文章大意:本文是一篇夹叙夹议文。文章主要讲述了作者被要求写关于中年男人如何没有朋友的话题,作者迅速地整理了一下自己的朋友名单,发现作者与好朋友已经好久没有联系,后来觉得这个话题很适合自己。
I’d been asked to go to an editor’s office with the old program “We have a story we think you’d be perfect for”. Here was the topic: We want you to write about how middle-aged men have no friends. Seeing that, I couldn’t help thinking, “Excuse me? I have plenty of friends.” Then the editor told me there were all sorts of evidence out there to show how men, as they age, let their close friendships go, and that the fact can cause all sorts of problems and have a terrible impact on their health.
As I walked back to my desk in the newsroom--a distance of maybe 100 yards--I quickly search for my friend list. First of all, there was my friend Mark. Wait, how often do we actually hang out? Maybe four or five times a year? And then there was another best friend from high school, Rory, and. . . I actually could not remember the last time I’d seen him.
There were all those other good friends who seemed as if they’re still in my life because we follow one another via social media, but as I ran down the list of those I considered real, true, lifelong friends, I realized that it had been years since I saw many of them, even decades for a few.
By the time I got back to my desk, I realized that I was indeed perfect for this story, not because I was unusual in any way, but because my story was very, very typical. And as I looked into what that means, I realized that in the long term, I was heading down a path that was very, very dangerous. And I knew I needed a change.
36. What was the author’s first reaction to the topic?
A.He thought it was perfect for him. | B.He knew the editor was joking. |
C.He felt surprised and doubtful. | D.He showed an interest in it. |
37. Why did the editor choose this topic?
A.To solve health problems. | B.To change a dangerous path. |
C.To attach importance to friendship. | D.To prove the author’s writing ability. |
38. What did the author reflect on after walking back to the newsroom?
A.He realized the topic worth writing. | B.He wasn’t popular with others. |
C.He had close friends in his life. | D.He didn’t make any true friends. |
39. How did the author keep friendship with his friends?
A.Through letters. | B.Through the Internet. |
C.By phoning each other. | D.By partying regularly. |