Page 4 - PowerE-L05-C

Lesson 1

Making friends

There are no hard and fast rules for making
friends because human personalities vary.

Therefore, there are only two rules of thumb one

can adapt to win friends easily: 1. Remember
names: Always remember a person’s name when
you address him though he may be just a nod-

ding acquaintance. It never fails to impress people that you know their names

though they don’t know yours. In fact, it shows them you care enough to notice
their special existence, which makes them feel special. You will have endeared

yourself to them and gained a friend in the process.
2. Be a good listener: The reason people sometimes don’t want to listen to

your problems is that they have a ton of problems of their own. Always have
a ready ear. People don’t really need your opinion; they just need a confirma-

tion of their decisions. Affirm people and dispel their fears, but never criticize

bluntly. You will be surprised that though you haven’t said a word, you will be
regarded as a good conversationalist.

Comprehension

1. What is the writer talking about?
2. According to the paragraph, what makes people feel special?
3. What does “Always have a ready ear.” mean?

Questions

1. What are other strategies to make friends easily?
2. What do you do to maintain friendships?
3. Are you a good listener or an adviser?

4. How do you handle disagreements with people close to you?

Vocabulary & Expressions

vary : to be of many different kinds
adapt : to gradually change your behavior and attitudes so that you get
used to a new situation and can deal with it successfully
acquaintance : someone you know, but who is not a close friend
endear : to make someone popular and liked
affirm : to state publicly that something is true
dispel : to stop someone believing or feeling something, especially be
cause it is wrong or harmful
bluntly : speaking directly and honestly that sometimes upsets people

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