1 . Since teenage friendships are often a never-ending revolving door of gossip between peers, what can be said about high school friendships? How long can they last outside of high school? And how does one affect an individual?
Growing up with movies such as “High School Musical” and “Grease”, which portrayed the ideal high school friendships, we sometimes have the expectation of having a perfect relationship, staying in contact after graduation, possibly even graduating from college together and becoming lifelong friends.
Chances are you may experience genuine and pare friendships but still encounter failed ones, so high school is a time to think about what kind of people you do and do not want in your life. Although most adults see high school drama as silly, teenagers can be in the “this is the end of the world” mindset when it comes to minor inconvenience. Most teens have not realized the big question when dealing with high school problems: In five years, will this still matter? It is hard to look at the big picture when the problems are in front of you, which is understandable. However, most teens need a moment to weigh and question if the problem matters in the long run.
“In the end, the friends who are inclusive and only want to see you happy and successful are the ones that really matter. Those people have helped me grow as a person. Drama is drama, and there’s no way to get around it, but if you focus on those positive people, you are sure to live a happy life socially and individually,” Karen Hart said.
As time goes on, the fiends you were in contact with after high school slowly dwindle. People embark on different pathways and go different directions. Briana Lopez, Class of 2008 graduate and current substitute teacher, said, “I am currently in contact with two high school friends. I think the friendship experiences I had in high school shaped who I am because I learned to be open-minded and be friend all kinds of people. I learned to see people for who they are, not what they wear or who they hang out with. I learned most of all how to be a good friend.”
High school is a small percentage of your life, but it has a huge impact on who you will become and where you will go. Friendships and relationships help mold who you are, be they good or bad. Lessons are brought, and lessons are learned. If you are currently dealing amongst high school drama, ask yourself: In five years, will this really matter?
1. The author mentioned “High School Musical” and “Grease” in paragraph 2 mainly to show ________.| A．high school relationships are not ideally portrayed |
| B．such movies are quite popular among grown-ups |
| C．teenage viewers expect perfect school friendships |
| D．high school friends always become lifelong friends |
| A．Ask herself: “In five years, is it a big deal?” |
| B．Feel worried about “this is the end of the world”. |
| C．Treat failed friendships equally as genuine ones. |
| D．Pay close attention to the problem facing her. |
| A．become greater, more serious or more extreme |
| B．improve something and make it more successful |
| C．return to a normal condition after difficulty |
| D．decrease in size, amount value, or degree |
| A．Exclusive friends help one grow and live a pleasant life. |
| B．They may shape one’s personality and paths in the future. |
| C．One tends to judge people based on appearance and style. |
| D．Positive friends reach out to help avoid high school drama. |
Friendship, like any other relationship, needs to be nurtured. To develop a good friendship, you need to be committed, and a word of gratitude goes a long way toward sealing bonds. Thank your friends for being there for you or helping you rediscover yourself. On Friendship Day, reach out to your friends in every corner of the world. Use these thank-you quotes for friends in cards and messages.
| John Leonard “It takes a long time to grow an old friend.” Henry David Thoreau “The language of friendship is not words, but meanings.” Richard Bach “Every gift from a friend is a wish for your happiness." Euripides “Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness.” Lucius Annaeus Seneca “One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood.” Oprah Winfrey “Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” Ralph Waldo Emerson “The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him.” Baltasar Gracián “True friendship multiplies the good in life and divides its evils. Strive to have friends, for life without friends is like life on a desert island ... To find one real friend in a lifetime is good fortune; to keep him is a blessing.” Albert Schweitzer “In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another person. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle (重新点燃) the inner spirit.” |
| A．rediscover yourself | B．commit yourself to something new |
| C．promote friendship | D．display your sincerity |
| A．John Leonard. | B．Euripides. |
| C．Ralph Waldo Emerson. | D．Albert Schweitzer. |
| A．Richard Bach | B．Ralph Waldo Emerson |
| C．Baltasar Gracián | D．Albert Schweitzer |
3 . Why You Won’t Apologize
In our relationships with others, it’s inevitable that we’ll hurt people from time to time, even though, in some cases, we don’t mean to.
An apology is an attempt to repair the damage we’ve done to a relationship. To do this，we need to imagine ourselves to be in the victim’s position and to show empathy (共情) for the pain we have caused the victim. Some researches have indicated that people with the personality of narcissism (自恋) generally see no need to apologize when they have wronged another person.
We all want to believe we’re essentially good people. Accepting the fact that we’ve hurt someone we care about conflicts with our precious self-image. People who believe that personality is fixed are especially easily affected by the idea that an act of apology is a threat to their self-image. If personal characteristics stay the same, then, of course, hurting someone they care about is inconsistent (不一致) with their self-image as an essentially good person. In reality, of course, even good people sometimes do bad things.
Sometimes people don’t apologize because they don’t believe it will do any good. This could come from the belief that some mistakes are unforgivable.
| A．However, it’s quite difficult to make a sincere apology. |
| B．The challenge then is finding a way to make things right again. |
| C．There may also be unrealistic expectations about the process of forgiveness. |
| D．But even for most normal people, it can be extremely difficult to feel sorry for those who have been offended. |
| E．Understanding and accepting this fact of life can help ease our mind and thus help make an effective apology. |
| F．Although apologizing can be hard to do, it is, in fact, the most effective approach to mending a broken relationship. |
Friendship
To help us understand what friendship really means, we need to review some classical views of friendship. According to Aristotle, we may find three kinds of friendship:
Friendship based on utility. Utility is an impermanent thing: it changes according to circumstances. When the ground for friendship disappears, the friendship also breaks up. Friendships of this kind seem to occur most frequently between the elderly, because at their age what they want is not pleasure but utility Friendships based on utility are also frequently found among those in middle or early life who are pursuing their own advantage. Such persons do not spend much time together, because sometimes they do not even like one another, and therefore feel no need of such an association unless they are mutually useful. They take pleasure in each other’s company only in so far as they have hopes of advantage from it.
Friendship based on pleasure. Friendship between the young is thought to be grounded on pleasure, because the lives of the young are regulated by their feelings, and their chief interests are in their own pleasure and the opportunity of the moment. As they grow up, however, their tastes change too, so that they are quick to make and to break friendships. That is why they fall in and out of friendship quickly, changing their attitude often, even within the same day.
Friendship based on goodness. Perfect friendship is based on goodness. Only the friendship of those who are good, and similar in their goodness, is perfect. The conduct of good men is the same or similar. It is between good men that both love and friendship are chiefly found and in the highest form. Such friendships are rare and they need time and intimacy; for as the saying goes, true friends must go through trials and tribulations (患难) together. And no two persons can accept each other and become friends until each has proved to the other that he is worthy of love. and so won his trust. The wish for friendship may develop rapidly, but true friendship does not.
Romantic Attraction
Sometimes, it seems we are attracted towards people romantically in a puzzling manner. We see someone and our romantic side bursts out. However, it is not a mystery to science and people who study sociology. There are definite causes as to why people become romantically attracted to each other. These factors are, similarity, communication, and honesty.
Though people often say opposites attract, similarity often connects individuals in a romantic way. In fact, based on research done by the University of Colorado Boulder, we tend to choose partners who have a similar DNA to ours. Of course we cannot examine the DNA of others readily, but we can naturally “feel” if people are a genetic match for us.
Communication is another essential factor in the romantic attraction way. If we feel a deep connection to someone through the ease of talking with them, we are much more likely to be attracted to that person. It is difficult to be romantically involved with someone you can barely communicate with. And as a side note, there are people we are not attracted to each other in appearance, but after communicating with them for some time, we suddenly become romantically interested in them.
Friends often connect through noticing the honesty of others, but this also lends to romantic attraction. According to Kelly Campbell, PhD, “Chemistry occurs most often between people who are down-to-earth and sincere. This is because if a person is comfortable with themselves, they are better able to express their true self to the world, which makes it easier to get to know them, even if perspectives on important matters differed”. This adds to the perspective that easy communication between people contributes to romantic attraction.
