Paolo had a generous spirit, and wrote a will leaving $10, 000 to each of his many aunts, uncles,
cousins, nieces and nephews. Unfortunately, Paolo had a hard time holding down a job and was
nearly penniless when he passed away. As a result, his executrix had to proportionally reduce each of
the many gifts he made. This action by the executrix is called:

a . abatement.
b . administration.
c . publication.
d . probate.