Old and new friends which is more important?

[Y2king]

Do you agree or disagree with following statement.
It is more important to keep your old friends than it is to make new friends.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
I'm looking for your comments, thanks a million! :)

In today’s environment, most people are carrying a heavier workload than before, and sometimes need a shoulder to lean on. At this time, friends become an essential part of people’s life，and this is where controversy arises. Some people hold that keeping old friends is of more significance than making new ones. Meanwhile those who strongly object to it cite that people can not survive without making new friends. From my perspective, wonderful as the advantages that making new friends results in are, they can not compete with the benefits that keeping old friends brings about, when loyalty and the time needed for cultivating a genuine friendship are taken into deliberation.

Firstly, old friends are more trust-worthy than new friends. When people are in trouble, they can always turn to their old friends for help. For example, my childhood friend, Tom, is really a kind-hearted person. Once I lost my money during a trip to Europe, he borrowed 500 dollars to me without any hesitation. Only through this experience do I understand the true meaning of the phrase a friend in need is a friend indeed. Also, the longer people know a friend, the more considerate that friend will be.
New-made friendships are just like new wine, and it is age that mellows and refines it. Old friends know much more about each other, such as each other’s favorite food, best-loved movies, or even secrets that they do not want others to know. Thus, people feel more comfortable with their old friends.

Secondly, cultivating a genuine friendship needs time. For instance, individuals need time to know each other, to build shared memories and to invest in each other’s growth. If we make too many friends, we can only spend a short period of time for each. That is to say, we will probably have no true friends, which will be very miserable, for true friends are the ones who will always back us up when we need help or just want to talk to someone. Some so-called outgoing guys make a number of friends everyday, they play and laugh together; however, when it comes to an emergency such as earthquake, the so-called friends who always hang around with the victim will shy away.

Beneficial as keeping old friends is, some slight virtues of making new ones can not be easily neglected. One is that new friends will bring new excitement and offers an excellent opportunity to broaden one’s horizon. One can always learn some useful things through making new friends such as communicating skills, sense of humor and so on. Always stick to old friends, on the other hand, may contribute to a monotonous life.

Therefore, we could safely draw the conclusion that even though there are some merits of making new friends, it is more important to keep old friends, because they can surely give us a hand when we are in the middle of trouble, and we will have enough time to concentrate on cultivating the true friendship. Just as Joseph Parry said in his poem, new friends are silver, old friends are gold.

TOEFL listening discussions: Why does the student visit the adviser's office?

[Kitosdad]

In today’s environment, most people are carrying a heavier workload than before, and sometimes need a shoulder to lean on.
At this time, friends become an essential part of people’s li(ves)，and this is where controversy arises.
Some people hold that keeping old friends is of more significance than making new ones.
Meanwhile those who strongly object to it cite that people (cannot) survive without making new friends.
From my perspective, wonderful as the advantages that making new friends results in are, they (cannot) compete with the benefits that keeping old friends brings about, when loyalty and the time needed for cultivating a genuine friendship are taken into deliberation.

Firstly, old friends are more (trustworthy) than new friends.
When people are in trouble, they can always turn to their old friends for help.

For example, my childhood friend, Tom, is really a kind-hearted person.
Once I lost my money during a trip to Europe, he (loaned) 500 dollars to me without any hesitation.
Only through this experience do I understand the true meaning of the phrase a friend in need is a friend indeed.
Also, the longer people know a friend, the more considerate that friend will be.

New-made friendships are just like new wine, and it is age that mellows and refines it. Old friends know much more about each other, such as each other’s favorite food, best-loved movies, or even secrets that they do not want others to know.
Thus, people feel more comfortable with their old friends.

Secondly, cultivating a genuine friendship (takes) time.
For instance, individuals need time to know each other, to build shared memories and to invest in each other’s growth.
If we make too many friends, we can only spend a short period of time for each.
That is to say, we will probably have no true friends, which will be very miserable, for true friends are the ones who will always back us up when we need help, or just want to talk to someone.

Some so-called outgoing guys make a number of friends everyday. (T)hey play and laugh together; however, when it comes to an emergency such as (an) earthquake, the so-called friends who always hang around with the victim will shy away.

Beneficial as keeping old friends is, some slight virtues of making new ones (cannot) be easily (ignored).
One is that new friends will bring new excitement and (they) offer an excellent opportunity to broaden one’s horizon.
One can always learn some useful things through making new friends such as communicating skills, sense of humor and so on.
Always stick(ing) to old friends, on the other hand, may contribute to a monotonous life.

Therefore, we could safely draw the conclusion that even though there are some merits of making new friends, it is more important to keep old friends, because they can surely give us a hand when we are in the (midst) of trouble, and we will have enough time to concentrate on cultivating the true friendship.

Just as Joseph Parry said in his poem; "New friends are silver, old friends are gold."

Excellent.

Kitos.
_________________
Keep it simple ... Keep it interesting.

[Y2king]

You are really a kind-hearted person!
Special thanks.
King