Christmas was around the corner. Sitting at my desk surrounded by the gifts accumulated from the neighbors, I was about to _________ everything when Melissa called. She is the director of Kids Need More, a charitable organization which my family _________ for. The organization offers many _________ to critically ill and socially _________ children.

“Hi, can you add one more family to your _________? It’s near the other stops.” Melissa asked.

The organization always fills sacks with _________ gifts for the families on the Cheer Bus routes, visiting children in need. Each bus is _________ by a team of volunteers dressed as Santa and his elves. _________, it was our turn to do that this year.

“Of course. Can I have some _________?”

“There’s a young mother and her two children. The only thing she requested was a call to   __________ the Cheer Bus is coming to visit her family.”

So I __________ the young mom. When I told her I was calling from Kids Need More to assure her that a holiday Cheer Bus would be __________ her family, she began to cry on the phone. “Are you sure? Are you really, really going to come?”

I guaranteed that again and was __________ about the reason why she expected our arrival so much.

“Because my kids look forward to the bus and I don’t want to __________ them of the hope.” She replied, “It’s Christmas and Christmas should be __________, whatever happens.”

Praveen and I had set off into the air at last. The______was just one part of our plan to fly around the world.

When we were flying over a mountain, our plane suddenly began to______and was in flames, but its body with both of us _____fell to the earth. Soon we found that it was an empty ____ with sea water around it.

We______to search a place for shelter since we ______knew when we could be rescued. We went up a hill and began to______a place with fresh water and some fruit trees nearby. Suddenly, we heard a(n) _____cry. I said to Praveen, “What ____ can be calling so strangely?” He said, “It might not be a bird. It may be a huge animal. Who______?” The cry was heard again and we saw a shadow coming closer. “Look out, Praveen!” I said. He was _____and shouted loudly like a ____ man. I was also afraid but I tried to catch the shadowy figure, To our______, it was a sheep. It almost frightened us to death.

We ______a place in between the fruit trees and the fresh water spring for_______a camp. We brought wood, dried grass and leaves from the nearby trees. In case of _____, we could go to the caves nearby. The cliffs could help us in ______the attention of any rescuing party.

Soon after two days, a helicopter _______us and we were rescued. This adventure was simply a brush with death but our _____, fearlessness and knowledge of islands kept us ____. We came to know that this island was called Topo.

The other day, my friend Jane was invited to a 40^th birthday party. The time printed on the _______ was 7:30pm. Jane went off with her husband, expecting a _______ evening of wine, _______, and song.

By 9:45, everybody was having great fun, but no food had _______. Jane and David were restless. Other guests began whispering that they, too, were _______. But no one wanted to _______, just in case some food was about to appear. By 11:00, there was still no food, and everyone was _______ off their heads. Jane and David left _______ and angry.

Their _______ suggests that the words on the printed invitations need to be made ____________. Everyone ____________ and understands the invitations ____________. Most of us would agree that 6:30-8:30pm means drinks only, go out to dinner afterwards; 8:00pm or 8:30pm means possible ____________, but 9:30pm and any time thereafter means no food, eat beforehand, arrive late.

But this is not always the case. If ____________ to a students’ party at 6:30pm, it is normal for guests not to appear before midnight, if at all, and no one cares. Being the first to arrive—looking ____________—is social death. When my mother is asked to a party for 6:30, she likes to be there, if not ____________, then no later than seven. My ____________ group (late thirties) falls somewhere between the two, but because we still think we’re ____________, we’re probably closer to student-time than grown-up time.

The accepted custom at present is ____________, sometimes annoying, and it often means you may go home hungry, but it does lend every party that precious element of ____________.