Barry is a middle-aged man who is going through a very difficult time in his life. His wife died a few days ago. Barry was so sad that he even closed his company.

【小题1】 His friends and family tried to encourage him to start doing new things and enjoy life, but they failed. One day, Barry’s neighbor, a very old woman named Gertrude, saw him from her yard. She asked him to come closer and said, “Barry, look at this fence ( 篱笆). I only built it two years ago, but it is falling apart. 【小题2】 Would you like to fix it for me?” Barry was angry. She knew the situation he was in. He was the one who needed help. However, he knew she was too old to fix the fence herself, so he agreed. 【小题3】 Barry smiled for the first time in months “Wonderful! But could you paint it for me?” asked Gertrude. Barry couldn’t believe she was asking more help. But because he respected her so much, he agreed.

Over the next few weeks, Gertrude kept giving Barry jobs. He repaired her door and even made some wooden furniture for her. All the neighbors passed by and told Barry what a beautiful job he had done. 【小题4】 He felt proud of this work. Barry said he would become a carpenter (木匠). He thanked Gertrude. 【小题5】 She knew that sadness would be eased (缓解) by simply getting busy with something.

An eight-year-old child heard her parents talking about her little brother. All she knew was that he was very sick and they had no money for an operation.

When she heard her daddy say “Only a miracle (奇迹) can save him now,” the little girl went to her bedroom and pulled her money from its hiding place and counted it carefully.

She hurried to a drugstore with the money in her hand.

“What do you want?” asked the salesman. “It’s for my brother, Andrew.” the girl answered. “He has something bad growing inside his head and my daddy says only a miracle can save him. So how much does a miracle cost?”

“We don’t sell a miracle here, child. I’m sorry,” the salesman said with a smile.

“Listen, if it isn’t enough, I can try and get some more. Just tell me how much it costs.”

A well-dressed man heard it and asked, “What kind of miracle does your brother need?”

“I don’t know,” she answered with her eyes full of tears. “He’s really sick and mum says he needs an operation. But my daddy can’t pay for it, so I’ve brought all my money.”

“How much do you have?” asked the man.

“$1.11, but I can try and get some more,” she answered.

“Well, what luck,” smiled the man. “$1.11, the price of a miracle for your little brother.”

He took up the girl’s hand and said, “Take me to your house. I want to see your brother. Let’s see if I have the kind of miracle you need."

That well-dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a famous doctor. The operation was successful and it wasn’t long before Andrew was home again.