Signs of Healthy Friendships

Once in a while it's helpful to see if your friendship is as healthy as it can be. You might get used to a friendship over time to the point where you don't see the room for improvement. And since great friendships are priceless, you should always surround yourself with the kind of people who will lift your spirits, make you laugh, and remind（提醒）you that you are loved. 【小题1】 Here are characteristics that strong friendships share.

【小题2】

Friends make you feel comfortable with yourself, so you don't need to act like someone you're not. Your friends know your shortcomings and love you anyway. You are perhaps the "best version" of yourself when you're with your friends.

A healthy friendship includes plenty of gentle honesty. True friends won't pretend（假装）just to avoid an argument. 【小题3】As a result, you'll know where you stand with your friends and won't be afraid to share your true opinions.

They argue in a healthy way.

One of the biggest misunderstandings about good friends is that they never fight. But let's face it：everyone fights. 【小题4】 In fact, voicing your opinions freely will cause you to disagree from time to time and that's okay.

Healthy friendships mean you can be friends with someone else, too.

【小题5】 That's why great friends will improve your relationship yet still encourage you to meet people and try new things without them. A healthy friendship means that sometimes the two of you spend time apart, and that's okay.

Ariana caught another whiff(难闻的味道) and tried to hold her breath. She moved away slightly, but Ashley only moved closer and continued talking. Ariana felt trapped. She wanted badly to tell Ashley that she didn't smell very good. But how could she do that without hurting her feelings? Instead, she gathered the remains of her lunch to throw in the trash, thankful for the excuse to get some fresh air. She looked back to see Ashley eating quietly. Ashley's hair was tangled(乱糟糟的) , and her clothes were dirty. Ariana forced herself to go back to the table and take her seat, vowing(发誓) that she would not sit with Ashley tomorrow.

When Ariana got home from school, she complained to her mother, ''There's a girl named Ashley who likes to sit next to me in school, but she smells bad. ''

''She's probably having a tough day, '' said her mother.

''No, it's not just one day. She smells bad a lot, '' Ariana explained. ''Nobody else likes to sit next to her, either. ''

''I don't think you understand Ashley's situation, so let me ask you this..., '' Her mother's tone was serious. ''Who makes sure that your hair is combed every morning so you'll look nice when you go to school? ''

''You do, '' answered Ariana.

''Who makes sure you're bathed and cleaned every day? And your clothes are washed and neatly ironed? ''

''You and Daddy, '' Ariana said again.

''Do you live in a nice home? Do you have enough to eat? ''

Ariana nodded, beginning to feel guilty. She was starting to understand now. Ashley couldn’t help her situation because she was only seven years old—the same age as Ariana. Grown-ups are supposed to take care of kids.

''Why doesn't her family take better care of her? '' Ariana asked.

''Not all children live in the best situation, '' her mother said. ''The best thing you can do for Ashley is to treat her with kindness and sympathy. ''

   Once again, Myra sat alone on the bus. Even after two weeks at her _______ school, Myra had not made any friends. A t the break time between classes, she played alone. In her _______ class, she drew alone. In the lunchroom, she ate _______.And on the bus ride home, she sat alone.

Myra could not _______why no one wanted to be her friend. Other kids joked and laughed with each other._______. none of them joked and laughed with her. Just thinking about it made her _______ hurt.

One day, _______Myra sat alone on the way to school, she looked at the seat _______her. She saw a girl sitting all by herself. The girl looked _______, too.

Myra wondered if she should say ________. But what if the girl didn't want to be her friend？Maybe she already had a lot of friends. What if the girl ________her？What if she laughed at her？Myra stared at the floor of the bus. Finally, she took a deep ________and smiled at the girl. The girl smiled ________.Myra said, "Hi, I'm Myra. Do you want to sit next to me？"

The girl's smile ________ "I'm Nadia. Yes, 'd like to sit next to you." At the next stop, Nadia ________ into the seat next to Myra. They joked and laughed the whole way to school. At ________Myra and Nadia played together. In the lunchroom, they ate together.

And on the ________ride home, they sat together.

When it was time for Myra to get off the bus, she ________ to her new friend, "Bye, Nadia！I'll see you tomorrow！"Nadia smiled, "Goodbye, Myra. I'll ________ a seat for you."

A big smile spread across Myra's face. She had made a friend. A friend who was going to save her a seat tomorrow. She could ________wait.