1 . When I was in third grade, my family and I took on an unforgettable trip across the country. It turned out to be more than just a/an _______ journey; it was a journey of discovery into our _______. Every day, Dad _______ us with his trusty road map. Mom, the heart of our family, shared folk tales and painted pictures about the upcoming _______. We went through diverse _______from the thick forests to the vast deserts of the West.

One day, while hiking through the Grand Canyon, I _______   a particularly rough path. Frightened, I _______, not knowing how to proceed. That’s when my parents _______ .

As Dad showed me footholds, Mom coached me with calming _______and reminded me of the breathtaking views that lay ahead. Then, I________the confidence as my feet ________ solid ground again. When I finally overcame my fear, I felt we became ________ as a family.

From then on, every evening, we’d gather around a campfire for what we________called “Family Reflection Time”. During these sessions, we’d share laughs, ________, and insights from the day’s experiences.

The trip taught me that the true meaning of travel isn’t merely about reaching the destination but about the personal growth that happens on the route, and the family bonds formed when facing ________ together.

2 . A family from Canada was on a year-long trip around the world to create visual memories before their three children lose the sight. Mia, Colin, and Laurent were suffering from a disease without effective __________, which would gradually take away their __________.

The parents, Edith and Sebastien, decided to __________ with their children early last year. The __________ flew from Montreal with no fixed __________. During their travels, they played with schoolchildren in Botswana, danced with people in Tanzania, and stayed on a banana farm. In Thailand, Laurent even touched an elephant, calling out in __________ at how rough it felt.

Each day, Edith and Sebastien watched their kids __________ physically and emotionally. Mia grew taller and needed more independence. Both Laurent and Colin became more confident and outgoing, __________ to chat with strangers.

By the end of last year, the family had travelled 83,700 kilometers and visited 13 __________. When the kids reflected on what they had __________ about the world and themselves, Colin said, “There’s a lot of __________ and poverty, but lots of good and interesting things, too.” Mia __________ her head, “Yes, this has been a magic year we’ll __________ for the rest of our lives.”

The couple wanted their kids to lead __________ lives. Whether they are blind or not, they will find their __________.

3 . Thru hiking (徒步旅行) for long distances with your equipment on your back ________ placing yourself at the mercy of other people’s kindness. I thought it would be ________ to share some of the amazing experiences I’ve had regarding kindness of ________. Experiencing people’s kindness has left me inspired.

The first kindness is the Trail Angels who ________ their doors to hikers for support. They ________ rides to town for food or equipment and then provide essentials like showers, laundry and ship packages. They are people who ________ care for those who are away from home and need help.

Trail Magic can ________ at any time or place. The day I was climbing Mt. Baden Powell, there were two Japanese ladies sitting on the hillside resting. As I ________, they began clapping, stopped me, asked me about the trip, shared me some fruit and one woman bowed low and said, “I respect you.” Wow! What ________ words to hear!

One Saturday morning in the San Gabriel mountains, as we crossed a highway, trail runners in their vehicle pulled over to ________ us fruit. An hour down the trail, day hikers stopped and asked about our trip, opened their packs of ________ and asked, “What would you like to eat.” A few miles further we ________ Glennwood Cabin (格伦伍德小屋) and were fed pizza and drinks. At 9: 00 a. m. we were all pumped up and talking about this ________ day of kindness.

Now I am preparing for the next section hike to the Mojave desert. Thank you God for those who show a ________ heart and express the spirit of ________.

5 . City walk gains popularity among young Chinese. Different from the fast-paced “special forces style” (特种部队式) tourism, city walk is _________ and not very purposeful.

To a certain extent, “special forces style” tourism is just a(n) _________ of regular travel, where young people spend 24 hours in a city with the same travel guides and check-in list. By comparison, city walk allows people to explore a city _________ without deliberately joining the _________ at popular tourist spots or waiting in _________ lines outside popular restaurants for hours. People _________ the past and present of a city as a local resident. After all, time is not _________ and the need for travel is not so pressing any more.

While “special forces style” tourists _________ fast pace and purposefulness, city walkers are completely slow and free. What really matters is _________ wandering. People expect that a trip frees themselves from high __________ and repetitive daily life. Since such words as leisure, __________ and purposelessness are associated with city walk, it seems not difficult to understand why young people are __________ about it.

When we were children in school, 45 minutes of class was worth a 10 minute __________. As we have __________ and started working hard, we always want to __________ freedom in life during free time. City walk is a path where we can freely choose, plan, and explore.

6 . I found a wonderful picture of Maolan karst cones online and presented it to the innkeeper. “You can’t go there,” the innkeeper ______ me. “The viewing platform has been closed due to ______ that too many visitors could cause geological damage.”

Despite our disappointment, we ______ an alternative: a seven-hour hike through the “funnel forest”. Initially, we were ______ to run the risk. However, I had ______ the tourism motto in the nature reserve: “If you don’t do it now, you won’t do it in your lifetime.” Three of our group ______ decided to venture into the forest. The innkeeper responded with a knowing ______ : “Great. Bear Grylls went there.”

The next morning, we set off with a local ______ . Rain came and went three times, and before I actually ______ to climb over the first mountain, I had already got wet to the skin. I was a walking ______ of mud and water.

Our guide, in his 50s, behaved like a botanist, introducing the locally specific plants to us, but I was hardly in the ______ . Every step sank into the muddy, sucking ground. Every log or rock in front of us was a physical ______ . “One can never reach those places without strong willpower,” I murmured, reciting that millennium-old ______ , over and over again.

Sinkholes and entrances to underground rivers kept popping up along our ______ . Thinking of them leading to an unknown world, I began to ______ the road that I can control even more.

Wandering in a green chaos without any obvious landmarks is also breathtaking.

7 . I’ve reached the turn-around point of the day’s kayaking (皮划艇) trip. Sweat runs down my cheek as I ______ my fingers through the cool water. I look around. It’s just me, a couple of seagulls, and shining freshwater to the horizon. This, I whisper to myself, is ______.

Solo outings had never ______ my mind before because I always had loyal friends willing to tag along. But three years ago, I moved to Cleveland. Meeting close friends in a new city is ______. And a world wide health crisis made ______ impossible.

In October 2022, I decided to ______ a whole day on a solo hiking trip. I went to Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) to ______ the autumn leaves. Five miles in, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so alive. I was more ______ of my surroundings than I’d ever been while hiking that day. I studied the markings of trees, focused my ears on each forest sound and did something I had almost never spared ______ for: I listened to my own thoughts. Every word in my mind pointed to a newfound ______—solo hiking is my happy place. From then on, I have adjusted myself to any solo activity.

Pride ______ through my body when I first launched my kayak. My chest, ______ tightened by nerves, was bursting with happiness as I finally reached the middle of the river that I’d long ______ standing on shore before.

Adventuring alone has become like medicine for me! It’s also pushed me to go ______ my comfort zone and to meet new people. Through meetups and social media, my adventure friend circle has ______. But at least once per month, I schedule time to hit nature with my favorite trail buddy: me.