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???

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

replaced the words in the explanation

Explanation:

trudged - hoped

shuffled - skipped

scrutinize - skimmed

sparse - tidy

closed in - joyed

anxious - excited

pried - lifted

confronted - greeted

puzzling - fresh

something - amazing

used - new

questioned - day-dreamed

anxious - excited

we need to see the examples!

in the quotation from passage, connie willis states that literature is a way for authors from the past to communicate with readers of today. we can read their stories, books, and other texts to learn lessons about life. willis refers to these lessons as messages “from beyond the grave.” willis has a favorable viewpoint about the timelessness of literature.