1 . Friendship is one of the most important things in life and a universal value. Here are five ways to be a better friend.

    1    . Plans are important in friendship. You should learn to make plans for better friendship. Instead of just saying something like “we should get together some time”, make specific plans with a time, date and place. In addition, stick to get-together plans, and let friends know that they are valued.

Be an empathetic (有同理心的) listener. Attentive and empathetic listening is validating (认可的) to others.     2    . To develop them, listen to your friends without judgment or interruption, and try to see the world from their perspective.

Be honest. People value honesty.     3    . If a friend makes a decision that may lead to negative consequences, let them know how you feel about it in a direct way.

Celebrate differences. Not being a yes-man means that friends don’t have to agree on all interests. Friends can have different hobbies and different things that they like and dislike. Take some time to explore your friends’ interests, but don’t worry if they don’t interest you as well. Different interests sometimes need celebrations.     4    .

Remember dates. When it comes to friendship, the details make the difference. Remembering friends’ birthdays or other important events in their lives shows friends that they are valued.     5    . Then, when they near, send a text or call to wish your friends congratulations or good luck.

Being a good friend requires effort and practice, but it’s worth it.

A．Get together with friends

B．Make plans and stick to them

C．Good listeners are badly needed in the world

D．They are usually attracted to people who are genuine

E．Fortunately, empathetic listening skills can be available

F．Celebrating differences is an important component of friendship

G．Keep these dates in a calendar and even set an alarm as a reminder

2 . Friendship makes life more enjoyable and colorful. Here are some tips for you to make friends.

Make yourself available. Put yourself out there somehow in order to meet people. If you’re still in school, sit somewhere with two other people. If you see opportunities to meet new people, take them.     1    

    2     Be open to trying new activities to meet people around you who have common interests. For example, if you love books and want to meet like-minded friends, join a book club. People who have a passion (激情) for books will end up meeting people with the same interest.

Talk to others actively.     3     You can start talking to people by simply greeting them with a “Good morning, how are you?” as you pass them by.     4    You can talk to anybody: the person sitting next to you in public, or the person in front of you in the lunch line.

Use social media wisely.     5     Social media has given us the amazing ability to connect with people on the Internet and turn them into friends. Using social media like Facebook may be a perfect way to meet people who share the same interest as you.

A．Don’t be too picky.

B．Meet new people nearby.

C．We live in a digital world.

D．Follow people and have fun.

E．If someone invites you to a party, go for it.

F．We shouldn’t make friends on the Internet.

G．If you don’t actually talk to people, you still won’t make friends.

3 . How to make new friends

We tend to make friends with people we cross paths with regularly: people we go to school with, work with, or live close to.    1    . So, look at the places you frequent as you start your search for potential friends.

Meet new people

When looking to meet new people, try to open yourself up to new experiences. Not everything you try will lead to success but you can always learn from the experience and hopefully have some fun. Volunteering can be a great way to help others while also meeting new people.    2    .

Connect with your schoolfellow association

Many schools have schoolfellow associations that meet regularly. You already have the school experience in common.    3    . Some associations also provide community service events or workshops where you can meet more people.

    4    

Even if you’ve lived in the same place all your life, take the time to re-explore your neighborhood attractions. New arrivals to any town or city tend to visit these places first—and they’re often keen to meet new people and establish friendships, too.

Take a moment to unplug

It’s difficult to meet new people in any social situation if you’re more interested in your phone than the people around you.    5    . Making eye contact and exchanging small talk with strangers is great practice for making connections—and you never know where it may lead!

A．Cheer on your team like a member

B．Behave like someone new to your area

C．Check with your library or local paper for events near you

D．And bringing up old times makes for an easy conversation starter

E．The more we see someone, the more likely a friendship is to develop

F．Put your smartphone away while you’re waiting for a bus, for example

G．It also gives you the opportunity to regularly develop your social skills

4 . Having friends is obviously good for countless reasons. And showing the world that you have lots of friends, for example on social media, seems like a winning strategy. If that is the truth, your goal is to expand your social network. Once people see how popular you are, they'll want to join that popular circle, perhaps in the hope that some of your popularity will rub off on them.

Nevertheless, can a person even have too many friends at the same time? It’s always been a misconception that if you have more friends, people will be more likely to want to be friends you.

In fact, a new study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology shows that having too many friends may work against you. In a series of experiments. the authors prove that people usually prefer to befriend those who have fewer friends than they do, rather than those with more friends. The authors call this phenomenon the “friend-number paradox(悖论)”, which is also the title of their new paper.

Social ties are obviously important. Having more of these connections suggests greater social value, and more potential possibilities. So it seems reasonable to assume that people will focus their social energies on befriending people who have lots of friends already.

But the problem is that these social ties are only valuable if there’s reciprocity(互惠) involved. Friendship goes hand in hand with certain responsibilities and expectations. And people with lots of friends may not be able to fulfill those responsibilities—especially those with too many friends.   

In other words, “friendship quality” matters as much, if not more, than only the number of friends you have. Having lots of friends means your precious social resources become dilute (稀释了的), making you less able to be a good friend. And other people take that into account consciously(有意识地)or unconsciously when deciding whether to befriend you. They don’t want to spend their valuable social resources on someone who is unlikely to pay it back.

1. What do the underlined words “rub off on” in paragraph l mean?

A．Look forward to.	B．Take control of.
C．Hold on to.	D．Have an effect on.

2. What does the “friend-number paradox” show?

A．The secrets to becoming popular.

B．The ways of winning more friends.

C．The advantages of having many friends.

D．The problems with having many friends.

3. What does the author think of people with lots of friends?

A．They may fail to perform their duties.

B．They don’t know about reciprocity.

C．They are more likely to be good friends.

D．They have more precious social resources.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．How Do People Choose Their Friends?

B．More Friends Are Not Necessarily Better

C．Why Do People Like Having More Friends?

D．People With More Friends Are More Popular

5 . To Better Friendships

It is often said that when you went out to find a friend, friend could not be found. When you went out to be a friend you found them all around.     1     Here are some tips:

Look at everybody you encounter as a potential friend. Every day you probably encounter at least 2-3 people who you have a lot in common with and would be very good friends with. However, because they are co-workers, clients, or even complete strangers, we never open the door to any kind of friendship. Think back about how you met your best friends.     2     There are amazing people out there, don’t miss an opportunity to get to know one of them better.

Don’t be afraid to be nice.     3    . It is a part of our brains to be a little cautious of strangers and in some cases this can keep us out of trouble. But for the most part, you will not be coming across anybody that means you harm on a daily basis. Nobody is going to hurt you if you open a door for them or compliment them on their hair.

Let love direct your actions. You speak kinder, your face looks more friendly, and you become genuinely interested in what they are saying. This results in stronger connections with people and they leave the conversation feeling that you really cared about them. It won’t be long before many of these people will be seeking your friendship.     4    

Go and get them! In most cases people won’t come over to you and initiate a friendship because they are afraid of rejection. If you want to make more friends, you need to go out and get them and bring them into your group. It isn’t enough to wave at them or just say “hi” when you pass by.     5     When you do, they will appreciate it and you will instantly form strong bonds of a friendship that can last a long time.

A．Go and bring them in.

B．We all have our natural defense.

C．They just loved us unconditionally.

D．Be careful to approach them.

E．You’re likely to spend time with your friends a lot.

F．At some point they were just strangers.

G．How can we have more quality friendships?

6 . When you feel down, you are expecting to receive support or comfort from your friends. Your friends feel the same way. However, it may be not easy to cheer up your friends when you can’t be by their side.     1    

Ask if there’s anything you can do to help. Different people prefer to be comforted in different ways. Ask if there’s anything specific you can do to help your friends.    2     While you’re talking on the phone, say something like, "What can I do to help? I’m always here if you need anything.

    3     This simple gesture can really brighten your friends’ day. If your friends are in need of comfort, send them frequent reminders that you’re thinking of them. Share something that reminded you of them. It will let your friends know that they’re still important in your life even if they’re far away.

List why you think they’re special.    4     Send them a list of all the reasons why you think they’re amazing. Whether it be their kind and compassionate (富有同情心的) nature, their sense of style, or their ability to find the coolest music, tell them why you are so grateful to know them. After reading what you have listed, they will feel encouraged.

Send them a gift. Surprise them with something special to make their day. Arrange for flowers to be delivered to their apartment or mail them one of their favorite albums.     5     A homemade gift, like a knitted (针织的) scarf or a piece of artwork, will lift their spirits all the same.

A．Send a gift to them to celebrate their success.

B．Thankfully, there are many ways you can help.

C．Therefore, you can visit them to cheer them up.

D．Text them to let them know they’re on your mind.

E．You don’t have to go all out in terms of spending.

F．If they’ve been down on themselves lately, they may need a reminder.

G．The question alone will show you care, and they will appreciate your kind offer.

7 . Have you ever thought that settling even the smallest disagreement between you and your friend may become a battle, a tug-of-war over who is right and who is wrong?     1     But what matters is how we manage the conflicts（冲突）.Here are some rules we can follow to reach a win-win situation.

Rule 1: respect

Everyone should be treated with respect, even during an argument.     2    You should tell him or her to stop. If your friend keeps doing so, walk away, because you do not want to continue. Respect has to be eared. If you want people to respect you, do the same.

Rule 2: negotiate

To negotiate is to tlk about the problem peacefully and try to reach an agreement. Fist you and your fiend should hold a correct attitude. Then analyze the needs of two sides. At last. give solutions     3    It means each side has aright to solve the conflict

Rule 3:listen

When everyone is talking, who does the listening? We are used to talking without listening. during which we only focus on ourselves and are likely to hurt others' feelings. Actually listening is more important than talking. Listen to understand, not to reply.     4     .

    5    : Please remember that "our way" isn't always the best. Next time when you have different opinions with your friend, try thinking win-win and this will fill your heart with positive thoughts and protect your friendship.

A．It is normal

B．Do not be too quick to judge what you hear

C．The key to solving disagreements is like this

D．It doesn't mean someone wins and someone loses

E．Sometimes your friend may make fun of you in an unkind way