Warmth at Midnight

Canberra winters are extremely cold, and 2014 brought some of our coldest days. One weekday night I walked to the __1__ supermarket before it closed at midnight.

As I approached, I noticed a group of six or seven people __2__ by the supermarket entrance. Aware of the __3__ of late-night walking, I made sure I paid attention. The scene ahead looked unusual.

And unusual it was. Expecting to see a group of __4__ troublemakers, I found a weak, well-dressed old man distributing items of food to a group of homeless people. Rather than just feeding them, he was also engaging them in a __5__of warm discussion.

The homeless people were rough-looking and __6__ dressed. But they listened to the man __7__, not just with gratitude for the food they had been __8__ . With no charity vehicle in sight, this old man was only representing himself.

After I finished shopping, the group was still there, food __9__ , but all laughing. If a weak old man can give to others in the __10__ cold at midnight, what excuse do we have?

A. dangers
B. local
C. happy
D. reading
E. freezing
F. attentively
G. potential
H. sitting
I. poorly
J. given
K. consumed
L. circle