Friendship is one of the basic bonds (纽带) between human beings. While the characteristics of friendship might vary from one country to another, people from all cultures not only enjoy friends but need them.
Many studies have shown that teenagers who have no friends often suffer from psychological disorders. It has been shown that teenagers, perhaps more than any other age group, need companionship and a sense of belonging. The negative consequences of loneliness have also been observed among the elderly. The death of a spouse often leaves a widow or a widower totally bereft (失去). If, however, they are surrounded by friends and relatives and if they are able to articulate（清楚表达） their feelings, they are more likely to recover from their grief.
“No man is an island.” In other words, we are all parts of society. We all need the love, admiration, respect and moral support of other people. If we are fortunate, our friends will provide us with all of these necessary aspects of life.
As most people observe, there are many levels of friendship. The degree or intensity of friendship varies depending on the personality of the individuals involved and the context of the relationships. Extroverts (性格外向者) enjoy being surrounded by many people whereas introverts（性格内向者）are perhaps content with fewer but more intense friendships.
Everyone is not equally open with all their friends. The degree of intimacy (密切) is determined by many factors. Close friends can be formed at any stage in one’s life but they are usually very rare. Not very many people have more than a few really close friends. Irrespective of the level of intimacy, all friendships are based on reciprocity（相互性）, honesty and a certain amount of love and affection.
小题1:The second paragraph implies that _____..
A．teenagers without friends will suffer from psychological problems
B．a widow or a widower will die very soon without companionship
C．human beings need companionship and a sense of belonging
D．both A and B小题2:The degree of intimacy of friendship mainly depends on _____ .
A．age
B．belonging
C．personality
D．culture小题3:The author thinks that close friends _____ .
A．can be easily formed when one is young
B．cannot be long-lasting
C．are not rare for everyone
D．are rare for most people小题4:The word “irrespective”(Last sentence, Para. 5) means _____ .
A．not respecting
B．dishonoring
C．regardless
D．Considering
