1 . Tim Gjoraas doesn’t have much time left. However, there’s no ________ of supportive people in his corner.

Last year, Tim found out he had cancer. In the following months, his health ________ and then he got the news that he likely only has months left to live. He quickly retired from the Washington High School and decided to devote every moment to spending with his ________.

After ________ that he may not have much time left, Tim began taking steps to ensure his loved ones will be ________ . While he was catching up with Doug Rinken, a friend and retired teacher, Tim asked him to ________ his house next summer. He ________ that his wife Lisa has always wanted blue walls. Little did he know that the job would be finished much ________! One Saturday in September, Tim opened his doors to a(n) ________ sight. Doug had shown up with paint tools and about a dozen of Tim’s fellow teachers and friends.

This wasn’t the first time they had ________ him. After they heard about his disease, they organized fundraisers to help with his medical ________ . The project took less than a day ________ their efforts. Of course, it left a ________ mark on Tim. What a powerful act of kindness! No matter what happens, Tim ________ knows he and his family members will always hold a place in their community’s ________.

2 . When I left my job as a psychologist and went on a round-the-world trip, I was hoping to become a different version of myself. But I was soon ______. Away from the familiar life, I felt lonely and miserable despite visiting ______ beautiful places. And somehow, in the quick ______ for the trip, I’d forgotten that the thing you don’t choose to bring, but can’t ______ , is yourself.

However, as the weeks went on, something started to ______. It was during a stay on an island in Thailand, when a woman I’d encountered previously approached me and asked if I was ______ to join them for dinner that evening. I ______. At the meal she told us six women that it was her birthday and, as she was travelling alone, she’d decided to celebrate by ______ a group of women she’d enjoyed meeting during the week. While listening to their stories, I felt genuinely ______ by the honesty of these ______ , and was surprised, too, by the ______ with which I felt able to share things about myself.

At the end of the evening, we ______. Till now, none of us have seen each other again. I don’t remember their names, but I do remember the magic of that ______. For all of us, the anonymity (匿名) was liberating; we had no ______ past or future and, as a consequence, we could talk freely without any ______.

3 . Triplets (三胞胎) Sierra, Kassidy, and Haley have faced a range of challenges throughout their lives. At just three months old, they _________ their mother, and their father was missing too, leaving them in the _________ of their grandmother, who didn’t prioritize education. _________, they didn’t attend school until they were eight.

The triplets’ lives took another _________ turn when their house was on fire early one morning. This _________ led them to move in with their grandparents on their mother’s side. There they faced further neglect, _________ adequate food, clothing, and other essentials.

Despite these _________, the sisters showed incredible resilience and determination. They _________ jobs, including babysitting and working at Albertson’s grocery store, to support themselves. Their daily _________ was a tiring cycle of walking to school, then to work, and back home, often late at night.

Remarkably, all three girls maintained a 4.0 grade point average, __________ them full scholarships to the University of Las Vegas. Their __________ achievements are a testament to their perseverance and dedication, despite the overwhelming odds they faced.

The community recognized their efforts and __________ them with additional support on their graduation day. Each sister received a car, a year’s worth of free car insurance and gas, and $5,000 for books and other __________.

Throughout their journey, the triplets maintained a(n) __________ outlook, which they believe was crucial in __________ their challenges.

4 . Chad and I spent about 15 years celebrating our anniversary the old-fashioned way. He’d give me _________, I’d give him a card and we’d go out for dinner. _________ we both enjoyed our child-free time together, I finally _________ that I didn’t even like red roses, and his card ended up in the garbage can.

So we_________ a new tradition called the Every Other Year Anniversary. We alternate years planning a _________for each other. A celebration of a marriage should be _________, and we intended to make it so.

I was perfectly _________ to go first, planning a weekend getaway to Hiawassee. I chose all the activities—it was _________ for Chad to think of anything. As for Chad, the _________ added to his excitement. And, he didn’t have to call the flower shop at the last minute to __________ flowers.

The next year was my turn to be surprised. Chad, though traditionally not a romantic person, __________ successfully, planning a weekend in Nashville. We went on a comedy bus tour that made us__________a lot; we visited the Grand Ole Opry and downtown Nashville. Chad __________ endured (忍受) some shopping just because he knew I would like it. We ate at a very excellent restaurant and __________ each other’s company more than ever. For once, I didn’t have to make any decisions. I could __________ Chad had put a lot of thought into where we went and what we did.

We agreed at this point that the new __________ would be topping (超越) each other the following year. __________, we manage to do it every time. Of course, some years have been better prepared than others, __________on finances or the children’s schedules.

We have now been __________ for more than 20 years. The Every Other Year Anniversary has made our marriage loving, complete and, __________, fun! I can’t wait to see what’s in store next year.

5 . For as long as I can remember, I’ve been part of a team of some sort of extracurricular (课外的) sport. I started swimming at a young age and then I was ________ to water polo (水球).

Water polo is a ________ sport. We grow together, we hang out together, and we succeed together. ________ in this sport depends on the successes of each other rather than the success of the ________. This is important because we all realize that ________ we can grow fast alone, we grow more and get closer to our goals ________.

I was never good when I first started a sport. To be honest, it was ________ when I first started playing water polo. My coach has always ________ me. She once said that we’re never going to be ________ at first and that’s okay because we can always get better. And get better? I did. No matter how ________ I got I noticed that there was always somewhere I was lacking and somewhere I could ________.

Being an athlete is ________. You have to wake up early every day. You have to ________ yourself every day. You have to balance your life outside of sport. But for me, ________ is never an option. I knew that simply throwing in the towel would cause me to be filled with great regret. So don’t let hard work ________ your desire to become someone greater than you are today.

6 . Faced with a medical emergency, most people would freeze or panic, ______ a child. But Suzie McCash, then just four, not only kept a calm head but took ________ action to save her mom’s life.

Suzie, from North Tyneside, had just returned home with her mom Rowena. But as soon as Rowena ________ through the door of their house, she began to feel dizzy. Rowena ______ from a life-theatening allergy to salicylates (水杨酸盐), ______ in oranges and almonds. Within minutes, she had collapsed in the hallway, ______ to breathe.

With dad Wiliam at work, it was ______ little Suzie to save her mom’s life.

She carefully described her mother’ s situation to the ______ call operator, “Mommy had an allergic shock. I then got her medicine to make her feel ______.” Then Suzie was asked if she could ______ the front door of her home, and replied, “I can’t really reach the lock, but I’ll have a ______.” When doctors and nurses arrived, Suzie managed to let them in, and they were able to give lifesaving ______ to Rowena.

“Her dad and I told her she must have ______ because we have no idea how she managed to open the front door on her own!” Rowena later said. “When she was little she loved playing ______, which helped her stay calm and remember what to do in an emergency. I’m so _____ Suzie saved my life.”

7 . It’s just one little valve (阀门). I’m just guessing that it takes about 42 seconds to walk from the couch to where the valve is in our front yard, _________ it and return to the couch. And yet I didn’t.

Not that I wasn’t _________ to do so. The city already warned unpleasant results could follow our _________ to turn off that valve. My wife, Anita, also talked about it several times. Each of those _________ went something like this: “Joe, have you turned off the valve to the watering system?” she would ask sweetly. “Oh, that’s right,” I would say. “I _________ to do that.” “It would be great if you could do it before the ground freezes,” she would add, _________. Then I would _________ sincerely that I would do it tomorrow. But I didn’t. In my mind, there was no great rush to complete the task because we were having such a _________ fall followed by a usually warm winter. I kept telling myself that if it got really cold, I would do it. _________, it would only take about 42 seconds to do it. And it was such a(n) __________ thing.

And now we’re __________ it, with a couple of broken valves, a flooded basement floor and probably some __________ to the wall through which the water travelled on its way to the basement floor. The repairs to our watering system and the room have cost us several hundred dollars, not to mention the great __________.

So delaying is not simply putting off an action or a decision. It will have its own __________. Doing __________ is, in fact, doing something.

8 . I started playing field hockey(曲棍球) when I was in seventh grade. Going into middle school, I knew I wanted to____ a sport, since I loved being on a team with friends. ____ together after class, driving to other schools to__ and just having an overall sense of unity were all ____of playing a team sport that I knew I couldn't ____ get.

To be honest, before spring of the seventh grade, I ____ even knew what field hockey was. The only thing I knew was that my friends thought it sounded cool. I don't really know what ____my friends to field hockey. Maybe it's because it's mainly a women's sport, ____ maybe it's because the ____ is a really nice English teacher. Even though I chose it on a whim(一时兴起), I'm really glad I decided to ____ it.

I am certainly not a field hockey prodigy (天才) or anything like that, but it honestly adds to my ____. Yes, it leaves me with my legs ____ and my arms drooping heavily, but this pain doesn't compare to the feeling of happiness that comes ____ playing. When you're running with a wooden ____ in your hand, chasing a white ball, there's no need to worry about anything. It offers an amazing way to be free from the ____ and hardships of school.

9 . Isabel Navarro has proved that hard work and a love for learning can help you achieve your dreams. The elementary school cleaner never ______ her lifelong dream of becoming an educator. Now the 35 year old woman from Waco, Texas, has _____ a teacher’s assistant at Spring Valley Elementary in the Midway ISD.

Navarro grew up in Mexico, but at the time, her family _____ to make ends meet. Unfortunately, she had to _____ high school as a teenager so that she could work and start _____ for her family. She moved to the United States in 2009, and first worked in housekeeping for a while before finally _____ a job at Woodway Elementary in 2013 as a custodian (管理员). She got the work to ____ the classrooms at Spring Valley Elementary in 2016. However, she always knew she enjoyed communicating with the children and wanted to make a real ______ in the classroom as an educator.

“When I was a child, I ______ wanted to be a teacher,” she told KWTX. “I started working at 15 years old to ______ my parents at home and now I can finish my education and follow my dream.” She worked really hard to achieve that dream. The _____ mom of three obtained her General Equivalency Diploma (GED), which was extremely ______ for her as English is her second language.

Navarro ____ Spring Valley Elementary School Principal Kappy Edwards. “I’m very proud of Isabel’s_____ and commitment to furthering her education, obtaining her GED and transforming into a new role within Spring Valley,” Edwards said. “This ____ shows her admirable devotion and serves as an inspiring example for others.”

10 . A boat launched by American middle schoolers has been discovered in Norway, 462 days and more than 8,300 miles later. It was an ______ journey for the 5.5-foot boat.

In 2020, students of Rye Junior High School ______ an ocean-theme project. They assembled (组装) a boat and got ready to ______ it. However, COVID-19 ______ classes online. They figured out a way to beautify the boat remotely. The boat ______ in October.

The students kept the track of the boat’s ______ on a map whenever its Global Positioning System (GPS) sounded After about 10 months at sea, the GPS began reporting only occasionally. Then, on Jan. 30, the GPS reported ______ —this time from a small island in Norway. The school ______ a notice on its website asking for the safe collection of the boat if possible. The ______ also made its way onto the Facebook page of a nearby Norwegian community.

That’s where the family of a local sixth-grader, Karel Nuncic, ______ the boat. The family boated out to the island and ______ the boat. The next day, Nuncic brought the boat to his school, where students opened the hatch (舱口) to find the messages and the gifts that the middle schoolers had ______ inside nearly two years before. The Norwegian ______ said they would write a letter to their new American friends.

After 462 days and 13,412 km of ______ across the Atlantic Ocean, the messages inside the boat have formed a new ______ between schools.