Answer 1: OPTIC
Trace OPTIC from 1 at row 4, column 4; 2 at row 4, column 5; 3 at row 3, column 5; 4 at row 2, column 5; 5 at row 1, column 5. The letters read O → P → T → I → C in path order.
The route moves right once and then up three times, producing one turn and two straight segments. It spans four rows and two columns, visits the board edge once, and reaches no corner. Both its starting and ending cells have two open orthogonal neighbors. Placing these five cells leaves 34 open cells unassigned.