The art of keeping ‘secrets’

Winner:

Most of us feel thrilled and even honoured when someone tells us something in confidence and requests us not to tell anyone else about it.

What we have heard has to be kept a secret but how many of us can really keep a secret? Keeping secrets is important.

If you learn to keep secrets and earn the trust and faith of others around you, you will be considered a dependable and trustworthy person. You will become very popular and will always be surrounded by friends.

Everyone has some kind of problem at school, home or workplace or with parents, friends, teachers, family members and neighbours. The list of troubles is endless and one often wishes that there is someone with whom you can share your troubles with. A person you could trust and tell your troubles to; someone who would not be a blabber mouth and tell your secrets to others.

So, here’s what you should do when someone wants to tell you a secret. First listen carefully and then talk it out with whoever is telling it to you. Once it is done, put it right out of your mind until you are called upon by the person who said it to talk about it again. Make a conscious effort to forget it. You should only talk about it with the person who told you the secret, not with anyone else!. Think how you would feel if someone revealed a secret you told. So, never make another’s secret public knowledge.

That way a secret is safe. It is like locking a cupboard and opening it only when needed. Remember, idle minds like to ‘talk’. People who talk too much never digest anything! So, read this verse carefully.

If you have a friend
Treat him well.
Never let him know too much.
If your friend becomes your foe
All the world will your secrets know

Fathima Asma Yahya
Grade 9,British International School.

Tourism - a booming industry

Winner:

Tourism is a major source of income for Sri Lanka. It was slightly disrupted during the past three decades .

Sri Lanka is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and many foreigners like to spend their vacation here.

Tourism brings in a large sum of foreign exchange to our motherland. Most of the hotels and holiday resorts are situated along the coastal areas as tourists love the golden sandy beaches. They can enjoy the favourable weather conditions which prevail throughout the country.

These are some major factors which help promote tourism. The tropical weather, the beaches, historical places such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Kandy and Dambulla which depict the architectural feats of our forefathers and the hospitality of the people are some of them.

Sri Lanka is endowed with immense natural beauty. There are a wide variety of flora and fauna, and world famous indigenous medicinal plants in Sri Lanka.

The scenic beauty and landscapes in the country are breathtaking. The World Heritage sites such as Sinharaja Rainforest attract many tourists here.

Last year, 8000,000 foreigners visited Sri Lanka. It is evident that there is an increase in tourist arrivals now.

The Government has accelerated its development programme to promote tourism in the country. The proposed ‘Lotus Tower’ in Colombo, the new expressway and star class hotels will provide more facilities for tourists visiting our motherland.

Very soon Sri Lanka, will shine among the world’s developing countries and bring pride and glory to our land.

Fathima Zahara Thaslim,
Grade 7A,
Ng/Newstead Girls’ College,
Negombo.

Goodness of fruits

Winner:

Fruits are eagerly consumed by both children and adults and are a favourite part of our diet. We enjoy biting into a ripe mango, apple or watermelon. Fruits not only taste good but also contain many vitamins which are good for us.

In order to have a healthy body, we need to eat nutritious food. Vegetables, fruits and plenty of water are essential components of a healthy diet, especially for growing children.

Fruits are the most nutritious and the best form of natural food available to us. They contain minerals, vitamins and a very high content of water essential for our bodies to function properly.

The best way to eat fruits is as it is - fresh from the fields. However, they can be consumed in the form of juices or desserts too.

Being a tropical country, Sri Lanka has an abundance of fruits. Apart from the wide variety of fruits available in the country many types of fruits like apples, grapes and oranges are imported from abroad. Local fruits such as bananas, mangoes and papaws are extremely tasty and nutritious too.

Most fruits are seasonal, but some are available right throughout the year. It is also good to eat fruits after a heavy meal, as most fruits contain enzymes that aid food digestion.

Bananas are said to be rich in vitamin B which helps develop resistance to various disease, improves eye sight and strengthens muscles. Fruits contain vitamins C and B which builds and maintain the brain, hair, skin and bones of our bodies.

Fruits are easily digestible. They contain minerals such as phosphorus, iron and calcium. Iron is a supplier of oxygen to the brain. So, it's good if everyone of us adds fruits to our daily diet.

Mohamed Harees
Fathima Safra,
Grade 7,
Newstead Girls’ College,
Negombo.

Treasures in the rainforests

Winner:

Rainforests are normally found in the tropical climates. They get about four to eight metres of rain during a year. They cover almost two per cent of the Earth's surface. A large number of plants and animals are found in rainforests.

Even though they are a rich source of biodiversity rainforests are dwindling fast due to man destroying them at a rapid pace. They contain many valuable plants. In fact, most of the plants from which medicines are obtained are found in the rainforests. Today, these medicines help combat diseases such as cancer.

The rainforests contain many more plants believed to be of great medicinal value which are yet to be utilised by scientists.

Many of the food we eat today and relish are also originally from the rainforests.

If the rainforests are destroyed we will also be destroying our food and medicinal banks. This will really be a great loss to mankind. Apart from the flora, the mammals and amphibians that live in rainforests are also important as some are endemic.

We are well aware as to how important the fauna and flora of rainforests are to us, but yet we destroy them.

Sri Lankans are fortunate to have a rainforest which has been identified as a world heritage site. We should not only protect our very own Sinharaja Rainforest but also all the other rainforests in the world.

Asma Yahya,
Grade 9,
British International School.

The heart - our life centre

Winner:

Humans and animals have a heart and a circulatory system. However, unicellular animals do not require a heart or a circulatory system. Humans have a well developed and efficient circulatory system which consists of blood, blood vessels (veins, arteries, capillaries) and a thick muscular organ called the heart.

Blood is a fluid that flows in the blood vessels. It is the medium of transport for food, oxygen, Carbon dioxide, water, minerals and waste products the body needs to function. Blood comprises several cells floating in a straw – coloured liquid called plasma. They are red blood cells (RBC s), white blood cells (WBC s ) and blood platelets.

The smooth flow of blood in the vessels is possible due to the pumping done by the four-chambered muscular organ called the heart. It pumps blood to all parts of the body. It is able to do so by the rhythmic contractions and relaxations of its muscles. These are known as heart beats.

A normal heart beats about 60-80 times a minute. The stethoscope helps us to hear our heart beat.

When our heart beats and forces blood to flow through our body, we feel a throbbing sensation at any point where an artery comes close to the surface of our skin. This throbbing sensation is called the pulse.

The heart has four chambers. They are the right atrium, the right ventricle, the left atrium and the left ventricle. The heart has many parts and I have already learned about eight of them.

The aorta carries blood to all parts of the body. The right atrium gets blood from all parts of the body through veins. This blood is pumped into the right ventricle. Valves separate each of the chambers so that there is no mixing of blood. They allow blood to flow only in one direction. The right ventricle pumps blood into the pulmonary arteries.

The pulmonary artery takes blood to the lungs for oxygenation. The pulmonary vein brings back oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and pours it into the left atrium which has thin walls. It pumps blood into the left ventricle. The left ventricle has thick walls. It pumps blood to the farthest part of the body through the aorta.

An artery carries pure (oxygenated) blood and a vein carries impure (de -oxygenated) blood. But the pulmonary artery carries de-oxygenated blood and the pulmonary vein carries oxygenated blood.

This is how the heart, our life centre functions. We must be thankful to great scientists such as William Harvey for discovering so much about the heart.

J. Randhula Gajadheera,
Willesden College International.

My precious school

Pitipana Mahinda Rajapaksa Vidyalaya is my school. It is named in honour of the President of Sri Lanka. Minister of Education Bandula Gunawardana is the chief patron of the school. It is situated in the surrounding of the beautiful village of Pitipana. It was opened on January 20, 2011. It is about two kms from the Moragahahena – Homagama main road.

It has three very large new buildings. A large play ground is under construction. It also has a one acre farm where pupils practice agriculture and farming.

At present we have only Grades six and seven classes. There are 34 classes all together. All class rooms are in good order. There are about 1500 students and 50 teachers.

Some of the extra-curricular activities are sports, cadeting, foreign languages scouting and aesthetics. We have an art room, three computer labs, music rooms, a science lab and a college bus donated by Japan.

I study in Grade 6-C. My class teacher is Mrs. Sudipa and the Principal is H.S.N. De Silva. He and all staff members render a great service.

Unlike other schools, my school operates from 7.30 am to 3.00 pm. I am proud to be a student of this great school.

N.M. Tharindu Bandara,
Grade 6-C,
Mahinda Rajapaksa Vidyalaya,
Pitipana.

My family

My name is Abdul Razak. I am nine years old. There are six members in my family. They are my mother, brother, sisters and myself.

My mother's name is Fazeena. She is 36 years old. She is a housewife. My brother is Rifkhan. He is 14 years old. He goes to school. My sisters are Fazia and Farah. They are in Grade Ten. I have a younger sister too. She is five years old.

We are a united family. We help each other. My mother works hard to look after us. We live in Wellampitiya. My sister and brother study well. I also can study well. My mother can speak English. She looks after me very well. I love my family.

Abdul Razak,
Grade 3,
Hejaaz International School,
Mt. Lavinia.

Myself

My name is Pradeera Shashmin Rajapaksha. I live in Moneragala. My mother's name is Aparna. My brother's name is Apporwa.

My mother is a laboratory technician. My father is a policeman. My brother is a student.My hobbies are helping others, reading books and watching TV. I like to eat pizzas and many other things. I drink any type of juice.

I am in Grade 7F in the English Medium.My best friend is Maleesha. She is very kind. My school is Mo/Mahanama Central College. It is a very beautiful school. The Principal is Dayavansha. My class teacher's name is Surangi. I like my class teacher.

My life is very beautiful and I love my life.

Pradeera Shashmin Rajapaksha,
Grade 7F (English Medium),
Mo/Mahanama Central College, Monaragala.