Question

100 points! I don't understand how a 9th grade problem can be so easy... So all I have to do is replace the underlined words???

Answer 1

Yep, that's basically the whole task. To change the passage to become more 'upbeat', yet still share similar words to the previous words, the following could be changed to...

trudged= plodded

shuffled= staggered

scrutinised= questioned

sparse=meagre

closed in= confined

anxious= eager (Although eager and anxious generally do not share a similar definition, in this context they do as 'anxious' is used to describe being excited to do something, and share the same meaning of 'Very eager or concerned to do something or for something to happen'

pried= wrenched

confronted= suddenly exposed

puzzling=baffling

something=remarkable

used=castoff

questioned=pondered

anxious=uneasy