I’m very happy to receive your letter. I have always dreamed about having a pen-friend. Hopefully, we can learn from each other and grow to be good friends. I think our letters will let us know each other and share parts(宠物)of our lives.

Your horse Shannon looks beautiful. I also want to live on a farm like you and learn to ride horses. It must be interesting to ride through the beautiful countryside. I have pictured myself in that situation so many times. Your sisters are also lovely. I am the only child in my family, and sometimes I feel very lonely.

Life in New York is so busy and it is difficult to find the time to get to know people. Even becoming close to my classmates is quite difficult. However, sometimes it can be the most fantastic(极好的)city in the world. At night it is so bright.

I love reading too! But I have never read any books by your favorite author Enid Blyton. I will have to go to the library in my neighborhood and find some. I also enjoy dancing and have dance class every Thursday and Saturday. My other favorite hobby(爱好)is skating(滑冰). In winter, I like to skate in Central Park.

I have to go now and do my homework. I really hope that I hear from you soon!

Yours Megan

We have the most friends at the age of 26 after having spent the first quarter of our lives building up our friendship circle, a new research has claimed.

The research into friendship shows that our social circle peaks at 26 years and 7 months, at which we typically have five close friends. Women are the most popular at 25 years and 10 months, with men hitting the highest friendship point a little later at 27 years and 3 months.

The research, by Forever Friends, shows that about a third of adults meet their closest friends while at school, with about a fifth saying they meet them at work.

Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter now also play a major role in building new friendship. The research points out that 25 to 34-year-olds make 22 friends via Facebook, compared to 18 to 24-year-olds who make 12, and 35 to 44-year-olds who make just four.

Forever Friends’ relationship coach Sam Owen says, “It is no coincidence that over a third of us meet our best friends at school. It is a key time in our lives when friendship is growing through sharing notes, giving gifts, seeing each other regularly and laughing a lot. As adults we can often forget how powerful these small things are and how the little things can make a difference. ”

Later in life we find ourselves losing friends. Over half of us lose friendship through moving, while 36% say that over time they grow apart from close pals. Having children also causes 19% to drift away from childhood friends.

With growing pressures being put on friendship these days, it’s important to make time for our friendship.

If you move to a new school, you’ll have to worry about whether or not you’ll make friends. Here are some simple suggestions which help you make new friends easier.

▶Try speaking to those you’re sitting next to in class. As they’re close by, it makes sense to communicate with them first.

▶If you don’t have many friends in your class, try and make new friends in class. You can also talk with them at lunchtime and after school.

▶Join a lunchtime or after school club. You’ll get chances to chat with kids of all years that way.

▶Use your “celebrity status (名人身份)”! Since you’re the new person, you’ll have gained “celebrity status”, which you can use for a couple of weeks. You should listen carefully to what others say so as to make them feel important to us.

As you grow older, it’s natural to make new friends and sometimes that means you grow apart from your old friend. So try and make time for all your friends.

But what if a friendship group is pushing you out (排斥)? If this is happening to you, try and ask someone what is happening. If the whole group is leaving you out, try to find new people to spend time with.