a) Discussing friendship
• Allow Ss a few minutes to reread the text
individually to find statements about
friendship.
• Ss compare their quotes in groups of 3 and
discuss. Monitor the activity.
Answer Key
‘Real friends should have everything in common.’
(line 7)
‘the unselfishness of true friendship.’ (line 16)
‘..when people are in trouble they should be
left alone, and not be bothered by visitors.’
(lines 25-27)
‘Flour is one thing, and friendship is another,
and they should not be confused.’ (line 47)
Suggested Answer Key
S1: I don’t agree with the first statement.
S2: Neither do I. If people have everything in
common, then life is boring. I think it is
good to have friends who are slightly
different to you.
S3: Yes, I agree. But it is good to have some
common interests.
S1: Do you think that true friendship is
unselfish?
S2: Yes, I think that’s right. You must be able
to think of the other person and not just
about yourself.
S3: Yes, that means that you are willing to do
things for others and that you value a
person’s friendship.
S1: Do you agree that when people are in
trouble they should be left alone?
S2: No, I think that’s wrong. If someone is in
trouble, that’s when they really need
their friends.
S3: I agree. What about the last quotation?
S2: I think it is saying that friendship should
only go so far. Food (flour) is more
important than friendship - we have to
think about ourselves first.
S3: Do you agree with that?
S2: No, I don’t. Do you?
S3: Not at all. etc
b) Writing about friendship
• Write the quotation on the board.
• Give Ss exactly 3 minutes to write their
sentences.
• Listen to Ss' answers around the class.
Suggested Answer Key
Some of my best friends are people I only see
occasionally. But when we get together, it’s
like they have always been in our lives. Our
friends are only a phone call away. We can
speak to them when we need to. You can think
about your friends and support them even if
you are not nearby, etc
