Friendships can be difficult—because often people aren't as honest and open as they should be. Sometimes, people end up getting hurt.

    Most problems with friendships come up because people are just too selfish to care about the things that their friends need. They care about their own needs much more, which makes it hard for friendships to work. However, being selfish is part of human nature. A person is put together in order to take care of himself and his own needs, not necessarily those needs of other people. Even though being selfish is something that all humans are born with, it is something that everyone should guard against.

    The best thing to remember when you are a friend to anyone is that you need to treat your friend the same way as you'd like to be treated. This is wonderful advice for a friendship, because it is really the only way to make sure that you are giving your friend everything you would want to be given in a friendship. Whenever you have a question about how you should treat a friend, it is easy to find an answer simply by asking yourself what you would like your friend to do for you, if he or she is in your shoes.

    Even if you're always thinking about how you'd like to be treated, and your friends are too, there are issues that come up from time to time in each friendship, and it is important to understand how to deal with these issues so that you can build stronger and healthier friendships. Issues like friends getting boyfriends or girlfriends and not spending enough time with their friends, or even friends finding new friends and leaving old friends behind are issues that will probably come up with one or more of your friendships. It is important to know how to deal with these issues so that you can keep your friends and make new ones. No one wants to have a broken friendship.

    When I was 19 years old, I was at a dance club. As we were walking to my car one cold night, a man walked up to us. Behind him was a woman carrying a small child. The child had a jacket on but it wasn't buttoned up（扣上）. The man began to tell us he wanted to borrow some money for the night to get his wife and kid into a hotel. He had a job but no place to live in and was waiting for the first paycheck. He said he could get our mailing address and mail the money back.

    The guy I was with reached into his pocket to give this man a $20 bill. As the other man was extending his hand out to take the money, I put my hand on my new friends' hand and said, “Can I talk to you for a minute？"

    I told him that every day people asked my mother for money on her way to work. She said they made more money than she did, simply begging for money. These people were scamming those with soft hearts. And if they were truly worried about their child suffering from the cold, they would have at least buttoned his jacket or covered him with his blanket.

    My new friend looked at me with disappointment and said, “Michelle, I know there are people out there that take advantage of others. I also know there are people out there that are one paycheck away from being homeless. If I give $ 20 to 10 people and only one of them really needs it and uses it for the right thing, it is worth it.”

    I am now 37 years old and have never forgotten what he said to me. I don't even remember his name. But I do remember that that experience changed the way I look at different situations.

    Ways to make a great first impression

    You've heard it a million times already, but it really does take but a few seconds to make that all-important first impression (印象). Here are some easy ways for you to impress your classmates or teachers.

Before you shake hands with somebody, make sure that your hands are clean. The handshake should not be too strong or weak. Most people use their right hands, unless they have a reason to use the left.      

    Be on time

    When meeting someone for the first time, arriving on time is as important as breathing. You may have an excuse, but that will leave the person who hardly knows you with a bad impression.      It's better to be hanging around the place than be stuck in traffic.

    Introduce yourself and ask for names

    Make sure you properly introduce yourself. Ask for their name in a polite way.        This will increase the chances of their remembering your name in the future. Always remember to stand up when greeting someone and be sure to introduce them to anyone you're with.

    Make good conversation

To get the most out of your discussion, try to find something common between the two of you.       A person will feel more comfortable with someone they can relate to (产生共鸣).

A. Use body language

B. Have a proper handshake

C. Repeat the name and use it later in conversation.

D. As a general rule, plan to arrive about 30 minutes early.

E. It could be a similar taste in clothes or a common hobby.

F. You'll be in serious trouble if you leave them with a bad impression.

G. However, don't have your left hand in your pocket because this appears impolite.

    Have you ever traveled around by bike? This spring my older brother and I 1the busy city and spent a long weekend 2in the countryside. Our speed was only around 14 kph, but we didn't 3 . We hadn't come to break any speed records,4 . All we wanted was some 5 air and a break from schoolwork.

    We really 6 ourselves while cycling along traffic-free country paths. There was plenty of sunshine, 7 it was quite cold, 8 in the mornings. The good news was that soon we 9 as we rode along. Our only 10 was when my brakes (刹车) started making a terrible noise. But I didn't care as it gave us an 11 to visit a cafe while a bike mechanic (机修工) had a look at it.

    Every few kilometers there was a 12 where we could talk with local people. One of the women was very 13 and showed us the way when we got lost. On Saturday night we were 14 at 2 a.m. by some young people. They kept singing loudly in the next room, which made us 15 all night. We felt very 16 when we got up the next morning. Soon we 17. We were more cheerful on the way when the sun came out. 18, things like that happened only once. Anyway I still like traveling around by bike — it's 19 and it's fun. If you're looking for a short break that's active and cheap, then cycling is a great 20!

1） 表示安慰；

2） 给他提几点建议（分析失误原因、向老师求助、主意劳逸结合）；

3）邀请他来中国游玩。

注意：1）词数100左右（开头结尾已给出，但不计入总词数）；

2）可适当增加细节，使行文连贯。

Dear Mike，

    I'm sorry to hear that you are feeling upset these days.……

    Hope everything will be fine for you soon.

Yours,

Tom