Friendship on the rocks: please advise!

I’m so sorry! But this friendship is worth     1     (save): eight years     2     (be) a long time! Don’t be so quick to judge your friend. Perhaps she knows she’s     3     the wrong and wants to apologize, or maybe she has a simple     4     (explain) for her behaviour. In any case, find an opportunity to have     5     full and frank talk with her. Listen to what she has to say, and be sure to explain how you feel. I’m sure you can solve this problem together.

I     6     (definite) understand how you feel. I also had a friend    7    I trusted a lot. When I found out that I     8     (trick) by him, I was really hurt and let go of our friendship. I know you value your friendship and want your friend to value it equally.     9    , if your friend ignores your feelings or makes you suffer, it’s time to rethink your friendship. Talk to her and decide whether this friendship is still important to you. It’s sad     10       (move) on, but you have to accept that friends come and go in life.

Adolescence, in general, is     1     (challenge) for both parents and their children. Many parents struggle to redefine their relationships with their growing children and the changes that come with     2    . Some may still cling on to (坚持) the     3     (behave) that was right when the children were little because they are afraid of losing the closeness they     4     (enjoy) while their child was still little.

No parent is perfect, and even parents need help or a little push to get past an emotional hurdle (情感障碍)    5     is holding them back. Some may even be     6     (total) sure that what they’re doing is correct.

When the time is right, start a conversation with your mom     7     an empathetic (感同身受的) point of view. Tell her that you appreciate all that she has done     8     (raise) you and the lengths she will go to make sure you are happy and doing well at school, but     9     it’s starting to make you uncomfortable. Sometimes, there really is too much of a good thing, and she needs to pull back a bit so you don’t feel     10     (hold) back from growing up. But no matter what happens, you will be fine. You will still love and appreciate her, and she can trust you on that.

5 . My father really dislikes my stepfather, Mike, and is always calling him names, saying what a “good-for-nothing” guy he is. Mike knows about his name-calling because sometimes when my father comes to pick me up, he’ll say inconsiderate things right in front of my stepfather like, “Is what’s-his-name going to pick you up after the game, or am I supposed to bring you home?”

Even though it’s rude, my stepfather doesn’t hold it against my father. “I’ll pick up Shawn at 3:30,” he’ll answer. Nor does Mike make a big deal out of my father’s inconsiderate attitude towards him. He lets the comments go.

I ask my stepfather if the way my father treats him bothers or upsets him. “Oh, not really,” he says. “You don’t always have to be right, as long as you do what’s right.” My father’s taunts (嘲笑) don’t bother Mike because he likes himself. My dad’s opinion doesn’t change the way Mike feels about himself.

I really admire Mike. He’s so good to my mother. And what a good father he is to me! I appreciate all the things he does for me, like teaching me to throw a fastball and helping me with my homework without becoming impatient like my father does. Mike even volunteered at my school’s carnival (狂欢节) this year. No other stepfathers were there.

Though I would never tell my real father that I think my stepfather is one of the nicest guys I know, he is. I’m happy to make Mike my stepfather. Sometimes, I even call Mike “Dad” because he acts like a dad to me. In my eyes, my stepfather is a really great guy.

Friendship on the rocks

Amy developed a close friendship with a girl     1     was popular during primary school. They were hardly out of the sight of each other, almost doing everything together. But things turned sour last Saturday, and their friendships were on the rocks. The two girls     2     (plan) to watch a film. Yet in the morning Amy’s friend said she was ill and might not be able to make     3     to the cinema. Amy told her to rest at home.

Today, however, the girl was seen     4     (chat) with another girl in a café on Saturday afternoon. Amy’s heart was broken. Now she still doesn’t feel like     5     (respond) to any of her online messages and she is now     6     a loss what to do next. So she turned to Cindy and David for advice. Cindy thinks Amy is supposed to cherish the friendship and listen to her     7     (explain), while David says if she or he ignores your feelings and hurts you deeply, it’s time to rethink your friendship.

Strangers under the same roof?

It is common for teenagers to have difficult relationships with their parents. Teenagers’ physical growth may result     1     such family tensions.

They may feel     2    (anxiety) and their parents are often the first targets of their     3    (angry). Teenagers’ developing mental needs can also influence parent-child relationships. They feel ready to be more responsible and make     4    (decide) on their own. However, parents do not agree. Teenagers who are     5    (struggle) to control their feelings wish their parents could be more caring and patient.

But their parents expect them to act like     6     adult. To solve these problems, teenagers can calm down, think through the situation from their parents’ point of view, explain themselves calmly, listen carefully     7     address their parents’ concerns. They will learn when to back     8     and when to ask parents to relax their control. Everything will turn out all right in the end.