【推荐2】Whether it is a relaxing walk or a power one, taking a walk usually only lasts a small duration of time. This was not the________ for Tom Turcich, though.

On April 2,2015. Tom decided to walk around the world by himself. It wasn’t a ________ thought. His childhood friend died ________ at the age of 17 due to a jet ski accident. ________ by how short life was, he was fueled by a strong ________ to live every day to its fullest.

Tom’s walk ________ as a lone journey. But quickly, he found himself missing ________ on the road. And so, while making a stop in Austin, Texas, he ________ Savannah, a rescue dog Since then, the pair have been making their way across borders, continents and seas, ________ 25,000 miles in all.

Traveling always has some ups and downs. Tom ________ numerous unexpected delays along the way. He was ________ due to severe weather in Panama and became very ill in Scotland. Also, he had no ________ but to wait out pandemic (疫情) lockdowns in many countries. But on the ________ side, he met many kind people and ________ the beauty of nature in different parts of the world.

Tom ________ something few people have succeeded in, which helped him gain a much larger understanding of the world.

Within minutes, that woman was at my door and a thousand thoughts crossed my mind before she rang the bell. I could pretend I wasn’t home or tell her, “I’m sorry, you have the wrong _______.”

But it was too late; the bell rang and Molly was barking. I opened the door, _______ myself to face my fear.

One look at Molly and the woman’s face _______ like a Christmas tree. “Here, Lucy,” she called. “Come to Mamma, girl.” Molly (Lucy) instantly obeyed, wagging her tail _______ at the sound of the woman’s voice._______, she belonged to the woman.

Tears were at the back of my eyelids and threatened to _______ at any moment. I wanted to grab Molly and run. _______, I smiled faintly and asked her to come in please.

The woman had already bent over and _______ Molly up into her arms. She awkwardly opened her purse and stretched out, a twenty-dollar bill.

“For your_______” she offered.

“Oh, I couldn’t.” I shook my head. “She’s been such a joy to have ________, I should be paying you.” With that she laughed and hugged Molly tighter ________she were a lost child.

Molly licked her face wildly. I knew it was time for them to go home. Opening the door to let them out, I ________a little girl sitting in the front seat of the van. When the child saw the puppy, a smile as bright as a firecracker exploded________her face.

My glance turned to a small ________fastened to the back of the van. The woman saw me look at the chair and offered a(n)________ without my asking. Molly (Lucy) was given to the child to ________emotional healing after a car accident had left her crippled for life.

“She formed a special bond with the puppy and Lucy gave her a ________ to live,” her mother explained.

Suddenly I felt very ________ and selfish. God has blessed me with so much, I thought. As they pulled out of the drive, the smile on my face was ________. I knew I had done the right thing — that puppy was exactly ________ she belonged.

【推荐3】A series of massive thunderstorms had damaged our area recently. Heavy rains, high winds and lots of lightning had caused flash flooding and ________ trees. I had spent the afternoon picking up branches out of my yard. Then, just before I was getting ready to walk my dogs, the ________ came on my television and phone that another storm was ________ our way.

I took my dogs outside________. Huge clouds were rolling in while thunder ________ over the hills. The darkness seemed darker and scarier than usual ________ I knew what was on the way. That was when I saw it: the really ________ light, up high, at the far end of the meadow (草地) behind my house. I smiled. The first of the fireflies (萤火虫) had appeared for the summer at just the time I needed to________ its light. Soon a few others were blinking their lights as well. It ________ me how far their light traveled in the darkness of the night and how they didn't seem________ at all by the approaching storm. I spent an extra few minutes ________ my fireflies and taking in their message of ________ before heading in to get ready for the storm. As I did, though, I noticed that the darkness no longer seemed so ________ and that my fear had been replaced with ________.

Life does have its share of ________, some caused by nature and some caused by us. We can't go through life being scared of them, ________ . We are here to share our love. We are here to ________ our light. We can ride through the storms, ________ after them and make this world a better place. Take a(n)________ from the fireflies. Let your light shine. It may seem tiny, but you will be amazed at how far it can be seen and how ________ it can drive the dark away.