Many modes of transport

Winner:

Transport is a means by which people or goods are carried from one place to another. There are three ways of transport. They are land transport, marine transport (sea transport) and air transport. There are two ways of land transport. They are by rail and road.

Travelling means to move from one place to another. During ancient times people travelled on foot or used animals such as donkeys, horses and elephants to do so. However, when man discovered wheels, carts driven by bulls were used. The rich people used carriages driven by horses.

Rapidly more advanced vehicles were made. There were rickshaws which were drawn by man. Then with the industrial revolution, motorised vehicles were introduced and developed.

In rail transport, lots of wagons and compartments are drawn by a loco-motive engineer because it is very cheap and also saves time. There are no traffic blocks and the train can transport many goods and passengers at one time. However, one problem is that there are no railway lines, in all parts of the country. Not as much as roads anyway.

Road transport can be made by car, bus, coach or lorry. In public transport a special concession is given to schoolchildren. Season tickets are issued on concessionary rates. Public transport rates are fixed and tickets must be bought for road, rail, sea or air transport.

These modes of travel should be fully insured for the safety and protection of passengers and also owners.

Nethmina Fernando,

Grade 4 Lea,

Alethea School, Dehiwala.

Science makes life comfortable

Winner:

Science has given many things to the world. So, today life has become very comfortable. Many new machines have been invented in this century. Modern machines can do a lot of work, quickly. The radio and television are wonderful inventions. They bring news from around the world and also entertainment for the people. Through television we can see what is happening everyday in other countries.

Travelling has also become easy and efficient now. Therefore, the world has become a smaller place because people can get from one place to another faster.

Modern machines that have been developed increase production. Machines can produce more products in a shorter period of time. A robot is a mechanical worker that can efficiently carry out many of the work human being. Robots are used to do risky jobs in factories and nuclear power stations.

Science has led to the invention of space satellites too. There are many satellites which travel around the Earth and send various valuable information back to the Earth.

The development of the chemical industry is the basis of modern civilisation.

I.N. Dinushi Nilanga,

Grade 7B,

St. Joseph’s Girls’ School,

Nugegoda.

Health is wealth

Winner:

There is a great saying that ‘Health is a gift from God’. Health is the physical and mental well-being of a person. It is the most important thing in life. From the time of birth until death we mainly want good health. If we are not in good health it will directly affect our lives.

There are many ways to improve our health. By engaging in sports and games, we can improve our physical health. These activities provide a lot of exercises for our bodies. We can not only improve our physical health by doing sports and games but also by eating fresh, nutritious food. Through meditation and religious activities we can develop our spiritual health. If we can balance our physical and mental health it will help us lead a healthy life.

Every government allocates a large amount of money from the budget to build a healthy society. If there are many unhealthy people, it will have an impact on the development of a country.

Today many people lead unhealthy lives consuming lots of artificial food and doing sedentary jobs. Because of these, people are exposed to a lot of fatal diseases. For example, we may suffer from high blood pressure, cancer, blood sugar, and high cholesterol. As a result of these diseases our life span becomes shorter.

If we are unhealthy we have to spend most of our money on healthcare. However, if we are in good health, it will be a reward to our life, society and to our country. So, my humble request to you is to avoid junk food and fizzy drinks to maintain mental and physical fitness and become healthy and wealthy citizens.

W. Ann Keshali Fernando,

Grade 10,

Holy Family Convent,

Kalutara.

T-20 cricket is popular

Winner:

The 20-20 cricket matches are the new version of cricket introduced to the game. First came test cricket, then 60 overs internationals and thereafter the 50 overs game. Although the 50 overs game is very popular some people who like a fast game prefer the 20 over game. This 20-20 game or T.20 is the most speedy version of cricket. It is also a fast money spinning form of cricket.

Like in other forms of cricket, eleven players are in the team of each side. Most people say that this game is a paradise for batsmen. However,the most recent T.20 internationals proved to be a paradise for bowlers.

The T.20 World Cup Festival was held in England. In these matches Sri Lanka was unbeaten and victorious till the final game. The final game was won by Pakistan.

In India, top businessmen and film stars involved in the T.20 games make lot of money. In that 20-20 match, cricketers from all parts of the world were virtually auctioned for very high prices, paid in dollars.

The International Cricket Council did not oppose it and players of several countries played for one team. Many Sri Lankan cricketers too participated.

A test match is played over a period of five days and a 50 overs game is played for one day. But the T.20 cricket matches end sometimes in just three hours. The fast moving world is very happy with this three hour game. But, is it really cricket?

Ganguli Mendis,

Grade 9, St. Paul’s Girls’ School, Milagiriya.

The right to food

The right to food is a human right established by international law. The idea was to save people all over the world from hunger, which is the most crucial point for their survival. The human population on Earth is estimated as 6.89 billion and 1.02 billion among them are suffering from malnutrition. This number will be increased by 120 million in 2011. Even though people call this the scientific era, an increase in malnutrition is indicated according to the calculations, instead of a decrease. Most of those affected will be from developing or least developed countries.

People who are living in many countries are suffering from malnutrition mainly because of the problems faced in the distribution of food. Therefore, many people die of starvation each day and several others are vulnerable to diseases which eventually cause death.

People living in conflict - affected areas too do not have the specific food requirements because of problems in transportation.

People are suffering worldwide from the economic crisis. The most affected by the crisis are the developing and underdeveloped countries that cannot bear the volatile fluctuation of prices. The economic crisis is not the only reason for the increase in malnutrition and starvation. Natural disasters such as floods and drought and epidemics spread among the livestock also affect food prices.

The high input costs for animal food, fertilizers and artificial water supplying systems for the crops also further increase prices.

Post harvest losses incurred every year during transportation and in the stores also directly contribute to the increase of food prices.

To solve this problem the world definitely should take decisions to improve the agricultural productivity to supply adequate food for its growing population. The infrastructure supplied by Governments for food production should be increased. Modern farming methods should be spread among farmers and they should be motivated to use new technology.

To ensure a healthy population, it is necessary to supply adequate food and eradicate malnutrition. The Governments of respective countries should spend more money on food manufacturing and research related to agriculture, and private investments too on this line be promoted.

Pashmi Liyanage,

Grade 9A, Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo.

YOUR POEMS

Touch of the WIND

Winner:

On the snowiest night I’ve seen,
I met the speediest love.
Moving swift as a lightning bolt,
Making many a sound.
This moonlight night,
Beside the lake,
Was where I saw this being.
I felt her calling out to me,
Pulling me off my feet.

The sky above was sapphire blue,
And the moon was silvery pearl.
Watching the great aurora’s light
Was (maybe) second to none;
Like an artist scatters paint around,
As I myself would draw,
A technicoloured marvel,
Drawn out by nature’s hand.
The din of snowflakes falling
Was echoed by the leaves.
Of the mighty weeping willows;
My love felt them with her hands.

I felt her sweet, undying touch,
As she rippled the calm of the lake.
Her mind was truly wild and free,
And I walked towards the shore.
Not a croak of a frog,
Not a splash of fish,
Disturbed the only spot;
Where a throne of water looked out from
A mighty realm of ice.

In all my days, I haven’t felt
A more uplifting breath.
Than when her hand slipped through my hair
with mighty confidence,
I had to part;
Yet I smiled, for she was the star of the day.
I met what made this breath turn white;
I’d been touched by the wind.

Vasika Udurawane,
Grade 10,
S. Thomas College, Mt. Lavinia.