1 . They don’t call Vusi Sindane “the crazy cyclist” for nothing. The software engineer _________ a 3, 000 km bicycle journey in June, all to _________ money for 10, 000 pairs of school shoes for children in need.

When he worked in Limpopo, he saw _________ the poverty faced by _________ kids. “My biggest cause is education, and when I saw barefoot children walking to school in Limpopo, I knew something had to be done,” he says. He _________ with a non-profit organization which supplies school shoes to children in _________ areas.

However, the pandemic _________ his plans to do his cross-country cycle in 2020 and 2021, and a(n)_________ injury last year meant he could only get going in April this year. Prior to his 13 April departure, he _________ his training with six weeks of __________ cycling with his mentor and training partner. But Vusi quickly discovered that nothing could’ve __________ him for what he would encounter and have to __________. “The first day was like a reality __________. Although I’d been planning and considering this for nearly six years, the reality is that there’s __________ on the road, there’s climbing, you must use your body physically, and it’s hot-especially in Limpopo. I was almost __________ by many high mountains. I tried to __________, but the bike isn’t moving. My hands were hurting, and my injured knee was constantly in pain. My muscles __________, and my mind was like, ‘This isn’t worth it’,” he said.

To __________ himself, he began thinking about the people who inspire him. He shared his __________ on social media, many people __________ to him and more encouragement came.

2 . Seven-year-old Everett Botwright is a bright, imaginative kid. Like many children on the autism spectrum (自闭症), he also _________ with the smell and taste of many foods. So when the boy showed great interest in Star Wars Kraft Dinner, his parents were _________. “It was amazing,” father Reed Botwright says. “My wife cried. She hadn’t seen him _________ in, not to mention addicted to a new _________ in a long time.”

There was only one _________ . After buying all the _________ they could find in their hometown of Nanaimo, B. C., the family _________ needed more. In February, Botwright _________ a request on Facebook, asking for _________ tracking down the limited-edition pasta.

The __________ went viral. Thousands shared Botwright’s post on __________ media, including Star Trek legend William Shatner. Star Wars Kraft Dinner __________ from across North America. “People have reached out and many thanked us for __________ our struggle,” Botwright says.

Kraft Heinz Canada donated $10,000 to autism charities, __________ 144 boxes to the Botwrights and even asked Everett to select the __________ Kraft Dinner shape. On his birthday, March 7, he __________ the Minions (小黄人). Nanaimo’s Real Canadian Superstore donated 411 packages, and a class of Ouebec teens sent a shipment; __________ boxes came from as far away as Florida.

The __________ number: over 800 boxes, and Botwright says, “We’re still counting.” Everett is __________ thank-you cards for every donor, and Botwright says the outpouring has taught his four kids, ages three to eight, a lesson: “There is __________ in the world.”

4 . 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.

5 . The very unusual series of events finished as Sondrup was heading home from an extended work shift. She had just completed her fourth continuous night shift, and _________ was coming over her. Little did she know that July 26, 2023, would become a day unforgettable in her _________.

While driving home, Sondrup _________ a truck had overturned on State Route 143 near Sky Harbour, with a man _________ inside. Despite her tiredness, she made an inspiration—of-the-moment decision to help.

“It’s _________, but there were so many reasons that led me to that fine moment,” recalled Sondrup. “_________, I wouldn’t have been there.”

Under what she described as a turn of fate (命运), Sondrup _________, joined by a couple of other individuals who happened to be passing by. With unquestionable timing, no other cars were on the road, allowing her to cross over safely and reach the _________ scene.

Sondrup courageously _________ under the truck to check the injured man. In an act of __________, she used a bystander’s belt as a makeshift tourniquet (止血带) to stop the bleeding. Months have passed since that fateful day, and on October 18, the Phoenix Fire Department __________ Sondrup for her life-saving actions.

“I really feel that my guiding __________ led me to that very moment,” she told Fox 10Phoenix. “I’m not without imperfections, but I believe that at that __________ moment, I received a guiding premonition (预感).”

The man Sondrup rescued recently reached out to express his __________ for the second chance at life. “I wish him nothing but the best,” Sondrup said. “I hope he experiences a new __________ and a future filled with success.”

6 . If seven days of living with noisy dogs seems like a lot, imagine being there for 400. That’s how long a little dog named Queen lived inside a shelter. When Queen was 3 years old, she’d still somehow been _________ time and again during those long months. Then Scott Poore decided to _________.

Scott runs a(n) _________ that creates fundraisers to help animal shelters. Once he heard about how _________ Queen had become from living in the shelter for so long, he decided to do what he could to draw some attention to the _________ dog.

After he met her, he was even more determined to help her find her forever _________. He ended up spending plenty of one-on-one time with her after he publicly _________ into Queen’s kennel (狗窝).

As you can _________, animal shelters are not a great place to get any rest. Scott admitted he barely _________ during his days in the kennel. But all of Scott’s efforts were __________ when a father and son saw a report about Queen and her new roommate and decided to __________ and take her home.

As for why he didn’t __________ Queen himself, he reminded people that his charity came in contact with so many __________ animals every single day. Once Queen had found her people, this dog __________ moved on to find the next animal that __________ needs him.

“What helps me get through the emotional __________ of my work is I move very quickly to the next animal that needs my help,” he explained.

We’re so __________ to people like Scott Poore for __________ those without voices. Being willing to give up your own __________ for an animal’s happiness is the ultimate good __________. Thank you, Scott!

7 . Once upon a time, the villagers in a small village lived their poor lives. Very few people could read _________ one girl named Hannah. She loved to explore and would spend hours in the woods away from the village, looking for new things.

One afternoon, when Hannah was on one of her adventurous _________, she came upon a (n) _________ cottage. The cottage looked very old in its condition. She _________ opened it and she was left amazed. In front of Hannah was a room full of _________! She realized that she found a hidden _________, which could satisfy her love of reading.

She _________ the books for many days. They were very _________, filled with different stories. The little girl was so _________ by one of the characters from books who strove for good that she determined to learn from him. She learned that the true __________ of good lies within one’s own heart and makes people change! With the __________ in heart, she decided to share the stories with the villagers.

Making this her mission, Hannah started telling stories every day at the __________. At the start, only very few villagers came for the stories. But she didn’t __________ and the word of her telling stories spread rapidly, causing more and more __________ to come. Soon, the word of Hannah’s __________ spread to far-off towns. People traveled from different places to just listen to her stories. The villagers helped her rebuild the cottage for __________ more people to enjoy the stories.

She later __________ workshops there in which she taught her fellows how to read. Hannah was their mentor (导师) and everyone __________ her.

Hannah continued her __________ throughout her life. She was __________ for the good she did even after she was long gone.

8 . 18-year-old Lilly Baker was driving when an elderly woman in a wheelchair caught her eye. The woman was ________ to cross a train track but got stuck. Without ________, Lilly stopped to rescue her. Little did she ________, however, that doing so would ________ a narrow escape for them both.

With all of her ________, Lilly tried to pull the elderly woman to safety, but she faced difficulties. ________, in their attempt for freedom, they ended up ________ twice. Still, Lilly remained ________. She got an added rush of this determination when she saw a train coming right at them.

“He was honking (按喇叭) wildly and the lights started ________,” Lilly recalled. Soon after, Lilly managed to pull her and the woman out of the ________ way. Had they been much closer to the train, neither of them would have ________ it. “It’s a near-death ________,” Lilly said. “The railroad company told me that I was 18 inches away from getting ________.”

Ardmore Police Chief Jereme Robison was sent to the ________ to help. Despite his experience, he was ________ by the risky rescue. He took this moment to stress the fact that anyone can be a hero, no matter who they are. “________ comes in all shapes and sizes,” Jereme said. “You don’t have to be a 6’5 guy that’s ________ to get out and do something.”

The elderly woman has major leg injuries but, ________, she’s in the hospital and is expected to be okay ________. As for Lilly, she said she couldn’t be more grateful for the ________ to help someone.

9 . A cure for the future in the past?

For over fifty years, the people of Britain have relied on the welfare state to make sure they have adequate health services. But now the National Health Service is sick. Government _____ and underfunding are forcing hospitals to close, and waiting lists for treatment are getting longer. Under such circumstances, it is no surprise that more people are turning to private (but expensive) healthcare.

For some, however, there are _____. They are turning their back on modern pills, tablets and resorting to other conventional medicine. It seems paradoxical, but in an age of microchips and high technology, traditional medicine, the old-fashioned cures that our grandparents relied on, is making a _____.

Consider these case studies:

Maude is 76 years old and has been suffering from arthritis for almost ten years. “The pain in my joints was almost _____, and my doctor referred me to a surgeon at the London Hospital. I was told that I needed _____, but would need to wait for at least two years before I could have the operation. In _____, I started having massage sessions. To my surprise, these were very therapeutic, and while they didn’t cure the disorder, they did _____ it to some extent”.

Ron is 46. His high-powered city job was _____ for a series of stress-related illnesses, and the drugs he took didn’t work well on the nervous strain. “I read about _____ which involve the whole person rather than the individual symptoms, but I had always doubted about such kind of medicine for all diseases. However, my friend _____ a dietician who told me that part of my problem was diet-related. Basically, the food I was eating was _____ to my disorder. She gave me a list of foods that would provide the right vitamins and minerals to keep me in good health. At the same time, she advocated a more _____ lifestyle-running, swimming, that kind of thing. I’ m a bit of a couch potato, and this kind of lifestyle I had lived was _____ the problem. Now I feel great!”

So is there still a place in our lives for modern medicine? While it is true that some infections and viruses may be _____ by turning to traditional medicine, more serious illnesses such as cancer need more extreme measures. We do need our health service at these times, and we shouldn’t stop _____ in its future. But we mustn’t forget that for some common illnesses, the cure may lie in the past.

10 . As an insurance(保险)agent, I have to visit clients(客户)at their homes. I had a(n) ______ client named Ms. Gooden. She is a sweet lady and always does her best to keep me at her home as long as she can. One day, she told me that her children lived far away from her and she felt ______. As I was leaving, she ______ the flowers she wished she had in her yard. She said that when she was a child the ______ flowers she could remember seeing were the ones ______ on the large flour sacks (面粉袋). I asked her, “If you had flowers what ______ would you have?” She answered me back that any color would be ______ to her.

One day when I knew she had a(n) ______ with her doctor, I went to a flower shop and bought many colorful flowers. I went to her home and ______ them in an area of the yard ______ when she looked out of the window, she would ______ different kinds of beautiful flowers.

The next time I visited her home, she asked if I knew anything about the ______. I told her no and we both smiled ______ at each other. While I was sitting there she began to tell me about all of the butterflies and bees that came to ______ her garden. She continued to talk about her ______ “friends” in her life.

As I was about to leave I ______ she was watching over her garden and its visitors ______. She didn’t even try to keep me from ______. I realized at that moment that Ms. Gooden had been suffering from what a lot of elderly people suffer from — ______. The few dollars spent on the flowers were well worth the ______ those flowers brought to her face and to my heart.