104. Reading Skills Comprehension: Role of Friends

Role of Friends

Read the Passage and answer the following Questions-

1. The role friends play in our lives has become significantly greater than at any other time in our history. Today many of us live and work at great distances from where we were born or grew up and are separated from our original families. The pain we feel when we are away from our families can be significant.

2. The happiness of the individual depends on friendships which form a necessary human connection. It is perfectly normal to need and want friends and depression is more prevalent among those who lack friends. They lack the intimacy and richness friends can bring into our lives. Frequently friends reflect similar values to us. Yet these values are often different from the ones we grew up with, they are the values we created for ourselves in our adult lives.

3. Communication skills are fundamental in all friendships. The more friends and acquaintances one has, the greater are one’s communication skills. Some call these, people skills.

4. Like watering a plant, we grow our friendships and all our relationships by nurturing them. Friendships need the same attention as other relationships if they are to continue. These relationships can be delightfully non-judgemental, supportive, understanding and fun.

5. Sometimes a friendship can bring out the positive side that you never show in any other relationship. This may be because the pressure of playing a ‘role’ (daughter partner or child) is removed. With a friendy, you are to be yourself and free to change. Of course, you are free to do this in all other relationships as well but in friendships y, you get to have lots of rehearsals and discussion about changes as you experience them. It is an unconditional experience where you receive as much as you give. You can explain yourself to a friend openly without the fear of hurting a family member.

6. How do friendships grow? The answer is simple. By revealing yourself; being attentive; remembering what is most important to your friend and asking them about it; putting yourself in their position; showing empathy; seeing the world through the eyes of your friend, you will understand the value of friendship. All this means learning to accept a person from a completely different family to your own or perhaps someone from a completely different cultural background. This is the way we learn tolerance. In turn, we gain tolerance and acceptance for our own difference.

1 Attempt any eight of the following questions on the basis of the passage you have read:

(i) Why has the role of friends become much more important in our lives?

(ii) How do friendships grow?

(iii) How are ‘people skills’ important in a friendship?

(iv) How do we learn tolerance?

(v) How is tolerance important in a friendship?

(vi) Why is depression common among those who lack friends?

(vii) How is maintaining friendship similar to watering plants?

(viii) How is friendship an unconditional experience?

(ix) Find the word in para 1, which means the same as ‘remarkable’.

Answers

(i)The role of friends has become much more important because most of us live and work far away from the place where we were born and brought up.

(ii) Friendship grows by revealing ourselves, being attentive, showing empathy and seeing the world through our friends’ eyes.

(iii) People skills mean communication skills which are fundamental to all friendships.

(iv) We learn tolerance through friendship. We also learn to accept a person from a completely different cultural background.

(v) In friendship, we come to accept a person coming from a completely different family, social and cultural background and that is total acceptance or tolerance.

(vi) Those who have no friends lack the intimacy and richness friendship brings into a person’s life. This is why friendless people go into depression.

(vii) Watering a plant means nurturing a plant. Friendship also needs nurturing in the same way.

(viii) Friendship is an unconditional experience where we receive as much as we give.

(ix) Significant

Download the above Passage in PDF Worksheet (Printable)