1Most people would like to think that they choose their friends solely on the basis of personal characteristics. 2A classic study of a housing complex for married students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) suggests that proximity— nearness and availability—can be an important factor. 3Researchers asked couples to list their friends in the complex. 4They found that residents were far more likely to list the couple in the next apartment than one that lived two doors away, and more likely to visit with a couple two doors away than with one three or four doors away. 5A distance of thirty feet or a short elevator ride made the difference between friends and strangers! 6More recent studies have confirmed the importance of proximity. 7One possible explanation is that whenever people encounter strangers, they feel tense. 8The more they see a person, the more they come to think of that person as predictable and safe, and hence the more likely they are to strike up a conversation that leads to friendship. 9This would explain why the most popularcouples in the MIT housing complex were those who lived at the bottom of the stairs near the garbage cans that everyone used.

A. 1.Most people probably think their personal preferences determine whom they choose for friends.
B. 2.In fact, our personal preferences have no effect on who our friends are.
C. 3.A person who lives in a big country is more likely to have more friends than someone who lives in a small country
D. 4.Someone living in an apartment house is likely to have more friends than someone who lives on a farm.
E. 5.A garbage collector is likely to have more friends than a letter carrier.
F. 6.Someone who works in a busy office is likely to have more friends than someone who works at home.