High 2 · Reading series
Lesson 11 · A Friend Who Needed Silence
Audio track 11
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
Open the English passage and hover for word help
After a difficult presentation, my friend Rina barely spoke. I assumed she wanted encouragement, so I followed her down the hallway and listed everything she had done well. She thanked me, but her shoulders grew tighter.
Later she sent a message: “I know you meant well. I just needed a quiet walk.” I read it twice. My words had been kind, but I had chosen the kind of help without asking her.
The next week another presentation went badly. This time I asked, “Would you rather talk, or should I just walk with you?” We walked to the station in silence. At the gate, Rina began to explain what had happened. I listened without preparing a solution.
Silence had not meant that she rejected me. It gave her time to decide what to share. Friendship sometimes requires an offer, followed by enough space for the other person to answer honestly.
Sentence practice
Play any sentence in Dicvo’s Jenny English voice. Before playing all, choose how many times each sentence plays. A practice pause about as long as the sentence follows each play, including before the next sentence. The complete reading remains above.
Choose a sentence to begin.
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After a difficult presentation, my friend Rina barely spoke.
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I assumed she wanted encouragement, so I followed her down the hallway and listed everything she had done well.
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She thanked me, but her shoulders grew tighter.
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Later she sent a message: “I know you meant well.
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I just needed a quiet walk.”
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I read it twice.
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My words had been kind, but I had chosen the kind of help without asking her.
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The next week another presentation went badly.
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This time I asked, “Would you rather talk, or should I just walk with you?”
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We walked to the station in silence.
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At the gate, Rina began to explain what had happened.
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I listened without preparing a solution.
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Silence had not meant that she rejected me.
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It gave her time to decide what to share.
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Friendship sometimes requires an offer, followed by enough space for the other person to answer honestly.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
一次不顺利的展示过后，朋友莉奈几乎不说话。我以为她需要鼓励，就沿走廊追上去，接连说出她做得好的地方。她向我道谢，肩膀却绷得更紧。
后来，她发来消息：‘我知道你是好意。我只是想安静地走一会儿。’我读了两遍。我的话确实出于善意，但我没有先问她，就替她选好了帮助方式。
第二周，又一次展示不太顺利。这回我先问：‘你想聊聊，还是我陪你走就好？’我们默默走到车站。到了门口，莉奈才开始讲发生了什么。我专心听，没有急着准备解决办法。
沉默不意味着她拒绝我，而是给她时间决定要分享什么。友谊有时需要先提出陪伴，再留出足够空间，让对方能诚实地回答。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- barely
- 几乎不；莉奈展示后很少说话。
- assumed
- 想当然地认为；主人公以为她要鼓励。
- encouragement
- 鼓励；善意的夸奖未必合适。
- meant well
- 出于好意；莉奈理解主人公的本心。
- solution
- 解决办法；倾听时不急着提出。
- rejected
- 拒绝；安静不等于排斥朋友。
- share
- 分享；由莉奈决定讲多少。
- requires
- 需要；友谊也需要留空间。
- offer
- 提议；先问对方想怎么相处。
- honestly
- 诚实地；有空间才能真实表达。
Background notes (Chinese)
善意不等于对方此刻需要的帮助。主人公发现朋友想安静后，改为提供选择；陪伴和倾听也可以是支持。