Yaster, an international student, first met Steve in their chemistry class at an American university. 1, Steve seemed very friendly. He always 2Yaster warmly before class. Sometimes he3 to study with him. He 4 invited Yaster to eat lunch with him. But after the term was over, Steve seemed 5 and the two former classmates didn't see each other very much at school. One day Yaster decided to call Steve, but Steve didn't seem very interested in 6 to him. Yaster was 7 by Steve's change of attitude. Yaster complained, "I thought friends were friends forever."
As a 8 , he doesn't understand the way Americans view friendship. Americans use the word "friend" in a very 9 way. They may call both casual acquaintances and close 10"friends". These friendships are 11 common interests. When the 12 activity ends, the friendship may fade. Now as Steve and Yaster are no longer classmates, their "friendship" has13 .
In some cultures friendship means a strong life-long 14 between two people. In these cultures friendships develop slowly, since they are built to 15 . But American society is one of rapid change. Studies show that one out of five American families moves every year, and thus American friendships may change just 16 quickly. People from the United States may at first seem friendly and they often 17 easily with strangers. But American friendliness is not18 an offer of true friendship. After an experience19 Yaster's, people who've been in this country for only a few months may consider Americans to be unreliable. Learning how Americans 20 friendship can help non-Americans avoid misunderstandings. It can also help them make friends in the American way.
