first thought was that he must need __24__ with his homework or he was trying to _25__ me for some news. Finally I asked, “What was that all about?”

“Nothing.” He said, “My teacher said we should _26__ our parents that we love them and see what they say. It’s a(n) __27_.”

The next day I called his teacher to __28__ more about this “experiment” and how the other parents had _29_.

“Basically, most of the fathers had the __30__ reaction as you did.” The teacher said, “When I first __31__ we try this, I asked the children what they thought their parents would say. Some of them thought their parents would have heart trouble.” “The _32_ is,” the teacher explained, “feeling loved is an important part of _33_. It’s something all human beings _34_. What I’m trying to tell the children is that it’s too _35_ that we don’t all express those feelings. A boy should be _36__ to tell his dad that he loves him.”

The teacher, a middle-aged man, understands how __37__ it is for some of us to say the things that would be good for us to say.

When my son came to me that evening, I held on to him for __38__ second. And just __39__ he pulled away, I said in my deepest, most manly voice, “Hey, I love you, too.”

I don’t know if saying that made either of us healthier, but it did feel pretty good. Maybe next time if my child says “I love you”, it would not take me a whole day to think o f the right __40_.

21. A. away          B. down          C. out                D. up

22. A. After            B. At                  C. For           D. On

23. A. glance           B. glare           C. watch               D. stare

24. A. patience          B. time                   C. help                 D. paper

25. A. report           B. answer             C. prepare        D. apologize

26. A. help             B. ask                    C. tell           D. make

27. A. thing                    B. experiment      C. word                D. sentence

28. A. search for                  B. search                    C. find out                    D. find

29. A. said             B. reacted         C. done         D. explained

30. A. ordinary         B. different        C. usual           D. same

31. A. allowed            B. agreed                 C. suggested            D. planned

32. A. point                    B. idea                    C. way           D. cause

33. A. body                    B. health          C. life            D. study

34. A. have                    B. know                C. take           D. require

35. A. bad                     B. good         C. late            D. early

36. A. fit                      B. able                    C. nice           D. kind

37. A. easy                    B. much                C. often           D. difficult

38. A. a much                  B. an extra         C. an exact            D. a full

39 A. before                    B. after           C. because              D. if

40. A. answer                  B. key            C. reason        D experiment

阅读下面短文，第1至5题表述了Anna、Smith、Wilkins、Crick和June在自己的生活及学习中遇到的问题，他们需要你的帮助，请从A、B、C、D、E和F中为其选出最合适的建议，选项中有一项是多余选项。

1．Anna: I get really frustrated easily, and sometimes I end up yelling at people I love．I'm not very sure why it happens, but I have no control over it．How can I stop?

2．Smith: Some kids are making fun of me because I'm doing very well at school．Isn't that something to be proud of? I need advice．

3．Wilkins: I can't sociaize．I am really shy, and I am already a freshman in high school. I have some new friends, but I am still shy to the cool kids．Can you help me, please?

4．Crick: I always say what I feel immediately and without thinking．Sometimes I get in trouble for it or feel sorry about it later．Is speaking your mind a good or a bad thing?

5．June: I love to read! But I don't have any time to read because of all of my activities．I don’t want to quit anything．What should I do?

A

       Instead of feeling upset, you should definitely be proud of yourself．Intelligence is a quality that everyone wants, and as you get older it's going to be what people love and respect about you．Still water runs deep．I'm sure as time goes by, some of those kids making fun of you might realize how cool you actually are．

B

       Everyone has to leam how to adapt to society and mix socially with others．No man is an island, as the saying goes．To become a sociable person, you must be naturally friendly．Besides, do something for a social situation．A teacher once gave me this great advice: Prepare a conversation in your head before going into an uncomfortable social situation．It sounds like a lot of work, but it's easy and it works! Get involved in activities that interest you and you will make new friends fast．

C

       Always keep a book with you so that you can read during pockets of free time．Turn some of your TV or computer time into reading time．Read for a little while right before bed, and find time to read on weekends．Also, talk to your parents about your schedule．You might not want to quit anything, but you might need to find more free time in order to have a happy balance in your life．

D

       That feeling is your conscience, and it's telling you that you need to confess what you did．Be brave and tell your parents．Even if they get upset when they hear about it from you, they would be even more upset to hear about it from your friend's mom．So pick a quiet time and say．Mom, Dad, I need to tell you something, but I'm afraid．Then spill the beans．No matter what they say, you'll be relieved not to have this secret any more．

E

       First, identify what is frustrating you, then learn to calm yourself down．The next time you start feeling frustrated, stop what you're doing and breathe deeply．Count to ten．Get up and walk around．Clear your mind before you come back to the frustrating task．If you keep a cool head, you'll be less likely to snap at others．And if you do yell at someone, apologize and admit that it's not that person's fault．Then calm down and try again．

F

       Speaking your mind can be a really good thing．Far too many people don't, except when talking about someone behind that person's back．However, there are times when honesty does more than good like when a girl asks if she looks fat．So in situations in which there's no real good, you are better off keeping your thoughts to yourself．In situations in which that is not the case like when your brother asks if his breath stinks feel free to tell the truth．Just be prepared to take it in return．