【推荐1】When you set a foot outside of your door to drop trash, go to a social event or go for a walk, thoughts like “I hope I don’t see anyone I know” or “please don’t talk to me” may run through your mind. I’ve also said such things to myself. Sometimes the last thing you want to do is to talk with someone, especially someone new.

Why do we go out of our ways to avoid people? Do we think meeting new people is a waste of time? Or are we just lazy, thinking that meeting someone new really is a trouble?

Communication is the key to life. We have been told that many times. Take the past generations, like our parents, for example. They seem to take full advantage of that whole “communication” idea because they grew up talking face to face while Generation-Y grew up staring at screens. We spend hours of our days sitting on Facebook. We send messages to our friends and think about all of the things we want to say to certain people and that we don’t have the courage to do in reality.

Nowadays, we are so caught up in our little circle of friends — our comfort zone. We love it that they laugh at our jokes, understand our feelings and can read our minds. Most importantly, they know when we want to be alone. They just get us.

Holding a conversation with someone new means agreeing with things that you don’t really believe and being someone you think they want you to be — it is, as I said before, a trouble. It takes up so much energy, and at some point or another, it is too tiring.

But meeting new people is important. Life is too short, so meet all the people you can meet, make the effort to go out and laugh. Remember, every “hello” leads to a smile — and a smile is worth a lot.

1. What do we learn about the author?

A．He likes to meet someone new.

B．He feels stressed out lately.

C．He’s active in attending social events.

D．He used to be afraid of talking to others.

2. What’s the problem of Generation-Y in the author’s eyes?

A．They are less confident in themselves.

B．They rely on the Internet to socialize.

C．They have difficulty in communicating.

D．They are unwilling to make new friends.

3. Why does the author write the text?

A．To stress the importance of friends.

B．To encourage people to meet new people.

C．To give tips on how to meet new people.

D．To display the disadvantages of Generation-Y.

【推荐2】How to make friends at a new school

Starting with a new school can be difficult. Everything seems to be different, and you don’t even know where to go for your own classes.    1    However, if you use these skills, you can quickly turn some of those strangers into friends.

Be yourself.

    2    If some people don’t accept you, they’re not the kind of friends you need. People often stay together because they have similar interests. For example, someone who does a lot of sport may make friends with those who also run or swim a lot.

    3    

Remember to be nice to the people you meet at your new school. If you think that you will say something that may make them feel sad, do not anything and just nod your head if they talk to you. Also, remember to be as helpful as possible!

Believe in yourself.

A smile goes a long way. When you walk in the halls, don’t keep your eyes on the floor. Raise your head and make eye contact（目光接触）with other people.    4    Introduce yourself. Tell them your name and where you’re from.

Remember people’s names.

You like it when people use your name, and so do other people. People may become angry if you just begin by saying "Hey" each time. Besides, ask them in a kind way if they have a nickname（绰号）.    5    

A．Be friendly to others.

B．Making new friends can be hard, too.

C．Join in after-school activities you like.

D．Never change who you are in order to fit in.

E．If you see someone you know, smile or say "Hi".

F．You'd be surprised how often this might be useful.

G．Don t sit at the back of the classroom where other people cannot notice you.

【推荐3】When I was a little girl, my mom would say, “Half the fun of doing anything is sharing it with others.”     1    Friends and mates allow us to enjoy our successes and our joys, comfort us in our hard moments, and provide a mirror for us to learn more about ourselves. I’ve always looked at friends as the family we choose. They enrich our lives. As Robert Louis Steven once said, “    2    ”.

To be a good friend or partner, it’s important to be a good listener. Hear what your friend or mate has to say first rather than jump to conclusions or get defensive.    3     When they hear their words repeated back to them, it can help them to realize what they said was not exactly what they meant to say.

    4     You know the old golden rule, “Care for others the way you would like them to care for you.” The support of a friend during a tough time could make the difference between success and failure. Encouragement and confidence are the gifts that can help change a person’s life.

Take care, though, with whom you choose to have close relationship, for they can have a great effect on yourself – respect and life path. As someone once told me “    5     They will either take you up or down.”

A．I am afraid so.

B．It is quite true

C．Friendship is the most important factor.

D．Sometimes it is useful to be their mirror.

E．A friend is a present which you give yourself.

F．The attitudes of your friends are like the buttons on a lift.

G．Patience, sympathy and understanding are also important qualities.

【推荐1】Even if you think that your parents are mean-spirited（小气的）at times, loving your parents is a normal and fulfilling part of life. You love them for the fact that they created you, raised you, and are in part, a source of who you are.     1    

Tell them you love them every morning. A gentle "good morning" and "I love you" will warm the coldest heart. Remember that they brought you into this world.

Respect them more and cherish these moments. You can use these moments to learn from them, preparing yourself for the day when you're off on your own. It's OK to get angry but angry actions don't help you or your parents. Act calmly, cool off, write down your feelings, or talk to a friend.     2    

Obey their requests. It will make you have a better attitude and earn you more respect from them. It may seem like you are going through hell when you don't get what you want or you are not recognized. However, you had better remember they keep a roof over your head when it's raining or snowing. Understand that parents are human beings and make mistakes.     3     Since you can forgive your friends, why not forgive your parents？

    4     Do things with your parents like watching TV, or going somewhere with them. Anyway, spend as much time with them as you can. Listen to their old stories and learn from them. You will find they are your teachers in this way or another.

Some people simply may not be able to love their parents.     5     Seek help if you are being abused（虐待）in any way. Parents do not have a right to harm you.

A．Forgiveness is the key.

B．Keep in company with them.

C．Here are some ways to love your parents.

D．Parents will in turn express their love to you.

E．After these, share your feelings with your parents.

F．Please remember parents are as important as friends.

G．There can be realistic reasons for that, family violence for example.

【推荐2】Meeting people is the first step to make friends. But how do you actually become friends with someone? Here are some useful tips.

1. Make small talk even if you don’t feel like it

Small talk can feel false and meaningless. But it does have a purpose. By making small talk, you show that you’re friendly and open to communicating. In that way, small talk helps you to make the first connection with potential new friends. If someone doesn’t make any small talk, we might assume that they don’t want to make friends with us, that they don’t like us, or that they’re in a bad mood.

2. Figure out what you might have in common

When you talk to someone new and realize that you have things in common, the conversation usually goes from stiff to fun and interesting. Therefore, make it a habit to find out if you have any mutual interests or something in common. You can do this by mentioning things that interest you and seeing how they react.

3. Don’t write people off until you know them

Don’t judge people too quickly. Try not to assume that they are shallow, boring, or that you have nothing to talk about. If everyone seems uninterested, it might be because you keep getting stuck in small talk. If you only make small talk, everyone sounds shallow.

4. Make people like being around you

When you try to make people like you, it will become easier for you to make friends. When you make sure that people like being around you, they will like you. If we are with someone with a positive experience, we like that person more.

1. What is the purpose of small talk?

A．To show that you are in a good mood.

B．To show you have something in common.

C．To show you are friendly and want to talk.

D．To show you are a potential new friend.

2. According to the passage why do you think people around you are boring?

A．Because you don’t have a deep chat with them.

B．Because they have nothing in common with you.

C．Because you don’t make a small talk with them.

D．Because you don’t like to make friends with them.

3. What will you do if you want to make it easier to make friends?

A．To avoid being stuck in small talk.

B．To judge people by what they do.

C．To stay with people with a positive experience.

D．To make people willing to stay with you.

【推荐3】An old friend of mine was in town and organized a get-together. A mutual friend asked me if I was going. I answered no because I wasn’t interested in it.

    1     However, I just refused. Do you feel that you sometimes have to lie to spare people’s feelings? I sure do. But I’m trying to do it less. Here’s why:

●     2    

Do you feel it like a mini lack of good faith every time you say a white lie? It doesn’t feel good because, at heart, you want to be honest.

● You have to remember lies.

Have you ever been caught in a lie? I have. It feels untrustworthy. I don’t know about you, but my memory is not good enough to even remember all the true things I say.     3    

● People respect the truth.

I had meant to go to a friend’s house for dinner once, but she called in the morning of the day to cancel. She said, “I’m sorry Susie but... I’m just so tired and I need today to rest.” I didn’t get angry at that moment.     4     And we had a nice phone call, instead.

● “No” is enough.

It’s so easy to give a quick “yes” and have regrets later, or makeup a lie to get out of something. But you don’t have to! You can say “no” at the start.

A calendar does not exist to be filled up    5    And there’s no shame in doing what you need, especially when you’re honest about it.

A．On the contrary, her frankness made me feel closer to her.

B．Therefore, you’d better remember lies in case you’re trapped.

C．Lying makes you feel bad.

D．The space in our lives can be the best part.

E．Lying is costly and you’re too busy for that.

F．I could have made some acceptable excuse.

G．However, I forgave her though she had betrayed me.