8 . “I feel lonely and hopeless, ” said Lisa, a bright teenager from a loving home. “It seems that nobody wants to become my friend. What’s wrong with me?”

Like Lisa, many of us experience loneliness. The truth is that all people, no matter what their age or character-even the most outgoing, wealthy and popular-experience loneliness at least sometimes. It’s healthy and natural to want to be around people who care. After all, we’ve all heard “No man is an island.” That’s true. We all need others in our lives.

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, explains that if we want friends, we must be friendly and reach out to others. But it has risk. Because we are often afraid of rejection, many of us are unwilling to reach out to others. We take a safer way and wait for others to make friends with us. But if we want friends, we’ve got to get beyond this.

If making friends is your goal as well, you need to consider taking some measures.

Be willing to take the initiative (主动). If you see someone whom you would like to know, don’t wait for her to make the first move. Get close to her and begin a conversation. Let her know in a non-aggressive (无攻击性的) way that you are interested in being friends with her.

Reach out to those who are lonely. When you see someone at school sitting alone, go over and talk to her. And don’t let popularity decide whom you reach out to. You’ll often be surprised at the beautiful qualities behind a shy appearance. Ask questions. Start your first conversation by asking this possible friend what she likes to do or asking about her family. Be sure to ask questions that cannot be replied with “yes” or “no”. For example, don’t ask “Do you have a dog?” Instead, say “So, tell me about your pets. ” Avoiding asking “yes” or “no” questions makes your possible friend not end your communication with a one-word answer.

9 . For the past ten years, my dad and I have attended the same school — he as an administrator and I as a student. Our relationship, in and out of school, has been totally unpredictable.

When I was younger, all that my dad said was doctrine (信条) and anything he did I, ___________, copied. We played games together, and stayed up late reading bedtime stories. I could ___________ my dad taking me to school, running into him regularly during the day and riding home with him every afternoon.

As I grew older, we were not as ___________ as we used to be. He wasn’t cool any more. He wore his socks too high, listened to horrible country music and laughed too loudly in front of my friends. He became a total embarrassment.

However, the ___________ that occurred in school were even worse. The worst one happened in seventh grade. My dad came to our New Year party, dressed up as Donald Duck, guitar in hand, singing silly songs. Just kill me! I wanted to run away.

This ___________ continued into high school but we somehow began to find a balance. Things started to _________ around the time of my 10th-grade physics project. The ___________ was to build a wood bridge with the best strength-to-weight ratio (比率). All the students and physics teachers ___________. So did my dad, the only administrator! Embarrassed as usual, I ___________ the scene. However, later when I learned from my friends that my dad ______________ all competitors and won everyone’s admiration, I found that mixed in with my ______________ was a touch of pride.

I had needed someone else to show me what I ______________ in my dad. It wasn’t the fact that he’d won, it was more than that. I began to ______________ that we have many of the same values and sometimes the same opinions. No matter how much I had tried to ______________ him, he still influenced me.

I feel fortunate to have such an unusual father. The ______________ I have developed with my dad over the years has enabled me to look back and see how I’ve grown.

Yours,

Li Hua