Scotland is a unique place, loaded with history, where you can find aristocratic（贵族的）palaces and castles, as well as the traditional parades in national costumes.

In order to see and discover the true soul of Scotland today and what formed the character of this splendid region, we have to go towards the northern regions, to the Grampian Mountains（格兰扁山区）, beautiful and plain. The Scots conquered the environment with simple spades and strong arms, for it was difficult to farm.

The history of this ancient struggle, and its people’s ancient love with the hard land, can be felt within the walls of the Angus Folk Museum. You are able to get a feel of the typical rural atmosphere of times past from the everyday artifacts displayed here.

From coastal Aberdeen in towards the Grampian Mountains there runs the Castle Trail, a road that touches on many fortresses（堡垒）, which are witnesses of continual fights against the control of neighboring England in Scottish history.?

Perhaps the most exciting moment for Scottish autonomy is the one experienced inside this ancient church of Arbroath, where, in 1320, the Declaration of Independence was celebrated, at the instigation（鼓动）of King Robert the Bruce. He carried out the plan for autonomy drawn up by the great popular hero William Wallace, for whom cinema has designed the wonderful film Brave Heart, the winner of the five Oscars.?

This is Glamis Castle, where King Macbeth and Queen Elizabeth used to live. Among the most frequent guests here are the predictable ghosts, if not actually created, by ancient popular beliefs. These have been handed down over the centuries by people tending to live with mystery, with the forces of the supernatural.

Another attraction here is a legendary monster: the Loch Ness Monster. Whether it’s real or imaginary, this monster, which has been nicknamed Nessie, has collected a good 3,000 sightings over the last 50 years.

The true flag of Scotland, tartan, is recognizable from the brightly colored plaid patterns which are used to distinguish the various social groups.?

Bagpipes and dancing open the competitions of local sporting events, which are called Highland Gatherings.

1.Take a look at the Angus Folk Museum, and we can learn about _______.??????? .

A. the love of ancient Scottish to the hard land

B. the rural atmosphere in Grampian Mountains

C. ancient Scottish people’s fighting against the enemy

D. the history of the Scottish famous palaces and castles

2.What were the fortresses built for?

A. Fighting against the invaders of England.

B. Developing business with neighbor areas.

C. Preventing the people from moving around.

D. Providing a shelter from tough weather for travelers.

3.In the fifth paragraph, the underlined “the one” refers to the moment of _______.

A. the film Brave Heart winning the five Oscars

B. the plan for Scottish autonomy being carried out????????????

C. the instigation of King Robert the Bruce

D. the celebration of the Declaration of Independence

4. According to the passage, which one is TRUE?

A. The film Brave Heart is mainly about King Robert Bruce.

B. The Scottish film industry is one of the attractions of the land.

C. Highland gatherings are often marked with bagpipes and dancing

D. The supernatural forces in Glamis Castle may change a person’s belief.

5.The purpose of the writer is to _______.

A. advise readers to pay a visit to Scotland

B. teach students about the customs of Scotland???????

C. introduce cultural background about Scotland??

D. analyze the geographic formation of Scotland

Just not a long time ago did I finish my blog about the unforgettable snowy storm that I had on Monday night in November. I got another big   36   in Seattle again. But this time, it's not snow, but the wind and rain. I have   37   seen such a strong wind before even though I had    38   the typhoon every summer when I was still in my home country.

That    39   storm was so powerful that it    40   the whole big Seattle area out of    41   . 700,000 people had no electricity, and    42   13 people have died. Seattle is famous for its evergreen trees, but those trees made a big   43   this time. They broke down the power line above the ground,   44   the road and streets, and    45   the houses.

As the last storm was still   46   in my mind, I had another personal   47   about this new storm.   48   , this time, it was not good either. I was    49   to have my TOEFL test on the second day of the stormy night. Since the whole city had no electricity, my test had to be    50   off, and I had to prepare for another one later. It was my last test for the   51    , and I already made a plan for the time after the test, but now    52   is changed.

I guess sometimes, the way that the thing    53   is not always what you    54   . And what I can do now is to fit for it.   55   , we got a free hotel room from my husband's cousin and met my lovely nephew from San Francisco.