1 . In a remote village lived an elderly woman named Amelia. Despite the passing years, she remained as ________ as ever. Amelia’s dearest ________ was her faithful dog, Rufus, who had been by her side through thick and thin.

One cool autumn morning, tragedy ________ the village—a fierce storm swept through, leaving damage on its way. Homes were damaged, fields ________, and many of the villagers found themselves in need of help.

Amelia realized she had to do something to ________ her neighbors. With Rufus by her side, she ________ offering aid wherever it was needed. They worked ________ clearing ruins, mending roofs, and providing ________ to those who had lost so much.

As days turned into weeks and the village slowly began to ________, word of Amelia’s selfless acts ________ far and wide. The community applauded for her as a hero, praising her unyielding determination and kindness in the face of ________. But Amelia remained modest, ________ that she had simply done what anyone would do in such a situation.

As winter ________ upon the village, bringing with it a blanket of snow, Amelia sat by the fireplace with Rufus at her feet. Though they were ________ from their efforts, their hearts were full, knowing they had made a(an) ________ in the lives of those around them.

4 . I was 68 when I first stepped on stage as a standup comedian in 2003. I'd never set foot in ________ before. I've always been a(n)________ — I've worked as a singer, actor and musician — but all that came to an end after 9/11. I live in New York, and we watched the ________ towers fall from my apartment building. For a year afterwards, nobody wanted to go out or be ________.

It was then that I started to think about. comedy. I realised people needed to laugh, to enjoy themselves again, and thought that with a little ________ I could do it. I took a few classes, tried to work out a routine, and finally ________ the courage to get up on stage. That first time was terrifying. I had no idea what the audience would ________ of me.

In New York, comedians are ________ young men with beards. It's hard enough to ________ through as a woman, even harder as someone old enough to be their grandmother. As I stepped on stage that first time, people laughed nervously. They were clearly ________ to see me. I introduced myself, stated my age and tried my first joke. There was ________ But by the time I got to the third line, people were properly laughing. I was ________.

Now my sets differ. I might be on stage for 10 minutes in front of a dozen people, or my one-woman show is a full hour in front of a crowd of 100.

After a show, people young and old come up to me, saying what a(n) ________ I am, They say they want to be as active as me when they ________ my age, I'm pleased I can show that as an older person you don't need to take a ________ seat in life.

5 . About a month ago I noticed something really amazing, which I must call a garden miracle. It so happened that when I _________ the double doors of a small storage area in the back of my house where I _________ my garden supplies during the long, severe New England winter. I found, in one of the dirt-filled pots, a living plant, topped with two of the most unlikely pink _________ you’ve ever seen.

How was this _________? The unheated space had been closed all winter, and it was still cold outside. Once I caught my breath, I looked around and discovered something approaching a reasonable _________ — there was a small glass window at the top of the double doors, and it was possible that a ray of sun fell _________ on that pot, giving the plant just enough light and warmth to enable it to grow in its own personal greenhouse.

I can’t help feeling _________ at the lessons this wonderful plant has to teach.

For one thing. I am moved by the coincidence of the whole thing. If I had _________ my pot six inches to the left or right of that spot, the plant might not have gotten that _________ ray of light. If I had __________ the roots of the plant in late fall, there would have been nothing but dirt in that pot.

But there’s something else that __________ me about this — just how little right and __________ it took for this plant to grow and flower. I’m not __________ we should be mean with love and kindness we __________ to others and ourselves. But isn’t it comforting to think that just a touch of __________ can brighten a day, a place, a life?

When it comes to positivity, a little goes a long way. Just ask my title miracle plant.

6 . It’s most people’s nightmare: surviving a plane crash only to be stranded (滞留) in a jungle with no way of contacting the outside world. But this was _______ for four Colombian children.

The children were _______ with their mother from their village in the Amazon to visit their father working overseas. The plane they were taking experienced engine problems and disappeared on May 1, 2023. Bad weather _______ the army from finding the crash site for two weeks, where they later _______ the dead bodies of three adults, including the children’s mother.

How did these children survive conditions that would be a _______ struggle for most adults? They are members of the Huitoto indigenous group (土著群体) and were _______ in the jungle. As such, they have an intimate (深刻的) understanding of the rainforest. They know which fruits are _______ to eat and which plants should be _______. Working with, rather than _______ the Amazon, they survived on juan soco (a fruit similar to passion fruit) and seeds.

While the children got on with the business of ________, the Colombian army worked with indigenous volunteers to find them. After 40 days of searching, the children were found and taken to ________ at a military hospital in Bogota.

Many around the world have taken their survival to be a ________, but others point out that it is the result of a(n) ________ and intimate knowledge of the rainforest that has been ________ through indigenous communities over the generations. It is their close connection to and understanding of the rainforest that ________ helped the children to survive.

8 . I was learning at Western University in London when I was 20 years old, and it was my third year there. I had _________ a course in the Department of English taught by Donald S. Hair.

A few weeks into the class, the professor _________ our first test. I didn’t think I had anything to worry about — until he handed my exam back the following week with a 67 written on it in red ink.

Sixty-seven! I’d never received such a low mark. I was dependent on a _________, and any grade below 80 put my future in trouble. My seatmate’s annoyed expression suggested her mark had been painful too. It _________ us: Professor Hair was an old weirdo (怪人)! How dare he _________ our GPAs? What was the old boy’s problem, anyway?

But the real problem was this: He was right. I knew it as soon as I’d _________ off and taken the time to digest his _________. My writing was careless, my understanding of key concepts _________. Like many of my partners, I was used to earning top grades. Now, for the first time, a teacher had introduced an uncomfortable question. Were we actually “_________” them?

The next day, I went to his office. With burning cheeks, I told him I knew I’d __________ the exam. To my __________, he wasn’t a “weirdo” in the least. He was funny, warm and __________ patient. He assured me if I worked hard, I’d achieve my __________ in the course, and he’d be available to help me.

I went away, reading and reading some more. The more I read, the more interesting his classes became, and soon, his complex, absorbing lectures were the __________ of my week. I spared no effort in that course. The grade I earned in his class was the lowest I’d received that year. But I had earned that grade. Nearly 30 years later, I’m still __________ of that.