READING 1 Reconnecting with Old Friends

The North High School class of 1936 gathered for their 75th reunion in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, U.S.

Reconnecting with Old Friends

Read the following article. Pay special attention to the words in bold. 11.1

Estimates show that Americans move about 11.3 times in their lifetimes. As a result, they often lose touch with old friends. Usually, during their twenties and thirties, people are too busy building their careers and starting their families to think much about the past. However, as people get older, they often start to wonder about the best friend they had in high school, the soldier with whom they served in the military, or the person who lived next door when they were growing up.

Before the Internet, finding an old friend required going to libraries to search through old phone books of different cities. It was hard work, and you needed a lot of luck. It was especially hard to find women who changed their names when they got married.

Then came the Web, which made it possible to find someone in seconds. A quick search on various social media sites, such as Facebook or Instagram, can help you find that old classmate or neighbor. In addition, there are several sites where alumni1 of a specific high school can include themselves according to the year they graduated. Married women who chose to change their names list themselves by their maiden names2 so that others can find them easily.

Another way that people make connections with old friends is through class reunions. Often people come from out of town for a reunion, which can last for a whole weekend: Friday evening in the high school that they attended, Saturday evening for a dinner in a restaurant or hotel, and a Sunday brunch. They remember the time when they were young and exchange information about what they are doing today. They sometimes bring their high school yearbooks, which have photos of the graduates, other students, and school activities.

It takes some effort to connect with old friends. Looking back at fond memories, renewing old friendships, making new friends, and even starting a new romance with an old love can be the reward.

1 alumni: graduates or former students of a school 2 maiden name: a woman’s family name which she may or may not change when she marries