1 . Antarctic stories are always filled with mystery, exploration, adventure, ground-breaking science, tragedy, and triumph. Some Australians who have been back from Antarctica shared one of their tales of adventure, bringing a _________ of the coldest and windiest place on earth to the wider population.

Journalist David Killick, also a(n) _________, was one of five people on an expedition (远征). One of their jobs was to _________ wooden buildings built between 1911 and 1914 by _________ Antarctic explorers, which need regular maintenance to _________ extreme weather conditions. Taking advantage of the 24-hour _________ during the Antarctic summer, Killick and his team camped in tents to carry out the protection work.

“My job was _________ the communications equipment, cooking and observing the weather.” the 54-year-old said. “Everyone needs to be multi-skilled because everyone _________ three or four different jobs.”

Killick said _________ trips to remote Antarctica came with risks, it was exciting to be in a new environment, far from the familiar __________ of daily life.

“What you miss and what you don’t miss are both amazing.” Killick __________. The phone doesn’t ring and there’s no __________ to social media. There’s no money, and nothing to spend money on. All we have to __________ is falling through the ice or being attacked by a seal.

Like many who have been to Antarctica, Killick continues to return to the mysterious place. “You better yourself a lot, especially your ability to keep a __________ mind under difficult circumstances. Besides, the landscapes here are so astonishing: the blues, the greys, the whites, and the red sunsets. Every day is just a different set of __________ beautiful experiences.”

2 . I entered the cat section of the shelter, observing all the ears turning as my footsteps echoed (回响) down the hall. Then I was _______ to a cage with a large message written in red marker: “_______, He Bites!” The slim, brown cat was _______ in the back of the cage, but as I looked inside he opened an eye and smiled—sort of—showing two tiny white fangs (尖牙).

The young cat, less than a year old, quickly _______ and came to the front of his cage, loud purring (咕噜声) coming out. I wanted to touch his long, soft fur (毛皮) but I remembered the sign and hesitated. I had never _______ a cat with a warning label before. He continued purring as I _______ stuck my index finger between the _______ and touched the soft fur behind his ear. Then he _______. The purring stopped.

I didn’t move my finger _______ he’d move faster than I could. I waited to see what he would do. One paw (爪子) was lifting slowly as if to hold my arm in place—I ________ so he could give me a good bite. I prepared myself for the ________ but then the purring began again.

For half an hour I stood at his cage letting him get used to me ________ him. In the end he did not bite me, much to the shelter manager’s ________. I took this wonderful cat home and for seventeen years he stood by my side—biting when necessary, but purring much more ________. If I had listened to that warning and ________ him by, I’d never have known one of the best friends of my life.

3 . He Delivered for Me

At first, I didn’t know his name and didn’t welcome his interruptions. Though I felt ________ by the unexpected knock on my window, I secretly named him Kris. He was a kind of modern-day Father Christmas, ________ presents and spreading cheer. I hated small talk, but that was before COVID-19 ________ everything, including my feelings toward Kris.

Trapped in my apartment, I desired ________ and company. Far from fearing Kris’s knock, I looked forward to his ________. He brought the stream of stuff I had ________ and would then stay for some face time. We discussed plenty of topics. I even learned his real first ________: Dave. I realized that he meant our five-minute conversations to be a ________ for me—and he was possibly doing the same for others, though he was ________ than ever.

One hot day in July, he told me that the company was changing his ________ of his service. My heart sank as we stood in our usual spots.

“I’m excited for a change,” he said, “but I’m going to miss my ________.”

“Congratulations.” I didn’t know what else to say.

He nodded, “I used to consider my job so ________ but gradually I realized that I was delivering people things they needed, things that brought them ________. Now I decide it is important.”

I couldn’t see his smile through his mask, but I could ________ it. “So wise you are,” I said. “And so important.”

At that, Dave finally pulled down his mask and flashed me a ________.

5 . A single card, written by a stranger, became an important comfort to the receiver, a woman diagnosed with breast cancer. The woman kept the_________on her nightstand and read it every night before bed. She brought it with her to every appointment.

“That was the only card she got,” says Gina Mulligan,_________of Girls Love Mail, a nonprofit that she started to send handwritten cards and letters to support those who are _________breast cancer across the United States. Such is the power of one letter. The number of letters has increased since the_________began in 2011. Here’s how the project_________ . People send handwritten cards or letters to Girls Love Mail, where Mulligan and other volunteers_________ the letters. They then _________them on to 165 cancer centers across the country. To ensure they’re_________for receivers, each center will screen the letters a second time before the letters are_________by nurses.

The first requirement is that the letters be__________ — part of what makes the letters special is that handwriting is unique. Though people can cross things out and make mistakes, that gives it__________. “ We’ve__________people to make drawings or add stickers. One woman even made a needlepoint card.” Mulligan said.

Many studies show a connection__________social support and health outcomes. If people have__________supportive relationships or are included in a network of supportive people, they will__________ better mental health and a longer lifespan.

6 . A few weeks ago, my 3-year-old granddaughter Frances asked, ‘‘Why don’t cardinals (红雀) migrate?” Frances’s question _______ me, not only because I had no idea what the _______ was but also because she knew enough to ask it. When I still _______ to find correct explanations after I had thought for a moment, Frances got bored with me and _______, intending to ask others.

Preschoolers love thinking about possible _______ of interesting things. They feel _______ to wonder about anything, and they do so with _______. However, after entering primary school, discouraged by most adults, including teachers, most children _______ asking how or why questions.

Fortunately, there’s no reason why we can’t all be lifelong learners. I’m 69, but I still experienced the same thrill of _______ I had as a child when I tried to ________ information on the Internet to answer Frances’s question about cardinals. I learned that Cardinals don’t migrate ________ they have enough food, and that they choose to stay together in winter months to keep them ________. After I learned about this, I was eager to see Frances again to ________ the knowledge with her while also ________ her further investigations.

By embracing children’s acts of wondering, you become their ________ in finding answers. Joining in the learning process, you will find countless opportunities to explore the colorful world all around you.

8 . Laura encourages her two kids to make crafts and drawings from old bits of packaging. She began _________ her family’s waste when she moved house and decided that she would leave all single-use _________ behind.

“It’s cheaper and you know that the item will _________ being used instead of being set aside — so it’s just perfect! Each of us play a big _________ in taking care of the environment. It’s _________ to try to help rather than just keep complaining about the current situation.”

Any glass container is _________ and repurposed for something else. This means that the family only send a piece of _________ to landfill every two weeks on average. She tries not to buy any plastic at all, but when she does, she will get it _________ washed and recycled.

The family also grow their own tomatoes, lettuce, and some other vegetables in the garden, and have orange trees outdoors. Laura has also _________ herself in a community of friends who __________ items with each other that they need, like furniture or plates.

She said, “We tried to use the minimum __________ and take over some toys and baby equipment from friends and relatives. If we really had to __________ anything, first we tried at the __________ market.”

To help educate her kids, Laura takes them out on nature walks to the forest where they __________ rubbish as they go. “They enjoy this __________, because they know it’s better for the environment,” she said.