1 . In our meditation (冥想) group on Monday morning, one of the ladies asked if the group leader could take us through meditation to ease worries.

Later that day, I thought that I would reach out to her just to let her know that I was there for her. I must admit all sorts of reasons why I shouldn’t reach out came to mind, but I allowed myself to get rid of my weakness and sent an email anyway.

It was through one of those messaging type things that I could see the other person was reacting. I could see that quite soon after, the lady was writing a reply. However, she must have changed her mind and decided to give it up and not send it after all.

Anyway, 2 days later, this morning, she sent me a nice message which opened up a short talk about our past and present experiences and we found a common connection. In the end, I invited her to an online group where we could meet every Sunday just to connect and chat. She promised to join us. I knew that she was glad that I had reached out.

Afterwards, I realized that I did have a new friend. When I learned about her difficult life, I offered to help her get through difficulty. When I had problems, she was always there. What a real lucky thing is to step into someone’s life situation and come together with them on their journey. I always think it is the most pleasant thing in the world! I’m so thankful to have had a new friend today!

1. What can we learn about the lady on Monday morning?

A．She felt anxious then.

B．She was unfit for the group.

C．She turned to the author for help.

D．She was eager to have a new friend.

2. How did the lady deal with the author’s email?

A．She ignored it completely.

B．She quit answering it halfway.

C．She took back the email she had sent.

D．She directly refused to answer the author.

3. Why did the author invite the lady to an online group?

A．To communicate regularly.

B．To replace the former activity.

C．To set up a commercial project.

D．To join the same meditation group.

4. What does the author want to express in the text?

A．A friend is easier lost than found.

B．A friend in need is a friend indeed.

C．A friend without faults will never be found.

D．A friend to everybody is a friend to nobody.

2 . Moving to a new country—or even spending a year abroad—is an exciting experience.     1     Making friends in a new country is one of them. Here are some suggestions.

Network through personal connections. Most people don’t jump at the chance to show a stranger around town, but that changes as soon as you make a personal connection—even a tiny one.     2     Until you do, you’ll never know if your former classmate’s brother’s best friend lives around the corner.

Join a hobby club or a sports team. Committing to (全身心投入) a weekly hobby meetup is a great way to force yourself to socialize. There are always hiking clubs looking for teammates. You don’t have to master the local language to find partners.     3     What you need to do is make an effort to start conversations or sign up for exercise classes.

    4     Feeling lonely isn’t just about not having weekend plans; it can make us feel like we don’t matter to the people around us, Join an organization that helps homeless people or helps out animal shelters. You’ll feel good about yourself and find an immediate sense of connection.

Talk to strangers, When you’re the stranger in town, it’s easy to feel awkward and out of place, The more you push past that, the more you’ll find that almost everyone enjoys meeting new people. Talking about where you come from and what the weather is like is the first step to get to know someone.     5    

A．Volunteer for a good cause.

B．However, it has its challenges, too.

C．So practice your small talk and use it often.

D．These are great places to meet outgoing strangers.

E．Ask friends back home if they know anyone in your area.

F．Every trip out of the house is a chance to meet the right person.

G．Exercising in a gym is another way to meet people with similar interests.

3 . If you’ve ever been in a cheerful mood, then met up with a bad-tempered friend, you’ll know how infectious emotions can be. Before you know it, you realize that you’re feeling down too.    1    . When you’ve been sad, perhaps your friend’s liveliness has helped to lighten your mood.

You might wonder who wins out—if you’re feeling happy and your friend is feeling sad, do you yield to their sadness or do they catch your happiness? Part of the answer is likely depending on their and your levels of expressiveness and receptiveness.     2    . If you smile a lot when you’re happy, you’re more likely to infect your friend. Likewise, if your friend is impressionable and more prone (有做...倾向的) to copying facial expressions, then they’ll be more likely to catch your smiles and start feeling happier.

    3    . For instance, there’s evidence that fear has a smell, and that smelling the sweat of an anxious person can initiate activity in parts of the brain involved in empathy (共情) and processing emotions. In fact, there doesn’t need to be any physical contact at all. Researchers have shown that emotions can spread through social media.     4    .

If and when you encounter an opposite emotion to your own, the experience will likely vary depending on how invested you are in that other person or people.     5    . And if you’re feeling sad and a bunch of strangers surrounding you were laughing their heads off, you’re likely to find it really annoying.

A．Happily, it can work the other way around too.

B．This is especially true when we’re interacting with someone we care about.

C．Everyone varies in how emotionally expressive and impressionable they are.

D．That isn’t to say that facial expressions are the only way for emotions to spread.

E．These processes have to do with effective communication and mutual understanding.

F．If you care about them, you’ll be more motivated to shift emotionally to match their state.

G．People exposed to more negative posts are more likely to post something negative themselves.

4 . Misunderstandings can happen between friends. If you don’t want to lose your friends because of misunderstandings that can be taken care of, you’d better solve them quickly. Below are some tips that you can have a try.

Know the cause of the problem.

The first step in knowing how to solve a misunderstanding between friends is to find the cause of it.     1     But remind yourself that you must be open to the results if the fault lies in you. And you must be willing to apologize and make up for it.

    2    

When you want to talk to your friend, make sure you’re doing it at a suitable moment. It can help solve the misunderstanding more effectively. For example, you can’t talk to your friend about it if he or she has other pressing problems.     3     Finding a private and calm place to talk about it is a must as well.

Control your emotions.

Before solving the misunderstanding with your friend, you’d better learn how to control your emotions. Discussing it with strong negative emotions won’t lead to a good result. It may cause the problem to become more complicated (复杂的).     4    

Be a good listener.

As a friend, you should be a good listener. Not only do you have to listen to your friends talk about the troubles in their lives, but you also must be willing to listen to all the things that they may not like about you.     5     It can help you understand them. Then, it will be easier for you to get over a problem together.

A．Change your viewpoint.

B．Find the right time and place.

C．Worse still, it could result in new misunderstandings.

D．This is a good thing as long as you keep an open mind.

E．Once you know it, you can start to look for the right solutions.

F．And avoid dealing with the matter when you’re both in high spirits.

G．Your friends will be more likely to realize their mistakes and correct them

5 . According to some recent research, healthy, stable friendships can protect against depression and anxiety, increase life satisfaction, and improve health. Those who don’t have strong social connections, meanwhile, have a risk of disease.    1    . How can they achieve it?Some experts have shared their favorite ways as follows.

Invest time consistently

Making time for the people you care about and having shared experiences play an essential role in deepening friendships.    2    . So you are supposed to invest time and effort. If you find you continually fail to put in time with your friends, add a section for connection to your to-do list and take action.

Get vulnerable.

One way to grow stronger friendships is allowing yourself to be weak. Start by sharing small opinions, and then dive even deeper by telling your friends what you’re currently struggling with and what scares you.    3    .And eventually, you and your friends will be closer together.

Mix in something new

    4    .That goes for both conversations and activities. Carve out moments of communication that you and your friends are familiar with. And brainstorm new adventures you can take on together, like traveling to your shared dream destination or joining a sport team.

    5    

Every friendship will unavoidably arrive at some situations that are concerning: the highs and lows in life that affect how we label our relationships. Were you there when your friends got a promotion or were diagnosed with something scary? The answer plays a large role in determining how much you value that friendship. Do remember: Your company matters.

A．Value your shared memories

B．Show up for the important moments

C．Putting new energy into friendship is another key

D．Obviously, it’s necessary for people to strengthen friendships

E．You may feel like you are burdening people if you are vulnerable

F．Being vulnerable conveys that you like your friends and trust them

G．Research suggests that it takes over 200 hours to strengthen friendship

6 . We all have childhood best friends and we often assume that these persons would still be our friends when we are all grown-ups and even until the day we die.     1    . However, most people just grow apart and sadly, some childhood best friends just become people who used to know each other.

    2    . There are many reasons why a best friend from childhood can be forgotten. One of the most common reasons would be distance. Moving away and growing apart from each other can have the biggest effect on friendships.

Another reason why we may forget our best friend is that we meet new best friends. The friends we made when we were young may not share the same interests that we have when we reach the teenage years.     3    . We find new people who share our new interests and leave behind people who no longer have things in common with us.

    4    . We make new best friends in high school and some in college. These friendships are often the ones that last the longest.

If we are lucky enough to have the gift of friendship, we must make sure that we do not lose it.     5    . If we want to keep our friends in our lives, we must do more than look back upon the past and make an active effort to maintain our relationship with our friends. It could be a call, a text, or even an e-mail.

A．So there is a natural falling apart.

B．What are the factors that affect friendship?

C．What do we have to do to make new friends?

D．Some people are lucky to keep their childhood best friends.

E．Like all relationships, friendships need to be worked on too.

F．As we grow older, we meet new people and build new friendships.

G．It may not be that difficult to keep friends if we never stop being one.

7 . Friendships can have a major impact on your health and happiness, but it’s not always easy to develop or maintain friendships. It’s necessary to understand the importance of social connection in your life and how to meet new friends.

Good friends are good for your health. Friends can help you celebrate good times and provide support during bad times. Friends prevent isolation and loneliness and give you a chance to offer needed companionship, too. Friends also play a significant role in promoting your overall health. Adults with strong social connections have a reduced risk of many significant health problems, including depression, high blood pressure and an unhealthy body mass index (BMI). In fact, studies have found that older adults who have meaningful relationships and social support are likely to live longer than their peers with fewer connections.

Many adults find it hard to develop new friendships or keep up existing friendships. Friendships may take a back seat to other priorities, such as work or caring for children or aging parents. You and your friends may have grown apart due to changes in your lives or interests. Or maybe you’ve moved to a new community and haven’t yet found a way to meet people. Developing and maintaining good friendships takes effort. The enjoyment and comfort friendship can provide, however, makes the investment worthwhile.

So, what are some ways to meet new friends? It’s possible to develop friendships with people who are already in your social network. Think through people you’ve interacted with— even very casually— who made a positive impression. If anyone stands out in your memory as someone you’d like to know better, reach out. Ask mutual friends or acquaintances to share the person’s contact information, or— even better— to reintroduce the two of you with a text, email or in-person visit. Extend an invitation to coffee or lunch.

To meet new people who might become your friends, you have to go to places where others are gathered. Don’t limit yourself to one strategy for meeting people. The broader your efforts, the greater your likelihood of success. Persistence also matters. Take the initiative rather than waiting for invitations to come your way and keep trying. You may need to suggest plans a few times before you can tell if your interest in a new friend is mutual.

1. What does the underlined word “isolation” in the second paragraph probably mean?

A．Challenge.

B．Relaxation.

C．Separation.

D．Determination.

2. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．Friendship can help people live longer.

B．Support from friends during tough times.

C．Some suggestions on how to make friends.

D．Friendship’s positive impacts on people’s health.

3. How many difficulties in developing and maintaining friendships are mentioned in Paragraph 3?

A．2.

B．3.

C．4

D．5.

4. Which of the following way of making friends is mentioned in the passage?

A．Make one strategy for meeting people.

B．Wait for invitations to come your way.

C．Contact those who ever impressed you a lot.

D．Share your personal contact information online.

8 . Defining what an ideal friend is like is not an easy task.     1     However, generally speaking, there are certain qualities that most people would consider as characteristics of an ideal friend.

The ideal friend knows how to show weakness. The ideal friends don’t try to prove how successful they are.     2     They show how much they trust us by admitting failings and sorrows. They offer us the gift of their vulnerability (脆弱).

    3     More often than it’s comfortable to admit, we don’t quite know what we think until a proper friend gently asks us to expand on a thought, to explain why we’re impressed by it and to find good answers to possible objections. They see the potential in what we’re saying when we can’t.

The proper friend helps build our self-understanding. There are so many things we don’t entirely comprehend about who we are. We find it hard to pin down our goals.     4     We might have some strong opinions, but it can be difficult to explain really why these ideas matter to us. The right friend listens and helps us piece together the best account of our fears and excitements.

They help us to like ourselves. Normally we’re intently alive to our own shortcomings; it’s more obvious, from our point of view, what’s disappointing about us than what’s attractive. We need a friend because we’re likely to be so very unfriendly towards ourselves.     5    

A．A true friend helps us think.

B．We get defensive and we don’t really know why.

C．Loyalty is a common quality given to ideal friends.

D．The good friend likes us in ways we’re not easily able to.

E．Everyone has their own understanding of what the ideal friend is like.

F．On the contrary, they let us know embarrassing things about themselves.

G．They care for your well-being over any issues that may arise between you and them.

9 . There’s a clear difference between knowing how to make friends and knowing how to maintain (维系) friendships for a long time. Do you have trouble keeping friends around, or are you tired of losing many friends over the years?     1    .

1.     2    

Interact (互动) with your friends in a way that’s meaningful and fruitful and you’ll be able to maintain your friendship better. You can either share your interest or talk about your family, work or daily routine. All in all, The more you know about each other, the stronger your bond will be.

2. Stay in touch

To keep a friend or a group of friends for a long time, you need to see or talk to them from time to time. For the people you go out with the most, I recommend once a week or twice a month. For long-distance friendships,     3    

3. Deal with fights

Fights are likely to happen.     4     Instead, you should face the problem bravely. Having an open-hearted talk with your friend and listening to each other may be the easiest way to solve your conflict. Do remember if you don’t resolve the conflict, you might lose a very dear friend.

4. Everyone changes

Change cannot be avoided and it happens to people too.     5     So When it happens to a friend, embrace the change and be happy for them. Just be sure that it is change for the better and not the other way around.

A．Hang out more with friends.

B．Keep having interactions.

C．I recommend you make a call or send an email at least twice a year.

D．Then there are a few tips I want to share with you.

E．The best changes happen to the most interesting people.

F．Tell yourself that your friends will change one day.

G．Don’t get discouraged and turn your back to your friend right away.

10 . “The Friendship Files” is my series of interviews about friendships. When this project began, I wrote, “People are at their most generous, their funniest, and their most fascinating when talking with and about their friends.” The interviews only strengthened that belief.     1    

Build-up

    2     Sometimes that increases slowly, as it did for two neighbors who have lived across the hall for 20 years. They’ve checked in on each other when they were sick, and split the bill of a magazine. Those moments finally added up to a friendship during the pandemic (流行病), when they opened doors to talk across the hallway and felt less alone.

Attention

Making friends can be hard, but there are more opportunities than we think. A new friend could be waiting in the comments section of an article you’re reading, or on the other side of a Google Doc.     3     As much as we may feel like our social networks are settled, it’s never too late to meet someone who will be important to you for the rest of your life.

Intention

Attention only gets you so far without action. When opportunity arises, put yourself out there. That requires courage to let things be awkward, which is the hardest part of friendship.     4     But this does not mean making friends is labor. It takes effort, but it should be a joy.

Tradition

One thing that seems to make keeping up with friends easier is tradition, like organizing a book club, a monthly hike, or a regular Dungeons & Dragons campaign.     5     The Dungeons & Dragons group has a shorthand (速记法) dating back 30 years ago.

A．The simplest and most obvious one is time spent together.

B．These unexpected relationships need our special attention.

C．We need to be brave to build friendship in places we never expect it.

D．Besides keeping groups close, they can give its members a shared culture.

E．It takes energy and thought, and you could feel stressed mentally and physically.

F．Healthy friendships help improve our well-being in a lot of ways, which are listed as follows.

G．Though every bond is different, there are several key forces that help form and maintain friendships.