Wednesday阅读理解 B

“Are you lonesome (寂寞的) tonight?” Elvis Presley asked that question in 1960 in one of his most famous songs. Today, the answer for many Americans is “yes.”

According to a recent study, nearly half of Americans sometimes or even always feel lonely. We often made a connection between loneliness and the elderly. But adults of 18-22 years old report the highest levels of loneliness today.

Modern loneliness is a problem difficult to explain, and the solutions will also change according to the situation. But here’s a really good way to get started: we should admit to other people that we are lonely.

I recently met a woman whom I’ll call Jane. This Jane invited me to a social event where I met her mother. We were having a nice chat when her mother suddenly said to me, “You seem like a nice girl. Couldn’t you be friends with my daughter? She is very lonely.”

I was so astonished that it took me several seconds to respond. Jane was a charming (迷人的), outgoing person. She appeared to host a lot of social events at her home. I liked her a lot. However, I hadn’t done much to make contact with her because I thought she already had a million friends.

So that very evening I invited Jane to meet for coffee. We’ve been getting together regularly since then.

But why did it take Jane’s mother for that to happen? It’s entirely possible to admit your loneliness to another person. You should at least try to avoid putting forward a false image. People have to know you’re available to go out. That’s the first step towards them becoming your friends.

1. What is bothering many Americans today?

A. Anxiety.

B. Loneliness.

C. Lack of freedom.

D. Poor relationships.

2. What are lonely people encouraged to do in Paragraph 3?

A. Express their true feelings.

B. Find solutions to loneliness.

C. Meet with outgoing people.

D. Keep in touch with their friends.

3. What does the underlined word “astonished” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A. Afraid.

B. Excited.

C. Surprised.

D. Honored.

4. What is “the first step” mentioned in the last paragraph about?

A. Being strong enough to become friends with other people.

B. Telling others directly about all your personal problems.

C. Avoiding sending messages with the help of others.

D. Letting others know you are free to meet with them.

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