For most people the idea of losing friends overtime can leave them fearful of being alone in old age, but new research suggests that having fewer friends can actually make us less lonely.

A study that examined the friendships of nearly 400,000 students has shown that while the number of close friends they have on average has fallen in the past 25 years, they feel less isolated. 

Psychologists believe modern technology and the increased use of social media to interact with other people, which have led to the decline in face-to-face contact, have driven this change.

“People become less dependent on their families and need more specialized skills, which could lead to less interest in social support and more self-sufficiency,” said lead researcher Dr David Clark, from the University of Queensland. “Over time, people are more individualistic, more outgoing, and have higher self-esteem.” He added: “The trend in loneliness may be caused by modernization.”

The findings come after a series of studies have shown that the growing use of social networking sites like Facebook has had a negative affect on the quality of people’s friendships. Other studies have suggested that people who use Facebook tend to be more isolated and lonely. Lonely people are also more likely to share more information about themselves on such sites. 

However, the latest findings, shows people are actually getting less lonely. The scientists examined 48 surveys of American College Students who had completed the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, with a total of 13,041 students taking part. This showed that overall loneliness declined from 1978 to 2009, with female students reporting lower loneliness than male college students. The researchers also looked at the results from the Monitoring the Future project between 1991 and 2012, which surveyed US high school students about their behaviors, attitudes and values.

Overall, the high school students reported having fewer friends with whom to interact, but less desire for more friends.

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1.What was fearful to most people according to the passage?

A Social media do harm to their friendships with others.

B They would have less close friends to depend on.

C They would be more lonely and isolated with fewer friends.

D They would be alone as a result of losing friends in old age.

解析：选D。细节理解题。根据文章第一段…losing friends overtime can leave them fearful of being alone in old age可知，人们担心的是到老年因为失去朋友而感到孤独。

2.What causes people to feel less lonely although they have less friends?

A Modern technology and growing reliance of social media.

B The character of being more individualistic and outgoing.

C The increased quality of people’s friendships with their friends.

D More interest in social support and more self-sufficiency.

解析：选A。细节理解题。根据文章第三段…modern technology and the increased use of social media to interact with other people, …have driven this change可知，导致这一结果出现的原因是人们对现代科学技术及社交网站的依赖，使得人们并不感到孤独。

3.What did scientists discover from latest studies?

A Social networking sites do harm to people’s friendships.

B The trend in loneliness may be caused by modernization.

C People are getting less lonely, which contradicts previous studies.

D Lonely people share information about themselves on social media.

解析：选C。细节理解题。根据文章五、六段可知，最新研究发现，人们并没有感到孤独，这与之前的研究结果是有出入的。

4.What can we infer from the passage?

A Specialized skills can help people live a better life.

B Having less friends doesn’t result in loneliness.

C Social media help people exchange information.

D High school students have fewer friends to interact.

解析：选B。推理判断题。根据文章最后一段…reported having fewer friends with whom to interact, but less desire for more friends可知，尽管他们的朋友数量在减少，但他们并不想再多交朋友。由此判断，朋友少并不意味着孤独感增强。

5.Why does the author write this passage?

A To remind people of facing loneliness in old age.

B To show his concern about the negative affect of social media.

C To report the research on people’s loneliness.

D To report a survey conducted among college students.

解析：选C。推理判断题。写作意图判断题。本文介绍了基于朋友数量对于人们的孤独感的影响的研究结果，发现朋友少并不意味着更孤独。本文只是对研究情况的介绍，是对研究结果的报道。