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 . 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

3 . How to Cheer Up a Friend Who Lives Far Away

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

    1     If your friend is in need of comfort, send them frequent reminders that you’re thinking ofthem. Tell them that you miss them and can’t wait to see them again. It will let your friend know that they’re still very much a presence in your life even if they’re far away.

Remind them of your favorite friendship memories.

Help them remember all of the good times.     2     Next time you talk on the phone, recall with them about all of the fun experiences you two have had. It will hopefully brighten their mood and remind them of the positive things in life.

Mail them a letter or a postcard.

This is a classic way to show someone that you care. First, draft what you want to include in your letter. Try things like updates about what’s been going on in your life, all the reasons you miss them, and fond memories you have of the last time you hung out.     3     Mail the letter to their address and text them that something is coming their way soon.

    4    

Schedule a trip to stay with them and help them in person. Though this might not always be practicable, it’ll be a very welcome gesture if you can. Make travel arrangements to drive or fly to the city they live in.     5    

A．Make a plan to visit them.

B．What you should do is communicate.

C．Try not to show up to ease their load.

D．This simple gesture can really brighten your friend’s day.

E．If that’s too far away, agree to meet somewhere in the middle.

F．When you decide what to include, write it out on some nice paper.

G．Message them a random shared memory that always makes you two smile.

4 . 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.

5 . Calling someone your partner sounds wonderful, but it becomes even more enjoyable when that person is also your best friend. Here are five things that happen when your partner is your best friend.

Make each other laugh.     1     Because you understand each other’s sense of humor, you enjoy bringing it out. Laughter lights up the worst of days. Best friends don’t laugh at each other, but they laugh with one another.

Cheer for each other. We all need our own personal cheer leader. Having someone who believes the best in us helps us to know the best in ourselves. Real friends realize our advantages even when we don’t.     2    

Bring out the best in each other. Some people show best parts of themselves while others can bring out the best in you.     3     Something about their presence makes you want to be better people.

    4     We all have parts living inside us somewhere. Many of us hide this part of ourselves. When you bravely reveal these pieces of yourself, you show how much you want to develop a closer friendship. If you find out that your partner accepts your hidden side, you will trust them more. This real friendship draws you closer to one another.

Lend a helping hand. Good friends come together to lend a helping hand. They see the need and help to meet the need.     5     Or occasionally they help you get more fun while you rest.

A．Share your hidden side.

B．Never be afraid of weaknesses.

C．Great friends know how to get laughs out of one another.

D．When they join you, you can come up with creative ideasl

E．When you spend time alone, you feel better about yourselves.

F．For example, they often help to take out the litter or clean the floor.

G．They support us and encourage us when we are upset or disappointed.

6 . The bonds of female friendship run deep and strong, so are they the new encouraging relationship, or idealized?     1    

In many ways, my close friendships with women are what you’d expect from TV shows like The Golden Girls: emotionally close and involved, fierce and rude. What these shows get right about girl friendship is that our bonds run deep and strong.     2     In those shows, we can see friends whose lives are so deeply mixed that they appear at each other’s doors whenever needed; a ride-or-die girl group who are at your side for life.

    3     This phenomenon is called friendship jealousy, and it’s pretty common. “We feel friendship envy because so much of our confidence is gained from us knowing who we ‘belong’ to,” psychologist Lilly Sabir said. If we don’t have access to the sisterhood we think we’re supposed to as women, we can feel rejected and lonely.     4    

There’s no fixed way for these relationships. You might have a group of girls who meet for lunch once a week, or you might have a few friends who aren’t part of the same group.     5     Maybe you don’t see yourself in either of those situations, but love your friends all the same. All of this is fine—it’s the quality of your connections that counts.

Healthy friendships are about trust and being able to be vulnerable with each other, not to prove you’re living life the right way. There’s nothing quite like having friends who really understand you, so let’s enjoy our mates without overthinking it, shall we?

A．Are we supposed to give way to each other?

B．But they also tend to idealize these relationships.

C．So how should we enjoy our female friendships?

D．The ways we show up for each other can truly be beautiful.

E．Tolerating friends’ characters is a good way to maintain the friendship.

F．Whatever they are, enjoying friendships and not overthinking them is key.

G．Ever seen a group of girl-friends smiling over lunch and had a feeling of envy?

7 . “All right, class, settle down!” My Spanish teacher, Morales, shouted at the class, “You must write about your best friend. Begin, no talking!”

I slowly began to write in Spanish: My best friend is Hayley. She’s a soccer player. She plays the violin, like I do. We’ve been best friends since the fourth grade.

This is my usual reply to the “best friend” question. The problem is, Hayley isn’t real. I have to imagine a best friend because there have been too many times I’ve been asked to describe this person, too many times I’ve replied, “I don’t have one,” and too many times I’ve heard, “Why not? Don’t you want a best friend?” It’s as if people think I’m too shy to find one. The truth is, during school, I’ve watched with envy (羡慕) the best friends who skate together and who call each other nicknames.

I’ve often wondered: Does not having a best friend mean I am defective (有缺陷的)? Should I be awkward that the only people I hang out with are my parents? Will I have to face heartbreak and failure alone? Sometimes I tell myself, “Just be strong. There’s no way you’ll ever succeed because you can’t deal with the smallest problems in life.” Considering these thoughts makes me lock myself in my room and take psychology (心理) tests on my phone to find out why I am defective.

But as I look through my phone, I ask myself, what would Hayley say to me right now? As an imagined character, Hayley can say what my mind tells her, “You can only do so much, and self-doubt uses most of the ‘so much’ you can really do.”

When Morales hands back my paper describing Hayley, she tells me, “She seems like a great friend!”

“Yeah,” I smile. “She’s the best friend I’ve ever had.”

1. Why does the author make up Hayley?

A．She is too shy and lonely.	B．She is in need of a best friend.
C．She admires others’ friends.	D．She was tired of being questioned.

2. What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?

A．She has a bad personality.	B．She often doubts herself.
C．She never plays outside.	D．She seldom feels heartbroken.

3. What would Hayley tell the author to do?

A．Build up her strength.	B．Hand in the paper.
C．Relax herself from worries.	D．Have hope in life.

4. What may be the best title for the passage?

A．I Am “Nobody”	B．A Valuable Friendship
C．Just Be Confident	D．The “Best Friend” Question

8 . Some people look as if they are simply born with the certain social skill that enables them to make friends with such ease that it seems pretty unbelievable. They end up having tons of friends in no time.     1    . Some have to work a bit harder in order to gain someone’s attention and friendship. The good thing is, there are many ways to improve your social skills and make your friend circle even bigger.

◎    2    

Having fun on your own is the first step towards making a good basis for a future friendship. If you learn how to have fun on your own, it is more likely that you will meet someone who has similar interests and also needs a friend.

◎Expand your view and find new things to do

When you have many things you like doing, the better chances are that you will be meeting people who are also into the same things. You can also make friends with someone without the same hobbies. There is no rule that you have to be friends with those who like the same things.     3    .

◎Social gatherings are the best way of meeting friends

Every time you have a chance to get together with others, don’t miss it.     4    . Or, if you really prefer staying at home, there are always online groups with people, who prefer hanging out with others from the comfort of their homes as well.

◎Make the circle of your friends with confidence

After doing everything above, you will notice at one point how you’ve got your confidence back.     5    . Just being confident, satisfied and happy will make you a friend magnet and bring you friend circles.

A．It’s just easier, nothing else

B．Still, not all people are like that

C．Get out of your comfort zone a bit

D．Learn how to entertain yourself first

E．No one else is going to make it happen for you

F．Almost any social party is suitable for making friends

G．That is the most important in improving your social skills

9 . I grew up with the same group of kids from age 5 to age 12. We lived in the same community, shared the same schools and experienced all the ups and downs of that period.

Then I hit junior high and a whole new world opened up to me. It seemed everyone was there, friends from football teams and people from the summer workshop. They welcomed me, figuring that I had to be cool to know so many people. I was a different person with each new group of friends and began to distance myself from the “kindergarten group”.

However, it wasn’t long before these so-called new friends left me when they found out I really wasn’t cool enough to be there. This was one of the hardest times in my life. I felt alone and was very disappointed in myself. It was then, when I thought I had nowhere else to go, that I tried to make my way back into the “kindergarten group”. I organized a camp-out and invited them to come. I had thought they were going to be cold and exclude me as I had done to them. But they all turned up and we just picked up right where we left off. There was absolutely no hate, only comfort and an unexpected sense of belonging. They gave me room to grow and learn my own lessons, my own way, in my own time.

From them, I have learned two things: the type of friends I want, and the type of friend I want to be. We will all continue to grow separately together, all the while providing the unconditional love, understanding and support only friends like these are capable of.

1. How did the author feel about her school life according to Paragraph 2?

A．Shocked.

B．Upset.

C．Curious.

D．Happy.

2. Why did the author organize a camp-out?

A．To make more friends.

B．To get close to nature.

C．To apologize to her friends.

D．To reconnect with her old friends.

3. What does the underlined word “exclude” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Cheat.

B．Refuse.

C．Warn.

D．Attack.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A Friend in Need.

B．My Kindergarten Group.

C．Lessons in Friendship.

D．Friends in My New School.

10 . 阅读短文，按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

It’s break time. Molly sat at the picnic table alone while the rest of the students were running freely. The new girl was once again excluding herself from the midday celebration. Even though the school had been in session for several weeks already, she remained awkward around her classmates.

Brianna, the class clown, was standing near the playground and making the other students laugh as usual. I interrupted her fun and asked her to come to talk with me. “Brianna, do you see Molly down there?” I asked. “She looks very lonely. Would you mind walking down there and inviting her to come here to be with the rest of us?” I patted her on the shoulder.

Brianna sighed. I could tell she didn’t want to waste her precious time on what I was saying, but I also knew her heart. She was sweet and kind and often thought of others, so I chose her for this task on purpose.

Seeing that this choice pained her, I took a D-buck, our class currency, from my pocket. Though it was not the best way to handle this situation, I needed to ensure her cooperation. “Here, I’ll pay you for your time,” I said. She smiled, grasped the green paper, and headed towards Molly.

My eyes focused on Brianna as she neared the picnic table. After talking for a while, Molly turned to a standing position. Then I felt a sense of relief. The girls walked back together. Several minutes later, Brianna walked to me and handed me the D-buck, saying, “I shouldn’t keep this, because I don’t want Molly to think I only went to her for a D-buck. She is my friend.”

Then Brianna went back to her group. A moment later, they were all laughing again, and Molly was one of them.

1. What did the author ask Brianna to do? (no more than 15 words)
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2. Why did the author select Brianna to finish the task? (no more than 5 words)
__________________________________________________________________________
3. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 4 refer to? (no more that 5 words)
__________________________________________________________________________
4. Why did the author feel a sense of relief? (no more than 10 words)
__________________________________________________________________________
5. What do you think of Brianna? Please explain the reason. (no more than 20 words)
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