Everyone needs friends. There is an old saying, "Friends are God's way of taking care of us." But how do you find real friendship and keepit?

    The American writer Sally Seamans tells young students some smart ways to find friends. Sally says finding friendship is just like planting a tree. You plant the seed(种子) and take care of it to make it grow.

    First, you should choose a friend. What makes a good friend? It is not because a person has money or good looks. A good friend should be kind and patient(耐心的). For example,  if you have a bad day, a good friend should listen to your complaints(抱怨) and do his orher best to help. To make a friend, you can't betoo shy. You should make each other happy.

    But things can't lways be happy. Even the best friends have fights. What should you do when you have a fright with your friend? You have to talk to him or her. When there isno one around, have an honest talk. If he or she doesn't want to talk, you could write a letter. There are three steps to being friends again:

    Tell him or her how you are feeling; say what your friend has done wrong, and explain(解释) why you did this or that;  remember that friendship is the most important thing in your life.

    I first met an 8-year-old Katy on a rainy afternoon. I was a 1at a hospital. The clerk at he desk told me about Katy. She was there because she felt a lot of 2. The doctors found a problem at the base of her brain(大脑). I knew she was 3, even before she got better.

    When I entered Katy's room, she was not in her bed. 4 Katy did not feel well, she was playing with Tommy, a little boy. She had much 5sitting in the chair. But she played with Tommy because it made him 6.

    Katy was always smiling and never appeared to be in pain. She 7to just lie in bed. One day I found her painting a picture. Later, she gave it to one of the older patients. Another day she went outside to 8flowers for another sick little girl. Katy made 9smile.

    The doctors 10to solve the problem in Katy's brain. The operation was successfully! Katy was fine. She soon felt 11. Then she was able to 12the hospital a month later.

    I have worked as a nurse for a long time. I have met many patients. 13, I have never met another girl like Katy. Even after she got well, she still came to the hospital. She played different games with the young patients. She read many books the 14patients. Katy's kind heart helped her get better so 15. She is a hero to me and everyone else at the hospital.

      Bob was only seven years old. One night Bob was at home {#blank#}1{#/blank#} while his parents were out for a party. He had often stayed alone before, so he wasn't afraid. As he waited for his parents to {#blank#}2{#/blank#} home, he watched a film on TV. His eyes became heavier and heavier as time {#blank#}3{#/blank#} by.

      Suddenly Bob's eyes opened wide-what was the {#blank#}4{#/blank#} in the next room? Bob heard the window being opened slowly. For a minute, Bob was so {#blank#}5{#/blank#} that he could not move, and his body felt like ice. He knew that he couldn't lose his head (惊慌失措) and began to think of the things he could do. Again he heard the sound of someone trying to climb into his home {#blank#}6{#/blank#} the window.

      Bob's drums were standing in the corner near the TV. "Wait, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} there is something I can do," thought Bob. He {#blank#}8{#/blank#} on his drums as hard as he could. The sound was so terrible that Bob {#blank#}9{#/blank#} even himself. He also surprised the man in the window, who {#blank#}10{#/blank#} away as fast as possible. How clever he was!

    Nowadays we can see more and more electric bikes in the street. Electric bikes 61. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (be) easy to ride. They run fast and make no {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (pollute). They become very popular, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}the electric bikes also cause more traffic accidents. So China plans {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (make) a new rule for the electric bike riders. If an electric bike is {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (heavy) than 40 kilos and can go faster than 20 kilometers an hour, its rider must get a license. It means some riders have to pass driving tests before they ride {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (them) electric bikes on the road.

    People have different ideas after {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (hear) the plan. Some welcome the plan. A bus driver said happily, " {#blank#}8{#/blank#}a good plan! I think it will make the street much safer." Some are not happy with the new rules at all. One rider said {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (sad), "I don't want to get a license. It's not convenient {#blank#}10{#/blank#}me to get one." Some don't care about it. A young rider said calmly, "I prefer to use shared bikes which are popular in many big cities of China now. I hope they can come to Loudi earlier!"

One Thursday afternoon, when I was in Grade 7, a new boy came into my classroom. He was short and thin. He walked up to the teacher and told her, very seriously, that he was new. His name was Christian. He sat down, took a look at me, and then looked away. I didn't think he was very nice and I was sure he wasn't the type I would like to become friends with.

During that year, I didn't talk to him much, but he smiled at me when our eyes met, always shyly. He never ate lunch with anybody, and he never talked to anybody but me.

But one day I joined those unkind kids who were making fun of him. We made fun of him though I thought it was wrong. 

"Haven't you got any friends? " a kid asked Christian, who had walked past us alone, head down.  "No, he hasn't got any friends. He's too stupid and shy. " I said. Then Christian looked up at me with the saddest dog eyes I had ever seen. I felt very sorry at that moment.

That night, I couldn't sleep because I couldn't get Christian's face out of my mind. In the weeks that followed, he never met my eyes in class and never smiled at me. It was really hard for me to decide to write him a note asking him to forgive（原谅）me. But I thought I should. 

The next day in class, I wrote him a note telling him how sorry I felt. About five minutes later, I turned and saw tears in his eyes. "You will never realize (意识到) what your apology（道歉）has meant to me, Jimmy, "he said to me. "I hope we can become friends. "

We had lunch together that noon and we had the best talk I had ever had. Over the years at high school, we were close friends.

When I think back, I realize that, if I had not apologized, I would never have known what a lovely person Christian was.

Apologies can really change your life, so never miss the chance to tell somebody you are sorry.