Whenadirtyanduntidyorangecatshowedupintheprisonyard，Iwasoneofthefirsttogooutthereandpetit．Ihadn’ttouchedacatoradoginover20years．Ispentatleast20minutes，kneltdownbehindthekitchenasthecatrolledaround，relaxed．WhathewasexpressingoutwardlyIwasfeelinginwardly．ItwasanamazingbitofgracetofeelhimundermyhandandnotethatIwasreachingalifeoranothercreaturewithsomethingassimpleasmycare．
Overthenextfewdays，therewereotherprisonersrespondingtothecat．Everyyardperiod，agroupofprisonersgatheredthere．Theystoodaroundtalkingandtakingturnspettingthecat．Thesewereguysyouwouldn’tusuallyfindtalkingtoeachother．SeveraltimesIsawanofficerinthegroup，notchasingpeopleawaybutjustwatchingandseemingtoenjoyalongwiththeprisoners．Bowlsofmilkandwaterappearedalongwithbreadwiselyplacedundertheedgeofthedustbintokeepthebirdsfromgettingit．
Thecatwasobviouslyhomelessandinprettybadshape．Peoplesaidthatthecatcametotherightplace．He'sgettingtreatedlikeaking．Thiswastrue．butasIwatchedIwasalsothinkingaboutwhatthecatwasdoingforus．Therewasalotoftalkaboutwhat'swrongwithprisonsinAmerica．Weneedmoreprograms．Weneedmorepsychologistsortreatmentofvariouskinds．Somemayeventalkaboutmakingprisonsmorekind．ButIthinkwhatwereallyneedisachancetopractiseourownkindness．Notreceiveit，butgiveit．Aftermorethantwodecadeshere，Iknowkindnessisnotavaluethat'sencouraged．It'softenseenasaweakness．
Instead，thecultureencourageskeepingyourheaddown，mindingyourownbusiness，andneverlettingyourselfbeweak．
Thecatdidmyheartgoodtoseetheeffecthehadonmeandthemenhere．Bysimplysaying，”Ineedsomehelphere”，hedidsomethingimportantforus．Heneededus．Andweneededtobeneeded．Ibelievewealldo．
【小题1】Fromthepassage，wecanlearnthattheauthorwas ．
