1 . On the day after Thanksgiving, Allison Scott and her boyfriend, Alfred Valdivia, Jr., made the decision to head up to Big Bear Lake in California for a last-minute camping trip. The couple packed up their _________ and brought along their dog for the planned overnight, never once imagining that they were actually setting out on a(n) _________ mission for a man they’d never met.

Allison and Alfred _________ a camping spot between Big Bear Lake and Angelus Oaks. They were relaxing when, suddenly, a low-flying plane _________ their attention. As the plane went by, they heard a man’s voice calling out for help somewhere nearby. _________, they tracked the sound to a ridgeline (山脊线), and at the bottom of the hill, a man named Eric was _________.

“He had a stick with a water bottle on it trying to signal. He couldn’t _________. His feet were extremely swollen and _________ just from walking so much, and possibly the cold where he was,” Allison recalled.

Allison and Alfred climbed down to Eric and learned that he’d _________ from his home in Oceanside two weeks earlier. No one knew where he was, and no one was looking for him. He doesn’t own a cell phone, either. He’d managed to __________ for the past 14 days eating only a half a jar of salsa he’d brought along for the hike.

Eric told the couple it was a “Thanksgiving miracle” they’d __________ him at all when he was extremely weak and hungry. Then, Alfred comforted him and Allison used her cell phone to call 911, and within 15 minutes a rescue helicopter arrived to airlift the __________ man to safety.

Once Eric had been __________ evacuated (撤离), Allison and Alfred continued on their camping trip as planned. Later, Allison __________ Eric down to check on him. He __________ the couple dinner would be on him next time they find themselves in Oceanside!

2 . Two Canadian teenagers, William and Henry, have been taking on a series of remarkable challenges. Their most recent action _______ following the shores of the Lake Ontario for 73 kilometers. They walked from Toronto to Hamilton, Canada, in about 18 hours.

“We like to challenge ourselves physically and _______. We like to _______ challenges like these. And we feel as though going on a long walk is kind of just the purest form of challenge that you can have.” Henry told CBC news.

With very little _______, the two 16-year-olds began their journey at 5 am, starting in darkness and finishing before midnight. They took several breaks, stopping at benches with _______ views along the way, which appealed to them so much.

During their walk, one of the interesting _______ they encountered was an abandoned cargo ship(货船).“You’d be _______ by the amount of things that you don’t see when you are driving and that you will see when you’re taking your time walking,” said Henry.

_______, the journey was not only a physical _______ but also a significant mental challenge. There were moments of ________ for the pair, requiring them to ________ each other along the way.

Around 70 km into the walk, they ________ a person on a bridge who appeared to be experiencing a mental health ________. “I wasn’t sure what was going to happen to me and Henry. But we tried to ________ him to get out of it and ended up calling the police, and the situation was ________and everyone was all right,” William told CBC News. The walk is now over but William and Henry are not ready to stop challenging themselves. They set about planning a two-day 100 km walk in the near future.

3 . Driving lessons are quite normal for teenagers across the country. But for Jessica Parks, a young woman from North Branch, Mich, they mean another great ______ she's eager to overcome.

Jessica was born without arms, but was not ______ wearing prosthetics (假肢). So she has learned to do ______ things with her feet—from eating noodles to putting in contact lenses (隐形眼镜). She is no stranger to difficulties but the ______ remained: How well would she drive?

After ______ her seatbelt across her with her foot and buckling in, she ______ the directions of instructor Larry Klug and makes all of her last-minute adjustments with her ______ , as they prepare to leave the parking lot. Klug talks her through a pre-drive checklist, “Put your blinker (转向灯) on; check your centre mirror; ______ your left mirror.”

Jessica is driving a mid-size car that wasn't modified (改装) at all for her purposes. After seeing her ability to drive Klug decided that she didn't need any ______ devices. It should come as no ______ to anyone that after spending hours driving with Jessica, Klug ______ her a natural, saying she's going to be a great driver.

One of Jessica's main ______   now is to get her driver's license. Jessica says she thinks about the ______ challenges she's faced and overcome, and about why she's here. She said, “I guess I was put here as a(n) ______ to others—just to show people that whatever they set their mind to, they can get it done, and it doesn't ______ what other people say or think. If you want to do something, you can do it.”

4 . A homeowner is puzzled by two dolls moving into his mailbox one day. Don Powell said the two dolls ________ in his mailbox last summer with a ________ that read: “We’ve decided to live here. Mary and Shelley.”

He asked his neighbors if anyone else had ________ dolls in their mailbox but no one had. It’s important to note that Powell has a mailbox that looks ________ to his actual home. So, he could see why a doll family might want to ________ .

His first thought was to ________ the couple and their belongings into the garbage can. But then, ________, he changed his mind. He pushed the couple and their belongings to the ________ of the mailbox and started doing his own business.

But this was just the ________. Soon after, someone dropped off a dog for the doll couple living in the mailbox. Over time more ________ started to appear inside the mailbox including a carpet, chair, and a bed.

By Christmas time, Shelley and Mary ________ some wrapped presents and a little Christmas tree. After a while, Powell turned to social media to see whether anyone would ________ they put the dolls in his mailbox, or if they ________ who did. But no one came forward.

“I’m kind of enjoying the mystery,” he said. “I look forward to ________ things being added to the mailbox.” Powell said although the dolls have found a home inside his mailbox, it doesn’t disturb his mailman from ________ his letters.

5 . I was enjoying the summer when I was a middle school student. I got _______ news that I had a cancer which couldn't be cured. That meant my dream of going to college wouldn't be _______.

Suddenly I came to believe I couldn't _______   without a fight. I began to do online research to see if someone else could help me. _______ , I received a call from a doctor a week later, telling me “I can help you.” Those were the most _______ words I've ever heard.

However, the disease was much more serious than the doctor _______. I was told that after the operation, I would not be able to walk or might not hear. In spite of the _______, I decided to receive the operation. As it turned out, I completely lost the hearing in my left ear and my _______ of walking was damaged.

As the days went by, my thought of going to college didn't _______. So I took action and applied for a college degree through an online university. I had to balance my ________ and study when I was in poor health. Each step was such a challenge. But I held a ________ that there was a purpose to my life. I ________ what I could to do recovery exercises and study.

It took me three years not only to ________ the courses, but also to regain enough strength. My ________ returned and my balance improved. I felt ________ most that I received the degree. Whatever life throws at you, you are bound to succeed as long as you make a decision.

6 . The Smith’s home was always buzzing with activity, with Mrs. Smith seemingly at the ________ of it all. She often sighed heavily complaining to her son little Johnny, “Your father never ________ a hand. I’m left to do everything!”

One day, little Johnny felt a surge of ________ after hearing his mother’s familiar complaint. “But Mom,” he ________, his eyes wide and earnest, “Dad does a lot.”Mrs. Smith paused, eyebrows wrinkled in ________. “What do you mean?” she asked. “Have you noticed our yard?” began Johnny, his voice ________. “It’s Dad who keeps it neat, pulling out weeds and ________ fallen branches, and that’s not all,” he continued. “He’s always dashing off to bring back ________ and other supplies we need.” Mrs. Smith stood still for a moment, a wave of realization ________ her. She had been so focused on her own tasks that she failed to notice the ________ contributions her husband made to their home.

From that day forward, Mrs. Smith started seeing the housework in a new ________. She realized that the chores weren’t just about cooking and cleaning. They also included ________ the yard, restocking supplies and countless other tasks; not all efforts are ________visible but they are equally crucial. She also realized that it wasn’t ________ to complain about her husband in front of Johnny. She began to ________ more her husband’s silent efforts and made sure to express her gratitude.

7 . My family went to London for visiting specialists. The day before we _______ the ship, Father said goodbye gently to his five-year-old “friend”, an Australian cattle dog, Spider, who was loved by us all. Father’s friend Sandy kept him _______ while we were overseas.

Six weeks later, a _______ arrived from Sandy, giving my father the news that Spider had _______ just two weeks after we had sailed. I will always remember my father’s face _______ and his eyes filled with sadness as he read the letter. Sandy has _______ constantly on ABC radio and other local newspapers. _______ , the dog was never found later. Spider seemed to decide to _______ us elsewhere.

Finally, we made a _______. We sailed back and did everything that we could do ________ waiting. Several months passed but there was still no news concerning. My father took the ________ and kept looking for him.

One cold morning eight months after, my father had a call from an old lady who said she was putting food out “for a very old dog”. My father’s eyes were lighted up with ________. That was enough for my father to ________ immediately. When we arrived at the old lady’s house, she showed us the dog. It was Spider! My father did his special whistle (口哨) for Spider. “Woof!” he barked. Spider was capturing (捕捉) the ________ feeling that occurred when he first locked eyes with my father. To Spider, our ________ and love are the inspiration.

8 . Julia found some of her grandmother Georgie’s old design sketches (草图) from the 1940s. Georgie told her granddaughter she was proud of the sketches and wanted them to be _________ by more people, for _________ was a big part of her life. “Being alone all day was difficult for Grandma. I think doing something would _________ lift her spirits,” Julia said.

Julia took some pictures of those sketches and made a post. It became _________ overnight. A lot of replies under the post _________ Julia to physically make her grandmother’s designs. Though her sewing (缝纫) skills were _________, Julia decided to figure it out. And she learned the basics soon.

With the help of her grandmother, Julia spent countless hours _________ the sketches and turning them into complete designs. Despite the great interest her followers had in_________ her grandma’s designs, the dresses Julia recreated were not for sale. “We have _________ when we do these projects and we don’t like to take this too seriously. Maybe one day that’ll become a career, but right now we’re just focusing on our __________. I’m glad to put on the dresses and __________ them to Grandma. I __________ that I will re-wear the dresses. So I try to be as environmentally friendly as possible,” Julia said.

“You can have your own __________ and it’s never too late to go after it. You can still follow something __________ in your life at any age. Maybe it won’t __________, but it’s worth taking that risk,” Julia said.

9 . In Las Vegas, one parent’s determination to help his daughter catch up on her reading has led to the creation of a groundbreaking approach in educational technology. Meet Dave Vinzant, father to 8-year-old Aubrie, who _______ difficulties in reading at school.

“It was about halfway through the first grade that we realized she couldn’t _______ ,” said Vinzant. Despite their efforts, _______ methods weren’t bringing about the desired results. “The _______ level was really high,” Vinzant-recalled. “After an hour of trying to get through a 10-15 page little book, she was _______ .”

Determined to find a solution, Vinzant took matters into his own hands. Although _______ a background in computer programming, he made up his mind to develop a tool that could effectively _______ his daughter. The result? A free _______ called WordStumble.

WordStumble isn’t _______ any reading app-Powered by artificial intelligence, specifically ChatGPT, the program customizes (定制) stories for each user. “What is ________ is that it can take all of those words that she knows-or struggles with and it ________ a customized children’s story,” Vinzant explained.

For Vinzant, the success of WordStumble isn’t just ________ ; he wants to share with others. With his dedication and innovation, Vinzant is not only changing the landscape of reading apps but-also giving ________ to countless parents and children facing similar challenges. And as WordStumble continues to ________ , it’s clear that the power of one person’s passion can make a world of ________ for young learners everywhere.

10 . Ramsay’s heroic act unfolded on April 21, 2022, at Green Lake, where he fearlessly saved a teenage boy from a life-threatening situation. The boy was swimming in the lake when he ________ about 80 feet from the shore and failed to resurface.

________ by shouts for help, Ramsay, a paddleboarder (桨手) seated nearby on the platform, paddled toward the boy. Although the dirty water made it ________ for Ramsay to see beneath the water’s surface, bubbles rising to the surface near his paddleboard led him to ________ that the boy sank at that spot. Ramsay demonstrated extraordinary bravery by diving 15 feet to the lake’s bottom to ________ the unconscious teenager.

Upon resurfacing, he found that his paddleboard was no longer within ________. Ramsay took a deep ________ and repositioned the unconscious boy. He then ________ swam toward the shore.

Ramsay was tired quickly but he ________ to keep both their heads above water. A female paddleboarder in another party then ________ to them at a point halfway to the shore. Ramsay ________ the paddleboard with one arm while still holding the boy. The woman leaned (倾斜) across her paddleboard and paddled until she reached shallow water while ________ Ramsay and the boy.

The boy was moved onto the shore, where Ramsay forced the water out of the boy’s body during efforts to make him ________. He recovered after treatment at a nearby hospital. Ramsay was cold and ________, but he did not require medical treatment.

He was honored for his ________ and selflessness with the Carnegie Medal—the highest accolade (荣誉) for civilian heroism in North America.