Reading: Do you need to 'edit your friends'?

Is your mobile phone directory full of phone numbers of people you don't really want to talk to? Do you go out with people from work or university more often than with your real friends? Do you say yes to invitations because you think you should,not because you want to? If you answer yes to at least two of these questions, then perhaps it's time to edit 'edit your friends'?

Nowadays people tend to spend a lot of time socializing with colleagues at work or classmates at university. The result is that we don't have enough time to see our real,close friends. As our lives get busier it becomes more important to spend the little free time we have with people we really want to see, people we love and who really love us.

Who are the friends you need to edit? A few years ago I read a book about how to get rid of unnecessary possessions. It said you should ask yourself about each thing you have: is  it useful? Do I really like it? Do I feel better every time I look at it? If the answer is no to any one of those questions, you should throw it away. Maybe we should ask similar questions about friends. 

What kind of friends will you probably need to edit? Sometimes it is an old friend. Somebody who you used to have a lot of common with, but who, when you meet now, you have very little or nothing to say to. Or it might be a new friend who you get on quite well with, but who you is taking up too much of your time, next time, one of these people calls you and suggests w meeting think,'Do I really want to see this person?' And if the answer is no,say no, and make an excuse that way you will have more time to spend with your real friends.

Now read the article again. Choose the best summary of each paragraph, a,b,Orc.

1.People need to 'edit' their friends if...

   a.They have moved to a different area.

   b.All their friends are people from work or school.

   c.They are spending a lot of time with people who are not real friends.

2. People today are often very busy, so...

   a.They should see their friends less.

   b.They should think carefully about how they spend their free time.

   c.They should try to make friends with people from work/school.

3. They writer says that...

   a.We should ask ourselves who our real friends are.

   b.Most of our friends are unnecessary.

   c.We shouldn't treat friends as possessions. 

4. The kind of friends we probably need to 'edit' are...

   a.Old friends who don't talk very much.

   b.New friends who talk too much.

   c.Friends that you don't really want to see any more.

To improve your English, read the article again and underline five new words or phrases you want to learn. 

CHECK YOUR ANSWERS: 

1. C

2. B

3. A

4. C