谢振礼写托福作文【9】Similar Friends

TOEFL Sample Essay: Similar Friends
by Mr. Jeenn Lee Hsieh
for www.360abc.com

TOEFL Topic
Test of Written English

Some people choose friends who are different from themselves. Others choose friends who are similar to themselves. Compare the advantages of having friends who are different from you with the advantages of having friends who are similar to you. Which kind of friend do you prefer for yourself? Why?

Writing Example:

Friends who are of a kind usually flock together like birds of the same feather. Birds know their kind. So do people. It is a matter of genetic inclination more than anything else. Friends seem to be born, not made, for each other. It is contrary to this concept looking for a friend who is different from yourself and is also without faults. Chances are you will have none. Instead, friends who are similar to themselves know about themselves and are fond of each other. They know themselves by their defects rather than by their merits. That is what happens to friends. And the fact serves to justify a popular saying: ''Show me what company you keep, and I can show you who you are.''

It takes years to get a person different from yourself to be intrested in you. Then, the easiest thing to find between each other is fault. Friends of different kinds separate more easily. In comparison, friends sharing similarities are naturally inclined to become fast friends despite faults. They tend to promote the good and happiness among themselves. All this is in character generated by inclination that counts. The choice of a friend defies counting merits.

There is nothing strange or wrong for people of different inclinations to be friends. Friends who are different from yourselves can be useful and fun, too. Although they can communicate, actually they do not seem talking the same language. It is because the language of friendship is not words but meanings. There is always a danger of being not able to get across to each other, thus causing misunderstading. This disadvantage usually does not occur to friends who are similar in kind.

Obviously, nobody is perfect as a friend. The defects, however, are often acceptable or ignored to friends who are of the same kind. This is a great advantage, friends being mutually inclined to be interested because they are more similar than different. Probably this is why the character of a person could be told in kind. A Japanese proverb has this to say: ''When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends.''

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