Success through education

Eduction is very essential in order to have a bright and successful life. We have to learn so many things in our lifetime.

The Government spends large amounts of money for education. One day in the future, we who are students today have to do good jobs. So, we must learn well. If we become educated men and women only we can be doctors, proctors or engineers. Therefore, education is very important.

We need to earn money to live and we can’t secure a good job without a proper education.Teaching is a very noble profession in the world. Teachers are the ones, apart from parents, who provide children the right principles and values, to give educated people to society.

Educated people are needed to rule a country. This is why an education is very important to everyone.

R.M.P. Malka Ranatunga, Grade 7-A (Araliya), KG/St. Joseph’s BMV, Kegalle.

Reduce the use of fossil fuels

Fossil fuels take millions of years to form from decaying organic materials, which means that they are not renewable. Oil, natural gas, and coal are all examples of fossil fuels that we use very often.

The burning of fossil fuels is the number one producer of green house gases that is causing more solar energy to be trapped on Earth. This has led temperatures around the world to increase.

To ignore global warming is to deny that carbon dioxide is, in fact, a green house gas which is destructive. The atmospheric concentration of CO2 is increasing everyday. The United States uses fossil fuels more than any other country.

China too is a big fossil fuel user. Fossil fuels are used to run vehicles as well as produce electricity.As was previously mentioned, these fuels are non-renewable sources of energy, so once they are used up, they are gone.

As old supplies are used up, new sources are found which causes even more problems as new drilling operations create more environmental problems.If we can reduce our use of fossil fuels and start looking at alternative sources of energy, we not only improve the quality of the environment, but also reduce our dependence on other countries for our energy sources.

Katheejaful Kubra Rafaideen, Grade 10 (English Medium),Good Shepherd Convent, Kandy.
 

Dawn of peace

Hey! Brothers and sisters, we all belong to Sri Lanka. So, why have we separated ourselves as Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and Burghers? We all have the same blood and we all share the same motherland.

For what do we fight? Let us plant the seeds of peace now.For nearly three decades we have been fighting for nothing; we have all seen the sarcastic and dreadful smile of war. Thousands of people have been killed. Children have lost their parents, brothers and sisters.

What is the profit we gain by resorting to such cruelty? Nothing but loss of lives. We must not give any place for terrorism. We would be able to develop Sri Lanka as a rich country if we spread compassion and love among each other.We cannot let Sri Lanka be divided because it is ours; we all belong to it.

We must not let it become a desert of misfortune, but instead, an oasis of fortune! If we could live in harmony we would be able to see the new sun that is risen, not in the East, but in the North.Race, religion, or nationality should not be a stumbling block in the path of peace. Don’t permit it to waste and spoil your valuable lives.I invite all of you to be united in peace, irrespective of caste, creed and race.

Dev Devinda Rathnasekara, Grade 9-A,Ceylinco Susssex College,Gampaha.
 

Let’s protect animals

My hobby is to research and read about animals to improve my knowledge about the various kinds of animals that exist. Most animals are timid and harmless. I love to spend my leisure time with animals. My father who understands my love for them made a small animal house for me. I have many pigeons, love-birds, tortoises and rabbits.

I have grown plants around the house. There is also a pond containing fish beside the cage. I spend time with them after my studies and prayers.I do not notice the time passing when I am enjoying myself with them.

I work at the animal house with my brother who is very good at taming pigeons. At first we bought a pair of pigeons. But now there are 30 of them. Most of all, I enjoy researching about the way the fish lay eggs and the time when baby pigeons start flying. I love reading about marine animals (sea animals) too. There are various kinds of animals belonging to this species.

Many people kill sensitive and harmless animals. It is very sad. It would have been better if animals could talk because then they could make us understand their needs. Many sensitive and beautiful animals such as sea horses and polar bears are endangered today. These animals might become history for the future generations, if man’s inhuman and careless acts continue. So, let’s all get together and stop harming these little living organisms and start loving and treating them well. They are a miraculous gift of God!

Fathima Nashfa Hamza, Grade 6,Gampola International School.
 

Unpredictable lightning

The monsoon is back along with lightning, a great force of nature which has awed people for centuries. A thunderstorm is a reservoir of power. Only a bit of the power stored in a thunderstorm reaches the Earth as lightning.

The first person to explain lighting scientifically was Benjamin Franklin. He risked his own life to experiment about lightning. He flew a kite with a key tied to the end of the string when it was lightning.

The statement that lightning does not strike the same place twice is a myth. Do you know that the 1472 ft tall Empire State Building in New York has been struck by lightning at least 50 times? It is because lightning seeks high objects like trees and tall buildings to reach the Earth. Lightning is attracted to metal things, follows exposed wires and sometimes passes through people’s bodies.

What is the use of lightning, you may wonder. The answer of course is, many. For example, large amounts of nitrogen fertilizer is produced by lightning each year. A bolt of lightning can combine oxygen and nitrogen in the air with rain water by the heat it creates. The rain brings the nitrogen mixture onto the earth as fertilizer. It is said that no plants would live without it.

Meteorologists have also found that lightning electrically charges smoke and dust, thus drawing them out of the atmosphere into the Earth. Without thunderstorms, the world would have been choked by smoke and dust a long time ago. Apart from these advantages, there are many more.

Even though lightning is very useful, it has its disadvantages too. One of the most harmful effects of lightning is forest fires. It causes dry trees and bushes to flare up. Its habit of striking people, animals and trees too is a disadvantage. When lightning strikes a tree, the sap inside the tree turns into steam because of the tremendous heat generated by lightning.

Then the bark of the tree splinters and is damaged because the steam tries to escape through the bark of the tree. Water steamed with lightning sometimes runs down tree trunks, burning grooves in the bark, damaging or killing the trees. This can be a great loss to a planter.There are many interesting facts about lightning. Lightning is known as a mischievous, unpredictable force of nature.

This is one funny incident that took place due to lightning. According to reports, a woman had gone to sleep with her hair in metal curlers during lightning and it had got attracted to the metal curlers, giving her hair a permanent curl. Apart from the shock, she had not been harmed.

Unfortunately all incidents connected to lightning do not have happy endings. In some cases, lightning has proved to be fatal to people, killing thousands of people.

In order to avoid being victims of lightning, you must be careful when there is lightning. It would be better if you unplug all electrical items. Mobile phones and land phones should also not be used.

A vehicle is the safest place to be in when lightning is around, playing its pranks. If you are outside do not stand under trees for shelter; you should also avoid being the tallest thing in open spaces because lightning chooses the easiest path to reach the land, and strikes the tallest objects first.

When it is lightning, gather your courage to peep through a window at the silver and purple streaks that run through the sky. They could be fascinating. When you are feeling afraid of lightning remember the funny stories connected to lightning.

Nillasi Liyanage, Grade 9D,Musaeus College,Colombo 7.
 

The Moon and Sun

The Moon came up in the middle of the sky
I can’t believe it’s you
You came up like a shining god
Oh! I can’t believe it, but
The night came along with you

Oh Sun God! Where are you?
Have you gone away for long?
Do come in the morning
I’ll try to be up early
Give a lift to me

Oh Sun God! Did you come?
The birds are getting up
I also get up with you
Oh! I can’t believe it
Yes, you gave me a lift

Janithi Imaya Munasinghe, Grade - 5C,Ashoka College,Horana.