8 . I was growing up in Minnesota, “Joe Versus the Volcano” was one of my favorite movies. I longed to be swept away to a tropical island. But as I _________ myself in La Palma reporting on the Cumbre Vieja (老昆布雷火山) eruption in the Spanish Canary Islands, I quickly realized that there’s nothing romantic about volcanoes — even on an island.

I had come prepared — an N95 mask, and a baseball cap my Spanish mother-in-law lent me. But nothing could _________me for the invasiveness (入侵) of the _________ ash. It fell from the sky like a rainstorm, lining streets, covering doorways, and filling the splits of my ears.

It wasn’t long before the airlines _________ all flights. When tourists began panic-buying all the boat tickets as I was _________ residents about their futures, I realized I had, indeed, missed the boat.

For two days, I wandered _________ streets awaiting the recovery of travel, carrying a backpack and feeling progressively stuck — and at times _________. And then I realized I was being given the chance for deeper _________. Here I was experiencing, although in much lesser _________ what the people were feeling:__________and frustration from living next to an erupting volcano with no end in __________

Like the people of La Palma, I __________ on others to get me through — from the English woman who gave me a bag of oranges from her garden to the minister of the church that let me use the bathroom after being __________ at the top of a mountain.

As I finally left — via boat — I realized how __________ I was to have experienced the humanity of the people in La Palma in the face of crisis. I know it’s what will pull them __________ it.

9 . During a recent holiday I visited Dusseldorf a city in the west of Germany. The nine-day trip left a deep impression _________ me. I arrived at Dusseldorf airport at 7 pm. It was already _________ outside. The first thing I needed to do was to find a place to _________. I decided to telephone the Youth Hotel. But to use the phone I needed some _________; I asked a lady for help. To my _________ she gave me three coins to use. But all the phones in the _________ needed phone cards. And phone cards could only be bought at post offices during the _________. I was _________ I would not be able to call the hotel. When I was about to give up, an old gentleman came to me. He couldn’t speak English _________ understand that I needed to __________ a phone call. He showed me where the phone was and inserted __________ phone card. I called the Youth Hotel and found a place to stay that night.

The __________ of the German people made me feel that I was not __________ my hometown. My first day in Germany wasn’t as __________ as I expected. When I got lost in the city, I asked people for __________. It surprised me that __________ every young German could speak English fluent. Older Germans couldn’t __________ English very well, but they would try to help me whenever they could. One middle-aged man I asked for directions even __________ me to the place I was looking for.

My __________ in Germany totally changed my impression of Germans. Now I think the people couldn’t be more __________.

10 . “Every child has a great curiosity about something they love,”said Carolyn King, a doctor in Grand Rapids, Michigan. King, who once studied at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, is the co-founder of a yearly event called Reach Out to Youth (ROTY).

Wayne State has held the event since 1989, which lets kids ages 7 to 11 experience science and medicine in an interesting way.

“We’re here to help distinguish future scientists and future physicians,” said Richard Baker, director of Medical Education at Wayne State.

Diamond Moore, a medical student and the leading organizer of ROTY planned a special but interesting day for attendees. Exhibits included a room where you could see a brain, heart, and some other parts of our body, and a room where you could test your reflexes (反射动作). Wayne State teachers and medical students, including Moore, shared their knowledge of medical science with kids.

“This program wants kids to learn about science, arts, and the health care system,” Moore said, so that hopefully, they’ll become interested in medicine.

Some of the students were excited about the chance to tour the exhibits and learn more about medicine-related jobs. “A doctor would be a cool job,” said first-time attendee Desiree Anders.

Jeremiah Tower, an 11-year-old from Detroit, said that learning about science and things about the body was what the program was all about. Still, he wasn’t excited about having to get up early on a Saturday morning.

This year’s theme was “Play It Safe: Brain Safety.” After seeing what a brain looks like up close, young attendees learned about the danger of concussions (脑震荡). A fun test was given about brain safety so that kids could see how much they had learned.

About 350 kids take part in the program each year. It’s a great way to get an idea of what it feels like to be a doctor.