Jane and I were college roommates, and our first meet was far from friendly. I, an outgoing and passionate girl, found Jane, a quiet and shy person, difficult to get along with. Our conflicting lifestyles became a headache for both of us. Jane enjoyed early mornings at the library, absorbed in reading, while I preferred my sleep-ins. The sound of her early morning routine, from washing up to organizing the room, really got on my nerves. Jane would actively tidy up our shared space after study, while my desk remained in constant disorder.

One morning, I was unexpectedly awakened by a loud crash, only to discover that Jane had accidentally broken my favorite cup. Imagining all the disagreements, I was getting mad. I lost my temper and yelled a bunch of angry words at her without thinking. “What on earth, Jane! That was my favorite cup!” “I’m so sorry! I’ll clean it up.” “Clean it up? You’ve got to be kidding me!” After my outburst, Jane’s eyes welled up with tears. Silently, she began to clean up the broken pieces before leaving the room with her bag.

That night, as the bell signaling the end of study hours rang, I returned to the room only to find it empty. The roommate, who usually hangs around the room, was nowhere to be seen. It felt a little strange like something wasn’t right. I thought maybe she was still upset about our argument in the morning. I started worrying. Did what I said hurt her feelings? Is she avoiding me now? I kept thinking about our argument. It was then that I noticed the cleanliness Jane had left behind — a dorm so clean you could eat off the floor. I was filled with regret as I became aware of the consequences of my morning outburst. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. Feeling bad and wanting to fix things, I decided to go to find her.

I was about to walk towards the door when it suddenly opened.

With care, I opened the beautifully wrapped box.

2 . For lots of kids, toddlerhood (幼儿期) is an important time for friendship. Studies show that the earlier kids learn to form positive relationships, the better they are at relating to others as teenagers and adults. Playing together also helps these kids practice social behaviors, such as kindness, sharing, and cooperation.

Even so, how quickly your child develops into a social creature may also depend on his temperament(性格). Some toddler s are very social, but others are shy. In addition, the way that toddlers demonstrate that they like other children is markedly different from what adults think of as expressions of friendship. Research at Ohio State University in Columbus found that a toddler’s way of saying “I like you” during play is likely to come in the form of copying a friend’s behavior.

This seemingly unusual way of demonstrating fondness can result in unpleasant behavior. Regardless of how much they like a playmate, they may still grab his toys, refuse to share, and get bossy. But experts say that this is a normal and necessary part of friendship for kids this age. Through play experiences, toddlers learn social rules. That’s why it’s so important to take an active role in your toddler’s social encounters by setting limits and offering frequent reminders of what they are. When you establish these guidelines, explain the reasons behind them.

Begin by helping your child learn sympathy (“Ben is crying. What’s making him so sad?”), then suggest how he could resolve the problem (“Maybe he would feel better if you let him play the ball.”). When your child shares or shows empathy(同理心) toward a friend, praise him (“Ben stopped crying! You made him feel better.”).

Another way to encourage healthy social interaction is by encouraging kids to use words- not fists-to express how they feel. It’s also important to be mindful of how your child’s personality affects playtime. Kids are easy to get angry when they’re sleepy or hungry, so schedule playtime when they’re refreshed.

4 . Many friendships hit rough patches. Sometimes it is worth the emotional strain to work through your problems, while at other times, especially when a friendship is harmful, it isn’t.     1     Here are some tips for reference.

●Reflect and write down the good.

Before you face a difficult conversation with a friend, pause and reflect first. Think of a specific moment that this friendship has brought you joy or excitement. Using that memory as inspiration to write down things you appreciate about a friend.     2     Even if there is still tension, that appreciation will go a long way to building mutual understanding.

●Choose a different way to communicate.

If repair efforts have not worked via your usual tech channels, try another way to communicate.     3     Send some postcards, deliver exquisite handicrafts or mail someone a book you think they would enjoy. Attached with these gifts, a hand-written letter explaining why you think the relationship feels awkward and why you want to repair it is highly recommended.

●    4    

If you take a step back from the friendship and notice that it’s doing more harm than good, for example, your friend isn’t rooting for your success, bullies you, is inconsiderate, or you feel drained or misunderstood by them, it might be time to end instead of mend.     5     In other words, the good does not necessarily outweigh the bad if there’s too much bad. Thus, drop the relationship once you perceive any dangerous sign showing you are being hurt.

5 . I was talking to some friends while standing in line in the cafeteria at my middle school. As I started to share a funny story, my friend Elizabeth _______ me. “Coco! Coco!” she called out. Everyone laughed. This is so _______, I thought. I felt a little bit uncomfortable.

However, I never wanted to ask what “Coco” meant. I _______ it was a code word for a cute boy. Elizabeth was one of the girls that everyone wanted to be friends with. I felt _______ to be friends with her. Later, I noticed that Elizabeth often said bad things about other kids. I would have never said those things about someone, but to fit in, I _______ when Elizabeth said them.

One day, a classmate stopped by my locker and said to me, “‘Coco’ means Elizabeth thinks you’re being _______. It’s really mean.” My eyes filled with tears. I couldn’t _______ it.

The next day, at lunchtime, I sat beside Macy, who was sitting with another two girls and who had always seemed nice, _______ that she didn’t know about Coco. “You know Elizabeth is mean, right?” My heart _______. She knew. Before I could respond, Macy said, “You didn’t ________ to be treated that way, and nobody else does either.” I smiled and then talked to my new friends with ________. We laughed a lot, and no one interrupted with a mean code word.

Most adolescents are attempting to ________ who they are and who they want to be. The word Coco will always serve as a(n) ________ that I need to stay ________ to myself and never compromise my values to be friends with someone. Because with ________ friends, I won’t have to.

Amy and I had been best friends since primary school and spent almost every day with each other. Sometimes, other children said we were no fun because we were both very academic(学术的) and liked to study, but we liked it that way. Both of us were very hard-working and always got good grades at school.

I thought we would be like this forever, however, our friendship was on the rocks recently.

One Monday, we had a surprise math quiz. I thought it was quite easy and was not worried about the results.

I must have sounded very proud of myself after the quiz, saying how easy it was and how I was sure to get a good grade. And many classmates looked at me with admiration.

The next day after class, my math teacher told me that I had the lowest grade in the class! I felt so ashamed and couldn’t believe it; I must be really stupid to fail a simple math quiz!

Afterwards, I pretended to be cheerful and greeted others with a smile as usual, but Amy sensed something was wrong.

We went to wash our hands in the girls’ washroom before lunch. She patted me on the shoulder and asked me what happened. Seeing her concerned look, I had to admit how badly I had done in the math quiz. I begged her not to tell anyone else, and couldn’t help sobbing (啜泣). She held me tightly, saying she would keep my secret, and cheered me up.

However, the next day, I noticed that my classmates were staring at me as I came into math class, when I went to sit down, I was shocked to find a piece of paper on my desk that said, “...Stupid Sarah got a D!” I was so upset that I felt like crying.

Then I began to cry, wondering who let out my secret—was it Amy?

When hearing the truth from Alice, I was shocked and couldn’t wait to find Amy to apologize.

9 . Marty was new at school. On his first day, he showed magic to his schoolmates. He made a toothpick (牙签) disappear and appear within seconds. Everyone wondered how he did it.

“How did you do that?” I asked. “Sorry, but that’s the first law of magic. A magician never lets out his secrets.” Marty smiled. I thought he was tricking everyone. I would make his secrets known to all.

The next day, Marty gave his second magic show. He said he could make things float (飘起). He had a ring in one hand and a pencil in the other. That’s when I saw it: a thin line tied around the end of the pencil and attracted to a button on Marty’s shirt! Sure enough, he made the ring “float” by sliding (滑动) it over the pencil and hanging it from the line. No one else noticed, but I found the secret. I got close to him and said, “I know how you did it.” He looked nervous and asked me, “Are you going to tell others?” I thought for a moment. If I told, I’d finally be able to prove Marty’s magic was fake (假的). Then Marty might lose his new friends. So I told him that I would say nothing about it. And then I walked away.

“Wait!” Marty jumped in front of me. “You’ve got a pretty good eye for magic. If you’re interested, I have an idea,” Marty suggested. And I accepted his idea. That’s how the Magic Marty and Mysterious Matt Lunch Show began. We’ve been a magic team for three months now. It turns out that instead of a fake magician, Marty is a real friend.