Real-life Friends

　 Most people know the saying: A man's best friend is his dog; and that Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. However, dogs can’t offer advice or make you a cup of tea when you need one; and precious stones are cold comfort when you need a hug, and a shoulder to cry on.

What are Friends?

　 There are many ways to describe a friend. Friends are the family you can choose for yourself. Friends are a much better medication（医疗）than medication is, and people who spend time with friends are happier with their lives as they are less lonely.

　 A good friend will put you to bed when you’re lost consciousness. Ensure you’re not laid on your back, and remember to remove your shoes. You should be able to tell a true friend anything without being judged by them.

　 Friendships which begin due to location, for example, next-door neighbors or school classmates, rarely survive transitions such as moving to other neighborhoods, schools, colleges, jobs, immigration, and so forth. Attend a school reunion and you’ll wonder what on earth you ever had in common with these people other than your age, although it is possible to have a friendship with someone you met at school. Mutually maintain it, and eventually become godparent or “uncle” to each others’ children.

How Friendships are Maintained

　 To have a friend you must also be a friend and be prepared to be there for them should they need you. Failure in this respect would label you a fair-weather friend and you would most probably be abandoned.

Boundaries

　 Like every other relationship you have in your life, there are boundaries you shouldn’t cross with your friends. One of those is money: Don’t lend to your friend and don’t ask for a loan yourself.

　 Friends are unpaid counselors（顾问）,but phoning them at 2 am because you’re awake and would like a chat is not a good idea. Neither is phoning them at 10 am if you know they’re a shift-worker. Friends are people who need some space and quiet time. Generally, it all boils down to mutual respect and understanding.

　 It’s not a good plan to interrupt your friend while they’re on a date/on holiday/attending an orchestral recital/at a funeral.

Trust

　 Trust is the most vital element in any relationship. If you’re not trustworthy then you probably don’t deserve friends, so try to remember that you promised to see that dull film with them or applaud them at their first attempt at a karaoke or an Open Mic night. If you have promised to look after their clothes while they go for a bet, then make sure you do. You might like to carry enough cash to help them out too, as you never know when that situation might be reversed.

　 Don’t lie to your friend: if they know you well they’ll know you’re lying or will at least be suspicious. If you find out something that you know will hurt your friend, be tactful（圆滑）. Do they need to know? Would they appreciate knowing? Can you tell their mum so she can break the news? Cowardly, yes, but mums usually have a much better way with words. Remember, if you do decide to tell them and it’s painful, they will probably need some time alone, after lashing out at（抨击）the closest thing—you. In that case, play the waiting game. Then don’t beat them up about it afterwards.

A Friend for Life

　 Strong friendships can last a lifetime with care and consideration. The benefits are multi-folds; you’ve got someone to share birthday cake with, and especially for single people, a pub meal or a trip to the cinema is no fun alone, is it? Plus it’s always nice to know there’s someone there for you, as you’re there for them, through the bad times as well as the good. Altogether now: Oh I get by with a little help from my friends. Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends.

55. According to the passage we can learn that good friends should be ___________.

　 A. paid counselors　　 B. money lenders　 C. good listeners　　　 D. next-door neighbors

56. The author brings in the topic by ___________.

　 A. giving negative examples　　　 B. raising a relative question

C. describing a natural fact D. explaining what friends are

57. The underlined phrase “a fair-weather friend” in Para 6 probably refers to a friend who _____.

　 A. likes only fine weather B. will always stand by you

C. likes to make friends in fine weather　　　　　　 D. will run away from you when you need help badly

58. What can be inferred from the passage?

　 A. The more friends you have, the happier you will be.

B. Medication is also a better way to maintain strong friendships.

C. You may lose a friend if you are always telling lies to him or her.

D. We should only make friends with those having similar interests.

59. From the last paragraph we can learn that the author ____________.

　 A. doubt whether there are true friends and friendship

B. has lost a lot of good friends without any reasons

C. has already benefited a great deal from his friends

D. has been tired of making friends with single people

60. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

　 A. How to make friends.　　　　 　　　　　　　　 B. Friends and friendship.

C. Ways to maintain friendship.　 　　　　　　　　 D. Boundaries of friends.

How many times have you got upset because someone wasn't doing his job，because your child isn't behaving？How many times have you been irritated (恼怒的) when you've planned something carefully and things didn't go as you'd hoped?

This kind of anger and irritation happens to all of us—it’s part of the human experiences.

One thing that irritates me is when people talk during a movie，or cut me off in traffic. Actually, I have a lot of these little annoyances—don't we all？And it isn’t always easy to find peace when you’ve become upset or irritated.

Let me tell you a little secret to finding peace of mind: see the glass as already broken .

See, the cause of our stress, anger and irritation is that things don't go the way we like, the way we expect them to. Think of how many times this has been true for you. And so the solution is simple：expect things to go wrong, expect things to be different than we hoped or planned，expect the unexpected to happen. And accept it.

One quick example: on our recent trip to Japan, I told my kids to expect things to go wrong—they always do on a trip. I told them, “See it as part of the adventure.”

And this worked like a charm. When we inevitably(不可避免地) took the wrong train on a foreign­language subway system, or when it rained on the day we went to Disney Sea, or when we took three trains and walked 10 blocks only to find the National Children's Castle closed on Mondays...they said, “It's part of the adventure！” And it was all OK—we didn't get too bothered.

So when the nice glass you bought inevitably falls and breaks some day, you might get upset. But things will be different, if you see the glass as already broken, from the day you get it. You know it'll break some day, so from the beginning, see it as already broken. Be a time­traveler, or someone with time­traveling vision, and see the future of this glass, from this moment until it inevitably breaks. And when it breaks, you won't be upset or sad—because it was already broken, from the day you got it. And you’ll realize that every moment you have with it is precious.

1.The author’s children could enjoy their trip to Japan because________.

A. everything went smoothly

B. they had a lot of adventures

C. they had expected things to go wrong

D. they could soon get used to the customs there

2.The author would probably agree that________.

A. we should control our anger and irritation

B. we must get well prepared for the future

C. optimism can help us overcome our anger and irritation

D. anger and irritation is a natural part of our life

3.The purpose of the author is to________.

A. tell us his own experience in life

B. advise us how to find peace of mind

C. tell us a happy trip he took with his children

D. ask us to see things from both sides

4.By the underlined part (in Para.3), the author tells us to________.

A. get ready for the worst result of things

B. enjoy the process of things

C. expect little from life

D. find the relationship between cause and effect

5.We can learn from the passage that the author________.

A. often gets angry in his life

B. can adjust his state of mind accordingly

C. always expects others to act in his way

D. always suffers from his anger and irritation

How many times have you got upset because someone wasn't doing his job，because your child isn't behaving？How many times have you been irritated (恼怒的) when you've planned something carefully and things didn't go as you'd hoped?

This kind of anger and irritation happens to all of us—it’s part of the human experiences.

One thing that irritates me is when people talk during a movie，or cut me off in traffic. Actually, I have a lot of these little annoyances—don't we all？And it isn’t always easy to find peace when you’ve become upset or irritated.

Let me tell you a little secret to finding peace of mind: see the glass as already broken .

See, the cause of our stress, anger and irritation is that things don't go the way we like, the way we expect them to. Think of how many times this has been true for you. And so the solution is simple：expect things to go wrong, expect things to be different than we hoped or planned，expect the unexpected to happen. And accept it.

One quick example: on our recent trip to Japan, I told my kids to expect things to go wrong—they always do on a trip. I told them, “See it as part of the adventure.”

And this worked like a charm. When we inevitably(不可避免地) took the wrong train on a foreign­language subway system, or when it rained on the day we went to Disney Sea, or when we took three trains and walked 10 blocks only to find the National Children's Castle closed on Mondays...they said, “It's part of the adventure！” And it was all OK—we didn't get too bothered.

So when the nice glass you bought inevitably falls and breaks some day, you might get upset. But things will be different, if you see the glass as already broken, from the day you get it. You know it'll break some day, so from the beginning, see it as already broken. Be a time­traveler, or someone with time­traveling vision, and see the future of this glass, from this moment until it inevitably breaks. And when it breaks, you won't be upset or sad—because it was already broken, from the day you got it. And you’ll realize that every moment you have with it is precious.

1.The author would probably agree that________.

A．we should control our anger and irritation

B．we must get well prepared for the future

C．optimism can help us overcome our anger and irritation

D．anger and irritation is a natural part of our life

2.The purpose of the author is to________.

A．tell us his own experience in life

B．advise us how to find peace of mind

C．tell us a happy trip he took with his children

D．ask us to see things from both sides

3.By the underlined part (in Para.3), the author tells us to________.

A．get ready for the worst result of things

B．enjoy the process of things

C．expect little from life

D．find the relationship between cause and effect

4.The author’s children could enjoy their trip to Japan because________.

A．everything went smoothly

B．they had a lot of adventures

C．they had expected things to go wrong

D．they could soon get used to the customs there

5.We can learn from the passage that the author________.

A．often gets angry in his life

B．can adjust his state of mind accordingly

C．always expects others to act in his way

D．always suffers from his anger and irritation

　 How many times have you got upset because someone wasn't doing his job，because your child isn't behaving？How many times have you been irritated (恼怒的) when you've planned something carefully and things didn't go as you'd hoped?

This kind of anger and irritation happens to all of us—it’s part of the human experiences.

One thing that irritates me is when people talk during a movie，or cut me off in traffic. Actually, I have a lot of these little annoyances—don't we all？And it isn’t always easy to find peace when you’ve become upset or irritated.

Let me tell you a little secret to finding peace of mind: see the glass as already broken .

See, the cause of our stress, anger and irritation is that things don't go the way we like, the way we expect them to. Think of how many times this has been true for you. And so the solution is simple：expect things to go wrong, expect things to be different than we hoped or planned，expect the unexpected to happen. And accept it.

One quick example: on our recent trip to Japan, I told my kids to expect things to go wrong—they always do on a trip. I told them, “See it as part of the adventure.”

And this worked like a charm. When we inevitably(不可避免地) took the wrong train on a foreign?language subway system, or when it rained on the day we went to Disney Sea, or when we took three trains and walked 10 blocks only to find the National Children's Castle closed on Mondays...they said, “It's part of the adventure！” And it was all OK—we didn't get too bothered.

So when the nice glass you bought inevitably falls and breaks some day, you might get upset. But things will be different, if you see the glass as already broken, from the day you get it. You know it'll break some day, so from the beginning, see it as already broken. Be a time?traveler, or someone with time?traveling vision, and see the future of this glass, from this moment until it inevitably breaks. And when it breaks, you won't be upset or sad—because it was already broken, from the day you got it. And you’ll realize that every moment you have with it is precious.

71. The author would probably agree that________.

A. we should control our anger and irritation

B. we must get well prepared for the future

C. optimism can help us overcome our anger and irritation

D. anger and irritation is a natural part of our life

72. The purpose of the author is to________.

A. tell us his own experience in life

B. advise us how to find peace of mind

C. tell us a happy trip he took with his children

D. ask us to see things from both sides

73. By the underlined part (in Para.4), the author tells us to________.

A. get ready for the worst result of things

B. enjoy the process of things

C. expect little from life

D. find the relationship between cause and effect

74. The author’s children could enjoy their trip to Japan because________.

A. everything went smoothly

B. they had a lot of adventures

C. they had expected things to go wrong

D. they could soon get used to the customs there

75. We can learn from the passage that the author________.

A. often gets angry in his life

B. can adjust his state of mind accordingly

C. always expects others to act in his way

D. always suffers from his anger and irritation

How many times have you gotten upset because someone wasn’t doing their job, because your child isn’t behaving？How many times have you been annoyed when you’ve planned something carefully and things didn’t go as you’d hoped?

This kind of anger and irritation happens to all of us — it’s part of the human experience.

One thing that annoys me is when people talk during a movie. Or cut me off in traffic. Actually, I have a lot of these little annoyances — don’t we all? And it isn’t always easy to find peace when you’ve become upset or annoyed.

Let me tell you a little secret to finding peace of mind: see the glass as already broken.

See, the cause of our stress, anger and irritation is that things don’t go the way we like, the way we expect them to. Think of how many times this has been true for you. And so the solution is simple: expect things to go wrong, expect things to be different than we hoped or planned, expect the unexpected to happen. And accept it.

One quick example: on our recent trip to Japan, I told my kids to expect things to go wrong — they always do on a trip. I told them, “See it as part of the adventure.”

And this worked like a charm. When we took the wrong train on a foreign-language subway system, or when it rained on the day we went to Disney Sea, or when we took three trains and walked 10 blocks only to find the National Children’s Castle closed on Mondays … they said, “It’s part of the adventure!” And it was all OK — we didn’t get too bothered.

So when the nice glass you bought inevitably falls and breaks, someday, you might get upset. But not if you see the glass as already broken, from the day you get it. You know it’ll break someday, so from the beginning, see it as already broken. Be a time-traveler, or someone with time-traveling vision, and see the future of this glass, from this moment until it inevitably breaks. And when it breaks, you won’t be upset or sad — because it was already broken, from the day you got it. And you’ll realize that every moment you have with it is precious.

1.The author would probably agree that________.

2.The purpose of the author is to ___________.

3.By the underlined part, the author intends us to _____________.

4.The author’s children could enjoy their trip to Japan because _____________.

5.We can learn from the passage that the author ____________.