A
I think a close friend is someone you get on really well with, who helps you when you have problems, who gives you advice, and who always has time for you. I didn't use to have many close friends when I was at school or at university as I was very shy, but now I have several. They are all women — I think it's difficult to have a close friend of the opposite sex (异性)．
— Marie
I don't really have any close friends. I know a lot of people but mainly through work, and the kind of social occasions (场合) when we meet are business dinners and evening parties. I think if you come from a really close family, then friends are a bit unnecessary. The little free time I have I prefer to spend with my family.
— Richard
I think a close friend is someone who you've known for a long time, and who you still get on with. They probably have similar hobbies to you so you can do things together. I've got three close friends who I was at high school with and we often go away together (without our parents of course)．We always go camping and somewhere we can go walking, play football and be outside in the open air.
— David
For me close friends are the people you spend your free time with. I go out at weekends with a group of people — there are about seven of us, and I'd say we are all close friends. We also live near each other. I don't think you can have close friends at a distance (在远处); you need to be able to see each other often. But I don't think you need to be doing the same things. I mean I'm at university but none of my friends are.
— Ana
