5 . One evening, Paul O’Sullivan felt bored in his Baltimore apartment. So he got on to Facebook to find out just how many others on the social network ___________ his name. Moments later, dozens of Paul O’Sullivans from around the world filled his ___________. The then-27-year-old employee sent friend requests to them all.

Many of his fellow Paul O’Sullivans ___________ him, but a few felt too curious to ___________ his invitation. Paul O’Sullivan from Rotterdam in the Netherlands says, “My first ___________ was ‘Who is this guy and what does he want from me?’ So I thought about it for a while.” Ultimately, he couldn’t resist the___________ friend request. As Baltimore Paul scrolled through the profiles of the Paul O’Sullivans who accepted his invitation, he noticed something four of them have in common: They were all ___________ . Wouldn’t it be funny if they ___________a band called The Paul O’Sullivans? The other Pauls all ___________ and they created a sort of musical assembly line. They managed to ____________ its first original song, “Namesake,” in March. It’s a passionate track about long-distance relationships. Not romantic ones, of course, but like the friendships they had____________developed.

But just months later, Baltimore Paul began experiencing health issues that ______________ him to take time off from making music. The other Pauls didn’t ______________their friendship. To make sure Baltimore Paul never felt alone, the other Pauls chatted live on Instagram, and checked in on Baltimore Paul and on one another.

“What are the odds (机率)” says Baltimore Paul, “that a random Facebook ______________ would lead not only to new music but to ______________ as well? Some things are just meant to be.”

6 . A crowd cheered Kunle Adeyanju as he turned off his motorbike engine after completing a tiring 41-day trip. The 44-year-old left London on April 19 and arrived in Nigeria’s commercial center Lagos on Sunday after travelling more than 8,000 _________ across 13 countries. He started the impressive journey to _________ funds for Rotary International to deal with polio(小儿麻痹症)in his native Nigeria.

Accompanied by a dozen _________ for the last part of the journey from the Republic of Benin, Adeyanju was welcomed by supporters in Ike ja, in central Lagos. Adeyanju, called “Lion Heart” by fans, won _________ among the public by _________ daily pictures with comments about his journey on social media. At every stop along the way, he was _________ by enthusiastic supporters.

He did face some _________ , like the one in Mali where one of his wheels _________ . “I was standing in the middle of the night, alone in a bush, not knowing what to do, _________ speaking the language,” he said, explaining he had to walk to the nearest village. “ __________ , the locals helped me.” Not all of the challenges he faced were solved __________ . “Mauritania, a country in northwest Africa, was ‘terrible’,” he said, after he got __________ of hundreds of euros. “The worst experience,” he added.

The former Shell employee self-funded his trip with $ 20,400 in savings, hoping to collect up to $48 million for Rotary International. “I have been suffering from a lack of sleep lately __________ I slept only three to four hours per night. But I feel __________ because I finished this challenge.”Adeyanju said just after he arrived, wiping the sweat off his face. Adeyanju added that he is now planning to have a __________ cycling trip to Ghana or a bike ride to Israel to help raise more funds. And he has another dream: to climb Mount Qomolangma.

7 . When I tried out for the football team during the summer before 9th grade, I never imagined how important this sport would become in my life. Football is a _____ sport, at times almost painful, and practices really _____ a team’s physical and mental limits. Without trust in my own ability and a strong sense of commitment, I would never have managed to continue after years of hard work as a player, and with countless _____.

In the first year, I played on the defensive line. This was an amazing _____ that gave me a great sense of achievement. But in the last game of the season, I was seriously injured. I was prohibited from any physical activities for six months. After going _____ a series of physical treatments, I returned to the field as a team captain. I practiced harder than ever to make up for my _____ time.

In September, during my junior year, my name was mentioned in the local newspaper as the key defensive lineman on the team. After playing a fantastic season, I was given the _____ of the Most Valuable Player.

_____, my skills in football do not magically extend to other sports. During the winter break, I went on a snowboarding trip and seriously injured my right shoulder. I had to have four _____. Since I could not use my right arm for two months, I had to learn how to write and eat using my left hand.

______ life must go on. I knew that my own present efforts would decide my future, so I ______ the strict training program to build up strength and improve flexibility in my ______. After an eight-month recovery, I was back to the field playing football, the sport I ______.

In this sense, the world of football has taught me an important life lesson: ______ and commitment make what seems impossible ______. This lesson from football is the one that can be applied to every part of life.

8 . Afraid to have a start, I was walking slowly into my first school in America. I had ______ a long way from India in order to join my parents. My father decided that I would go to school here, so I ______ a local high school in my new town.

With ______ and fear, I arrived at the classroom. Everyone’s eyes were on me as I entered the classroom. I went straight to the ______ and asked him if it was the right class. With a ______ voice, he answered, “Yes.” His voice comforted me a little. Then he asked me to ______ where I would sit. I chose the ______ closest to the door. I spent the rest of the class taking notes from the ______ produced by the overhead projector (投影仪).

______ it was my first day, I was confused about which hallway to use, but I ______ to get to my classroom without asking anyone. I wasn’t quite sure when I would have ______. It was noon when I went to my next class and the bell rang as I entered. I went through the ______ process of asking the teacher if I was in the right class. Feeling surprised, she said, “That is the lunch bell.” I felt a little ______. Without another word, I headed for the cafeteria.

I realized that all the confusion on my first day was like the difficulty I had to ______to reach my goal. When I got on my bus and sat down inside ______, I said to myself, “Today isn’t so bad.”

9 . Drew Bason thought he would be a medical technician. His mom was in medicine, and he always thought he would ______ in her footsteps. But life had a ______ plan for him.

“I always wanted to cook,” he admitted. “I had eleven uncles and they were always ______ with my father. I was around it a lot.” So, he decided not to pursue healthcare. ______, Drew signed in a community college culinary (烹饪的) program and got a ______ as a chef.

But not long after, the pandemic (疫情) began, and Drew ______ his job. Without a steady income, taking care of his 10-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son was a(n) ______. But one day, walking through the Brightmoor neighborhood in Detroit, he ______ the City Covenant Church, and soon found out about their meal program. “I knew I could come here to get a(n) ______,” he said “It took some of the ______ off.”

But Drew did not want to just ______ food home. He knew he could use his skills to help out. So, he started ______ at the church to cook meals. “It takes a lot of ______ to eat the food of someone that you don’t know,” he said. “So it’s an honor to give some of it back and help our community. I really ______ the opportunity.”

Now, Drew is working at a nearby restaurant, but he still volunteers at the church. “Food is ______ and I love cooking,” he said.

10 . 23-year-old Taleigh Loven walked downstairs to her graduation party last October. She was ______ balloons, treats and congratulations from her family. What didn’t cross her mind was her ______ wearing the same graduation cap as she did. ______ him carrying a certificate (证书) with his name on it, she instantly burst into tears.

Mike Loven, 47, decided four years earlier that he was going to restart his study in Grand Canyon University, the ______ school his daughter had just been ______ to. A few weeks later, Mike was taking his first______ course while Taleigh was getting settled in her dorm — with no ______ that Mike was a fellow freshman.

“There was no real reason for ______ it a secret from the family—I merely thought the _______ would be fun,” Mike said. “I work a lot and I’m always on my computer, so no one ______ knew that I was working on stuff (材料) for ______ all those years.”

The ______ part about the whole thing, Mike said, was during ______ midterm seasons when his family would constantly ask him for help with tricky (棘手的) school-related issues. He had his own ______ as well, but he couldn’t tell them. That, he said, ______ many late nights at the computer.