Ben, 17, is a member of their school basketball team. He is crazy     1    basketball and pretty good at it, but they     2    (lose) their last match. In Ben’s opinion, their point guard was     3    (blame).     4    (disappoint) by his behaviour, Ben told this to his best friend. However, his best friend told everyone else     5    he’d said. Ben didn’t know what to do, so he asked Agony Aunt for help.

As far as Agony Aunt    6    (concern), it is mainly his friend’s loose lips that make the situation worse. But it’s     7    (part) Ben’s fault. She suggests that Ben should apologise to his teammate. Secondly, Ben should talk to his friend that he is angry with him for     8    (repeat) what he said and making the situation worse,     9    that he wants to move on. Thirdly, Ben should think about his own behaviour and always remember:think first, speak later. If he feels one of his teammates isn’t pulling their    10    (weigh), then raise his concerns in a professional way with his team coach.

I     1     (walk) through the crowd when someone patted me on the shoulder. I turned around and saw Peter, one of my best friends. After we exchanged greetings, he said, “I     2     (attend) an opening ceremony at eight tomorrow morning. Would you please take this book to Tom?” He also said, “He     3     (wear) dark sweats, waiting for you in front of the library.” “I’m sorry, but I     4     (have) an important meeting then. And I’m afraid I     5     (be) available the whole morning because I     6     (see) a friend off at ten o'clock tomorrow morning.” Peter     7     (say) with disappointment, “What a pity! Tom called me to borrow this book last week, but I never had time to take it to him. He likes The Old Man and the Sea very much, and I also hope to share my thoughts with him one day.” I smiled and replied, “I hope you both     8     (enjoy) sharing your opinions about the plot and have a good time together. By the way, I am also a huge fan of The Old Man and the Sea. My dad     9     (give) me the book as a present for my tenth birthday, and I     10     (read) it three times by now.

3 . Your best friend has seen you at your worst and still loves you unconditionally. However, such a close relationship is bound to have its twists and turns (曲折).     1     But what do you do after a quarrel happens? Here are some suggestions to make up with your best friend and sort things out.

Talk it out. No matter whose fault it is, don’t wait for her to make the first move. Friendships break because no one wants to be the first to take action after a quarrel. You know she’s important to you, so call her and talk things out. If you’re at fault, explain yourself without justifying (证明……有道理) your mistake.     2    

Listen.     3     Listen to what your best friend wants to say before talking about your feelings. She might be going through life-changing events or having a tough time. You should care about her feelings. It takes a good listener to build stronger friendships.

    4     Sometimes no matter how hard you try, your best friend won’t listen because she’s too stubborn. Share your problem with someone who is close to both of you and ask that person to talk to her instead. She might just understand better when a third person explains it.

Give her time. After you’ve tried everything in your power to sort things out with her, give her some time to cool down. She might be someone who needs time to accept what you’ve said.     5     Give her some time. She’ll think over the conversation and take a step towards you on her own.