(1)In the fifth grade at my school, we start to learn how to play instruments.

　　There are different instruments like the violin, cello (大提琴), trumpet (小号) and flute (长笛). I play the violin.

　　On Mondays, all the players go to a big music room to play with the whole band. On Tuesdays, students go to smaller classrooms to learn how to play their instruments.

　　I take good care of my violin. I never leave it out in the sun. I bring it back home when the day is over. I like playing the violin in my spare time. Now I’m with the California Youth Symphony (加州青年交响乐团). I play very well. I’m the concertmaster (首席小提琴手) of Junior strings (小学弦乐器组).

　　Learn it

　　take care of...照顾，照料

　　I have a pet rabbit. I take good care of her.

　　(我有一只宠物兔。我把它照料得很好。)

　　(2)WHAT are teenagers nowadays crazy about? Popular songs? Harry Porter books? Sports or online games? For me, the answer is history.

　　History is a part of my leisure (空闲的) time. Since I was 10, I’ve been reading history books, collecting old maps and visiting museums. I always get excited when people around me talk about history.

　　I have learnt a lot from history. It’s helped me deal with (应付) the problems of growing up. History is precious (珍贵的) wealth.

　　History helps me become more mature (成熟的). I used to believe that life is simple to understand. Now I know that we shouldn’t make simple judgments (判断). People aren’t "good" or "bad"; things aren’t "true" or "false".

　　History has also made me mentally (精神上) stronger. I’m more responsible now. I have learned useful things about myself from studying the rise and fall of kings and queens.

　　When I studied Chinese history between 1840 and 1949, I knew I must be a strong person and do my best for China.

　　Francis Bacon wrote, "Histories make men wise". I agree with that. If you know history you respect the past are confident about the future. History tells you where you come from, where you are and where you are going. That is the charm of history. Don’t you think so?