Leonardo da Vinci lived in Italy in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. He was a student in Florence, where he studied painting and design. He began a lot of paintings, but he {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (not finish) many of them. His picture of the Mona Lisa is {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (famous) one in the world.

    Leonardo was interested in many things. He wanted {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (know) about everything he saw. He thought the sun doesn't go around the earth. He wrote music. He designed a {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (fly) machine 400 years before the first one flew. Many people didn't understand his ideas. It is difficult {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (think) that one man can do so much.

    A few weeks ago, I visited Sydney, a perfect place to surf. I knew I couldn't leave it without going surfing {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (I). I booked a group surf lesson when I was in Byron Bay. Byron Bay is {#blank#}2{#/blank#} really popular place for professional surfers to go!

    We first were asked to learn how to read the sea conditions and {#blank#}3{#/blank#} to expect in the water. Then we did a warm-up by {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (run) along the beach. Next, it {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (be) time to learn how to stand on the surfboard. We did it on the sand. After a lot of practice, we were ready to go out into the sea {#blank#}6{#/blank#} try it out on the water. I have to say, surfing is much {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (hard) than it looks. When you watch people from the beach, they make it look so easy! I failed many {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (time) to stand up. Then one of the coaches came to help me and held my board steady (平稳的).

    Finally I learnt how to do that and by the end of the lesson I had managed to "walk on water". It was an {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (amaze) feeling and I felt so proud {#blank#}10{#/blank#} myself!

    My family makes the best chicken salad. Dad prepares all of the ingredients and Mom makes the relish. There {#blank#}1{#/blank#} a few things that make this chicken salad different from other chicken {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (salad). First, we use fruit jam(果酱) in the relish, You can buy any fruit jam, like banana jam or orange jam But we have {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (bottle) of strawberry jam that my mother made, so we use the strawberry jam.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (two), we put some green olives (橄榄). Green olives give the salad an{#blank#}5{#/blank#} (interest) taste and make a big difference. Now let me tell you how {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (make) the salad.

    First, mix {#blank#}7{#/blank#} all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. The ingredients are {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (chicken), tomatoes, green olives, onions and apples. {#blank#}9{#/blank#} you like lettuce, you can also put some. Next, make the relish. Please mix the jam, the juice and the salt. Finally, mix the relish with the salad ingredients.

    Do you have a favorite chicken salad recipe? Please tell {#blank#}10{#/blank#} about it, You can write to greensalad@yahoo.com.