Television - a popular mode of communication

Winner:

The television is a piece of electrical equipment with a screen on which we can watch programmess with moving pictures and sounds. The television was invented by a Scottish scientist called John Loggy Beyard in 1926.

Since that time, it has developed in quality and technology to the present advanced form. Although the television was invented such a long time ago, it was introduced to our country very recently - about two decades back. The original televisions was able to produce only black and white pictures and had switches that needed to be operated manually. But present day televisions have many features and are in colour, with advanced screens and complex devices such as remote controllers.

Formerly, only a handful of people could afford to have television sets. But now its usage has increased so much that it's difficult to trace even a shanty house without a television set.The television is a fountain of information and many facts and details of different things and people from the four corners of the world are aired through it. Some events are recorded first and telecast later while some events are telecast while they are actually happening (or live - as its said in TV jargon).The TV offers a variety of programs for us to watch on different channels. The newscasts and the entertainment programmes such as teledramas and musical shows are watched by people from all walks of life, with great enthusiasm.As the television provides information using audio and video it has a stronger impact on people than the radio.Therefore, most commercial advertisers use this medium to advertise their products even though it's costly.

Unlike books, the television is not confined to literate people. Even illiterate people could enjoy and appreciate what the TV offers. In this context, there isn't another medium of communication which is as accessible to the ordinary public as the television.

Nilukshi Wickremasinghe,

Grade 11 A, Mary Immaculate Convent, Thudella, Ja-Ela.

My grandfather, a great inspiration...

Winner:

A person whom I admire most is my grandfather S. M. Jayathilake. The reason that I admire him is not because he is the former Director of Education, but, because he has many good qualities and characteristics.

My grandfather loves to read. He reads whenever he is free. He has written many spiritual books. He loves nature; sometimes he sits in the garden on a chair and enjoys reading a book, surrounded by the peace and quiet of nature.

He admires the beautiful and colourful flowers in our garden. He often takes a walk in the evening or in the morning and that's why he's always healthy and fit, both physically and mentally. He loves all animals and is a vegetarian, like his mother, since childhood.

As a practising Buddhist, he is close to the temple and the Buddhist monks. If he gets a vacation, he visits "Nillambe", a meditation centre in the hill country.

One day we also got an opportunity to visit Nillambe. My grandfather accompanied us. I observed his calm behaviour in the meditation centre, which was completely different to his joyful mood at home.

My grandfather is kind to all people and animals and respectful of monks.

Like most people my grandfather also has characters he admires such as Ven. Dawuldena Gnanissara Thera, J. Krishnamurthi, Anagarika Dharmapala, Sir Henry Steel Olcott, Dr. E. W. Adikaram, Pandith Amaradeva, Premasiri Kemadasa and President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He has even characterised some of those leaders in his spiritual books.

He is responsible for my name "Sandun" which has been given after a Sandun (sandlewood) tree which still remains in our garden.

Although he is in his seventies, he's still young at heart.

My grandfather is truly a pride for the Uva Province. I'm proud to be his eldest grandson.

May the Triple Gem bless him and may he enjoy long life!

Sandun Nirodha Samarakoon Kodagoda,

Grade 8D,

Badulla Central College, Badulla.

Dangers of lightning

Winner:

As we know,heavy rains are experienced in many parts of the country, especially during the monsoon seasons. Floods become a big problem during heavy rains. But the most important thing people should be careful of during such time is lightning.

Lightning is very dangerous. It can injure and kill people and also damage property. We should not stay under trees and switch off electrical items when there is lightning. We must not touch electrical switches with wet hands. All electronic items such as computers, televisions, radios should be switched off. We should also not play in open fields or stay outside during lightning.We should be educated as to how property gets damaged due to lightning and protect our homes by installing a proper earth wire system.We should always be mindful of how harmful lightning is.People should be aware of the consequences of lightning and take necessary precautions to avoid any harm or damage due to lightning.

Minuri Ruwanka Undugodage,

Grade: 8K, Musaeus College,

Colombo 7.

Many uses of flowers

Winner:

Flowers play a major role in our day-to-day lives. Most people like to plant flowers in their home gardens. In Sri Lanka there’s a wide variety of flowers growing in forests and botanical gardens such as Peradeniya and Haggala.

Flowers not only add beauty to our gardens but also have many assets. We use them to decorate our homes, especially at weddings, special functions and funerals. You may have seen how colourful flower wreaths are placed all around the coffin and on the grave.

Flowers brighten everything. That makes us happy. They are used in religious activities too.

As Buddhists we never forget to take some flowers to offer to the Buddha at the temple on Poya days. Some of us offer them to the Buddha in our homes too. Not only Buddhists, but also Hindus and Christians garland their gods with flowers.We also use flowers to express our feelings like love and happiness. Both natural and artificial flowers are used for these purposes. Roses and carnations are very popular. In foreign countries flowers are sent when somebody is ill and people cannot visit them. They also take flowers when they visit people.

It is not easy to grow plants, but we should try and plant at least a few flowering plants . Psychologists have found that flowers make us happy and it’s good for our lives.

We can plant flowers anywhere, even in small gardens. People who live in the city usually say that they have no place to grow plants. Even if we haven’t garden space we can plant flowers in pots and hang them outside.

Most prefer to find employment as doctors, engineers or some other professionals in the corporate sector. They don’t like to be gardeners. But we can earn good money by planting flowers. We can sell flowers to the hotel industry and also to the beauticians and bridal dressers. We can export them to foreign countries too.Many valuable plants are endangered today. Recently the plant species Japan Araliya was attacked by some fungus. Pests, Fungi, diseases and especially climatic changes are the major threats to flowering plants. So, we should take necessary steps to overcome these threats.

Flowering plants should be looked after well. They should be manured, weeded and watered regularly. If we do these things we can have a beautiful garden.

B.M. Prineetha Bandaranayake,

Grade 9C, Devi Balika Vidyalaya,

Colombo 8.

 Your poems

The second treasure

Winner:

When I first saw you,
I thought you are from heaven,
Like an angel, like a cherub,
You touched my life,
There was a deep love for me,
Behind your shiny black eyes,
You tried to say something,
But your voice wouldn’t come
But I knew what you tried to say,
It is love!
I know,
My mother’s second treasure,
My little sister

W. G. Senali Kosika, Grade 12, Bandaranayaka Girls’ College, Ampara.