1 . He is better at words. She is better at sentences. Games they like to play involve the former, and he wins the vast majority of them the vast majority of the time. Debates they find themselves in involve the latter, and there hasn’t been an occasion (on record) of him winning one for many, many years.

Crosswords, Scrabble, that new game with green and yellow squares, he excels at. Given six tries to guess a five-letter word, he is quicker to recall words without real vowels (she doesn’t support the idea that “Y” is a vowel), and he has the nerve to guess words with triple letters, like “fluff,” on the second try. Of course, she knows what fluff is. It’s either ________ or the stuffing that comes out of cheap toys. But it’s not a word she would have guessed.

In defense of “Y” ‘s vowelness, he asks, What about “lynx”?

Lynx? she replies, incredulous. When have you ever used that aloud? Oh, look, over there, that lynx is about to pounce and ________ out my heart! She is certain that any per-son in such a scenario would use the word “bobcat.”

What most infuriates her is the presumption that she must be a whiz at words given her ________ as a writer of books. She is gifted calendar crossword puzzles (yes, three hundred and sixty-five tiny crosswords, one sheet for each day) every December, and is often dragged into long bouts of Words with Friends. In one game, he scores more than seventy points with a well-placed “Q.” She loses that game soon enough and texts him, You’re always doing stuff like that,________ the value of each word. But that’s how you play—those are the rules, he replies. She calls into question these rules: is the point system for letters really based on frequency, or is it some larger institutional ________ of mind control? He repeats, but those are the rules. On her darkest of writing days, she takes the last sentence she wrote and ________ it up for points. She is immensely disappointed. Then she stares at those cross-word calendars, and they stare back. The five she was gifted this holiday season, plus several from last year. They sit all over her desk like blind cats. Hundreds if not thousands of empty ________.

She often finds herself ________ whether her writing skills actually translate to success in games that demand lexical agility. Despite her ________ , she finds these games frustrating and ________. It’s not just about knowing words, she thinks, but about using them ________. Her brother, on the other hand, seems to ________ these nuances naturally, picking the perfect moments to drop his triple-letter bombs.

One evening, she decides to challenge him to a game of ________, determined to prove that her skills can extend beyond the page. The game starts off well for her, with each player trading clever, high-scoring words. But soon, he begins to pull ahead,________ advantage of every double word score space, while she struggles to make the most of her ________.

2 . The Poseidon Effect

Late one autumn day at the local swimming pool in Ancenis, France, an 18-year-old named Jean LeRoy came for his regular evening swim in the 25-metre pool.

When people are drowning, they don’t usually shout and __________ in the way it happens on television. Most people drown quite __________, with the person quickly sinking beneath the water. On the evening, LeRoy was testing how far he could swim underwater __________ one breath. At some moment, as he was doing this, he became unconscious. __________ he tried he couldn’t breathe. He sank to the bottom of the pool. LeRoy was drowning.

Luckily for him, the swimming pool was _________ with an electronic surveillance system called Poseidon. Although the human lifeguards had not noticed, 12 large machine eyes deep underwater were watching the whole thing. Poseidon has underwater cameras which __________ people as they swim. The cameras are connected to a computer. It is __________ to recognize __________ a swimmer is not moving normally. The lifeguards at the Ancenis pool were wearing a special device that __________ when the computer detected a possible problem. Sixteen seconds after Poseidon noticed LeRoy’s body, the lifeguards had pulled him out of the pool. He started breathing again. After one night in hospital, he was sent home completely __________. Poseidon had saved his life.

Machines like Poseidon completely change how we live. Think of your life before the answering machine was invented. Think of your grandparents’ lives before the television and the airplane were introduced. The change will be just as great. It is __________ happening.

Soon, machines will recognize our faces and our fingerprints. They will __________ for drowning people, for ________ carrying bombs, for speeding drivers and heart patients. Imagine devices that monitor a baby’s breathing and track children as they go to and from school. Imagine machines __________ quiet signals to nearby computers, which will send information to your doctor, your lawyer, and the local police. As time passes, more and more of our lives will be __________ by machines. They will know all about us.

3 . I had not visited Eton for many years. When one day passing from the Fellows’ Library into the Gallery, I caught sight of the _________ of my school friend Digby Dolben hanging just without the door among our most _________ contemporaries. I was _________ arrested and as I stood gazing on it, my _________ asked me if I knew who it was. I was thinking that I must be almost the only person who would know him. Far _________ of my boyhood were crowding _________ upon me: he was standing again beside me in the eager promise of his youth.

This portrait-gallery of old Etonians is very _________: outstanding distinction of birth or excellent qualities may win you a place there. _________, how came Dolben there? It was _________ he was a poet; and yet his poems were not known. They were carefully __________ by his family and a few friends. Indeed, such of his poems as could have come to the eyes of the authorities who approved of this memorial would not __________ it. There was another __________— the portrait bears its own certification. Though you might not perhaps understand the poet in it, you can see the soul immersed in deep thought, the habit of stainless (无瑕的) life, of __________, of enthusiasm for high ideals. Such a being must have __________ remarkably among his fellows. When his early death endeared (使价值更高) his memory, loving grief would generously __________ him the glory which he had never worn.

4 . I’ve reached the turn-around point of the day’s kayaking (皮划艇) trip. Sweat runs down my cheek as I ______ my fingers through the cool water. I look around. It’s just me, a couple of seagulls, and shining freshwater to the horizon. This, I whisper to myself, is ______.

Solo outings had never ______ my mind before because I always had loyal friends willing to tag along. But three years ago, I moved to Cleveland. Meeting close friends in a new city is ______. And a world wide health crisis made ______ impossible.

In October 2022, I decided to ______ a whole day on a solo hiking trip. I went to Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) to ______ the autumn leaves. Five miles in, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so alive. I was more ______ of my surroundings than I’d ever been while hiking that day. I studied the markings of trees, focused my ears on each forest sound and did something I had almost never spared ______ for: I listened to my own thoughts. Every word in my mind pointed to a newfound ______—solo hiking is my happy place. From then on, I have adjusted myself to any solo activity.

Pride ______ through my body when I first launched my kayak. My chest, ______ tightened by nerves, was bursting with happiness as I finally reached the middle of the river that I’d long ______ standing on shore before.

Adventuring alone has become like medicine for me! It’s also pushed me to go ______ my comfort zone and to meet new people. Through meetups and social media, my adventure friend circle has ______. But at least once per month, I schedule time to hit nature with my favorite trail buddy: me.

5 . Five years ago, my husband and I bought a farm.

As we restore the land, I feel my well-being _______ . I think the farm is also working its magic on our son. Since he was 20, he has lived with mental illness. Just when it couldn’t get any worse, an unexpected _______ occurred in my life. We _______ the farm.

It has taken a couple of years to _______ the land, seed the lawn and build garden beds. The farm was holding our _______ together. Before my son went to treatment, we planted a “guild” (同一目的协会) in the old farm to support the health of trees by grouping other helpful plants around them. We dug around the _______ trees and placed in garlic, wildflowers, etc and the garden seems to grow well.

We also learned how to _______ others. Our workman worked steadily and helped when I asked. Asking for help is a principle in the recovery community, a lesson my son is _______ . The desire to recover this land has _______ in me. I have seen this ________ towards restoration in my son as well. It truly does take a village to rebuild a farm and a(an) ________ . And my son has found his own kind of guild that ________ him.

Owning a farm was never our ________ , but it came when our family needed a ________ project. Digging is an act of faith, hope and ________ of what will appear next.

6 . Father’s Day to me is just as special as Mother’s Day. Each parent has something to ____ and sometimes one parent ends up playing both ____ and I happen to be one of those parents.

I completely ____ my son by myself，though I wanted him to have a ____ figure in his life.I can remember how ____ it was to answer some of the questions of a man,which I wished his dad could have ____.Last year I had to have an operation.I have always been ____,so it hurt my pride that I had to rely on others for help.I can remember my son saying,“Mom,you took care of me for 21 years,now it’s my ____ to look after you.” It ____ me to hear him say that;he had ____ everything I had done for him.

Children don’t forget things when they are growing up,____ those who have raised them.My father played an important role in my life and when I look back on my ____,he was my total inspiration (灵感),He taught me a lot about life and helped me keep a(n) positive attitude even when I got into difficulties.He ____ me to never give up on my dreams ____ they could be my own reality one day. He has taught me that laughter,kindness and love are more valuable than gold.

Happy Father’s Day to those who are there to support and love their children.Happy Father’s Day to all the mothers out there who have to play a father’s role and to all the fathers who have to play a(n)mother’s role.Raising children has never been ____ but it takes a special parent to make a difference in a child’s life.

7 . Winter goes and summer comes. The tides_______; the tides withdraw. All nature is a circle of moods and I am a_______of nature. It is one of nature’s_______, little understood, that each day I_______with moods that have changed from yesterday. Inside me is a wheel,_______turning. Like the flowers, today’s full blossom will_______, yet I will remember today’s dead flower carries the seed of tomorrow’s blossom.

And how will I master these emotions so that each day will be_______? Trees and plants depend on the weather to_______, but I make my own weather. I_______it with me. If I bring enthusiasm to my customers, they will________with enthusiasm and my weather will produce a harvest of sales and a lot of gold for me. I will learn this secret: weak is he who permits his thoughts to control his actions; strong is he who________his actions to control his thoughts. Each day I will follow this plan of battle before I am________by the forces of sadness,________and failure. I will know only those with inferior(较次的) ability can always be________, and I am not inferior. If I feel depressed I will sing. If I feel________I will remember my goals.Yet, some emotions approach me with a smile, which can also destroy me. If I become overly proud, I will remember my weaknesses. If I feel my skill is________, I will look at the stars.

With this new knowledge I will make________of a person’s anger of today, for he doesn’t know the secret of controlling his mind. No longer will I judge a man on one________. This secret will be my key to great wealth. From this moment I am________to control whatever personality awakes in me each day. I will control my fate, which is to become the greatest________in the world!

8 . Many years ago, I was living with my best friend and we had many happy moments together. But there was one night that ________ our lives forever.

On the night of November 25, 2011, I got into a fistfight with my best friend in our kitchen. It all started because I was trying to help him. He was drinking a lot, arguing with everyone and ________ himself from others by keeping silent most of the time. This had been going on for weeks and finally I decided it was time for a(an) ________ I told him that he needed to stop drinking so much and tried to ________ his alcohol and he got angry and started ________ with me. It was scary, but by the end of the night, we were able to calm down and talk to each other.

I thought alcohol ________ was his main problem. But he was just using alcohol to ________ himself through. He was lonely, heartbroken and struggling to connect with people. So during the Christmas season a few weeks later, I gave him a ________ that I didn’t even know I had.

That Christmas my friend didn’t have any place to go, so I invited him home to my parents’ house in Lancaster. They ________ cleaned up our guest room for him and even bought him some Christmas gifts. I’ll never forget the night we arrived at my home. My parents were already ________, but my mom had prepared dinner for us, baked some cookies and left us a note. My parents are known for their ________, so I wasn’t surprised by this warm welcome. But when my friend read my mom’s note and saw all that she had prepared, he broke down and cried. That’s when I ________ how much I took my loving family for granted.

That year my friend and I both received gifts that we would ________ forever. I gave him the gift of a warm, loving, safe place to spend Christmas. And he gave me the gift of a new ________ on life. If I hadn’t shared my home with him, I wouldn’t have understood how ________ I am.

9 . Squaw Peak, with its breathtaking scenery, has attracted numerous hikers. But _________ exists among its steep, slippery cliffs.

Henry Grant was well _________ of the possible risk, so he _________ a good ten feet from the edge. He watched 15 or so other hikers _________ the scenery; one hiker, dressed in pink, was looking over the edge of the cliff with her husband. Suddenly, he heard a(n) _________ loud cry: “Paula! Paula!”. Grant _________ around. The woman in pink was _________ to be seen. Several hikers immediately started looking for her, but their _________ was blocked by trees. Grant decided to lend a hand. He went off the trail alone, _________ he wouldn’t be too late.

After 15 minutes of pushing past bushes and slipping down, Grant spotted Paula crumpling (瘫倒) on a small flat rock. He called 911 to __________ her location and then crawled on all fours up a tight, narrow path, and finally __________ Paula. She was alive but clearly hurt and unconscious. Her head, arms, and legs were bleeding. Later __________ showed that she had suffered multiple fractures (骨折). Securing himself against a tree, Grant __________ put her hand in his and kept talking patiently to her to __________ her from the pain.

About 45 minutes later, first responders arrived. They carried Paula on a stretcher (担架) to a waiting ATV and sent her to a hospital.

Paula, who has fully __________, stated in a post on Instagram, “Henry has participated in building the rest of my life.”

10 . I was young and determined to take an adventurous trip. But _________ nearly 875 yards out of a cable car (缆车), with a rubber band attached to my ankles, was not part of my plan. It’s _________ how intentions can change.

Staring over the _________ of the cable car, my heart was in my throat. I _________ heard the others behind me counting down. How could I have let myself be _________ into this? It was crazy!

My palms were _________, and my heart was pounding.

“Five.” They started the _________ for the second time, ignoring my useless protests.

“Four.”

“Three.”

“Two.” In that instant I _________ my mind a million times and came to the final _________ that there was no way I could allow myself to leap out of the cable car, suspended so high off the ground.

__________ my ankles please!

Then...

“One.”

I let go and leaped out as far as I could. If there had been time to __________ it for another second, I would have stopped myself. But instead, I jumped.

It felt as if all my fears, insecurities, and doubts were being let go. An enormous sense of __________ rose up in me. As I fell toward the earth __________ first, I saw my new friends waiting for me on the ground and could hear them __________ my victory over fear.

Jumping out of the cable car put me on __________ of the world, and that’s where I am determined to remain for the rest of my life.