Then we had a scavenger hunt. We had to use our skills as nature detectives to find all sorts of things. I found something that told us the wind was blowing. That was easy—the leaves on the trees. Mila found empty acorns. We drew the conclusion that they had been eaten by something. Probably a squirrel. Ralphie even discovered a bird's nest. But we weren't allowed to touch it.

We were all _____ about our surroundings.

I waited outside the house until I saw his parents leave. And then I sat in the car a while, my heart beginning to pound. I got out of the car and went up to the front door. I was going to ring the bell and let him see who I was. And tell him I wanted to speak to him. On an urgent matter. A very urgent matter.

This visit was _____ .

Getting a drink isn't easy for the gecko lizard. It lives on dry desert sand dunes on the west coast of Africa. Early each morning, cool air from the ocean comes in and hits the warm desert air. A mist forms. The gecko stands in the mist. It lets drops of water form on its eyeballs. Then it licks the drops off. Mmm, refreshing!

The fog is _____ for the animal's survival.

Paul looked at the handsome Vagabond. It had been built for Victor and Mary Como. It was a forty-foot-long ocean-going sailboat. Soon the Vagabond would be finished. She would move out of this yard and try her wing-like sails across the water. Paul knew he and his friends could never afford anything as fine as the Vagabond.

The Vagabond was _____ .

"Good night, see you all next Tuesday!" Mrs. Hamma called out. "By the way, if any of you here wants extra help, I have a few minutes this evening." Several people bolted past her, excusing themselves. In less than thirty seconds, Mrs. Hamma was standing in an empty classroom.

No one accepted her _____ .

When the rejoicing was at its height and the stars reeled on their crystal axes, shaken by the laughter of the gods, then it was that Eris made herself invisible, entered the great banquet hall, and rolled upon the table a gleaming, heavy apple of solid gold. Upon the apple were written the words: 'To the most beautiful.' It glowed there like the heart of flame, and was immediately claimed by Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. The festivities were immediately rent by their quarreling as they shrieked like fishwives over a beached mackerel. The feast was ruined. Gentle Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth, and protector of feasts, wept great tears. Eris stood among the shadows, chuckling.

Eris had _____ the party

Just past the midpoint of the lake, the sonar picked up a surface disturbance in front of Boat One. The signal indicated something large and moving. As the boat closed, a cluster of swimming beavers was sighted. The beavers smacked the surface of the water with their tails and dove beneath the surface, splintering the signal.

Boat One _____ something.

For the next three days Warton worked very hard. He made his skis from strong oak tree roots. When he was done they were as handsome a pair of skis as anyone could want. They were sturdy and straight and polished to such a smoothness they felt like silk. He had also made ski poles to push with from porcupine quills and salamander leather.

He _____ some skis.

A quick glance in the mirror told her that she had stumbled upon an interesting look. With a mixture of her favorite brilliant colors and a few other ideas, she had prepared an athletic wardrobe that was certain to attract stares. As if that were not enough to set her apart from the field, there were the long fingernails.

She was _____.

The sight and sound of huge bubbles rising in glass columns set the underwater mood in the lobby of the National Aquarium. In central space, daylight fades, giving the feeling of a descent into the ocean depths. The lighted exhibits glow in the darkness. The recorded sounds of ocean waves, seagulls, and distant foghorns can be heard as beluga whales swim in the open pool.

The aquarium provides a _____ atmosphere.

American clothing was another source of fascination. Japanese tagged after sailors and officers in order to have a close-up look at their strange costumes. Many of them were so overcome by curiosity that they could not resist touching the uniformed men. They were allowed to finger hats, jackets, pants, and shoes. Some even put their hands inside pockets, much to the amusement of the Americans. Buttons intrigued them particularly, because the Japanese used various types of cords and strings to fasten their own clothing.

American clothing was _____ .