Abbaye, a master artist, was ready to retire in 1392. One day, Bartoli, a rich Italian merchant,  1 him saying, "Could you 2  my portrait on my banquet room wall? It's 20 feet tall.”

    “I'm ready to retire," Abbaye shook his head,“so I'm not  3.”But seeing the disappointment in Bartoli's eyes, he   4  his mind, "Well, there's a possibility if you can find it in your  5  to allow me to explore the  6  of my abilities. Furthermore, already I can see your 7 .So I insist

that while l work your portrait stay 8  even from you!”

    “No problem," Bartoli agreed, though he thought it was  9  ，"Anything you wish, but it must look realistic．”

Immediately the master artist  10  a high curtain in front of the wall, -through which Bartoli couldn't see at all.

A week passed. "How is it coming?" asked the  11   Bartoli.

     “It's coming quite well. You see, a masterpiece  12   quite a while at least.” Abbaye answered from behind the  13   ．

Another three, four weeks passed and  14half a year went by. Bartoli lost his  15 .“Today I must see it!" he shouted.

Stepping from behind the curtain 16  surprised by such anger, Abbaye said calmly," That's fine.

You needed only to request it.” And he  17  aside the 20 - foot curtain.

          Bartoli stared at the masterpiece and then his mouth 18  open. He was obviously so angry that his eyes  19  red. So what was wrong? Abbaye had drawn to his heart's  20  for 20 feet tall. Perhaps Bartoli couldn't tolerate his abstract expression, which Picasso would have been proud of.

    I always wondered how people would react if I tried to approach a total stranger for help in a busy place like a street corner or a mall. I have always 1 a stranger who tried to catch my 2 in a busy place.

    Yesterday I was in a busy shopping mall buying a large piece of luggage because I just had the 3 to do it after many days of planning. After the 4, I picked up my phone from my pocket to call my driver waiting in the parking lot but my phone was 5.

    Then I requested the shop assistant who had 6 sold me the merchandise (which was not cheap), if she could ring my driver for me. She 7 that it was the shop policy that they cannot use 8 while working in the shop.

    After I got out of the shop onto the busy street, I 9 a young mother with her two kids to make the same 10. As soon as I said “Excuse me, madam!” she grabbed her kids and ran. I 11 a kidnapper（绑匪）.

    I stood there wondering how many times I had 12 to strangers like the young 13. I stood there in the 14 street with people rushing by, looking at their faces to see if there was a sign of 15 on their face.

    I saw a man pretty shabbily dressed compared to me who 16 to notice me. I just stopped him and made my request. He 17 called my driver and waited till my car came to make sure I was picked up, turned around 18 I could thank him adequately and was gone.

    I was 19 by kindness and hope I will do20 to strangers who try to catch my attention from now on.

    One Saturday afternoon, my mother was driving home. On the halfway, after1her credit card to buy something at the store near the gas station, she put her wallet on the top of the car just for a moment to2my phone call. And then3, she forgot and drove off. When arriving home, she realized that and thought that the4of getting it back was small.

    She was so5surprised when she found a6on the door from a person who said he and his friend found her wallet a few hours earlier. Patrick and Catherine saw the wallet in the middle of the road a few7from the gas station. They stopped their car to8. It was filled with all the things one usually kept in a wallet, including some9and other cash. However, no phone number,10this, they managed to get a（an）11from my mother's driving license, and without hesitation, they decided to drive to our home to12it.

    When my mother went to get the wallet she was so13and grateful. She14to give them some money as a（n）15of gratitude, but they refused, saying that they were just glad to16my mother help.

    They were naturally17, and they had a firm18in the Golden Rule as well. They drove over to my house because they realized the unpleasant and upset experience that the loss of a wallet and all its contents could19. I think they were really20and helpful.

    When we finished eating, I quickly grabbed (抓住)the check and 1 to pay. Before I could get to the counter(结账处)a man 2 me over to his table, saying "I know you saw 3 at you and I'm sorry if it made you4. It's just because you look like my old classmate 40 years ago." Then he asked if we would be with them for a few minutes.5, Danielle and I sat down. We talked for about 10-15 minutes and then I 6 I had something 7 to do. As I stood up to leave, the man 8 across the table and took my 9 out of my hand. Before I could explain, he said "I would really like to 10 this meal for you." He continued," The only thing I ask 11 is that some day when you can help others, please pass on the 12."

    As I walked to my car 13 what just happened, Danielle started jumping up and down with 14 , saying, "Mama, now we can get a Christmas tree!" 15 , we bought a Christmas tree for $8.97, which I still have today. I never put an angel (天使)on the top because it has a 16 one! Although I never met that man again 17 the years, there's hardly a day that goes by that I don't think of his 18 .He was right. I have been able to pass it on. I became a speaker and passed on his 19 to as many people as I could reach.

    Whether he's divine (神圣的)or not doesn't 20. I still think of him as a guardian angel.

    A boy named Nick dialed 911 this Thanksgiving. He just wanted to give 1 to his local police office. Nick asked the police officers to 2 him and his family for their holiday dinner at their home.

    "With all the 3 calls we take on a daily basis, this one was a welcomed happy call that made all of us 4," said Monica from the police office.

    The boy admitted that he'd 5 the number soon. "I had told him to do that for 6 only." The boy's mom, Mary Ann 7.

    When two officers 8 Nick's house to thank him for his 9 offer, she said her young son began crying because he thought he was 10.

    "The policemen had to 11 my son, so did I," Ann said.

    "The officers told Nick that it was 12 to know someone that young was still thinking about them over the holiday and that they were very proud of him, " she 13.

    The officers didn't 14 eating any of the family's turkey, but they did give the boy a badge(警徽) and let him take 15 inside their police car. While he now knows that the number 911 16 be used for non-emergencies, Nick also has his 17 set on becoming a policeman when he's older.

    "It just goes to show that policemen aren't just about 18 people and putting them in prison," Monica told the local media.

    "Nick's call 19 all of our days, and the officers' surprise visit gave Nick a sweet Thanksgiving 20 that will stay with him for the rest of his life. It is a special holiday for Nick and us."