In our fast world of phones, fax machines and computers, the old-fashioned art of letter writing is at risk of disappearing altogether. 【小题1】 There is the excitement of its arrival, the pleasure of seeing who it is from and, finally, the enjoyment of the contents.

Letter writing has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. It probably began with the little notes I would write to my mother. My mother, also, always insisted I write my own thank-you letters for Christmas and birthday presents. 【小题2】.

When I left home at 18 to train as a doctor in London, I would write once a week, and so would my mother. Occasionally my father would write and it was always a joy to receive his long, amusing letters. 【小题3】 Of course, we also made phone calls but it is the letters that I remember most.

There were also letters from my boyfriend. In our youth he had to work or study away at some time and we were only able to stay in touch by letter. 【小题4】 I found that I could often express myself more easily in writing than by talking.

I love the letters that come with birthday or Christmas cards. Notes are appreciated, but how much better to have a year’s supply of news! And it’s better still when it’s an airmail envelope with beautiful stamps.

【小题5】 Like my mother before me, I insist they write their own thank-you letters. My daughter writes to me little letters, just as I did to my mother. I strongly urge readers not to allow letter writing to become another “lost art”.

In choosing a friend, one should be very careful.   A good friend can help you study. You can have fun together and make each other happy. Sometimes you will meet fairweather friends. They will be with you as long as you have money or luck, but when you are down, they will run away. How do I know when I have found a good friend? I look for certain qualities(品质) of character, especially understanding, honesty and reliability(可靠).

Above all else, I look for understanding in a friend. A good friend tries to understand how the other is feeling. He is not quick to judge. Instead, he tries to learn from others. He puts himself in the other person' s place, and he tries to think of ways to be helpful. He is also a good listener.

At the same time, however, a good friend is honest. He does not look for faults(过错) in others.   He notices their good points. In short, a friend will try to understand me and accept me.

Another quality of a friend is reliability. I can always depend on a good friend. If he tells me he will meet me somewhere at a certain time, I can be sure that he will be there. If I need a favor, he will do his best to help me. If I am in trouble, he will not run away from me.

There is a fourth quality that makes a friend special. A special friend is someone with whom we can have fun. We should enjoy our lives, and we would enjoy our friendship. That is why I especially like friends who are fun to be with. A good friend likes the same things I like. We share experience and learn from each other.   A good friend has a good sense of humor(幽默), too. He likes to laugh with me. That is how we share in the joy of being friends. And I know that he is looking for the same quality in me.

When I meet someone who is reliable, honest, and understanding, I know I've found a friend!

When a close friend dies, it often forces you to consider your own death. The more you have in common with the friend, the more his death will make you wonder about your own. Sometimes you will naturally say to yourself, "It could just as easily have been me." Such a death has a way of reminding us how fragile life is, and it may cause you to reassess(重新评价)the direction of your own life.

Jack's story is a good example. A successful businessman making a lot of money, Jack didn't spend as much time with his family as he wanted. His job required him to work long hours. But three years ago one of his best friends, a man who worked in the same office, had a heart attack. He died while celebrating his daughter’s eighteenth birthday in a restaurant. He was only fifty years old.

Not long after his friend's death, Jack started to have a chest pain. Finally he had a good physical check-up. He received a clean bill of health. But the chest pain continued. He kept thinking of the death of his friend. Jack thought about how much his friend missed in life and he saw how hard it was for his friend's family to manage after he passed away.

Jack realized that he didn't want to end up his life that way. He talked his feelings over with his wife and children, and decided to change his way of life. The family moved to a small town where he started a simple life. Now he is running a small art gallery（画廊）. He is relaxed, and says he has never been so happy in his life, and he has got no more chest pain.