English Teaching

Good and Toxic friends. We all know the phrase "a friend in need is a friend indeed." But do you know the difference between good friends and toxic friends? We all have that one friend who is bad-tempered, jealous, and conceited. Are they a true friend to you? Here are 10 major differences to consider: 1. Good friends celebrate your success. They are proud of your achievements, big or small, and are always happy for you. Toxic friends get jealous and cannot handle seeing others succeed. 2. Good friends understand the importance of alone time. They respect your need for privacy and do not get offended if you cancel plans. Toxic friends try to occupy all your time and become upset if you want to spend time alone. 3. Good friends are caring and empathetic. They will compliment you even when you do not look your best and never judge your appearance. Toxic friends judge and criticize you, always pointing out your shortcomings. 4. Good friends respect you and your friendship. They know how to argue without being personal and laugh off any troubles. Toxic friends lose their temper easily and can shout at you in public. 5. Good friends enjoy exchanging opinions and are interested in what you have to say. Even if they disagree, they express it in a respectful manner. Toxic friends only want to win arguments and do not consider your opinion. 6. Good friends believe your words and trust you. Toxic friends doubt everything you say and always double-check facts. 7. Good friends call you because they miss you and care about your well-being. They will check up on you if you miss a class or work. Toxic friends only contact you when they need something. 8. Good friends accept you for who you are. They appreciate your quirks and do not try to change or control you. Toxic friends always try to change your lifestyle and control your decisions. 9. Good friends understand that everyone has other friends and do not judge you for it. They may even become friends with your other friends. Toxic friends do not like you spending time with others and want to be the center of your life. 10. Good friends can keep a secret. They take your trust seriously and would never betray you. Toxic friends gossip and cannot keep secrets. Recognize any of your friends in these descriptions?

www.youtube.com/...38s My Family I live with my mom, my brother, and my mom's partner, Dave. My mom and dad are not married now. My dad lives about 10 miles away with his new wife, Helen. They have a new baby, Jenny. She's my half-sister. WHAT'S YOUR BROTHER LIKE? My brother, well, his name is Richard. He's 21 now, two years younger than me. He's clever but a little lazy. He finished school last year and got really good grades. My parents and all his teachers wanted him to go to university, but he didn't want to. He wanted to make videos and put them on the internet. However, he doesn't work very hard, and his videos aren't popular, so he doesn't make any money. WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE PERSON IN YOUR FAMILY? Probably my cousin George. He's my dad's brother's son. We're almost the same age. He's only one month younger than me. When we were young, our families spent a lot of time together. Now I don't live with my dad, so I don't see George or his family often, but we chat a lot online. WHY DO YOU LIKE GEORGE? Hmm, good question...we're actually very different. He's quieter and more serious than me. He hates sports and prefers reading and learning about history. I prefer science, and I'm much more active than him. I suppose we like to make jokes about each other and laugh about how we are different. And of course, we know each other well, so if we are having a bad time, we can talk about our problems.