Directions: In the following passage, some of the words have been left out. First read the passage and then try to understand what it is about. Then, fill blank (2) with the help of the alternatives given.

A hoard of Viking gold and silver artifacts, dating back over 1,000 years, has been discovered by a treasure hunter with a metal detector in Scotland, a find (1) __________ by experts as one of the country's most significant. Derek McLennan, a retired businessman, uncovered the 100 items in a field in Dumfriesshire, southwest Scotland, in September. Amongst the objects is a solid silver cross thought to date from the 9^th or 10^th century, a silver pot of west European origin, which is (2) __________ to have already been 100 years old when it was buried and several gold objects. The Viking hoard is McLennan's second (3) __________ contribution to Scotland's understanding of its past. Last year, he and a friend unearthed around 300 medieval coins in the same area of Scotland. "The Vikings were well known for having (4) __________ these shores in the past, but today we can appreciate what they have left behind," said Scotland's secretary for cultural and external affairs. The Vikings of Scandinavian origin made (5) __________ raids on Britain from the 8^th to the 11^th centuries. They buried their valuables for safe-keeping, which have gradually been discovered by generations of treasure seekers.