BEFORE YOU READ

Work in pairs. Practise reciting the poem on the next page and discuss the question: “What do you think of the friend in the poem?"

(Làm việc theo cặp. Thực hành đọc bài thơ ở trang tiếp theo và thảo luận câu hỏi: "Bạn nghĩ gì về người bạn trong bài thơ”.) 

WHILE YOU READ

Read the passage the do the tasks that follow.

(Hãy đọc đoạn văn này và làm các bài tập theo sau.)

Everyone has a number of acquaintances, but no one has many friends, for true friendship is not common, and there are many people who seem to be incapable of it. For a friendship to be close and lasting, both the friends must have some very special qualities.

The first quality is unselfishness. A person who is concerned only with his own interests and feelings cannot be a true friend. Friendship is a two-sided affair; it lives by give-and-take, and no friendship can last lone which is all give on one side and all take on the other.

Constancy is the second quality. Some people do not seem to be constant. They take up an interest with enthusiasm, but they are soon tired of it and feel the attraction of some new object. Such changeable and uncertain people are incapable of a lifelong friendship.

Loyalty is the third quality. Two friends must be loyal to each other, and they must know each other so well that there can be no suspicions between them. We do not think much of people who readily believe rumours and gossip about their friends. Those who are easily influenced by rumours can never be good friends.

Trust is perhaps the fourth quality. There must be mutual trust between friends, so that each can feel safe when telling the other his or her secrets. There are people who cannot keep a secret, either of their own or of others’. Such people will never keep a friend long.

Lastly, there must be a perfect sympathy between friends - sympathy with each other’s aims, likes, joys, sorrows, pursuits and pleasures. Where such mutual sympathy does not exist, friendship is impossible. 

Task 1. Fill each blank with a suitable word /phrase.

(Điền vào mỗi chỗ trống bằng một từ/ cụm từ thích hợp.)

Task 2. Which of the choices A, B, C or D most adequately sums up the ideas of the whole passage?

(Lựa chọn nào trong A, B, C hoặc D tóm tắt thích hợp nhất các ý tưởng của đoạn văn.)

A. A friend in need is a friend indeed

(Một người luôn xuất hiện khi bạn cần mới là người bạn thật sự)

B. Conditions of true friendship

(Những điều kiện của tình bạn chân chính)

C. Features of a good friend

(Những đặc điểm của một người bạn tốt)

D. Friends and acquaintances

(Bạn bè và người quen)

Task 3. Answer the questions.

(Trả lời các câu hỏi sau.)

AFTER YOU READ

Work in pairs. Discuss the questions: "Why do we need to have friends?" Then report ... .

(Làm việc theo cặp. Thảo luận câu hỏi: "Tại sao chúng ta cần có bạn bè?" Sau đó tường thuật kết quả phần thảo luận của bạn với lớp.)