1 . I’d been exploring the 40-hectare woods around our cottage my whole life and I knew the way well. So it was a _________ when I found myself lost there.

One dull cold February afternoon, I had a sudden _________ to hike the hill with my two daughters. Putting on our snowshoes, we immediately _________ northwestward. While making our way up the hill, my daughters stopped occasionally to investigate unknown plants and to look at the abandoned deer beds… These really made their _________.

As the shadows started to _________, we moved further up. Soon, weariness began to _________ enthusiasm. We decided to return. Instead of backtracking over our _________ route, I chose to walk down the steep (陡峭的) side of the hill, _________ my general sense that ahead of us lay the stream that would guide us to the road. But as the terrain (地形) leveled out, I had my first major moment of _________: Where was the stream? Were we off course?

I instinctively (本能地) pulled out my phone to get my location, but it __________ in my hand in the cold air. __________, I started feeling a bit panicky. However, I quickly __________ myself, reassuring my daughters to continue walking. Focusing on the landmarks, I spotted a familiar tree and eventually __________ the road.

That winter’s day taught me a valuable lesson about habitual reliance on technology. If my phone had __________ then, I might have directly followed the GPS, ignoring the old __________ of depending on surroundings and life skills.

2 . As a writer, I miss rejection slips. Not that I enjoyed receiving those pre-printed slips of paper, but at least when I got one, I was pretty sure that a flesh-and-blood _______ had put it in the envelope. And there was always the chance I might see a handwritten sentence on the bottom, _______ the piece almost made it. When an editor at McCall’s wrote, “I’m afraid I have to say no on this _______ piece, but try me again on another, would you?” It was almost as _______ to me as if she had said, “We’ll _______ it and here is an advance for you”.

Nowadays, rejection slips seem to have disappeared with the use of online submissions. Most editors don’t feel it a must to _______ they have received, read, or considered your work because they receive so many _______ each day.

For me, there are three _______ of rejection slip pain. The first is _______ brought on by finding a flat “no” on a ________ piece of paper, then followed by anger (how could they ________ a piece that is obviously so much ________ than most of the stuff they print), and, finally, rebirth: I will live to ________ a new piece another day.

Learning to ________ rejection seems like part of growing up as a writer. Despite the many letters of acceptance I have received, my folder of “Noteworthy Rejection Slips” is far ________ than that of “Noteworthy Acceptances”, which indicates to me the fact: I still have some growing up to do.

3 . The true test of an effective team is one where the members operate as a self-managing team. The _________ allows the members on the team to establish teamwork, adjust its work processes, and _________ a communication channel to the rest of the organization.

I followed up with one of our customers to see first-hand what a very successful team looked and felt like. Here is their story on what they do to _________ as a team.

This team _________ eighteen members that worked in a manufacturing facility in Texas. Their working _________ were not the best. During the night when I _________ them, they were performing a hot and dirty job and _________ that, they worked from 12 pm to 8 am. Their _________ was not the best and the products they were making had a terrible _________, which most people can’t stand.

The reason why I know this information is that when you have the opportunity to see how a team really works, you want to __________ their secrets. So I was looking for answers.

As I stayed and communicated with the team members to find out how they worked together, they described to me their requirements for team development.

They said, “Each member has a good time, and we are in tune (协调) with each other, and we have a great __________ of team spirit, believe in our __________, and run the operation without a formal leader in the middle of things. We have a ‘shared’ philosophy.”

Their hard work and effort paid off as they became known as “the stars” of the company. They were described as “__________” compared to other 156 teams. They were motivated by the positive attention, and the __________ that went along with being the best.

It is clear that this team developed to compete for the goal instead of against each other. This team has stayed __________ and self-directed because of being allowed to become more than their “individual selves”.

4 . After thinking it over for several weeks, I finally decide to say yes to a big life decision. The woman (me) who hasn’t _________ a bicycle even once in the past seven years is going to take on a challenge to _________ from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle.

Anyone who knows me will think this is just _________ . I don’t enjoy sports challenges. As I am _________ my mid-40s, I am eager to prove my body is still useful and can _________ things. And I want to work towards something bigger _________ the daily travel to and from work.

I have _________ run marathons or done things alike. I just _________ friends on the sidelines when they ran the London Marathon. But in all _________ , there has been an element of __________ when I see their achievements. What I see on their faces when they cross the finish line are the joy and the sense of __________ . They know that they have pushed themselves beyond their limits and done something __________ . Now I am 43 and have a(n) __________ to know what that feels like.

Now it is the perfect time to __________ something more than the classes in the local gym, or a jog around the park and show what I can do. So I’m __________ to jump on a bike again as long before and take to the road.

5 . Figure skating is a vital part of my life. I can still remember my first ______ on ice. I was attracted immediately and desired to learn figure skating. However, I found it was a bit of a ______. Initially, I could only grasp the railings (栏杆) to ______ myself and walk slowly along. Despite constant ______ , I just got up again and made much commitment: I kept practicing almost all the time except school hours. Gradually, I ______ the skills.

Sometimes figure skating is ______ as an art form rather than a sport, but to me it’s both. The delicate ______ between artistry and athleticism, and the performances with only a pair of thin blades (冰刀) are ______ . Though beautiful and impressive, figure skating is physically ______ —the amount of athleticism required is fairly high.

For the majority of my younger years I skated ______ , at both local and regional levels. But ______ struck at the near peak of my career - I had a concussion (脑震荡). Though I ______ after continuous treatment, I’d missed the best age for skating. So I ______ it into a hobby.

Out of all the experiences in my life, figure skating has probably been the most ______. It taught me the importance of discipline and self-confidence, and I learned ______ , which made me accountable for my own actions and achievements.

6 . Every Friday night the Chevron gas station food mart offers a discount on the leftover food. To ensure the best selection, my mother and I pile into our old car and _________ in front of the mart at five p. m. sharp, ready to get our _________.

Chevron shopping _________ like this: One day my mother suddenly realized that she had maxed out (透支) almost every credit card except the Chevron card and we needed groceries for the week. Since our first _________ there, I’ve learned to believe in flexibility. In my life, it has become necessary to _________ the idea of grocery shopping. My mother and I can no longer shop at real grocery stores, _________ we still get the necessities.

Grocery shopping at Chevron has its _________. The worst is when we have so many items that it takes the cashier what seems like hours to ring up everything. A line of _________ customers formed behind us. It’s that line that _________ the most-the way they look at us. My mother never notices — or maybe she __________ not to.

I’m __________ to shop there, and I’m afraid of running into someone I know. I once expressed my fear of being seen shopping at Chevron to my mother, and her eyes shone with disappointment. I know that I hurt her feelings when I try to __________ our weekly shopping trips.

And that is why I hold on to the idea of __________ so tightly. Whenever I feel the __________ rise to my face, I remind myself at this point in my life I am struggling does not mean that I will always struggle. I know that whatever happens, we will always __________ a way to survive.

7 . Ryan’s class at Tully Elementary Sohool was planning a hike at Falls of the Ohio State Park. But since the site isn’t wheelchair ________, her mother, Shelly, tried to find a way to make sure she could ________.

Ryan had missed out on a similar class trip last year as a third grader. When Shelly ________ the upcoming class field trip, she ________ began to think about making a plan B. “I was preparing for an ‘alternate field trip day’,” she ________ on the “Team Ryan” online page, ________ for her10-year-old daughter, diagnosed with spina bifida (脊柱裂)as a baby.

That is, until Jim, a teacher at the school, ________ to carry Ryan around on his back all day. This way she could ________ explore the fossil (化石) beds with the rest of her ________. He used a special backpack to carry the 55-pound girl on his back across the park-and the previously ________ Ryan became extremely excited.

The ________ meant so much to Ryan and her family that Shelly wanted to get the ________ out. Since she posted on the web photos of Jim and Ryan on the field trip, they have been ________ thousands of times.

“We are so ________ to have a whole school that never makes her feel left out,” said Shelly. “These beautiful people should be known to the world, to educate and ________ others.”

8 . A man named Joe in Austin spent several months in order to adopt a dog. Alva is a dog with wobbler syndrome(摇摆综合征), but that didn’t _________ Joe from knowing they would be together.

_________ at Austin Pets Alive in November 2020 at just 5 months old, Alva was _________ , skinny, and in need of a helping paw. She had a hard time _________ and walking on account of the _________ . After almost 24 months of shelter stays, the _________ in her life with wobblers and multiple owners had made her self-protective, _________ , and shy.

Joe had originally seen Alva on APA’s Instagram, and determined to do something to help her. “I just _________ her and said, ‘I bet everyone has given up on you,’” Joe told APA! “‘I’m not going to do that to you.’”

Nor did he, but instead visited her at APA every single day for two months to earn her _________ in the hope that he could welcome her into his __________. Seeing that there was a potential end to Alva’s difficulties, APA staff worked hard to treat and __________ Alva. Alva recovered well during the two months, and __________Joe got what he wished for—Alva was able to move in with him.

He __________ his house with various ramps and carpeted corners to ensure she had a safe, comfortable environment.

“Alva gave me a __________ every time I saw her, and that was: inspiration. It is her infectious spirit that makes her __________, and brightens my days,” Joe told APA!

9 . David lost his beloved dog Baya before Christmas two years ago. Baya was active and cute. David’s family spent many days _________ for their furry (毛茸茸的) family member. The kids said they wouldn’t want any _________ from Santa Claus. They just wanted to get their dog back. All attempts to find her turned out to be _________. Baya was nowhere to be found. It seemed that the family wouldn’t have any more _________.

Two years later, a homeless dog _________ alone on a busy road. Someone _________ it to the Animal Protection Association (协会). Thanks to the microchip (芯片) planted in the dog, the association was able to _________ the owner. They _________ David. When David got a phone call that they were going to get Baya back, the family were pretty _________.

Obviously, Baya is __________ to living in this home. She is quite __________ of where her feeding bowl is. Even though Baya isn’t the dog she used to be, David is confident she’ll become her old __________ again. He said, “She was a very healthy and __________ dog. She’s not like that anymore, but we’re going to get her back. Our whole family are taking __________ of her. Kids play with her happily. She’s __________ her joyful nature. We will love her even more.”

10 . “Why don’t you „act black’?” Since my middle school years, I’ve been asked this question more than any other. It seems to me that too many people have let society ______ into their brains what should be expected of me, a black person, before ever ______ with me. But I believe in being who I am, not who others want me to be.

On my first day of high school, going into math class, two of my classmates pointed and ______ me. I initially thought my fly was open, or that something was ______ in my teeth. But as I took my ______, I heard one of the students whisper, “Why is a black person taking Honors?” So my fly wasn’t open. An honors level class had simply been joined by a student whose skin was an unsettling ______ of brown.

Many people think my clothes should be big enough for me to ______, or expect me to listen exclusively to “black music.” In seventh grade, a group of my peers fixed their ______ stares on my outfit: cargo shorts and a plain, fitting t-shirt. They called out to me, “Go get some clothes, white boy.”

In one of my music classes, the teacher asked me, “Do you like rap music more?” I replied, “No, rock.” The look of______ on my classmates’ faces made me feel profoundly strange.

I am now in my junior year of high school. I still take all Honors courses. My wardrobe still only consists of clothes that are ______ to my proportions. My music ______ spans from rock to pop to techno, and almost everything   in   between. When it comes to ______ my friends, I am still colorblind. I continue to do my best work in   school in order to ______ my goals; and   yet, when I look in   the mirror, I still see skin of that______ shade of brown.

My skin color has done nothing to change my ______, and my personality has done nothing to change my skin color.