五、阅读表达
Everyone knows that friendships are important. We all need our best friends. Best friends share good times and bad times. We tell our close friends our secrets. But what about casual friends? They are the friends we see only sometimes. They are our classmates, the customers at the cafe, or the neighbor walking his dog. When we have a lot of casual friends, it improves our lives in several ways.
First, casual friends make us happy. We talk to them at the bus stop or the farm stand. We feel like we are part of a community. Research shows that the more casual friends we have, the more positive we feel. In one study, students felt much happier when they talked to more classmates than usual. These low-key (低调的) friendships become very important as we get older. We have the most friends at age 25, but the number goes down after that. As we get older, we have fewer friendships and can feel alone. But we feel less lonely when we have many casual friends.
Second, casual friends connect us to other groups of people. They tell us about fun activities and possible jobs. In fact, people are more likely to get a job through a casual friend than a close friend. Casual friends introduce us to their other friends. They help when we want to know about good restaurants or exciting movies. Research shows that casual friendships are a good way to receive all kinds of information.
Finally, casual friends introduce us to a variety of new ideas. Our best friends often think like us, but casual friends may have very different opinions. When we talk to different people, we learn new ways of seeing the world. It makes us kinder and more understanding.
To have a better life, make more casual friends. Talk more to strangers. These people can become casual friends. Over time, casual friends can become close friends. And the more friends you have, the happier you'll be. Casual friends may be the secret of a happy life.
1. What are casual friends?

2. How did students feel when they talked to more classmates than usual?

3. What do we learn when we talk to different people?

4. From the writer’s point of view, what should we do to have a better life?

5. 新考法·开放设问 In your opinion, are casual friends the secret of a happy life? Why or why not?

1. They are the friends we see only sometimes./The friends we see only sometimes.
2. They felt much happier./Much happier.
3. We learn new ways of seeing the world./New ways of seeing the world.
4. We should make more casual friends./Make more casual friends.
5. Yes. Because they make us feel part of a community, connect us to new opportunities, and introduce us to diverse ideas.

【分析】
本题是围绕“泛交（casual friends）”展开的英语阅读表达题，包含细节理解题和开放型设问。解题思路：1. 细节题需先提取问题关键词，回到原文对应段落定位原句，提取简洁答案；2. 开放题要结合原文提到的泛交的好处，明确观点并给出贴合原文的合理理由。
【解析】
1. 关键词“casual friends”定位到原文第一段，原句为“They are the friends we see only sometimes.”，直接提取答案；
2. 关键词“students talked to more classmates”定位到第二段，原句为“students felt much happier when they talked to more classmates than usual.”，提取答案；
3. 关键词“talk to different people”定位到第四段，原句为“When we talk to different people, we learn new ways of seeing the world.”，提取答案；
4. 关键词“have a better life”定位到最后一段，原句为“To have a better life, make more casual friends.”，提取答案；
5. 开放题结合原文泛交的三大好处（带来快乐、连接资源、拓展视野），明确观点并对应阐述理由即可。
【答案】
1. They are the friends we see only sometimes./The friends we see only sometimes.
2. They felt much happier./Much happier.
3. We learn new ways of seeing the world./New ways of seeing the world.
4. We should make more casual friends./Make more casual friends.
5. Yes. Because they make us feel part of a community, connect us to new opportunities, and introduce us to diverse ideas.
【知识点】
英语阅读理解、细节理解题、开放型问答
【点评】
本题贴近生活，既考查学生快速定位原文信息的细节理解能力，又考查结合原文观点合理表达的开放思维，是英语阅读表达的典型题型，难度适中。
【难度系数】
0.7