Winner:

My pet

My pet is a rabbit. It likes carrots. It has two ears. His nose is fluffy. He eats fast. It is black.

Its tail is like a ball of cotton. He is innocent. It lives in the cage. We keep it in our balcony.

He has sharp nails and teeth. Sometimes he bites our fingers and scratches us. Some days, we play with our rabbit. He runs with us and turn to the room and goes under the bed and hide.

I love my pet very much.

Nethra Dayarathna,
Grade 3B,
Dharmaraja College,
Kandy.

Winner:

Our National Flower

In February 1986, the Blue Water Lily was chosen as the National Flower. It is found in all parts of Sri Lanka and grows in shallow water. Its petals appear like a star, on a flat, round, bright green waterproof leaf. It symbolises purity and truth.

It has a sweet fragrance and is used for offerings in Buddhist temples to the Buddha and for god Vishnu. The Sigiriya frescoes portray women with blue water lilies. Some parts of the flower is also used in herbal medicines.

Amaani Mumtaz,
Grade 5B,
Darul Uloom Academy,
Wellawatte.

Winner:

Using animals to test products

Using animals to test products is nothing new. It has been done for a quite a long time and still continues. Cats, dogs, rats and rabbits are the commonly used animals for testing. We can see many medical advances during the past century. Thanks to animals we can learn biology and mechanism of animals and humans as well.

However, despite the technology we obtain today, research would be nowhere without the use of animal models. Research is conducted at universities, medical colleges, farms and commercial facilities that provide animal-testing services to the industry. Early references to animal testing are written in Greek in the second and fourth centuries BC. Aristotle and Erasistratus were among the first to perform experiments on living animals. Whenever it is possible, animal models should be replaced by alternative method of experiments. Using alternative methods does not work quite well by using animal models. We must stop using animals to test products.

Aparna Abeysinghe,
Grade 9A,
Royal Institute International School.

Winner:

My favourite film series

My most favourite film series is Merlin. It has grown into a popular television program in the world. It consists of five seasons. The fourth and the fifth seasons are darker and scarier than the others. Merlin is the main character. The other characters are Arthur, Morgana, Guinevere, Gaius and Uthur. There are additional characters such as princess Mithian, Kara, Freya, Ballinor in each episode.

Merlin is the servant of Prince Arthur. After the death of King Uthur, Arthur becomes the King of Camelot and makes Guinevere his queen. Merlin’s duty is to protect King Arthur. He was protected from danger as Emrus the most powerful sorcerer in the world. After the war between King Arthur and Morgana, King Arthur dies and Camelot is ruled by Queen Guinevere. I like to watch Merlin more than any other film.

K.A.M.Neelika Ranasinghe,
Grade 7E,
Ave Maria Convent,
Negombo.

Winner:

Noise pollution

Noise pollution is a common nuisance in the city of Colombo.

The deafening noise of horns, fumes emitted by buses and other heavy vehicles causes discomfort and stress. Elders, patients and children are the worst affected by the noise. The decibel level of horns are lawfully controlled.

However, drivers pay least attention to it.

Horns were used in remote areas in the past to frighten animals that wander along the roads. But now they horn indiscriminately to the annoyance of the public who use these roads.

Moreover, playing loud music in buses have also become another intolerable nuisance to commuters.

Noise from loud speakers at various events such as campaigns, musical shows, processions and religious programs also add to noise pollution.

However, a recent introduction of the law which prevents the use of horns is a welcome move.

As children, we can breathe a sigh of relief and feel happy if drivers and others honour and abide by the law.

Brishen Mark Rozarius,
Grade 9A,
S. Thomas' Prep School,
Colombo 3.

My bicycle

I have a bicycle. It is black. It is made in China. My father bought it for me. He gave it to me as a birthday present. I like to ride my bicycle around the village. I like it.

S.H. Anjula Dulaksha,
Grade 6,
Walagedera M.V.

My mother

My mother is Wathsala Karunanayaka. She is 36 years old. She is very beautiful. She is very kind and helpful. Sometimes she punishes me when I do naughty things. I like to eat the food prepared by my mother. It is very tasty. My mother likes to see me progress in whatever I do. I love my mother.

May God bless her!

W.A. Dinithi Nisansala,
Grade 6 E,
Ananda Sathtralaya
Mathugama.











 

My little brother

The moment the little bundle of joy came into this world, his sister went and kissed his tiny forehead and said ‘Malla'. It was the most adorable thing that anyone could ever have seen, because she just learnt to talk. His pearly white skin yet untouched by the sun looked like snow to me.

As he grew older, what a mystery he turned out to be. Always quiet except when he is hungry he starts crying. He stole everyone's heart. When he was small, my cousin sister went to him and crooned 'Ranuk’ and he raised one of his fists and hit her across the face which she found amusing and she laughed and scooped him up. He loves to annoy his little sister like all other brothers. He somehow manages to crawl out of his playpen and steal his sister's crayons and break them.

On the day of his first birthday he sat around and watched everyone. With his eyes he seemed to say, “Hey, you had better watch out, it is my party.” Then came the time to cut his boat-shaped birthday cake. After he took a bite there was no stopping him. He demanded more with his little growls. Later in the night he dozed off on his mother's shoulder as if he was tired of everything.

Now he is the proud possessor of five teeth. He can walk about ten feet. His latest and most difficult task was climbing stairs but he mastered it in no time. He is my baby brother Ranuk and the cutest boy I have ever seen.

Paramee Silva,
Grade 10,
Holy Family Convent,
Colombo 4.

Environment

Environment is our surroundings. Environmentalists talk and research on the environment. We are companions of the environment. It gives us food, water and oxygen. Some animals and birds live on trees. Trees give us a cool shade. Trees give us fruit, timber and firewood.

Humans and animals can rest under the trees. We can make furniture, build houses and ships with timber. We can use the leaves, roots and seeds for making medicine. Trees are also used to make paper. Trees add beauty to our landscape and they stop soil erosion.We can make juices and medicines using the flowers of a tree. There are two botanical gardens in Sri Lanka namely Hakgala and Peradeniya. Some people pollute the environment. They cut trees and dump garbage everywhere. It is not a good activity. We should always protect the environment.

Dulmini Kamela Ranasinghe,
Grade 9G,
Maliyadevi Girls’ College,
Kurunegala.