Winner:

My hobby

My hobby is reading books. It improves my knowledge and helps me to spend my leisure. I like to read novels because it is interesting and tell us a story.

My favourite books are ‘Tom Cruze’, ‘Adventure of Tom’ and the ‘Famous Five’ series. This is a fascinating series that tells us about a brave team of children. I love to read historical books and short plays.

My father brings me different types of books. I have a small library at home. There are books such as novels, fairy tales, short stories and historical books.

When a book is interesting I read over and over again. Reading is a marvellous experience. I enjoy reading books and it has become a part of my life.

Sahan Lakshitha Wijegunasekara,
Grade 8C,
Rahula College,
Matara.

Winner:

Our motherland

We are citizens of Sri Lanka, known as the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean.’ Sri Lanka is an island of beautiful places and our culture is admired by people all over the world. Sri Lankans are united as one even though they belong to different religions and races.

People in our motherland are from different religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. Each one of us must be disciplined, else we will fail in our duty as good citizens and will not have the right to call ourselves Sri Lankans. When we lack discipline, crime will increase and there will be no law and order.

Children should be given a proper education in schools and thereafter a higher education in universities. Youth must be career conscious and gain knowledge and experience towards a better Sri Lanka.

We must get together to protect our environment. We must not destroy the gift of nature by polluting the environment and cutting trees. Killing animals should be stopped. It is our duty to protect the environment in our beautiful island.

We must set an example to be duty-conscious and protect our beautiful, bountiful and peaceful motherland.

Monushi Thilakarathne,
Grade 12,
Holy Family Convent,
Wennappuwa.

Winner:

The Earth is precious

The earth is almost like our mother. We are a part of the earth and it is part of us.

The air is precious for all. Everybody shares it to breathe. The air gave our grandfather his first breath.

The perfumed flower are our sisters.

H.T.Maheesha Vidumini,
Kolonnawa Balika Vidyalaya,
Kolonnawa.

Winner:

Advertising

Advertisements are common today. Wherever we go we see billboards displayed. If we turn the pages of a newspaper or a magazine we come across many advertisements with attractive, multi-coloured pictures. In addition, advertisements appear in handbills, posters, newspapers and magazines. There are more effective kinds of advertisements on cinema, radio and the television.

Advertisements help sell newspapers. Leading newspapers get the biggest part of their profits from advertisements. These attractive advertisements are designed by advertising firms. The manufacturers have realised that their products will sell only if their products are advertised. It provides the customer an opportunity to choose between several brands of goods. The objective of every producer today is to maximise profits by increasing the sale of the products.

Certain advertisements lure a customer into buying a product that he does not really need. Because of their gullibility they end up buying such products.

There are various categories of advertisements such as employment, obituaries, matrimonial and classifieds. But some standard newspapers refuse advertisements that are misleading.

If customers are careful and intelligent, he or she will not be misled to buy unnecessary items highlighted in advertisements.

Shafee Fathima Samha,
Grade 7B,
Nawalapitiya Oxford College,
Nawalapitiya.

Winner:

Communication by fax

There are times when messages cannot be communicated properly through the telephone. Due to disturbances during the conversation, the message will not be clear. The accent of the speaker may also have an effect. These problems are overcome by sending hand written messages from one place to another by using a fax machine.

The fax machine was invented by a German called Arthur Korn in 1907. Facsimile is the shortened form for fax.

When a written message is fed into a fax machine, it is read line by line, by the scanner in the fax machine and converted into electric signals. These signals are transmitted through telephone lines and re-translated into words, which get printed on paper. Now, the message received is similar to the original message. The fax machine is a useful invention.

Jayani Anuththara Dahanayake,
Grade 8,
Yasodhara Devi Balika Maha Vidyalaya,
Gampaha.

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is in the Kegalle. It is 5 km away from Kegalle town. It was opened in 1975. Rescued baby and adult elephants are in the orphanage. Every morning the elephants go to the Maha Oya for a bath. They love to be in the water for a long time. The mahouts look after them. The baby elephants drink milk. The adults eat leaves. I love to spend hours watching them.

Oshadi Chamali Bandara,
Grade 9,
Kumudu Bandaranayake Maha Vidyalaya,
Kegalle.

My dog Indy

My dog Indy is black and small,
He is just three years old but very strong.
When he is hungry, it wags its tail,
He thinks it is the boss.

When he sees my grandma,
He gets scared and runs away.
But when he sees me, it jumps at me,
So I love him.

My brothers thinks Indy is a fool,
So he chases it around the house.
When he sees someone he barks at them,
It is difficult to put him in the kennel.

Surani Fernando,
Grade 4J,
Ladies’ College, Colombo.

My pet

My pet is a cat. Its name is Kitty. It is black and white. It likes to eat meat, fresh fish and drink. My pet plays with me. It climbs on trees. I love my Kitty very much.

Disandi Thedara Wijesekara,
Grade 2B,
Janadipathi Balika Vidyalaya,Galle.