It doesn't matter if you have one friend or 20, because there are only a few people in this world that can make you truly happy. For me, my family and my three best girlfriends mean everything to me. Some days I didn't want to go to school because I felt so disappointed in myself but I don't regret a thing. It makes you stronger as a person, and if you are able to mend your friendships like I have done, then you can do anything. My mom always told me, "Stephanie, remember that a friend is a gift that you give to yourself. A friend will always be there for the good and the bad. A true friend will never make fun of you. If a friend is a piece of work, then he or she has never been a friend at all. A friend is the biggest gift to you." Everyone is going to make mistakes but please don't push them away, especially if it's someone you really care about. I know when I make mistake I beat myself up about it. I just wish someone would have reached out a hand to help me back up on my feet like my best friend did. If someone is new or doesn't have a friend, please reach out and befriend them because that small action could mean the world to them. Now that I'm older, I understand what my mom has been trying to tell me, and now I know that the friends that I choose will also be the kinds of friends that I would want to be surrounded by forever. It can be inferred  from the passage that the writer   _  . A) doesn't have many friends B) doesn't think that friends will make her truly happy C) understands what a friend means to her D) has nothing except her family and three girlfriends
C

Old people are easy to feel lonely because their children are busy with their work and have little time to spend with them.Most of them have to be companied by pet dogs.However,it is sometimes impossible for some old people to keep pet dogs because they are too old or ill to take care of pet dogs. Experts are studying the influence of robotic dogs on old people's depression ,physical activity,and life satisfaction.Researchers are placing robotic dogs in the homes of lonely old people to see whether they can improve the quality of life for old people.Alan Beck,an expert in human-animal relationship,said,"Old people should be more active,challenged,excited.The problem is how we promote that,especially for those without friends or help.A robotic dog could be a solution." In the study,the robot,called AIBO,is placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone.These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activities before and after AIBO.Researchers will collect basic data for six weeks.Then,the researchers will review the data to decide if there are any changes in the life of its owner. "I talk to him all the time,and he responds to my voice,"says a 70-year-old lady."When I'm watching TV,he'll stay in my arms until he wants down.He has a mind of his own." The AIBOs respond to certain orders.The researchers say they have some advantages over real dogs,especially for old people.Often the elderly are disabled and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it.A robotic dog needn't any exercise and feeding concerns. "At the beginning,it was believed that no one would prefer the robotic dog because it was metal and not furry  ,"Beck says."But it's amazing how quickly we have given up that belief." Hopefully,these robotic pets could become a more valuable health helper.They will record their masters'blood pressure,oxygen levels,or heart rhythms.AIBOs may even one day have games that can help exciting older people's minds. From the passage we can learn that old people can easily feel lonely because  . A) their children don't like to stay with them B) they don't have pet dogs C) their children are too busy to stay with them D) they don't have robotic dogs
C

Balzac was good at buying things at its lowest price. One day he wanted to buy a vase in a shop window that was much more expensive than he could offer. Not being able to make the shopkeeper cut down its price very much, he left without further talking. Collecting a half dozen of his friends, he explained his wish to them and they worked a plan. The first would enter the shop and make an offer, lower than the marked price. Not getting the vase at his price, he would walk out. Shortly after another would enter and ask for a price lower than the first. In this way, each of the others would offer a price lower than the one before, and the last of his friends made a great effort to attempt to get it at the lowest price. Before long Balzac himself would return, offer more than the last two or three persons made and trust to luck. The plan worked--- Balzac got the vase at his price! What kind of person does the writer try to tell us about Balzac and his friends? A) Unkind B) Dishonest C) Selfish D) Clever

D