Single woman losing touch with friends who have kids

DEAR ABBY: I’m a 28-year-old woman with a fantastic job, a wonderful boyfriend and many friends whom I love dearly. I’m the only one without a child.

Maybe I don’t understand because I’m not a parent myself, but all my friends can talk about is children. Whereas before, we were interested in each other’s lives, I feel like my concerns and accomplishments are being brushed off. An example: I was excited to meet up with a pal to talk about my promotion, but the hour-long dinner was spent mostly teaching her child how to walk between the tables of the restaurant.

I enjoy hearing about my friends and their families, but I feel they are no longer interested in me. Am I expecting too much because we’re at different points in our lives, or am I a bad friend? I’m growing resentful, and I don’t like it. Any words of wisdom?

STILL RELEVANT IN MASS.

DEAR STILL RELEVANT: You and your friends are at different stages of life. When you were in your teens, you and your friends would talk about dating. Then, as you grew older, the conversations revolved around college, jobs and marriage. As people experience the later stages of life, they talk about other things that are going on in their lives ― children, grandkids, aging parents and, finally, their own health concerns.

You’ll maintain and enjoy these friendships longer if you understand that. In the meantime, try to set some “adult time only” with your friends.

※ Choose the one word or phrase that best keeps the meaning of the highlighted part or fill in the blank with a suitable one.

1. Very few parties in government want to implement political reform.

① execute

② cancel

③ supplement

④ improve

2. Formulated in 1823, the Monroe Doctrine asserted that Americans were no longer open to European colonization.

① accentuated

② belligerently argued

③ emphatically stated

④ entreated

3. Urban renewal programs strive to upgrade areas that are becoming slums.

① reproach

② improve

③ fortify

④ uproot

4. Washington has promised to come up with $270 million in new aid.

① overtake

② keep up with

③ offer

④ make use of

5. We lose many invaluable hours thinking over small things.

① worthless

② useless

③ valueless

④ priceless

[해설 및 정답]

1. [번역] 정부 내에서 정치개혁을 실행하기를 원하는 당은 거의 없다.

[어휘] implement (사업, 약속 등을) 실행, 이행, 실시하다(= carry out, accomplish, enforce, execute, put into practice) n. 도구, 연장(tool, instrument) n. implementation 이행, 실행; 완성, 성취

[정답] ①

2. [번역] 1823년에 공식화된 Monroe 독트린은 미국인들이 더 이상은 유럽의 식민지화에 개방되어 있지 않다는 것을 주장하는 것이었다.

[어휘] assert 주장하다, 확언하다(= claim, maintain, aver, contend, insist, allege, affirm, state emphatically) a. assertive 단정적인, 단언하는(= positive, assured, certain) n. assertion(=allegation) ① accentuate 강조하다(emphasize) ② belligerently argue 호전적으로 주장하다 ③ emphatically state 어조(세)를 강하게 진술(말)하다 ④ entreat 간청하다

[정답] ③

3. [번역] 도시부흥 프로그램은 빈민촌이 되어 가는 지역들을 개량하려고 하는 것이다.

[어휘] upgrade 승진시키다(= promote ↔ downgrade, degrade, demote), 품질을 높이다(improve ↔ degrade) ① 비난하다, 책망하다 ③ 강화하다 ④ 뿌리째 뽑다

[정답] ②

4. [번역] 워싱턴(미국의 초대 대통령)은 새로운 원조금으로 2억 7천만 달러를 내놓기로 약속했다.

[어휘] come up with (안건 등을) 내놓다, 제시, 제안, 제출하다(= think up, suggest, propose, present, bring up, bring forward, adduce, put forth, set forth); 따라잡다(= overtake, catch up with)

5. [어휘] invaluable 대단히 귀중한(유용한) (= priceless, very valuable, very useful, precious ↔ valueless, worthless)

[번역] 우리는 사소한 일에 대하여 생각하면서 많은 귀중한 시간을 허비한다.

[정답] ④