Consume nutritious food

Winner:

It is well-known that food is a prime requirement to sustain a healthy life throughout our life span. It is evident that today a greater proportion of the world population encounters malnourishment, hunger and deficiencies in vitamins or minerals. Therefore, we have to choose different food sources to solve the malnutrition problems.

The major nutrients which should be present in our food are carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. Other than these, there are vitamins, salt and water which enable the body to grow and to function properly.

Do you ponder on "what food does for you?" and "Why you have to consume nutritious food?" Food is essential for life.

It is the source of the energy and nutrients our body needs to grow and develop; to move, work, play, think and learn. Food also contributes to life's enjoyment.

Food contains nutrients that perform various functions but no single food provides all the nutrients in the amounts required for growth and health. From a nutritional point of view, there aren't any good or bad food.

Our body needs a variety of nutrients and these come from the foods we eat. Therefore, we should eat a variety of foods everyday to get all the nutrients we need.

Our key nutrients are carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. Nutrients perform many important functions in our body without us even knowing it.

A healthy diet is essential for healthy living, which includes proper growth. It would provide us with sufficient protection and energy for our daily activities.

We cannot eat the same type of food everyday, however healthy the diet may be. So, there should be variety in the food.

The same vegetable can be prepared in different ways on different days. The concept of eating five type of vegetable a day, is now advised by the Health Education Bureau. Food requirements and the capacities of absorption of food of different people, may vary widely. Examination of a food pyramid will give an idea as to the rough amounts of various types of food that should go into a person's meal.

We as educated children should have the knowledge, skill and attitude to select nutritious food to lead a happy and healthy life.

"We should eat to meet the needs of the body"

Fathima Sarafa Thayub,
Grade 9, STR/Muslim Madhya Maha Vidyalaya, National School,
Sammanthurai.

Many uses of the jak tree

Winner:

The jak tree is a versatile tree like the coconut tree. Almost every part of the jak tree is used by people. The jak fruit, at every stage, is eaten by man. The ripe jak fruits are of two kinds; Wela (koolan) and Waraka (palapalam). The tender jack which is known as Polos (polosika) can be made into a delicious curry. It was even in the diet of ancient royalty.

Nursing mothers are given polos and boiled jak to increase lactation.The jak tree is a rich source of food for man and animals. We make many kinds of eatables using jak fruit. The leaves, fruit and the outer covering of the fruit are eaten by animals.

The broadly spread branches give shade and add beauty to nature. Jak roots are used by Buddhist monks to dye robes in the saffron (yellow) colour. The trunk of the tree provides valuable timber to construct buildings and to make furniture.

The jak tree also helps to keep the soil moist. The leaves give out a large amount of oxygen into the air. The dried branches are used as firewood. We can say that the jak tree is a gift of nature.

Fathima Resla Ismail,
Grade 9-B, Sangamiththa BMV,Aluthgama.
 

Brain - the human computer

Winner:

The brain is the main part of our body. It is inside our head and is protected by the skull. The brain has many parts. They are the cerebrum, cerebellum and medulla. The brain has nerves running to every part of the body. It gets millions of messages all the time and yet it can control them all.

The brain is known as the computer of the human body. To work as the human brain, a computer would have to weigh a lot! There are as many nerve cells and connections in one gram of the brain as there are in the world's telephone system. But of course computers have become smaller than the brain today.

The functions done by each part of the brain is different. The cerebrum controls your voluntary actions, (actions you control by thinking about them.) The cerebellum controls the involuntary actions (actions which go on all the time without you even knowing about them.) The medulla too controls the involuntary actions. These are the three main parts of the brain. But there are more parts such as thought, movement, sensation, sight, memory and speech. The names indicate their functions. There are also two kinds of actions. They are thinking actions and reflex actions. A thinking action is done by thinking. A reflex action is done without thinking. The brain is simply amazing. Many extraordinary things have been discovered by man using this brain. For example, the computer we cannot do without today, is one of the most complicated machines made by using the human brain.

You too must use your brain to its capacity. If you use your brain wisely you can do wonders. You can excel in your studies too. You can make your future a success by using this human computer properly.

Randhula Gajadheera,
Willesden College.

Man destroys his habitat

Winner:

Many scientists believe that man emerged through the process of evolution. Man's intellectual power is greater than other animals. So, man believes that he is superior to Mother Nature and other animals. From ancient times man has tried to control his surroundings including flora and fauna. And in this process man has caused much harm.

The greatest damage to nature took place with industrialisation. Man started producing goods and services to satisfy his unlimited desires. Due to this, a depletion of natural resources and an increase in pollutants took place, causing severe damage to nature. Oil spillages, toxic gases, industrial and vehicle exhaust all pollute the environment. Such acts lead to global warming and the destruction of the ozone layer. Today glaciers are melting and sea levels are rising, submerging lowlands. Gases such as carbon dioxide and methane trap heat and reduce the content of oxygen and nitrogen on the Earth. This will spell disaster for animals, plants and even the entire planet.

In order to feed the alarmingly increasing population, many forests are felled and converted into farmlands causing severe soil erosion, deforestation and destruction of habitats.Industrial activities pollute water, the air, and soil, causing many serious issues. Most of the energy man uses comes from fossil fuels which release various toxic gases.

It is obvious that negative effects of globalisation like the exhaustion of natural resources and even conflicts leading to wars cause great setbacks.It is evident that many of man's actions have resulted in trouble, which may even lead to the destruction of the world.

So, people should understand the gravity of their actions carried out in the name of development. Man should contribute to create a greener Earth by putting away negative thoughts and cultivating positive ideas.

Vince Wijeratne,
Girls' High School,
Kandy.

A memorable trip

Winner:

It was the school vacation. We had to go to Badulla and Bandarawela for a wedding during December. We started early from home and travelled via Kandy to reach Randenigala. There we saw the Randenigala Reservoir and the dam. After we reached Badulla, we stayed the night over in a hotel. The following day we went for the wedding at Bandarawela.

It was a grand wedding. We came back to the hotel for the night and the next day we travelled to Nuwara Eliya. I went on a pony ride which was very exciting. We all went on a boat ride in Lake Gregory. We had lunch at a restaurant.

Afterwards we visited the strawberry farm, the Highland milk factory and the New Zealand farm. We saw vegetable plots with carrot, beetroot, leeks, cabbages and potatoes. We stayed the night in Nuwara Eliya.

On our way back to Badulla we visited Rawana Ella. It was magnificent. On the last day of our trip we went for the homecoming at Badulla. It too was a very grand party. We saw a lot of beautiful flowers in Badulla and took photographs. We enjoyed our trip very much.

Harshana Gopallawa,
Grade 4F,
Maliyadeva Boys' College,
Kurunegala.

Knowledge is power

Knowledge is what you gain by learning. Our world needs people who use their knowledge for the betterment of the country, not people who use their knowledge to destroy the world.During the middle ages of Europe the Catholic priests were known to be more educated than others.

As a result, even royalty sought their advice. Naturally the priests became very powerful.

The Brahmins of India too were very educated.

People eventually started to realise the importance of education. They used their knowledge to gain power. Later man became so knowledgeable that he learnt even to control dangerous animals.

Devinka Liz Valentine,
Good Shepherd Convent,
Kotahena.

An amazing book- Howl's moving castle

It is natural, as a book worm, to sometimes allow oneself to enjoy a good book, no matter how bizarre it may be. Most children get so caught up in this rapidly moving world, so those who are wise, seek shelter in books that they can immerse themselves in.

Howl's moving castle is a novel by Diana Wynne Jones, meant for children from 10 years and above. Even adults would find this book rather enjoyable. This book can be categorised as a book of fantasy and it has also been turned into a major motion picture. Such is the popularity of this novel. Diana is also a well-known author and has published numerous books for children which I have read and enjoyed.The story has a rather remarkable plot, and I assure you, you simply would not want to put it down without wanting to know what would happen next. The story revolves around a young and very beautiful girl called Sophie. My personal opinion about her is that she is very inquisitive, brave and somewhat stern, when she has to be. Where she lived, there were rumours that spread about a mysterious hovering castle that moved through the air. And in this castle there was said to be a very strange, but very handsome young man who steals the hearts of young girls. And his name was Howl.

Well, Sophie somehow manages to find herself in the clutches of this strange person. And I suppose you assume that he steals Sophie's heart. But no, there is a remarkable twist to the story. Sophie is whisked away to strange but remarkable dimensions by the moving castle. Throughout her journey she gets to know Howl better and finds herself facing an impossible challenge. Read this book and you will definitely enjoy it.

Shenali Boteju,
Holy Family Convent,
Bambalapitiya.