Cheques have largely replaced money as a mean s of exchange, for they are widely accepted everywhere . Though this is very __1__ for both buyer and seller, it should not be forgotten that cheuqes are not real money: they are quite __2__ in themselves. A shop-keeper always runs a certain __3__ when he accepts a cheque and he is quite __4__ his rights if, __5__ ,he refuses to do so.

　　People do not always know this and are shocked if their good faith is called __6__ . An old and very wealth friend of mine told me he had an extremely unpleasant __7__ . He went to a famous jewellery shop which keeps a large __8__ of precious stones and asked to be shown some pearl necklaces. After examining several trays, he __9__ to buy a particularly fine string of pearls and asked if he could pay __10__ cheque. The assistant said that this was quite __11__ , but the moment my friend signed his name, he was invited into the manager’s office.

　　The manager was very polite, but he explained that someone with __12__ the same name had presented them with a __13__ cheque not long age. He told my friend that the police would arrive __14__ any moment and he had better stay __15__ he wanted to get into serious trouble. __16__ , the police arrived soon afterwards They apologized to my friend for the __17__ and asked him to __18__ a note which had been used by the thief in a number of shop .The note __19__ :“I have a gun in my pocket. Ask no questions and give me all the money in the safe.” __20__ , my friend’s handwriting was quite unlike the thief’s.