Winner: Efficiency, the secret key

Efficiency is the main source of any booming economy. Many countries such as the USA, China, Japan, Italy and the UK are politically and economically strong. To be strong on both sides efficiency is needed. If a particular country faces inefficiency then it is a waste of resources.

An economy should use the scarce resources effectively because these scarce resources belong to the future generation. The efficiency of growth in a particular country can be uplifted through the efficiency of the workforce.

Though inefficiency is a simple word, it carries a heavy meaning, it could result in recession. I suggest that, for any economy the political environment should be strong and politicians should maintain a clear bond with the workforce to make the country efficient.

As Sri Lankans let us make ourselves efficient which could later make the entire country efficient and a booming economy among other nations.

P.A. Victoria,
Grade 9 (Commerce),
Willesden College International.

Winner: Flowers

Flowers are beautiful. They are in different sizes and colours. Some flowers produce honey. There are seven parts in a flower. They are the style, ovary, anther, stigma, petals, sepal and the stalk. There are flowers with five, eight or plenty of petals. Some flowers such as Roses, Girithilla and shoe flowers bloom right throughout the year. Other flowers such as Orchid, Ehala and Erabadu bloom seasonally.

We use flowers to worship the Buddha, for weddings, funerals, decorations and to welcome guests. Some students collect pressed flowers as a hobby. We can visit the Peradeniya Botanical gardens and see beautiful flowers there.

Athma Punsarani de Silva,
Grade 6S,
Buddhist Ladies College,
Colombo 7.



 

Winner: Importance of reading newspapers

Reading newspapers is important in modern life. Editors gather news from all parts of the world. They collect news through telegraphs, telephones, radio and Internet. Then they publish news in a newspaper. In Sri Lanka there are about seven daily newspapers and ten Sunday papers. Among these the Sunday Observer is a popular newspaper in Sri Lanka.

Newspapers have many advantages. They tell us what happened in our country and other countries daily. People can get to know about disasters such as floods, earthquakes, cyclones, accidents, abductions, murders, thefts, riots and deaths.

Reading newspapers cultivates good habits. There are many articles about Buddhist teachings on Poya day. Such articles may help to reduce the crime rate in Sri Lanka. Newspapers publish advertisements about various products. We can buy and sell the things we want.

When we read newspapers we can get to know many things about our day-to-day life and remember that reading makes a complete man.

P.G. Sithum Kanchana,
Grade 8H,
Lyceum International School,
Wattala.

Winner: All about trees

Trees are useful to humans. We cannot live without trees. They give us oxygen, food, shelter and medicine.

Trees give us flowers to worship the Buddha. They have leaves and they are green. It is soothing to our eyes. Leaves use sunlight, water and air to make food for the tree.

Trees such as mango, apple, orange and banana give us fruit. Kohomba and Komarika give us medicine. Idda, pichcha and araliya are some trees which gives us flowers. We get wood from trees. We can make chairs, tables and cupboards for our household needs using wood. We need trees even to make paper.

I love trees very much. We must protect trees without cutting them.

Yasassri Vishmitha Jayawardena,
Grade 4F,
Prince of Wales College,
Moratuwa.

Winner: Cyclones

Cyclones are natural disasters. They occur when the pressure in some area in the atmosphere decreases to a considerable extent. The pressure depression is created when the pressure is significantly decreased than atmospheric pressure. Then the air in the atmosphere is blown at a high speed towards the pressure depression. This causes a cyclone.

Cyclones are limited to some oceans. It is because these oceans bear the necessary factors for cyclones. When cyclones in the Bay of Bengal occur, they directly affect our country. A developed cyclone has a diameter of about 100 km. Rains with storms and thunder bolts may occur due to cyclones. Also, sea waves may rise. Many animals and human lives are lost and properties are destroyed by cyclones.

Fathima Ilma Jowsi,
Grade 6,
Mukarramah International School,
Malwana.


 

Importance of teeth

Everyone has a set of teeth and it does many jobs. They are useful to speak. We need teeth to eat as well. Teeth help us to munch food.

An adult has 32 teeth. There are four types of teeth and they are the incisor, canine, premolar and molar. Children have 20 teeth. When a child is five or six years, the first tooth drops and a new tooth comes instead. We have to brush our teeth twice a day. Flossing is also a good way to prevent gum disease. Snacks are not good for the teeth. We have to visit a dentist at least once a year.

Teeth are also used to smile. We can prevent toothaches by brushing our teeth and cleansing our mouth properly.

D.D Sasanka Heshan,
Grade 7A,
Kalutara Vidyalaya, Kalutara.

The cow

Of all animals the cow is one of the most useful animals to man. It has four legs and a huge body. It gives us milk every day.

Milk is good for children and adults. They drink milk early in the morning before going to school. We make milk toffee using cow’s milk. Children love to eat milk toffees. They are sold in the school canteen. We buy and eat them during the interval.

We use the cow’s hide to make shoes, belts and bags. The cow eats grass, fruit and it drinks a lot of water. Some people eat the cow’s flesh. They call it meat.

Some cows are black and others are white and brown. In Sri Lanka there are many cows in villages. Cow dung is used as fuel. It is also used to cover the floor. In towns we do not see many cows on the roads.

Sometimes cows are imported from other countries. They give us a lot of milk. We should not kill cows because they are useful.

Pramudi Hiranya,
Grade 3B,
Lyceum International School,
Panadura.

Water is nature's gift

Water is one of the most precious gifts that nature has bestowed on mankind. Organisms cannot live without water. The earth is a planet rich with water resources.

Only 0.03 percent of this can be used for our purposes. About 97 percent of water is trapped in the ocean. Ocean water is salty and thus not suitable for use. Fresh water is found in lakes, rivers, springs, streams and waterfalls.

There are many uses of water. We use water to drink, for transportation, domestic purposes, recreation, agricultural purposes and for the production of hydro power. Ancient kings built many tanks to store water because water is very important to us.

“Water is the foundation of life,” said the Red Indian Chief. We cannot live without water so we should always save water which is a valuable gift from nature.

W.M. Nimesha Sewmini,
Grade 9D,
Hemamali Girls’ College,
Kandy.

The national flag

Sri Lanka's national flag is also called the Lion flag. There are many symbols on the flag. Each symbol represents the different nationalities in Sri Lanka.

The lion with the sword represents the Sinhalese, the orange strip represents the Tamils, the green strip represents the Muslims.

The four Bo-leaves on the corners of the flag represent Mettha, Karuna, Muditha and Upekkha. They are common to Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam.

Tharun Srinath,
Grade 4C,
Lexicon International School,
Kandy.

Value of sports

Sports is useful for our lives. There are many advantages in doing sports because they help to develop our personality. They make our body strong and healthy. They in turn help keep our minds healthy.

A person who is involved in sports is mentally and physically well developed. Sports teach us to accept both defeat and victory.

Generally a person who does sports develops special qualities such as courage, patience and a sense of responsibility. All these qualities are helpful to prepare us to live as good citizens in society. We can also get an opportunity to share experiences with other participants and learn to appreciate others. Having done sports could be an added qualification when it is time to get a job.

We meet different people from various countries when participating in international sports activities. We can learn many things about other countries and also meet athletes. Therefore the value of sports is immense.

Amaya Amarasinghe,
Grade 7C,
Musaeus College,
Colombo 7.