A、It is positive. B、It is negative. C、It has two sides. D、The friendship has nothing to do with the workplace. C

M: Hi, Ashley, how is your research going on? It’s complicated.
W: It is OK. I referred to so many literatures.
M: I also did that, but I still cannot focus on the main point of my research.
W: Don’t worry. Let’s try. People nowadays are faced with a work-related problem.
M: So you mean workplace friendships are like a double-edged sword.
W: That’s true, although the benefits of a friendly workplace can be really positive.
M: What is the other side of the coin?
W: Well, organizations should be aware of the potential difficulties and how to manage friendships at work.
M: I take for granted the leaders of the organizations would be so happy to see such friendly working atmospheres.
W: According to the study and data, many people were concerned about going "softer" with their friends and being expected to treat them with special privileges.
M: Yes, I understand in this way people naturally want to make their friends feel special.
W: Actually, this conflicts with organizational practices or norms of fairness and equality. Then tension would be created in the relationship.
M: Oh, it sounds like a dilemma. Workplace friendship is favored by people; however, new problems come into being.
W: Absolutely, it is really difficult for the organizations to try to provide friendly environments and encourage workplace friendships, and at the same time they should have policies in place to manage potential difficulties.
M: I see. Your analysis is logical. Thank you for helping me.
W: You are welcome.
Questions 9 to 12 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
9. What is the man’s problem?
10. Which of the following is correct about the workplace friendship?
11. Why is friendship hard to deal with in the workplace?
12. What can be inferred from the conversation?