1 . In a small village, a special knitting (编织) club has become a symbol of community and warmth. _________ by Abby, the club has turned the simple craft of knitting into the powerful force for _________.

Back to 2018, Abby, a knitting enthusiast, _________ brought together like-minded villagers. And later, their shared _________ blossomed into the club with a mission. The club welcomed all, with the belief that anyone could _________ to knit, and soon it became a place where a sense of community was woven into every stitch (一针).

Attracting a steady stream of people, the club members weekly gather to work on knitting _________, like casting on and off, under Abby’s guidance. Their hands are hurt by needles, but their hearts are full of _________, because every little scar is a mark of care for others. The club’s true essence lies in its devotion to _________. Each hand-knit hat and glove is a symbol of love, donated to local _________ institutions that help the homeless.

__________ on their purpose, Abby says, “Our knitting is more than a small craft. It’s a way to __________ out and support those in need. The club’s creations are not just items. They are the result of hours spent choosing the right materials and patterns, and the love __________ into every stitch.”

The knitting club is a living narrative of a(n) __________ story of neighbors assisting neighbors and strangers becoming friends. Through knitting, they’ve created a __________ that warms not only the body, but also the heart. The club stands as a reminder of the impact that __________ acts, like giving a hat or a pair of gloves, can have on the human spirit.

2 . Rebecca, a wildlife camerawoman, was filming a documentary for the BBC in the Pacific Ocean when she saw something that made her cry: hundreds of  _______   had died because they had  _______  eaten some of the tons of plastic thrown into the sea. Beaches in Honolulu and other Pacific islands were _______ plastic toys, bottles, keyboards, pens, cigarette lighters . Seabirds as well as  other  animals like whales, dolphins, seals, turtles were suffering  _______  thrown-away plastic. The sea and the environment become more and more polluted.

At this point most of us would have felt sad and _______ but Rebecca did differently. In her hometown of Modbury she showed her _______ from the island to local shopkeepers and asked them to do one thing to help—stop using plastic _______ in their shops. To Rebecca's surprise, the shopkeepers_______ and Modbury became the first plastic-bag-free town in Britain. Shops offered  _______ cotton bags or biodegradable(可降解) bags. People in the town got used to taking a shopping bag with them to the supermarket—just like their grandparents had done before plastic bags were  invented . Later, other towns in Britain followed Modbury's  ________ . The small town of Hebden Bridge became the second plastic-bag-free town when four women there saw Rebecca's film and  ________  to act and the people there are happy to change things.

More and more towns around are becoming plastic-bag-free. Now "the bag for life" is part of the national________, and the task of reducing the use of plastic bags has become law. Since October 2015, all shops in the UK must________ five pence for each plastic bag used by each shopper. It's not enough, of course, ________  it's a good start. It also shows us that there is something we can do and that one person ________ a strong enough belief can make a big change to protect the oceans and save the seabirds and sea animals.

3 . It was like finding a needle in a haystack. Shelly Romo surveyed what was ________ of her home in Maui, which was hit by a deadly wildfire, hoping to find her wedding ring, expecting to leave ________. But luckily, after three hours’ ________ with volunteers, it finally appeared, the diamond ________ but the band completely damaged. Romo and her husband went straight to No Ka’ Oi Jewelers — a local business that has been ________ fire-damaged jewelry free of charge.

No Ka’ Oi owner Omi Chamdi said he was one of the ________ ones — the fires had avoided his home and storefront. That’s why, in its aftermath, he immediately sprang into action and advertised ________ restorations. “When the fires here on Maui occurred, pretty ________ I decided this is something I can do and I really want to do for the ________ community.”

However, Chamdi doesn’t restore the jewelry himself; ________ he has been paying for the restoration services. When asked if he ever ________ that, he shook his head. “These are not just ordinary items, these are the most ________ possessions that people go back and dig through the ________ to find.”

________, Romo was not ready to say goodbye when the fires destroyed her home. But finding her wedding ring and getting it restored gave Romo some peace about ________.

4 . My long-distance cycling career of 13 years and 35, 000 kilometres ended as I approached 75. Although I am now no longer strong enough to _________ the long days and big climbs, day in and day out, I have my memories.

The road behind is just memories, some soon to be forgotten, others to be _________ and enhanced with the retelling. A 6000-kilometre cross-country ride initially appears _________, but, once done, it is simply done, much like the challenges that life _________.

Real _________ would come when I was alone on my bicycle. I enjoyed meeting and even _________ the daily targets I had set for myself. I enjoyed the technical challenges faced by tire bursts and loose handlebars, but _________ not at that time. I loved cycling with a strong tailwind pushing me along and hated _________ into a strong headwind. I loved striking up conversations with a diversity of people and sincerely appreciated the support and comfort they _________.

Long distance cycling brings unbearable exhaustion, long hours of anxiety, even fear and desperation, but these __________ into insignificance, compared to the joy and __________ of climbing huge mountains or seeing fantastic sights for the first time. The experiences add newness and __________ to my life and the memories are __________.

Most importantly, cycling taught me to know myself better. It eventually dawned on me that I had more __________ and courage than I ever imagined. The self-awareness and long-lasting memories will give me enormous __________ as I carry on my life journey.

5 . Valentina Dominguez, a nine-year-old from Texas, was travelling with her parents and her doll, Beatrice. After finishing their _______ in Bali, Indonesia, they stopped over in Tokyo before _______ their flight back home.

However, upon arriving home, they _______ that Beatrice was missing. Only then did they realize they hadn’t seen her since they were on the airplane. Valentina’s family was extremely _______ at losing the doll. Her father expressed his sadness. The family reached out to the airport and airline but weren’t able to _______ Beatrice, they took to social media.

First Officer James Danen, an American Airline pilot saw the post and located the missing doll in Turkish Airlines’ Lost and Found. Since Danen’s flight routes often included Tokyo, he realized that he could help out Valentina. “It’s my _______. I like helping people,” he explained.

And that’s how First Officer Danen ended up _______ the doll to her home in Texas. The New York Post _______ that he took pictures of the doll in the airport. He also brought along Japanese treats and a map showing Beatrice’s _______. “Was she well behaved on the flight?” Valentina asked. “Very well behaved,” Danen answered.

Valentina is ________ to be reunited with Beatrice. Valentina shared, “She brings me ________ and she’s my best friend. When she was missing, I felt like my heart was broken.”

First Officer Danen could ________ have overlooked the social media post owing to so many on it. But, instead he took the time to ________ someone else. This heartwarming story serves as a reminder of the ________ a simple act of kindness can have. That kindness knows no ________ is the message conveyed in the story.

6 . “Supermarket girl” wasn’t her name. It was the way I’d always________ the numbers of random people who weren’t friends or family in my phone.

I met “supermarket girl” while shopping for groceries. We________ numbers and promised to meet up, but I walked away knowing we probably never would. This is Japan. The________work culture demands that I leave my day job at 5: 00 P. M. and________to my evening and weekend part-time job by 6: 00 P. M. Sparing________ to meet and greet was a concept I’d given up on.

Every day felt like an eternity (漫长时间). The supermarket became my________. That’s where I ran into her again: supermarket girl. This time, I learned her name: Julia. She explained that she felt________ too. So we made a date to go for a Saturday morning walk together. That’s how it started.

Ten kilometers to the nearest recycle shop. We talked about the stress that comes with settling in a foreign land: the differences in culture, the language________. We talked about how we always felt like the odd one out, an outsider. Oftentimes, we felt that we didn’t________there.

Eight kilometers to Costco. This time, we bonded over the main thing we had in common:________that come with being a woman. She shared that her insecurities kept layers of sadness beneath her________of happiness. I gave her a glimpse into what was happening behind my surface as well.

Every single Saturday, rain or sun, we were ________ to our tradition, never missing an outing. Walking outdoors gave us the beautiful simplicity of human________. I was able to open up to someone who________my experience. I’m proud of us. Instead of________ in despair, we took control.

7 . My grandchild, Harold, was celebrating his 7th birthday. Asked what _________ he wanted, he said he wanted me to make fudge (乳脂软糖). I _________ it perhaps 20 years earlier with little success. What I once made was either fudge _________ or a hard and burnt rock.

Harold remembered me telling of these _________, but he held the _________ that I could successfully make fudge for him. Since he eagerly wanted it, I _________ and I tried my best to make it.

I followed the _________ step by step, which told me to “continue stirring the cooked mixture until it turns white and shiny”. I _________ stirring it. And then something _________ happened. I felt the fudge start to harden. “This is just the ____________ moment,” I thought. I stopped stirring immediately and poured it into a big plate. How happy! The fudge came out ____________ for the first time!

As I presented the perfectly crafted fudge to Harold, his eyes sparkled with ____________ and a wave of pride ____________ me. It dawned on me that life is about a series of challenges and, more importantly, opportunities for ____________. It’s about embracing the unknown and believing in oneself even when past experiences may suggest otherwise. Harold’s simple ____________ had become a catalyst (催化剂) for personal growth and overcoming my own limitations.

8 . Mawson was an Australian explorer and scientist who explored the Antarctic with a team of fellow adventurers in 1912. His travels in the frozen continent brought him worldwide _______. In December of that year, Mawson and two other _______ left the main base at Commonwealth Bay, _______ a 300-mile exploration into the central part of the continent to gather scientific data and samples. _______ followed.

One of the men, a young British soldier named Belgrave Ninnis, _______ down an open crack on a sledge, along with several of their best dogs and many of the team’s supplies, dead. For several weeks, the two others, _______ with scurvy(坏血病)and other _______, struggled to return to camp, keeping living first on the _______ dogs, then on starvation food. _______, Xavier Mertz, a Swiss mountaineer and skiing champion, died from exhaustion, starvation and possible poisonousness from eating dogs’ livers.

________ to return with the research data, Mawson ________ the elements for 30 days. Finally he returned to the________ in February of 1913, extremely thin, frost-bitten and exhausted-only to ________ he had missed the ship rescuing the rest of the ________ by hours. Mawson was regarded as a survivor hero. For his achievements as an explorer and scientist, he was knighted(封爵)in 1914. In addition to his other ________, Mawson edited and contributed to the 22-volume Reports of Australasian Antarctic Expeditions.

9 . I live with my husband Jack in Iowa, which is far away from Florida. One day, my husband suddenly decided to play _________ in Florida.

“Why Florida?” I wanted to know. “We are so busy every day with our work. Why not someplace _________?”

“Because,” he said, “Florida is famous for golf. It’s just something I _________ to do.”

_________, I did understand. Just a week or so before, I _________ a diary of mine from my teenage years. What really got me about it was the list I’d _________ on the very first page—Things I’m Going To Do. But until now I haven’t done a third of them!

So when Jack talked about playing in _________, it got me thinking. There were a lot of things I wanted to _________. They were all the same things as I’d decided to do _________ I was sixteen. But always because of some reasons, my plans __________ to be carried out.

In order to make our life without __________, I told Jack, “Now let’s draw up all our life lists and have them __________ one by one together.” That was how our journey to Florida __________.

After many years, our plans were all finished. __________ I’ve learned that the secret is to take life __________. If you’re in too much of a hurry, you need to stop, or you will fly past all the things that are the most fun.

10 . Matt Shaha, 27, grew out his hair for two years to make it into a wig (假发) for his mom, Melanie Shaha, who has been _________with a benign tumor (良性肿瘤) since 2003.

Melanie underwent two _________to remove the tumor between 2003 and 2006, but it returned in 2017 and doctors _________radiation treatments. Three months later after radiation, she lost all her hair _________. “When you wear a hat everywhere, it makes you _________from the crowd,” she said. “I don’t mind being sick, but I do mind looking sick.”

Matt was _________to make his mom look like herself again when he saw his mother’s _________. Although his mother initially didn’t want to accept his _________, he persisted and grew 12 inches of hair by March 2022. And Matt had it cut and _________with a hairdresser to create a wig that month, Matt said, “The whole_________was super rewarding for me.”

By mid-June, the wig finally arrived, Melanie — wearing her son’s long blonde hair — said she felt _________that she could feel like herself again. “The coloring is a remarkable _________to my complexion (面色), as you can imagine, as we are family and _________the same coloring! Two years was a long time for him to have longhair. Matt _________so much to give such a thoughtful gift. I am able to have a more normal _________with it,” Melanie said.