1 . Starting my career with the famous desktop game — Dungeons and Dragons and contributing to a Star Wars picture book at Lucasfilm has been an incredible journey. My job is _______, involving the creation of imaginative stories for young readers.

Over the years, many people have remarked,“ You’re lucky to have talent and pursue a job you love.” Reflecting on it, I realize they’ re _______ in some ways — I am fortunate. Growing up in South Florida, I was _______ to drawing in class, often more than I should have. While my teacher was lecturing, I would sit at the back drawing Star Wars characters, dragons and bugs. I learned to be a/an _______ by copying the art I loved.

Mr Strassberger, my fifth-grade teacher, recognized my   _______and made a significant impact. Once I was _______ with an oral book report on The Mouse and the Motorcycle written by Eeverly Cleary. I was anxious about it because there was little art in it to help me interpret it, only a few illustrations. _______ my struggle. Mr Strassberger offered a unique solution. He challenged me to read the book and create my own original illustrations. This transformed the task into a creative try, and _______ became an experience like receiving instructions on what scenes to draw. When1_______ my report, I felt a newfound confidence.

This experience transformed me. I started reading various books and based on the content ________ drawings of the characters. My walls were ________ with my drawings of Smaug the dragon from The Hobbit and Milo from The Phantom Tollbooth.

I consider myself fortunate, not because of my drawing ________. but because there was an adult who saw ________ in me that I hadn’t seen in myself. Now, in my fantastic job, I get to re-experience the ________ I felt at 10 years old every day. Looking back, that moment with Mr Strassberger ________ as a crucial turning point.

3 . In early January 2024, Jimmy struggled through snow and ice to summit the Vinson Massif, Antarctica’s highest peak.

After decades of traveling and mountaineering, Jimmy could _________ another achievement, a great adventurer, which _________ reaching the highest peak on every continent, and visiting both the North Pole and the South Pole in addition to visiting every country.

Jimmy had _________ spent ten years of his life, between 2007 and 2017, visiting every country in the world. The _________ journey saw him meet with many difficulties and gain achievements as well. But once he’d managed to visit every country in the world, Jimmy went into a _________.

“It had been a huge life goal, over a _________ of my life. However, when I finished that, I was a bit _________,” he said. “I started eating badly, _________ weight and ignoring my own _________.”

Jimmy decided that the best way to ____________ this was to challenge himself again. He began running ultramarathons and climbing mountains, and soon found that with the ____________ and direction, he was back to loving life again. He’s hoping that he doesn’t ____________ bad habits again after completing the latest challenges. For now, Jimmy is putting all his ____________ into helping others to achieve their travel goals.

“From an adventure perspective, what I really want to ____________ to people is just how many benefits they can get from ____________ experiences. All good things come after suffering,” said Jimmy.

4 . A Maryland couple stranded (滞留) without food in the freezing cold on a Virginia highway. They were getting ________ and more discouraged by the minute.

After almost 21 hours of being ________ on 95 South, Casey and her husband John slept there overnight and not ________ access to food or water. At that time, they ________ a Schmidt Baking Co. truck ahead of them in the standstill. “People around us were very much ________. Many of them had small children, some were elderly and hadn’t eaten in almost a whole day. ” In a desperate bid for a ________, they decided to call the Schmidt Bakery and see if it could help ________ some much-needed food for them, as well as their fellow highway captives.

“I didn’t think it would ________ work,” said Casey, who left a message with customer service. But to their ________, 20 minutes later, they actually got a ________ from Chuck Paterakis, the owner of the bakery. He told them to walk over to the truck driver, Ron, who was given the go-ahead to start handing out ________ to 50 motorists. Then, the couple joined the driver in making ________. Soon, others joined the effort, in which some 300 loaves were ________.

“It felt incredible just hearing people say thank you and hearing them so ________ to finally have food in their car. This was one of the ________ moments I have ever witnessed.” recalled Casey.

7 . Templer was a tour guide in Zimbabwe, leading a canoe (皮划艇) safari down the Zambezi River. During the expedition, Templer’s canoe _______ the way, with the other two canoes to follow.

Things were going the way they were supposed to go. Everyone was having a pretty good time. Eventually, they _______ a dozen hippos, which were territorial animals. That’s not _______ on the Zambezi, Africa’s fourth-longest river. They weren’t alarmed at first as they were at a safe _______.

Templer tried to steer (率领) the group safely around them. However, the third canoe was off the planned _______ and was attacked by an aggressive hippo. The guide named Evans on the canoe fell into the water. Templer went to _______ him. He was getting closer to Evans. He was _______— it was kind of a made-for-Hollywood movie — Evans was reaching up. Their _______ almost touched. And then the water between them just _______. Before he knew it, Templer was up to his waist down a hippo’s throat. His legs were trapped but his hands were ________. So he tried to hold onto the hippo’s tusks (长牙) to ________being torn apart. The hippo must have been uncomfortable because it spat him out. So he quickly burst to the ________, and breathed some fresh air. With others’ help, Templer and Evans made it out of the river.

Despite the unpleasant experience, Templer ________to work as a tour guide. He also became an advocate for hippo ________, recognizing that the animals were not inherently aggressive but were ________ defending their territory.

8 . Tiny New neighbors

One day in 2022, 72-year-old Don Powell was pulling________from his outdoor mailbox as usual when he noticed something________: A tiny doll couple were sitting on a love seat inside the mailbox. There was also a sticky note reading “Mary and Shelley decided to live here.”

Don_______ thought somebody must have left the wooden dolls inside his mailbox_______ and would get them back soon. The mailbox looks nice, which________26 inches long, 15inches wide and 10 inches high, with windows on the top and sides to let the_______ in. “It’s no wonder the dolls want to move into it,” Don said humorously.

But a few days later, the small couple did not________. Instead, they acquired a table and a pillow. More than that, over the next several months. additional items mysteriously_______ : a bed, a painting and a wood-burning stove. And at Christmas time, a small decorated________was left with tiny presents.

Now, Mary and Shelley are still living in the________, bringing a little community humor to the neighbors who have followed Don’s________on Orchard Lake Village’s Nextdoor page. “Some people thought I had________the dolls myself, but all I did was provide a mailbox. Somebody else decided to make it a________for Mary and Shelley,” Don wrote on Nextdoor.

Don says he now doesn’t want to know who is________for the mailbox mystery and he’s just hoping it will_______ .

9 . Amanda and Daines Tanner’s dog jumped onto their bed a few months ago and pawed at their bodies while they were trying to sleep. It was around 5:30 A．m. on a Saturday — the day each week the couple ________ sleeping in.

Amanda Tanner had never seen Axel, their 1-year-old border collie, so ________ that early. They guessed he needed to be let outside, so that morning in August 2023, Daines Tanner ________ him downstairs. But when Daines Tanner opened the door to their backyard in Texas, Axel wouldn’t go outside. He________ rushed toward Amanda Tanner’s 17-year-old son’s room downstairs and began ________ at the door. Inside, Gabriel Silva was already awake. Minutes earlier, he was walking in the living room when he lost his ________ and fell. He said he couldn’t move, and everything around him looked ________ than usual. He didn’t know why he was feeling poorly, so he went back to his bedroom and got back in bed. Then he heard Axel at his door and Daines Tanner downstairs. Gabriel ________ Axel into the bedroom, where he began explaining his ________ to Daines Tanner — he was struggling to walk, the right side of his body was ________ and his vision was magnified (放大的). But Daines Tanner could ________ understand him because Gabriel’s speech was slurred (含糊不清的).

Daines Tanner drove Gabriel to an emergency room in Houston, where doctors determined that he was having a stroke. Gabriel has since ________ his ability to speak, walk and move his right arm, as the “Today” show first reported.

Sabih Effendi, a doctor who ________ Gabriel, said that he might have never recovered if Axel hadn’t ________ the family that morning. Amanda Tanner is planning to ________ a medal to the front of Axel’s collar (圈，箍) to honor what he did for Gabriel.