Topic 62 What do you want most in a friend?

A lot of characteristics make a good friend. However, in my opinion, having a friend who is intelligent can do you good in many ways.

An intelligent friend can share your problems and help you solve them properly (как следует; правильно). You are overwhelmed with stuff? He can show you the order to finish them on schedule. You are having problems with someone? Tell him and he will find out the appropriate way to satisfy you and the other friend of yours. Let's imagine you were stuck in an elevator for instance. You could be very upset and unable to get out of it. The situation could change dramatically if you had an intelligent friend beside. He could calm you down and quickly find the way to rescue you.

An intelligent friend is also a good example for you to learn from. In fact, you can get a lot of interesting and invaluable (бесценный) things from this knowledgeable friend. You can better yourself by learning his unique way of thinking and handling things. My friend is very intelligent, not only in his study, but also in his everyday life. He can solve problems in the way that I can never think of. Having him my close friend for ages, I have learnt a lot of things from him that may help me much in my life. He taught me the way of finding and solving problems, and even changing unchangeable situations in some intelligent ways.

Indeed, having an intelligent friend can give you the motivation to keep on trying to be equal to him. This makes you become competitive, or emulative in some positive ways. You may have a thought: "Why could he do that but couldn't I ?" And you will try your best in order not to be inferior to your friend. You then will change your old and conservative way of thinking and doing things, becoming open-minded to grasp new things (постичь что-то новое) and develop your true (истинный) potentials.

All of these fabulous (классный, потрясающий) things an intelligent friend brings to you can be a stable basis for a long-lasting friendship. However, friendship requires a thorough and mutual understanding (взаимопонимание). So, you, yourself, also play an important part to make it last forever, with whoever friends you have.

Topic 62 What do you want most in a friend?

Almost every person in the world needs friends. Different people hold different opinions in choosing friends. Some consider intelligence as the most important characteristics in their friends; others regard a sense of humor (другие считают чувство юмора) as the most significant personality. As far as I am concerned, reliability, which means faith, confidence and trust, is of vital importance. The reasons go as follows.

This point should coincide with the centre of gravity of the wheel. — Эта точка должна совпасть с центром тяжести колеса. Firstly, based on reliability, friendship can be lasting (прочной). On the one hand, when your friends are faithful (верный), you would love to get in close touch with them. For instance, you could reveal your secrets to them without worry about being betrayed, and tell them your pleasure so as to double the joys. On the other hand, when you are loyal to your friends, they would also like to keep relationship between each other. Undoubtedly (несомненно, явно, бесспорно), you will be frequently invited to friends' get-togethers and discussions, in which your opinions will be fully taken into consideration since your friends respect you and know your suggestion does good not only to yourself but also to them as well. Thus, willing of both your friends and you to continue the formed friendship will lead to your perpetual friendship.

What's more, reliability makes real friendship more solid and deeper. Take borrowing money as example, it is almost completely sure that, probably besides your family, people you ask for money are your most reliable friends. You turn to them (Вы обращаетесь к ним) because you trust their sincerity to give you help, and, at the same time, they exert themselves to meet (для удовлетворения) your need because they are confident of your attitude to your friendship, to be more specific, your promise to return money. Friendship between those friends and you, thereby, gets further development and finally becomes really invaluable (бесценна) friendship just in coincide (совпадать) with the old saying- a friend in need is a friend indeed.

For my part, I stand ready to exert every possible effort - Со своей стороны, я готов приложить все возможные усилия

In conclusion, reliability can be a norm to exam the real friendship and motivate people to deepen (углублять) their friendship. When I choose my friends, reliability is the foremost (является основным) factor to be considered. Not only should my friends be reliable to our friendship, but also I should too.