, my family and I went to Shenzhen  for a trip. We took a bus to Mount Wutong. The bus was quite comfortable and convenient. Soon we arrived. On the way up the mountain, we saw a group of . Some monkeys asked us for food. But we didn't give them any. We didn't think tourists should feed the monkeys. We  in Mount Wutong. We liked the  beauty and the playful monkeys.

Hundreds of years ago, a Roman army came north from England to make war on Scotland. The Scots, a brave people, loved their country very much. They fought hard to drive the enemy out of Scotland, but there were too Romans. It looked as if the Romans would win.

One night, the leader of Scots marched his soldiers to the top of a hill. "We will rest here tonight, my men," he said "Tomorrow we will fight one more battle. We must win or we will die.

They were all very tired, so they ate their supper quickly and fell asleep. There were four guards on duty, but they, too, were very tired, and one by one, also fell asleep.

The Romans were not asleep. Quickly they gathered at the foot of the hill. Slowly they climbed up the hillside, taking care not to make a sound. Closer and closer they came to the sleeping Scots. They were almost at the top. A few minutes more, the war would be over. Suddenly, one of them put his foot on a thistle(蓟). He cried out and his sudden cry woke the Scots. In a moment, they were on their feet and ready for battle. The fighting was hard but it did not last long. The Scots wiped out the Romans and saved their country.

The thistle is not a beautiful plant. It has sharp needles all over it. Few people like it. But the people of Scotland liked it so much that they made it their national flower.

On February 3, 1949. New York Harbor was an exciting place. Many people were there to greet a ship from France. On the ship were 49 French railroad boxcars filled with gifts from the people of France to the people of America. These boxcars were from the famous Merci Train (Merci: a French word meaning "thank you").

After World War II, a lot of factories, roads and farms in France had been destroyed. Many French people had no jobs or money and had little to wear and little to eat. In the winter of 1947, a train was sent across the United States, stopping in cities and towns along the way. At every stop, people gave whatever they could. Factories gave clothing and medicine. Farmers gave food. Families gave money. Even school children gave away their pocket money. All the things were then taken to France by ship.

By 1949, the French had begun to recover from the war. The Merci Train was their way of saying "thank you" to America. French people had filled the boxcars with gifts. Most of them were personal, like hand-made toys, children's drawings, or postcards. But the boxcars themselves were perhaps the most meaningful of the gifts .On each car, the French people had painted the pictures of all their 40 provinces, with an American eagle on the front. The boxcars were taken to each state of America, where they were warmly greeted.

Now many of the states still keep their boxcars. Gifts sent by the French people can still be seen in some museums. The Merci Train came out of the war, but it now reminds the world that countries can also work together.

Old people around the world all have their own special hobbies. In China, I often see grannies  . (dance) together in public squares. Old men like to get together and play mahjong .Light exercise is also popular. (one) saw an elderly person walking backwards  clapping her hands as a way of exercising.

In America, elderly people dislike playing mahjong. Instead, they prefer   (play) cards. Like mahjong, playing cards is   great way to socialize(社交) and have  ( (funny). Elderly people are often  (alone), but hobbies like playing cards can bring friends together. They also enjoy gardening and  (bake). Grandmothers especially like baking sweet treats, such as cookies or muffins(松饼)for their grandchildren. Gardening (give) them a chance to get a little bit of exercise and fresh air, as well as grow vegetables and fruit  (cook) with. And of course, gossiping(聊八卦) with their elderly friends is popular as well.