Birds are unique

Winner:

There are many beautiful birds in Sri Lanka. Are there any that come to your garden everyday?

All birds have two feet. Birds are the only living creatures which have feathers. Another important thing about birds is that they have wings and most of them can fly.

Birds are warm-blooded, like humans. This means that their bodies remain at the same temperature all the time.

Most birds are very light in weight. Their bodies are shaped like an aeroplane. Birds have strong arms and chest muscles and very light, hollow bones to aid them in their flying.

W.G. Rashini Shawindya,
Brilliant Stars International College,
Nupe, Matara.

Travelling, a pleasure

Winner:

We have heard about many great travellers such as Vasco da Gama, Christopher Colombus and Megalan. They became world famous because they discovered many new countries as a result of their extensive travelling. Let me prove to you that travelling not only brings one pleasure but also helps one to learn many valuable things.

There is no dispute about the immense pleasure we get from travelling. We enjoy travelling long distances. Travelling is an experience which helps overcome the monotony of our everyday lives.

When we travel, we explore, meet new people, get new experiences about places and people and learn about the history of these places.

There are various categories of travelling. The list is endless.Today people use different types of transportation to travel. The modern technology has made travel a very pleasant experience for many. There are so many vehicles that offer luxury and comfort for passengers.

Most of these modes of air, sea and land travel provide cabins and rooms for passengers to rest or sleep during the duration of the journey.

It is my opinion that most people love to travel by land, because it’s like an expedition where you discover many marvellous things on your own. Travelling is easier by road for long journeys as we have many options.

We can use public transport or our personal mode of transport.

We can plan our journey and take breaks when we need to.

However, the cheapest way of travelling is by foot. Walking is fantastic and gives so much of experience for the travellers. Actually ,it is the best way for us to enjoy nature.

Travelling by air is of course the easiest and fastest mode today. However, travelling charges are very high. The airports have been designed to make travelling pleasurable for the passengers aspiring to see the world. Air travel is great to visit new places and experience different cultures.

Travelling by sea is the slowest mode of transportation. Today the amount of passengers who travel by sea have decreased due to modern aviation. However, it is used for short trips and pleasurable cruises.

This tiny island of Sri Lanka was known as the Pearl of the Orient. There are many destinations in the country that are marvellous and interesting. That is why travelling is pleasurable in Sri Lanka.

The country is developing at a great pace and both Sri Lankans and foreigners enjoy travelling in the country.

Sihara Navodi de Zoysa,
Grade 9C,
Kalutara Balika National School,
Kalutara.

[Your poems]

King of the familyWinner:

You are the person I admire most,
I’ve seen all the colours from you,
What an honourable, kind-hearted
Helpful father you are
The kindness you gave us and mum too
The faithfulness, I like very much,
You are wonderful to me in every way,
You are faithful,
And I like it very much.
The compassion you give us,
No indifference at all,
Not a bit of contempt touches you,
You love us with your entire heart
You are courageous and brave,
Incomparable to anyone else,
You are knowledgeable
You are professional,
Righteous, religious and generous,
You are sensible and lovable,
The most suitable father for us.
You make my future
Bright and right
Forgive me, for wrong deed I may have done,
I wish to thank you in every possible way,
And wish you a long life,
May the Triple Gem bless you always!

J. Randhula Gajadheera,
Willesden College International,
Battaramulla.

Importance of reading

Winner:

Reading is an important part of our life. It helps improve our knowledge, language skills and also brush up the way we speak to people in English.

Reading provides both entertainment and knowledge. There is a popular saying that “Reading maketh a full man.” It means reading makes us complete. Reading is important because we can learn the rules of grammar and make our grammar lessons easy.

People have different leisure activities such as swimming, gardening and collecting stamps. Out of these I consider reading to be a very useful hobby.My favourite author is Shakespeare.

We can brush up our knowledge by reading story books, newspapers, magazines and a host of other reading materials. We must read more books because this helps us to widen our knowledge. We must read important essays and language lessons too.

Story books and novels are great to be given as presents for children or adults. There are various types of story books for children such as the Village by the Sea, That night, the Secret Seven and Famous Five series, the Black Swan and Oliver Twist.

My favourite book is the Black Swan. Let's determine to read more and more books in the future.

Shabnam Banu Rasheed,
Grade 4G,
Ilma International Girls’ School,
Colombo 5.

My favourite author

My favourite author is Wellawattearachchige Abraham Silva .He is a popular novelist among the great authors in Sri Lanka. He was not only a novelist but also a journalist. He was born on January 16, 1890 in Wellawatte, Colombo. During his period he was devoted to improving Sinhala literature.

W.A Silva contributed greatly to improve Sinhala literature in the country by way of several novels, short stories and translations.

He was fluent in Sinhala and many other languages such as Sanskrit and English. At the age of 17 he wrote his first book titled Siriyalatha. In 1922 he wrote his second book, Lakshmi.

His novel Kele Handha (1933) was the first Sinhala novel which was made into a movie. Some of his other books are Hingana Kolla (1923), Pasal Guruvari (1924) and Vijayaba Kollaya (1938). He died on May 31, 1957.

The high street of Wellawatte was renamed in his honour.

Ilma Jiffry
Grade 9,
KL/Naleem Hajiar Ladie's College. 

Reach for the stars

Winner:

Once I remember,
My grandmum telling me
To “reach for the stars”
From low to high...
Now I can remember
Even now when
She ain't by my side,
Every time,
When I glance at the sky,
I hear her voice
Somewhere,
Inside my mind.
“Reach for the stars”
Someday I'll rise,
Among the others,
Into the light,
I swear
It will happen
So, be prepared
When I rise,
I'll rise,
Like sparks fly.
So, don't you want
Like my grandmum told me
To “reach for the stars?”
Still you can try,
'Cause I am sure,
One day,
You'll fly,
Like a dove,
In the sky.

Thushari Thathsarani,
Grade 9E, Visakha Vidyalaya,
Colombo 5.

Picturesque Dunhinda falls

Dunhinda Falls originates from Badulu Oya and stands at 63 metres in height, enchanting the Badulla area with its beauty.

According to legend, in the rock pool at the bottom of the falls lives a fish that wears a gold earring.

Because of the force with which the water cascades, this waterfalls cloaks its surroundings in dun, which means thick mist. It's named for this and has become famous both locally and abroad.

With the misty spray and the various sound of birds and animals from its environment, it has become a famous place.

Dunhinda Falls, when viewed from is look out point, is breathtaking.

It's one of the many beautiful waterfalls in our motherland, Sri Lanka.

Charuka Lakshan,
Grade 8,
English Medium,
St. Mary's College,
Kegalle.