1 . Five years ago, I was a trail ride leader at a holiday farm in Victoria. My favourite horse was a warmblooded called Holly, a chestnut mare. Aged seven, she was _________, sweet-natured and well-trained; the only _________with Holly was her vivid imagination. I was constantly surprised by Holly’ s ability to be_________ by rabbits, the wind or even shadows - sometimes her own shadow!

One day, as we headed back from a ride on the beach, Holly and I were_________the way over the hilly area. When we got to one particularly long, steep hill, Holly began to twitch (抽动) her ears and step in place. So, when she_________ to sniff(嗅) and give all the _________that she believed the ‘horse-eating monsters’ were close, I became a little worried.

At the bottom of the hill as we rounded a corner, Holly_________with caution, and so I followed her gaze to the path ahead. There, sunning itself in the middle of the track, was a brown_________. This time it was my _________to get scared; I was on a nervous horse, leading a group of eight inexperienced pre-teen riders. Unexpectedly, Holly was firmly__________, ears forward. With the snake in her sight, she was no longer worried.

I have heard that horses have a better sense of__________ than dogs. I hadn't seen it __________ before that moment.__________, while we waited in reality for just a second or two - but for what felt like a century - the snake awoke and glided calmly off into the bush.

Holly then__________, leading the horses with caution and care. She had been alert to danger and had been __________for the safety of us all. Following in the footsteps or their lead mare, not one of the other horses showed any fear.

2 . While I was in our garden yesterday morning. I saw a little newborn bird that appeared to have just fallen from a tree. I was amazed at how tiny it was, with its little ________ open and looking all around. So I ________ and it just stayed there in my hand and opened its mouth really wide. “Oh yes, it’s ________,” I said to myself. So I fed it with some tiny pieces of bread. Although I couldn’t see any physical ________ of injury, it was obvious that it was hurt. I took the bird into the house and took care of it, hour after hour. I just wanted it to get ________ and reunite with its parents.

This morning, as soon as the bird ________ my hand on its little head, it opened its mouth so wide. It amazed me how it would ________ outside and then look for me. It was the cutest thing ever! I haven’t been so ________ for months. I spoke to it and told it that it was meant to fly and be free, not to be ________ behind or hurt by humans or animals.

Luckily, I ________ to find the nest in the garden and placed the little bird back in it. I was overjoyed to see that its parents ________ to take care of it as soon as I left.

The little bird’s presence in my life was ________. It made me melt with just one look! It was so tiny, and so ________. When it wanted food, it would try to move around and fly but couldn’t, in a way I feel the same way with ________, when you know you are supposed to be flying high and you feel stuck and just want to have a ________ to give you some hope that things will be better tomorrow.