Expressions

Australia, the country I like most

Australia is one of the driest countries in the world. It is divided into seven states: New South Wales (NSW), Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania. Canberra is the capital city. In the past, citizens of NSW and Victoria had a dispute as to which city should be the capital of the country. So, as a solution, Canberra situated between NSW and Victoria was chosen as the capital.

The first people to live in Australia before Captain James Cook discovered it were the Aborigines.

They lived in the bushlands and ate various animals they hunted and fruits and potatoes they discovered. They used boomerangs, spears, didgeridoos, woomeras, gunyas and many other things to protect themselves from wild animals.

One of the famous cities in Australia is Sydney.The Harbour Bridge and the Opera House are very beautiful. The Opera House is a famous theatre, while the Harbour Bridge is one of the biggest bridges in the world.

I love Australia because it has so many interesting places to explore. To me it is the best country and I would love to visit it someday.

Priyanjala Sumanasekara, Grade 6, Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya.
 

Health is wealth

Good health is a great asset. It is the most valuable treasure a man could have. People with good health often do well in life.

Who does not like to be in good health? Everyone hates to be ill. We feel quite uneasy and unhappy when we are not in the best of health. We do not feel like working or even playing. We do not feel like enjoying anything at all. When we are ill, we lose our appetite for food and life becomes a hassle.

What leads to ill-health? It is germs that cause us to be ill. Germs are very, very small living things. They are so small that we cannot even see them with our naked eyes. They are everywhere; they grow and multiply in the air, the water and the dust.

We breathe the air filled with all these germs all the time. We use water for drinking, bathing and cooking. The dust is always there on our hands, face, clothes and so on. So, the germs get into our bodies through air, water and dust. They find their way into our bodies through cuts and wounds too. Then they give us all kinds of diseases and ailments and we end up falling ill.

M. P. Erandi Isurika, Grade 8C, Ch/Senanayake MMV, Madampe.
 

Unity is strength...

‘Unity’ - it seems such a simple word yet it has such a deep meaning. To many it’s just another word, but it has the strength to build a family, a society and even a nation.

It is a rich source of strength and wealth, which will bind everyone together as one nation beneath the manifold diversity of language, custom, caste, creed and religion.

Even early Sri Lankan history shows the spirit of unity expressed by the countrymen in the resistance to foreign invasion.

Unity begins at home. If a child is brought up in an environment filled with love, care and respect he/she tends to mix with other children, learns to share and be concerned about others. School will become his/her second home. Once he/she leaves school and becomes a part of society, he or she will realise the value of living in harmony and be a good citizen and an asset to society.

The need for national unity in our country is even greater now. We have to be wide awake to the threats posed by the hostile attitudes of some of the people in our own country.

We have realised that we cannot enjoy peace and serenity unless there is mutual trust and goodwill among all sections of the people of the country.

Unity is a priceless gift which is fading daily, and as a result we tend to grow up with hatred.

Whether in school or outside, one is concerned only about one’s achievements.

Where have we gone wrong? Let us unite as one nation. From ancient times, we have believed in non-violence. We should put an end to terrorism.

It will help us to develop our economy and march towards the progress of the country.

Rasika Baskaran, Good Shepherd Convent, Kandy.
 

Undying friendship

Unity, peace will give us a magnanimous gift,
Noble gift, which we all love,
Days, months, years will grow old, but this gift will never,
You have all got that gift,
It’s the gift of friendship,
Nothing will compare, is the idea of many
Gladness, sadness are part of this friendship,
Flowers will fade, trees will die, but not this friendship,
Ripples in the sea are like this friendship,
As they never stop either
If we can be a true friend,
Everyone will love us,
No one will hurt us,
Don’t think about caste, creed or religion.
Society will admire us for that,
Help forever, hurt never,
Is what we should make our motto
Proudly claim we’re friends, with no discrimination,
But friends as Sri Lankans!

A. M. Piyumi Hansika Weerarathne, Grade 9F, English Medium, Kuli/Saranath Maha Vidyalaya, Kuliyapitiya.

Peace and harmony

United we stand, divided we fall,
If there’s peace.
There will be no wars.
People can’t go anywhere
without being scared.
Bomb explosions and violence is everywhere,
Some people are abducted
by unknown people,
Is this what’s left for our future generation?
People should be united as a colony of ants,
One ant can’t do anything properly,
Except as a colony,
We can live in peace and harmony,
If all communities, lived together, as one family
There shouldn’t be any dispute,
Over land, money and ethnicity...
We can do many things to encourage peace ’n’ harmony.
We should have lots of patience.
But most people do not have it,
We must be honest with each other.
We can develop as individuals, and as a nation,
Through our collective efforts,
We are all Sri Lankans, we are all human beings,
So, let’s unite to build the nation.

Rangika Balasuriya, Leeds International School, Panadura.

My cousin brother

My cousin brother’s name is Dinuk Welagedera.Dinuk is my uncle’s son.He is five years old. He lives in Australia. He has started schooling there.

He is a loving, caring and interesting boy. He is fond of Spider-man. He was the pageboy at my uncle’s wedding. He dressed like a prince. He loved that dress very much. He is an obedient boy and his parents love him very much. I love him very much and he loves me too.

Charini Udalagama, Grade 8-F, Girls’ High School, Kandy.