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词汇提示

1.dedicated 敬业的

2.eager 渴望的

3.severe 严重的

4.frustrated 挫败的

5.inability 无力

6.temper tantrums 发脾气

7.tutor 家庭教师

8.outbursts 爆发

9.Braille alphabet 盲文字母表

10.bumps 凸块

11.interpreter 口译译员

原文

Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller

The story of Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller is the story of a dedicated teacher and an eager student.

This story is very remarkable and inspiring because the teaching was done without sight and without sound.

Helen Keller was born in the American state of Alabama in 1880.

She was a happy and healthy baby，but before she reached the age of two，she was struck by a severe fever.

As a result of this fever，she became both deaf and blind.

After her illness，the young Helen Keller learned to use her other senses.

For example，she touched other people's hands to figure out what they were doing.

In this way，she also learned that people could communicate by moving their lips .

Helen could not talk；instead，she communicated with her family by making sign movements with her hands and body.

However，Helen became very frustrated by her inability to see，hear and talk.

She often became very angry and had many“temper tantrums”.

When Helen Keller was 6 years old，her family took her to see Dr. Alexander Graham Bell，who was an expert on educating deaf children.

This man was also famous for inventing the telephone.

As a result of this visit，Helen's parents hired a tutor for their daughter.

The tutor was a very intelligent deaf woman named Anne Sullivan.

At first，it was difficult to teach Helen because she still made many angry outbursts.

Gradually，Anne Sullivan gained Helen's trust.

One day，Anne began to teach Helen to communicate.

Anne took Helen to a well and pumped some water onto Helen's hand.

Then，Anne used her finger to write the letters w-a-t-e-r onto Helen's hand.

By repeating this，Anne was able to teach Helen how to write the word“water”.

As soon as Helen learned that things could be named in this way，she wanted to learned the named of many other objects and actions.

She was curious about many things，and learned a great number of words.

She also learned to read by using the Braille alphabet.

This alphabet allows the reader to feel letters and words，which are represented by bumps on a paper.

Also，Helen learned to talk，by feeling and coping the movements of people's mouths.

When Helen Keller was 16 years old，Anne Sullivan went with her to college.

Anne acted as Helen's interpreter，and Helen was very successful in her studies.

After her graduation，Helen dedicated her life to improve the conditions for the blind，the deaf，and the poor.

Anne Sullivan died in 1936 and remembered as the“Miracle Worker”for her triumph in educating Helen Keller.

After Anne's death，Helen continued to give lectures in countries around the world，and was active in many political causes.

She met with presidents and prime ministers to improve conditions for people who were deaf and blind.

At the time of her death，in 1968Helen Keller was one of the most admired people in the world.

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词汇提示

1.chunnel 海底隧道

2.separate 单独的

3.suspension 悬浮的

4.withstand 承受

5.signal 信号

原文

Modern Engineering Wonders

During the twentieth centuries，there were great improvements in engineering technology.

These new developments allowed the construction of many amazing tunnels，bridges，towers and office buildings.

For centuries，people had dreamed about the possibility of connecting the island of Great Britain to the mainland of Europe.

However，it was only in 1994 that such a link was completed，when a tunnel was dug under the English Channel，between England and France.

The Channel Tunnel，also was known as the“Chunnel”，actually consist of three separate railway tunnels.

These tunnels are about 15 kilometers long.

They are located about 150 meters below the bottom of the sea.

Obviously，this was an extremely challenging project to undertake.

As a result of the Chunnel，it was now possible to travel between London and Paris by train.

And the trip takes only 3 hours，of which only 20 minutes are spent inside the tunnel！

A suspension bridge is a bridge that is supported by strong wires that hang from tall towers.

The world's longest suspension bridge is the Akashi-Kaikyo bridge，near the city of Kobe，Japan.

This bridge is nearly 4 kilometers long，and two towers near the middle of the bridge about 2 kilometers apart！

It took almost 20 years to design this bridge，and 10 years to build it.

This bridge was designed  to withstand extremely strong winds，because Japan often experiences wind storms called typhoons.

The bridge was also designed to withstand powerful earthquakes，which sometimes hit Japan.

At the beginning of the twenty-first century，the world's tallest free-standing tower was the Canadian National Tower，or the CN Tower.

The CN Tower is 553 meters tall.

It is located in the city of Toronto，within the Canadian province of Ontario.

This structure was built in 1975 as a television and radio tower.

Before the CN Tower was built，TV and radio reception in the Toronto area was poor.

This was because the TV and radio signals were blocked by the buildings of downtown Toronto.

When the CN tower was built，this problem was resolved.

Of course，the CN tower is also a famous tourist attraction.

People can ride the very fast elevators that take them to the observation areas，which are at 350 and 450 meters above the ground.

Although the CN tower is the world's tallest tower，it is not an office building.

The tallest office building in the world are the Petronas Towers，in the city of Kuala Lumpur，Malaysia，and the Sears Tower，in the American city of Chicago.

The Sears Tower，which is 442 meters tall，was completed in 1972.

In has 110 floors，and its top floor is the highest office floor in the world.

However，the Petronas Towers reach slightly higher，to a height of 452 meters

The Petronas Towers were completed in 1998.

Obviously，the late twentieth century witnessed some amazing achievements of engineering.

It will be very interesting to see what new wonders will be constructed in the twenty-first century！

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词汇提示

1.the Protestant Reformation 新教改革

2.Catholic 天主教

3.theologian 神学家

4.committing 犯罪

5.sins 罪恶

6.freedom 特权

7.acknowledge the authority 承认权威

8.heretic 异教徒

9.celibate 独身的 

10.interpret 解释

原文

The Protestant Reformation

Until about 500 years ago，there was only one Christian church in western and central Europe.

People from Portugal and Poland all belonged to the Roman Catholic Church.

However，soon after the year 1500，people in many parts of Europe broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and began their own churches instead.

This was known as the Protestant Reformation.

The leader of the early Protestant movement was a German theologian named Martin Luther.

Luther believed that many of the priests of the Roman Catholic Church had became too concerned about wealth and luxury.

Also，he disapproved of some practices in the Church.

One such practice was that priests allowed people to pay money to the Church in exchange for committing various sins.

Luther believed that it was wrong to allow people to buy the freedom to commit acts that were against the teaching of the Church.

Luther began to criticize the Roman Catholic Church in public，and he refused to acknowledge the authority of the Church.

He said that instead he would follow the teachings of the Bible as he understood them.

The officials of the Church declared that Luther was a heretic.

However，the local German rulers did not punish Luther.

Many of them resented the power of the Church and welcomed his ideas.

Luther and other Protestant leaders disagreed with the Church on several important issues.

The Protestants believed that priests should be allowed to marry，whereas the Roman Catholic Church believed priests should remain celibate.

The Protestants believed that people should read the Bible for themselves，whereas the Roman Catholic Church believed that the priests should interpret the Bible for the people.

During the decades that follow Luther，the Protestant movement spread throughout much of Europe.

Over time，many Protestant churches were formed.

During this period，many wars were fought between local rulers who were favored Protestantism，and other local rulers who supported the Roman Catholic Church.

In the end，many parts of Europe became Protestant，such as Scandinavia，England，and parts of Germany，Holland and Switzerland.

However，the people and rulers of many other areas of Europe preferred remain in the Roman Catholic Church.

These areas included most of southern Europe，such as Poland and Ireland.

The Roman Catholic Church changed a few of its practices in response to Protestant Criticism，but kept its most important beliefs.

In recent times，relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the various Protestant churches have become much more friendly.

Some discussions have been held between Catholic and Protestant officials，in order to resolve some of their disagreements.

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词汇提示

1.individualism 个人主义

2.collectivism 集体主义

3.ethnic 民族的

4.obligation 义务的

5.inclination 倾斜

6.versus 对抗

原文

Cultural Differences：Individualism and Collectivism

The many cultures of the world differ in a great variety of ways.

One of the most interesting ways in which cultures vary in the extent to which they are“individualistic”or“collectivistic”.

An individualist society and collectivist society are different in many ways.

In an individualistic culture，each person tends to think himself or herself in terms of his or her characteristics and preferences the things that make the person unique and different from others.

In a collectivistic culture，each person tends to think himself or herself in terms of his or her social relationships and roles the things that make the person a part of a larger group，such as an extended family or an ethic group.

Another difference between individualist and collectivist cultures involves the tendency to help others.

In an individualist society，people feel some obligation to help persons who share some group identity such as their distant relatives，or persons from the same town，but obligation is not as nearly as strong as in collectivist cultures.

On the other hand，people in collectivist cultures tend to feel very little inclination to help other people who are not belong to their groups，whereas people in individualist cultures are more often willing to help others even if they are not belong to the same group.

Another difference between individualist and collectivist cultures involves the relationship between people and the groups to which they belong.

In an individualist culture，people usually join or leave group when it is in their personal interest to do so.

In a collectivist culture，people usually stay with one group for a long time.

For example，people in individualist societies are more willing to quit their job，and take a new job at another company.

People in collectivist societies usually prefer to stay with one company throughout their career.

Similarly，people in individualist countries usually get married for reasons of personal choice，and are more likely to get divorced.

However，people in collectivist societies usually get married according the wishes of their relatives，and are less likely to get divorced.

Western countries，such as west Europe and North America，are usually considered to be very individualist.

However，not all individualist countries are similar in every way.

For example，the individualism of the United States is viewed as more“competitive”，than that of socialist countries，such as Sweden.

In contrast of Western countries，the countries of most parts of Asia and Africa are usually considered to be very collectivist.

Collectivist countries also differ from each other in many ways.

The idea of individualism versus collectivism is an interesting way to understand some of differences between cultures.

By learning about ideas like this，one can better appreciate the customs of other peoples.

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词汇提示

1.sexual harassment 性骚扰

2.blatant 明目张胆的

3.sexual favors 性服务

4.comply 服从

5.prospect 展望

6.sexual access 性接触

7.demeaning 贬低的

8.vulgar 粗俗的

9.speculate 猜测

10.pornographic 色情的

11.intimidation 恐吓

12.penalties 惩罚

13.perceived 注意到

14.potential 潜在的

原文

Sexual Harassment

When an employee is subjected unwanted sexual advances or comments by a co-worker or an employer，we say that the employee is experiencing sexual harassment.

In some workplaces，sexual harassment is a serious problem.

In its most blatant form，a boss may demand sexual favors from an employee and threaten to fire the employee if she fails to comply.

Similarly，the employer might promise a promotion or raise in exchange for some sexual favor.

Whenever an employer uses the prospect of reward or punishment as a way to obtaining sexual access to an employee，sexual harassment has occurred.

This is not the only form of sexual harassment.

Sometimes，an employee may be subjected to demeaning comments by her employer or co-workers.

For example，a boss may make vulgar comments about the physical appearance of the employee.

Another example is that a co-worker might make remarks that speculate about the sexual behavior of the employee.

In both of these cases，the employee is treated disrespectfully on the basis of her sex，so both cases would represent sexual harassment.

Some forms of sexual harassment are more subtle.

If a group of workers exchanges offensive jokes of a sexual nature in such a way that they can be easily overheard by other workers，then this is also a form of sexual harassment.

Similarly，if workers post pornographic pictures in their workplace，in such a way that they can be seen by other workers，then this also represents sexual harassment.

In both cases，the workplace becomes an environment in which the employee is made to feel uncomfortable because of her sex.

Sexual harassment usually involves a female employee who is being bothered by a male employer or co-worker.

In some cases，a woman might sexually harass a man，or one person might sexually harass another person of the same sex.

However，these cases are not as common.

Also，in some cases，the person who commits sexual harassment is not a boss or co-worker，but a customer or visitor to the workplace.

Sexual harassment is a form of intimidation and abuse of power that causes much stress for many employees.

In recently years，many steps have been taken to reduce the occurrence of sexual harassment.

Educational campaigns have been designed to teach people that sexual harassment is wrong.

Stronger penalties for sexual harassment have been introduced.

Another way to reduce the prevalence of sexual harassment is to develop a culture of respect in the workplace.

People need to be aware of how their jokes or comments might be perceived by others，and to imagine how they would feel if one of their relatives were subjected to sexual harassment.

Employers and employees must recognize that sexual harassment is a serious concern and treat potential cases of sexual harassment very seriously.

Each company should have clear policies about sexual harassment，and each should establish a fair and efficient process for dealing with complaints of this kind.

In this way，the workplace can be a comfortable environment for all persons.

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词汇提示

1.obesity 肥胖的

2.triumphs 胜利

3.abundance 充裕的

4.malnutrition 营养不良

5.prevalent 普遍存在的

6.excess 过量的

7.diabetes 糖尿病

8.genetic 遗传的

9.associated 相关的

10.adequate 充足的

11.fad 时尚

12.mineral 矿物质

原文

Obesity and Nutrition

For people in many countries，one of the great triumphs of modern life is that there is great abundance of food.

In those places，problems such as starvation and malnutrition are no longer prevalent，and people do not worry about going hungry.

Despite the fact that there is plenty food in modern countries，people still face many healthy problems that are related to their diet.

One problem is that modern technology has made it possible to produce cheap and tasty food that is not very healthy.

This leads to the problems that many people are obese，or very overweight.

One example of this is the“fast food”that is served in many restaurants.

This food is often cooked by frying.

Fried food contains a high proportion of fat.

Also，fast food meals are often very large.

When people frequently eat large amounts of fried“fast food”，they will likely eat too much fat.

This excess can lead to weight gain.

Of course，many people enjoy the taste of fried fast food and like to eat it occasionally.

However，eating this kind of food too often is bad for one's health.

Another example of health problems caused by modern food products involves soft drinks and other sweetened beverages.

These drinks，sometimes called“pop”，have a sweet taste that many people enjoy on occasion.

However，these drinks contain large amounts of sugar.

When people drink soft drinks very frequently，they consume a great deal of sugar.

This excess sugar can lead to weight gain.

The weight gain that can result from consuming too much fast food and too much soft drinks can have several harmful effects.

For example，people who are very obese have an increased risk of heart disease and of diabetes.

Of course，fast food and soft drinks are not the only causes of obesity.

Other eating habits may be involved，and so are lack of exercise and genetic factors.

To avoid the health problems that are associated with obesity，it is important that one does not eat too much food.

However，this dose not mean that one should try to eat as little as possible.

People need an adequate amount of food in order to stay healthy.

Also，it is important to avoid new“fad”diets that become popular from time to time，because these are often unsafe.

Some of these diets that are recommend in popular books do not contain adequate amounts of nutrients，such as vitamins and minerals.

Instead，one should try to eat foods that are nutritious.

For example，foods such as fruits，vegetables，grains，and lean meats have many vitamins and minerals that are needed for good health.

People whose diet consists mainly of these foods will probably be much healthier，on average，than people whose diet contains too many foods that have high levels of fat or sugar.

In addition，many of these nutritious foods are also very tasty and enjoyable to eat！

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词汇提示

1.extinctions 灭绝

2.presence 存在

3.eliminated 淘汰

4.disrupt 扰乱

5.emerged 出现

6.prehistoric 史前时期

7.pigeon 鸽子

8.prairie 大草原

9.bison 野牛

10.habitat 栖息地

11.ivory 象牙

12.rhinoceros 犀牛

13.tragic 悲剧地

14.aphrodisiaca 壮阳药

15.stimulants 兴奋剂

原文

Extinctions

Ever since human beings appeared on the earth，we have had a serious impact on other living things.

One of the most serious of the human presence had been the extinction of other species.

Since the arrival of humans，many species of animals and plants have died out as a result of human activity.

The extinction of species is a serious problem.

When certain species are eliminated，this may disrupt the balance of nature，leading to overpopulation of some species and extinction of others.

These changes may have an impact on humans.

Also，some of the species that become extinct might have had benefits for human beings.

For example，some scientists believe that some of the plants growing in rain forest areas might be valuable for treating human diseases.

If these plants become extinct as a result of human activity，then these treatments will never be found.

The earliest extinctions caused by humans occurred very long ago.

Modern human emerged in Africa over 100000 years ago，and some of those people migrated to other parts of the world.

When they reached new areas，they found that it was very easy to hunt the large animals，which had not previously been hunted by humans.

As these prehistoric people moved into the Europe，Australia，and the Americas，they killed large numbers of large animals.

Within a few hundred years，many species of animals had become extinct.

For example，prehistoric people reached New Zealand less than 100 years ago，but they soon hunted a huge bird，called the giant moa，to extinction.

With the beginnings of modern technology，several hundred years ago，many other species were driven to extinction.

Hunters armed with guns were able to kill vast numbers of animals.

In North America，these led to the extinction of bird species such as the passenger pigeon，which has previously been very numerous.

Other species were nearly wiped out，such as the large prairie mammals called bison.

There were once million of these animals，but now only a few thousand remain.

Today，many more species of animals and plants are going extinct.

Sometimes this happens because of human expansion into areas that are the habitat of certain species.

When people clear a forest，some species may be lost.

In the near future，many other extinctions are possible or likely.

In some cases，the problem is due to human greed.

For example，some people buy ivory that is taken from bodies of animals such as elephants or rhinoceros.

Hunters sometimes kill these animals simply to take their ivory，and the result is a tragic decline in populations.

Another example involves bears in North America.

Some people buy the sexual organs of these animals for use as aphrodisiacs or sexual stimulants.

The result is that the hunters kill these animals simply to obtain these organs，and this leads to a reduction in the number of bears.

Fortunately，many countries have laws to prevent the hunting of species that are facing extinction，knowns as “endangered species.

However，some hunting of these endangered animals continues.

Only by refusing to buy the products that are made from endangered species can we prevent this terrible crime.

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词汇提示

1.torso 躯干

2.accurately 准确

3.tournament 锦标赛

4.participate 参加

5.proceed 前进

原文

Soccer

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world.

The basic rules of the sport are simple：two teams of eleven players to kick the soccer ball into the opposing team's goal.

Only one player on each team，the goal-keeper，is allowed to touch the ball with hands or arms.

Perhaps part of the reason for the popularity of the soccer is its simplicity.

The game require no expensive equipment，merely ball and a playing surface，preferable a large grassy area.

For children in most parts of the world，soccer is the sport that is played most widely

Soccer is also known as football，especially in England.

However，soccer should not be confused with American Football，Australian Rules Football，and Rugby Football，which are very different sports.

Although the basic rules of soccer are easy to learn，it is very difficult to master the skills of the game.

The best soccer players have developed，through natural talent and hard work，a remarkable ability to control the soccer ball with their feet，knees，torso and head

They can pass the ball very accurately ，or shoot the ball very hard.

The most famous soccer tournament is the World Cup.

Every four years，teams representing countries from around the world play in a tournament to decide which country has the best soccer team in the world.

Because soccer is such a popular sport，it is not possible for every country in the world to be represented at the World Cup tournament.

To decide which countries may participate in the World Cup，it is necessary to have tournaments within various regions of the world.

The countries that perform well with their parts of the world can then proceed to the World Cup.

In the past，most of the available places at the World Cup have been reserved for team from Europe and from South America.

The reason for this is that soccer has been extremely popularity in these continents，which have produced the winning teams in previous World Cup tournaments.

Recently，however，several African and Asian countries have played quite well at the World Cup，so there are now additional places provided for teams from Africa and Asia.

Someday，teams from these areas will win the World Cup.

However，there will be no doubt be strong competition from countries that have traditionally had very strong teams，such as Argentina，England，Brazil，France，Germany，Italy and the Netherlands.

In many parts of the world，soccer has been an increasingly popular sport for women.

There are many soccer leagues and tournaments available for women athletes，and it seem likely that the number of women who play soccer will someday equal the number of men who play soccer.

Among children in many parts of the world，soccer is equally popular for boys and girls.

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词汇提示

1.Empire 帝国

2.emerging 新兴的

3.distinct 明显的

4.cockney 伦敦腔

5.cosmopolitan 世界性的

6.abbey 修道院

7.cathedral 大教堂

8.Gothic architecture 哥特式建筑

9.vibrant 充满活力的

原文

London

The city of London is one of the famous cities in the world.

In previous centuries，London was the center of the British Empire.

Today，it is one of the most important cities of the emerging European Union.

London is located in the southeastern England on the Thames River.

The greater London area contains about 12 million people，and the surrounding areas contain several million more.

London was the first city in the modern world to have a reached a population of one million people.

London is a very old city，and many of its neighborhoods maintain their distinct character.

One of the most famous parts of London is the East End，where people speak with an accent known as“cockney”.

One of the features of the Cockney accent is that the letter“h”is often not pronounced.

London's population is very cosmopolitan.

The city contains，in addition to people of English background，large communities of South Asian，Chinese，African，and Caribbean people.

Most of these people have their origins in countries that belong to the British Commonwealth of Nations.

Many of the most famous buildings in London are located in a small central area.

This area contains several huge churches，including Westminster Abbey，where many famous people are buried.

Another famous church is St. Paul's Cathedral，which was re-built after the original was destroyed by fire in the year 1665.

The House of Parliament are also found in the central London.

These building are famous for their Gothic architecture and for the sound of the large clock，known as“Big Ben”.

The Tower of London，which was formerly used as a prison，is now a popular tourist attraction.

Buckingham Palace，the residence of the royal family，was first opened for public viewing during the 1990s.

London is also famous for its many impressive museums，art galleries，and theatres.

For example，the British Museum contains priceless objects from all parts of the world.

The National Gallery holds a great collection of artistic masterpieces.

The Globe Theatre has been re-built to appear as it did during the time of Shakespeare.

Despite its age，London remains a vibrant and busy city.

Most of the cultural and financial institutions in England are located in London，and the city attract many young people from other parts of England and around the world.

Of course，London is popular with tourists who come to see many attractions of this city.

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词汇提示

1.evicted 驱逐

2.fabric 织物

3.pattern 图案

4.tartan 格子呢

5.heritage 遗产

6.bagpipes 风笛

7.parades 游行

原文

Scotland

Scotland is the country that located on the northern part of the island of the Great Britain.

The Scottish people are one of the four maintain nationalities of the Britain Isles，together with the English，the Welsh，and the Irish.

Scotland and its people have played an important part in the history of the English-speaking world.

Scotland can be roughly divided into two main regions.

The Lowland areas，in the southern part of the Scotland，contain most of the population and the two main cities，Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Most of Scotland's agriculture and industry are located in the Lowland areas.

The Highland areas，together with the islands that lie off the coasts of Scotland，are not so heavily populated.

The lakes and mountain of the highlands are known for their beautiful scenery.

One of the themes of Scottish history is conflict with England.

During the Middle Ages，the English and Scottish kings were often at war.

Around the year 1300，the Scots repelled some invasions from England.

During the 1600s，though，Scotland and England had the same king，and the countries were official joined as“the United Kingdom”in 1701.

For people in the highlands of Scotland，the eighteenth centuries was very difficult.

Most people worked as farmers on land that was owned by a few wealthy landlords.

The landlords decided that they could make more money on the land if they evicted the farmers，so many of the farmers were forced to leave.

The highlanders rebelled against the king in 1745，but they were defeated.

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries，many people left the highlands of Scotland.

They moved to the United States，Canada，Australia，and New Zealand.

During the nineteenth century，Scotland was the first country to have the universal public education for children.

The country produced a great number of famous scientists and inventors during that time.

Scotland is famous for its national costume.

This costume includes the“kilt”，which is a knee-length skirt worn by both men and women.

The kilt is made from a fabric that contains stripes of different colors and widths，which cross over each other produce a pattern that is called a“tartan”.

In the Scottish highlands，group of related families，called“clans”，have their own unique tartan.

Another famous part of Scottish heritage is the musical instrument known as the bagpipes.

The bagpipes have a distinctive sound that is easily recognized.

Bagpipes were original played to intimidate enemies in battle，but today Scottish people play the bagpipes at parades and other celebrations.

People of Scottish heritage around the celebrate their heritage on January 25thof each year.

This day celebrates the birthday of Bobbie Burns，the famous Scottish poet.

People celebrate this day at parties，where people eat a famous Scottish food called haggis.

Today，Scotland remains part of the United Kingdom，but some Scottish people would like Scotland to became independent.

Whatever Scottish people decide，their country will remain a unique and interesting place.