On family and friends
Example:
0. Euripides was born in Greece.
For Euripides a good friend is as good as 1 _________________ relatives.
Jenny Lewis has written a book on the importance of 2 ______________.
In Jenny’s opinion today the family unit is a vital 3 _________________.
Friends share interests or enjoy 4 _________________ .
Family is 5 _________________ to control than friends.
Two important qualities we demand of friends are 6 ________________ and being 7 _________________ .
People with good close friends are happier and 8 _________________ .
Presenter On tonight’s programme we look at the issue of friendship. According to the Greek dramatist Euripides ‘one loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives’ and for many of us our friends may have more influence on us than our family. But who is really more important? With us in the studio is family psychologist Jenny Lewis, who has just written a book on the importance of friends in our lives. Jenny, if we could choose, would many of us put our friends before our family?
Jenny I don’t think so. Interestingly, although family structures are changing radically and traditional models are, to some extent, disappearing, many of us still see the family unit as a vital part of our lives.
Presenter So, why do we need friends?
Jenny Well, friendships are basically connections between people who might share similar interests or simply enjoy each other’s company. Another point is that we can control friendships more easily than other relationships. Remember another well-known saying ‘You can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family’. There’s a lot of simple truth in that.
Presenter Do we normally have the same idea about what friendship means?
Jenny Not really. In my book there are a lot of case studies which illustrate very different points of view. You might see your friends once a week and enjoy doing something together and then not see or speak to them again for another week. But other people demand more of their friends and expect them to always be there in times of crisis. Qualities such as loyalty and being reliable are often mentioned as important to friendships. A lot of it is to do with self-esteem and choice. We choose each other as friends and this makes us feel important and happy.
Presenter Do we usually have a lot of friends or one close friend?
Jenny Again, it varies. However, studies have shown that we probably have about up to 30 friends in our lives but only about six of them would be considered ‘good’ friends. There is evidence that people who have close friends tend to be happier and live longer.
Presenter Jenny, thank you for coming in. If you’re interested in Jenny Lewis’ book you can call us on 0207 946 0353.
KEY:
1 – 10,000
2 – friends [in our lives]
3 – part [of our lives]
4 – each other company
5 – more difficult
6 – loyalty
7 – reliable
8 – live longer
