Задание 7 ЕГЭ по английскому языку

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Presenter: Good morning, everyone, and welcome to our daily radio programme, 'People and Relationships'. Today, we continue to speak about building friendship, and our honoured guest today is Peter Gray, the famous psychologist and blogger. Hello, Peter.

Peter: Good morning. Thank you for inviting me here today.

Presenter: Peter, what do you think is the most important thing to do for people when they are trying to make new friends?

Peter: I would say it is opening your heart to the person you are trying to make friends with. Going out together is not so important as being sincere. Having much in common is not as important as believing in the goodness of others. You can't form any connection if you mistrust others or you are fearful that things won't work out. It'll send the wrong vibes and cause them to close off their hearts to you too.

Presenter: That can't be a very easy thing to do. Do you do it yourself?

Peter: Absolutely. One simple example is how I open myself to all of you fully on my blog, and in return I attract readers who are genuine, supportive and kind. I'm not sure about other communities online, but I know my blog readers exude authenticity and love. I know that because I can feel the warmth from all of them in their emails, comments or messages.

Presenter: How can we get to know the person as an individual better? You can easily do it by asking questions. Here are some questions to consider. You may ask about jobs and hobbies, past achievements and upcoming goals and priorities, values, dreams, passions and things like that. Even if a person gives you quite a superficial answer, it will still tell you a lot about them.

Presenter: What is the most common mistake we make while meeting new people?

Peter: Some people try to change themselves to make new friends and this is totally wrong. In fact, that's the worst thing you can do. I mean, it may be great initially to get those new friends but the friendship was established with you being a different person. In the long run, it'll be tiring to uphold a new image and, in the end, your new friends will feel cheated because you are not the person they befriended.

Presenter: So the best thing is just being yourself, isn't it?

Peter: That's exactly what I mean. That way, potential new friends will know you as you and they'll use that to decide if they want to take the friendship a step further. It's all about being you. The truest friendships are built with both parties accepting each other for who they are.

Presenter: Supposing you've made a new friend. How does one develop this friendship?

Peter: A friendship is a supportive union between two people. Is there anything you can help your friends with? However, when you help your friends, don't do so with the expectation of being helped next time. Rather, help unconditionally. Treat them with emotional generosity. Give because you want to, not because you feel obliged to. I find that the satisfaction I get from helping others and knowing they are better off is a reward greater than anything I can get in return.

Presenter: Modern people are busy and find it hard to maintain the friendship. What would you say about this problem?

Peter: I think we should make a conscious effort to stay in touch. Ask your friends out every once in a while. There's no need to meet up every few days or once a week. Catching up once a month or once every few months might be sufficient. The strength of your relationship is not measured by how frequently you meet.

Presenter: Thank you very much, Peter.

Peter: Thank you.