According to the survey you can make 360 friends during your life — but only 6 of them will be your true friends.
1) Ted, Joy and Ellen are speaking about their friends.
Do all of them think that “the more friends the better”1? (listening for the main idea)
2) How many friends have Ted, Joy and Ellen got?
Ted: Most of my friends are my classmates. They are nice people who I’m never bored with. We are true friends. I can roly on them and I am always there for my friends. Let’s take Jack. He’s honest and he can keep secrets. It’s very important in a friend, I think. Phil has a wonderful sense of humour and we often have fun together. Jessica is the smartest girl in our class! I can always turn to her for help if I’ve got a problem. With Mike we go to sports class and I help him to play football better. We often get together. Sometimes we fall out over silly things but we make up quickly.
Joy: My only friend’s name is Linda. She is my neighbour and we spend a lot of time together. I tell her all about myself. Sometimes we fall out with her over little things but in a day or two we are good friends again. There are a lot of things that we both like -music, shopping, reading books about animals … But most of all we like playing with our pets! I find it really important that you have one person in your life that you can be absolutely yourself with. I feel that I can always turn to her if I am upset. A lot of friends take a lot of time. We are two and we are happy.
Ellen: I haven’t got a brother or a sister. My best friend Nancy lives in another city now and there is no one of my age I could make friends with. I haven’t got a dog or a cat, either. Of course, I mix with my classmates at school. But classmates and true friends are not one and the same thing. With a friend you can share all your problems and secrets. It’s important to have anyone who you can turn to for help or advice. I’m sure that people cannot do without friends.
3) What have you learnt about Ted, Joy, Ellen and their friends?
What does Ted like his friends for?
What do Ted and his friends like doing together?
Do Ted and his friends ever fall out?
Is Joy happy with her only friend Linda?
How do Joy and Linda spend their time together?
What does Joy like about Linda most of all?
Why hasn’t Ellen got any friends in the city she lives in now?
Has Ellen got any friends among her classmates?
What does she think about having a true friend?