1 . Several years ago I was teaching in Melbourne, Australia. Like most Brits down under, I wanted to _________ my time in this country, so I would take every chance to travel around the far _________ of Australia.

On one trip, I and three friends went as far into the Outback (内陆地区) as it was possible to go, camping and _________ Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. In these riverine areas, there were plenty of crocodiles and smaller, deadly _________ to make us nervous.

After picking up some _________ from an isolated shop near an even more isolated settlement, we reached a _________ which had to be forded (涉过). It was a likely _________ for dangerous salt water crocodiles to be loitering (游荡), so all of us were warned to _________ any “salties” as our vehicle entered the water.

At first the water only reached the top of the _________, but within seconds it was lapping at the windows. My heart was beating fast as I peered out, searching for any __________ logs floating towards us.

__________ there was a scream from the back seat. “Ah! Get it off, it hurts!” I turned round, feeling quite __________ that I was about to see a horrifyingly grizzly animal. As it __________, one of my friends had bought a hot pie in the isolated little store. The contents, hotter than the Arnhem Land sunshine, had __________ onto his bare legs as we bumped through the stream.

We made it to the other side with no “salties” __________. Just one passenger with a very sore leg.

2 . The moment the boys entered the gym and saw the climbing walls towering over them, they got excited. But Stevie was a(an) _________, who was standing aside looking at his thin arms silently. Stevie didn’t like climbing. It wasn’t his _________. Getting along with people wasn’t his thing, ether. He just felt nobody liked or _________ him at school.

Then came Mr. Taylor, the _________, who taught the boys some basic skills and _________ that everyone have a climbing partner and showed them how to protect their partner. The moment he finished, the boys couldn’t wait to _________ themselves with a partner except Stevie. Noticing his _________, Mr. Taylor raised his voice and said, “I need someone I can really trust to team up with!” Then his eyes _________ Stevie. “Me?” Stevie widened his eyes. “I guess.” Hearing Mr. Taylor’s words, Stevie managed a _________ smile. He worked up the __________ and climbed up slowly. “Done it!” Stevie called from the top with excitement and later __________ safe on the floor. Now it’s Stevie’s turn to control the rope. He carefully watched as Mr. Taylor climbed up to the __________, and then started to let him down, his heart racing wildly and his palms sweating uncontrollably. Finally, Mr. Taylor dropped __________ down to the bottom and the boys burst into wild applause. From that day on, Stevie opened his heart to the people around him.

__________ for what Mr. Taylor had done, Stevie knew deep down in his heart that it was his teacher’s trust that allowed him to __________ his new self and others.

3 . Dave had always loved the ocean. You wouldn’t believe how excited he was at Christmas when seeing a gift-wrapped _______   .

But when he began to surf, something _______ happened. Dave thought he knew the water well, but a big wave _______ him away. Dave felt powerless against the _______ in the deep water and lost confidence. Just then another surfer paddled (蹚水) up beside him. “Can I help you?” he asked. Dave _______ him. It was Mike. “I can help you back to shore.” he continued, “First, you need to _______ that fear and relax a little.” Dave began to relax his grip (紧抓).“Good,” said Mike. “Let the wave pick you up, then _______ your weight forward. As you start to build up speed, move your _______ back until you feel balanced. Just enjoy the ride.”

When Dave reached the _______ near the shore, he was bursting with excitement, fascinated that the current which had terrified him was seen as a helpful way by Mike. He had ________ this. He was right to be ________ of the big waves, but no longer did he feel out of his ________ .“Looks like you don't need me any longer,” said Mike. “You are a ________ . Have fun.”

Dave took a last wave, ________ it confidently to the shore. Watching the signs of the tide and the size of the waves, he realized they hadn't changed. It was he who was really different —stronger and more confident. The previous ________ had given way to joy and exhilaration.

5 . I once worked on a farm. One day, a powerful wind slammed (猛推) me against a post. My left arm got totally _________, and it was later cut off.

Back home after an operation, I found everything a(n) _________. My husband tried to help me, but I wanted to be _________. I called my left arm “Stumpy” and tried to _________. I learned to squeeze toothpaste; I developed a technique for pulling the toilet paper.

“Mom can do anything,” my daughter said _________. The one thing I really wanted to do, though, was get back into _________. First, I tried to swim. When I swam with Stumpy, there was no forward motion. _________, I kept going and finished the lane at last. Then I tried the triathlon (铁人三项). I _________ how to balance the bike with one arm and start running. Within a year, I became an _________ athlete, winning a silver medal at the Paratriathlon World Cup.

In 2020, I decided to do New Zealand’s __________ event. Competitors have to run for 36 km, cycle for 140 km, and kayak (皮划艇) for 70 km. I __________ hard over the next six months. Then the big day came. After kayaking for a long time, my legs felt like jelly. “Don’t __________,” I told myself. In the last few kilometers, I heard loud __________. Many people came to support me.

Life in __________ for me, but I choose to change it. “Just because you’ve got only half a wing doesn’t mean you can’t __________ to achieve your dreams,” I said to myself.

7 . When I was 10 years old, my aunt and uncle lived far away from my parents.

Suffering from a severe disease _______ my uncle to walk with a stick. Back in the 1950s, he was _______ unable to work, so my aunt worked full-time to support the family. _______, she was responsible for her elderly mother who lived with them, too. As an innocent kid, I didn’t know that their _______ situation was not stable.

One day, my father and I went to see them, and my aunt asked me to get a _______, so she could pour me some milk. When I _______ the cupboard for a glass, I found that one of the drinking glasses on the shelf held a $10 bill. I felt so _______. At the time, $10 was a respectable _______ of money. Later, I asked my father why they kept money in a glass. It wasn’t until then that I _______ it was my father who’d __________ the money there. My father wanted to help his brother secretly, but didn’t want to make him __________ by handing him cash, which his brother surely would have __________. Dad knew the money would be discovered after our __________, thus avoiding any rejection and face-to-face __________ to keep the cash.

I learned a lot from my father about __________, pride, and how people help one another out while leaving their dignity unhurt.

8 . One day, my children and I found a homeless, small cat trapped in a burning box. She was _________ injured, with most hairs burned. We rescued her and named her Smoky. Back at our ranch (牧场) we _________ her.

Weeks later, Smoky looked better, but was completely _________ due to medicine on her skin. She looked so ugly but we adored her. My husband, Bill, didn’t. Smoky _________ him, too. Why? He was a pipe smoker _________ matches and lighters that _________ and burned. Every time he lit up the pipe, Smoky panicked, _________ his coffee cup before fleeing.

“Can’t I have any _________ here?” he’d complain, instead of quitting smoking though it harmed his health. _________, Smoky became more __________ of the pipe and its owner. She’d lie on the sofa and look at Bill as he smoked. One day he laughed, “Oh, the cat makes me feel __________.” Slowly, Bill __________ smoked in the house, and one night, surprisingly, I found Smoky lying on his lap. Bill started liking her.

During Smoky’s second year, she began growing fur. Tiny white hairs gradually grew long. Bill continued to enjoy her __________, driving around with Smoky. When he got out of the truck to check the __________ on the ranch, he left the cat __________, letting her enjoy the air conditioning.

9 . As the sun sinks towards the horizon, casting long shadows across the dusty football pitch (足球场) in Kakuma refugee camp in north-western Kenya, one player — Abdirahman —   _______ not just for his skills but because most of the other players tower over him.

“When I play with kids my age, I don’t feel _______. However, I gain a lot of skills playing with older players,” _______ Abdirahman.

At just 14 years old, Abdirahman’s _______ to compete against older boys_______ his ambition and passion for the beautiful game. With incomparable skills, his feet move _______ across the dry, uneven ground, and _______ defenders, leaving clouds of dust behind. His coach proudly gives him a(n) _________.

Abdirahman was born in Kakuma in 2010, just two years after his parents and older siblings _______ the border into Kenya ________ conflict in Somalia.

“In Kakuma, we all have ________: some want to be great footballers and relocate to other places; some want to be great musicians,” he said. ________, they do not get the opportunity to ________ their talents.

Football has become an important part of Abdirahman’s life and a(n) ________ force among the diverse communities in the camp where he lives, bringing together players from different cultures and backgrounds.

“When I play football, I feel ________, I feel famous, and I feel like I’m the best in the game.”

10 . For Evan Harrison, a wildlife photographer, there was never any doubt about what she would do for a living.

“I am ________ about animals and the environment,” says Harrison. “Being able to ________ animals and their world is not only about educating people, but also about ________ that animals need to have their world intact (完好无损的) to survive.”

Harrison studied photography in school, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Photographers need to know more than just how to take a picture, ________ Harrison also took courses to learn how to use software.

“________ how to use software to edit your picture is important,” she says. “You could have the million-dollar shot; but if you do not know how to edit it ________, it will make no difference how ________ it is, if it does not look good.”

Harrison also stresses that ________ school can provide the foundation, becoming a professional photographer is also about learning on the job.

“My first job was with a nature conservation group that ________ to document the wildlife in a marsh (沼泽) area. I had to quickly ________ not only the equipment and proper clothing I needed, but also gain an understanding of the environment I was about to ________ in.”

Some of Harrison’s jobs take her to different parts of the world, which ________ she must educate herself about the people and the culture to make ________ easier. “Communicating with people is very important; it can often mean the ________ between getting a good shot and a great shot of an area,” she ________.