Americans use the word “friend” in a very general way.They have school friends, work friends, sports friends and neighborhood friends. These friendships are based on common interests.【小题1】, the friendship may fade. Because American society is one of rapid changes, American friendships develop quickly.

People from the United States may at first seem friendly. 【小题2】.They exchange information about their families, hobbies and work. They may smile warmly and say, “Have a nice day” or “See you later”. But American friendliness is not always an offer of true friendship. So we should learn how Americans view friendship to help us avoid misunderstandings.

1. Be willing to take the first step. Don’t wait for them to approach you. Americans in another country may not know you can speak English. They may be embarrassed if they can't speak your language.

2. Use small talk to open the conversation. 【小题3】, why they came to your country, etc. Remember to be careful to avoid personal questions about age, salary and appearance.

3. Show an interest in their culture, their country or their job.Americans like to talk about themselves!

4. Invite them to join you for dinner or just for coffee or tea. Try to set a specific time. Americans sometimes make general invitations like “Let’s get together sometime.” Often this is just a way to be friendly.【小题4】.

5. 【小题5】. Maybe they’re just being friendly. But maybe they do want to be your good friends. It will take time to tell. After all, there are some differences between the two cultures.

There was once a boy called Mario who loved to have lots of friends at school. However, he wasn’t sure whether or not his classmates were his true friends, so he asked his grandpa. The old man answered, “I have just exactly what you need; it’s in the attic(阁楼). Wait here for a minute.”

Grandpa left, soon returning as though carrying something in his hand but Mario could see nothing there. “Take it. It’s a very special chair. Because it’s invisible, it’s rather difficult to sit on, but if you take it to school and you manage to sit on it, you’ll be able to tell who your true friends are.”

Mario took the strange invisible chair and went to school. At break time he asked everyone to form a circle, and he put himself in the middle, with his chair. “You’re about to see something amazing,” Mario said.

Then Mario tried sitting on the chair. He missed and fell straight onto his backside. Everyone had a pretty good laugh. Mario wouldn’t be beaten. He kept trying to sit on the magic chair, and kept falling to the ground — until, suddenly, he tried again and didn’t fall. This time he sat, hovering(悬停) in mid-air.

Looking around, Mario saw George, Lucas, and Diana — three of his best friends — holding him up, so he didn’t fall. At the same time, many others he had thought of as friends were doing nothing but make fun of him, enjoying each and every fall.

Leaving with his three friends, he came to understand what a true friend is.

Did you know that you can be a good friend who has bad friend habits? Those habits might be pushing people you care about away. In this article, we’ll explore some habits and how they negatively impact your relationships. Read and find out what they are and how to break them. 【小题1】.

You’re on your phones most of the day, but when should you put them down? 【小题2】. Being around loved ones might be commonplace for you, but it’s not OK to take it for granted or treat people badly as a result. You’ve gotten used to seeing your friends, but it doesn’t mean you can get away with bad behavior! 【小题3】. Focusing on people you love is one of the best ways to show you care about them!

You’ve all experienced the horrible realization that you’re running late and won’t make your plans on time. There’s arguably nothing worse. You’re walking fast, red and sweaty face, desperately trying to get hold of your friends to let them know you’re going to be late. 【小题4】. And it’s also a horrible feeling for your friends.

You might not notice you’re doing this but try to keep an eye out for how often you spin conversations to be about you. It’s nice to get involved in conversations, but it’s also important to let your friends have their turn to speak and their time to share.

Your friends love and care about you, so they will make sure you have a chance to speak. The least you can do in return is give them their chance too.