English comprehension

Read the following extract and answer the questions given below.

                Some are afraid to make friends because of the past hurt, and afraid of being taken advantage of. At times we are afraid to reveal our vulnerability. But if we don’t dare to rick, our lives will become meaningless.

                Remember you will never succeed to win a friend without any fault. In psychology, “Long term happy friendship indicates that a person has a strong sense of self – worth and the ability to give him or herself without the fear of becoming depleted.”

                Friendship requires special nourishing. Both persons have to take efforts. We need to realize that we are imperfect human beings; but our love gives us strength. We can also lose our friends by becoming undependable, grumpy, exaggerating, bossy, sarcastic, criticizing and invading others’, privacy.

                How to nourish friendship? Dale Carnegie, the author of How to make friends and influence people says, “You can make friends in two months by becoming interest in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”

                Allow your friends to be themselves. Accept them as they are with their individuality and imperfections. Don’t lose your calm if their opinions and tastes differ from yours.

1.       Who is Dale Carnegie?

Dale Carnegie is the author of the book “How To Make Friends And Influence People.”

2.       What does long term friendship indicate?

Long term friendship indicates that a person has a strong sense of self worth and the ability to give himself or herself without the feat of being depleted.

3.       What are the possible ways of losing friends according to the author?

According to the author, we can lose our friends by becoming undependable, grumpy, exaggerating, bossy, sarcastic, criticizing and invading other’s privacy.

4.       Do as directed.

                              i.      Both persons have to take efforts. (Change the voice)

Efforts have to be taken by both persons.

                            ii.      Don’t lose your calm if their opinions and tastes differ from yours. (Identify the clauses and state their kinds.)

Don’t lose your calm – Main Clause

if their opinions and tastes differ from yours – subordinate clause.

5.       i. Use ‘sarcastic’ in a Noun form and make a sentence.

He spoke to his guests in tones of sarcasm which offended them.

Sarcasm is a rude and crude way of speaking to others.

i.                     Which word in the passage means ‘weakness’?

‘imperfection’ means ‘weakness’.

6.       What, according to you, are the pre – requisites for the choice of a good friend?

According to me, the most essential pre – requisite for choice of a good friend is ‘trustworthiness’. Close on heels, I could consider ‘ dependability’, ‘integrity of mind and character’ and ‘optimism’ as the other pre – requisites for choosing a good friend.