Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30minutes to write a short essay entitled On Maintaining Friendship by commenting on “Rare as is true love, true friendship is rarer.”by Jean de la Fontaine. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.

Maintaining Friendship

By saying “Rare as is true love, true friendship is rarer”, Jean de la Fontaine has pointed out the importance of friendship. Nowadays, it seems that people get closer to each other by means of the increasingly advanced communicating technologies, yet the closeness of hearts has in fact been distanced. Therefore, it is high time that we should attach great importance to maintain this precious sentiment.

Everyone need the warmth of friendship. In good times, friendship is flowers growing fast because we irritate it by sharing our joy and happiness; in adversity, friendship is a dose of consolation since friends are always there ready to help. Also, friendship is the effective lubricator for cooperative organizations, communities and different countries in the process of cooperation and development.

As friendship is so important in our life, actions should be taken to pursue and maintain it. And it involves trust and honesty in establishing and maintaining true friendship. Frankness and uprightness contribute to a good relationship. Moreover, tolerance and modesty also help promote the closeness of friends. Only by doing these things will we retain our friend sand keep the lamp of friendship burning long.