Hello Children
Ever stayed home on a rainy day and cuddled up with a book or else
waded through the muddy water on your way to school? Rain is very important
to us as it provides the necessary amount of water for our hydro power
reservoirs, but too much of it can create disaster.
It can cause the river water to rise and result in flooding countries
like Bangaladesh, China and South Korea and even here in Sri Lanka. By
this many people have lost their lives and homes.
This change of weather pattern is called 'La Nina' which is producing
unusual wet weather in parts of the pacific region.
So while we enjoy the comforts of our homes and a bit of sunshine
please do spare a thought for those who are suffering.
Until next time
Aunty Sunshine
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The brave deed
Pinith is a playful boy. He is 13 years old. He has to cross the river
to go to school. Every day he sits on the river bank and watches the beautiful
fish swimming in the river.
One day when Pinith was returning home he saw some children bathing
and playing in the river. Pinith was amused by the young boys and he did
not want to go home. So he sat down on the river bank for a while.
Suddenly he heard some boys shouting for help. Then he saw a little
child waving his hands and shouting in horror. Pinith felt very sorry for
the poor boy. He immediately thought of saving the child. And seeing that
there wasn't any time to waste he quickly pulled his shirt and threw it
to the ground. And in a moment he was in the water swimming like a fish.
On hearing the noise, a lot of people had gathered near the river. They
were surprised to see a little boy like Pinith going to save a child.
"How can that boy save another's life. It's impossible" said
the people in the crowd. But no one came to help Pinith.
But the strong little swimmer managed to catch the boy by the hand,
and then he kept the child on his back and started swimming towards the
shore. Pinith felt tired. But he never gave up his effort. After a while
Pinith was near the river bank with the unconscious boy on his back. At
last some men came forward and took the two boys in their arms.
The crowd was overjoyed. They clapped and cheered and came running to
congratulate the hero. The little boy's parents came to the spot after
a while and gave their warmest thanks for saving their son. They gave a
big reward for the brave deed. Pinith was also very happy. But it was not
because of the reward he got. It was all because he had saved a precious
life.
T.B.M. Lakmali
Sujatha Balika Vidyalaya
Matara
The cry
It was a windy night
With strange sounds that frightened me
I was all alone
I heard someone crying
I went downstairs
I saw the window open
I closed the window
A few minutes later
I heard the same cry
I listened carefully
Again, I went down
But, there was nothing
I'm sure, I heard the cry
It wasn't a dream
Anyhow I'll find it out
Jenita Sivanesan
Good Shepherd B.M.V.
Nuwara Eliya
My best friend
My best friend's name is Lahiru Madusanka Hettipathirana. He's 11 years
old, and loves to play cricket. He lives at Boralesgamuwa. He attends C.W.W.
Kannangara Maha Vidyalaya at Borella.
Lahiru's favourite subject is Art. Chocolates and oranges are his favourite
food. Jonty Rhodes is his favourite batsman and fielder, and he is a lover
of nature. Sinbad is one of his best movies. His mother and father are
both working in the Navy and he has a younger brother who keeps him company.
I wish him all the best for the future.
Tharind Dewendra Wijegoonawardane,
C.W.W. Kannangara Maha Vidyalaya, Colombo 8.
The Swing
We used to have a swing -
In our garden tied to a tree
Such happiness that it used to bring.
It made us feel so free.
Every day after three o'clock
We reached home tired so much,
We came to our swing
To have some fun after late lunch.
Go to school, go to classes;
Come home again to go back again,
It used to be the same
Until the swing, to our life, came.
But people around find it odd.
To see two girls sixteen years old
Swinging on the swing like zoom;
Then one day our only fun was lost
As our dear swing was back in a room
Coiled up under the bed to roost.
By Lawanya Wijesekara
B/Kuda Kusum Balika M.V.
Bandarawela.
Stickers
A Mickey Mouse sticker
On my desk I find
And a Donald Duck sticker
On my chair
A cowboy sticker
I bought in the market
And a Superman sticker
I bought at the fair
A sticker here, a sticker there
The walls look so full
stickers stickers everywhere
My room looks so colourful.
Mohamed Infas
Ilma Vidyalaya
Myself
My name's Iresha Shanika Kumari. I'am twelve years old. I live in Nedurana.
My school is R/Erepola Sri Mahinda Maha Vidyalaya. I am in Grade 7. I study
eight subjects. I like English very much.
I have two sisters. My father is Gunarathna and my mother is Rathna.
My favourite game is netball and I love rice very much. And the cricketer
I like best is Sanath Jayasuriya. My best friend is Dinusha. My ambition
in life is to become a teacher.
M.K. Iresha Shanika Kumar
Nedurana, Erepola, Eheliyagoda.
The caravan marches on
By Uncle DCR
From time immemorial, every society had used its own beasts of burden.
Prominent among them are the camel, horse, pony, donkey, bull, dog and
elephant. In Sri Lanka, the bull has been extensively used over the years
to carry goods. The caravan has thus survived even after the introduction
of other forms of transport since it has been proved the most suitable
in mountainous and thickly grown areas where there are no roads.
The
caravan was thus featured in the 35 cent stamp issued ten years ago (22
August, 1988) in a set of four stamps showing the development of transport
in Sri Lanka.
Even today, the caravan is a common sight in remote hilly areas of Uva,
Udukinda and lower Walapone. Only trained bulls are used for caravans.
A jute mat is spread over the bull and tied firmly and attached to the
bull is a net bag into which loads are packed. Each caravan party is led
by a caravan leader, an experienced hand. Other packed bulls follow. It's
a fascinating sight particularly in the early morning when goods are carried
to the bazaars for sale.
The invention of the locomotive by George Stephenson in 1814 revolutionised
the transport pattern of the world. Coming in the wake of the industrial
revolution, the introduction of the locomotive was a significant event
in the history of transport. The economical and convenient movement of
heavy loads and the transport of large numbers of passengers in a single
journey were the main advantages of the locomotive.
While
the first train was run in England in 1825, it was introduced to Sri Lanka
by 1864. The maiden journey was made from Colombo to Ambepussa on 27 December,
1864. Within the next fifty years, a complete network of the railway track
was laid. An early locomotive engine was featured in the Rs. 2 stamp.
The
cart has been a popular form of transport from the remote past. Carts were
used in flat areas, particularly where roads could not be built. Old cart
tracks can be seen even today in remote rural areas. Different forms of
carts were designed to suit different purposes. Some carried passengers
while others were used to transport goods. Ones which carried goods used
either a single bull (as in the Rs. 2.50 stamp) or two. On long journeys,
a third bull was used in the double bullock cart. The spare bull was tied
to the rear of the cart and walked leisurely until it got its chance to
join another in front. On these long journeys carrying goods the carters
composed many a poem and reciting them loudly. Often carts grouped together
and made these journeys. As a low cost and accessible form of transport,
the cart is extremely popular to this day.
The first automobile run on petrol was introduced by the German national,
Gottlieb Daimler was back in 1885. Once considered a source of danger,
it soon became a convenient, quick and utility mode of transport. Originally
a luxury, it did not take much time for it to become a popular vehicle.
The
automobile was introduced to Sri Lanka in 1899 and for many years was the
preserve of a privileged few. Today it is not so. An early Ford car is
featured on the Rs. 5 stamp. These old crocks survive to this day and occasionally
can be seen at Old Crocks rallies.
The best painter of his time
Imagine a person who is complete in every way. A person who is good
looking, who has a brilliant mind and who is able to make beautiful things.
He would also be a person who is popular and a good and loyal friend. Such
a person would be very rare indeed. One such person was Leonardo Da Vinci,
the greatest light of the Italian Renaissance. He had a lovely voice and
his speech was clever and full of wit. The best painters and thinkers of
his time came to hear him speak. But even in his own day he was not known
as we know him today - as one of the greatest painters the world has ever
seen, a draftsman, a sculptor, an architect, a mechanic, a military and
civil engineer, a philosopher and the first person to study many areas
in science.
This man, one of the biggest forces of the Italian Renaissance, was
born in 1452. His father was Piero Antonia da Vinci a lawyer. He was born
in the village of Vinci. It was from this village that his family took
his name. His mother was a peasant girl named Catarina. She was not married
to his father.
"Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper" are two of Da
Vinci's well-known paintings. Leonardo invented the Steam pressure engine.
He also found out the possible uses of submarines and machine guns.
From the many notes and sketches he made. We have evidence of Da Vinci's
genius. He is the best example of a Renaissance Man.
Rajitha Fernando
Sivali M.M.V.
Ratnapura.
My Teacher's Wedding
My teacher Miss Luliano was going to be married, so my class and another
teacher decided to organize a surprise party. Mrs Megowen is our teacher's
good friend. So Mrs Megowen asked me and Nicole to collect all the money.
We were all going to give 2 dollars each. Nicole and I were going to get
the money from everyone in our class in the morning before school. Then
we all bought in something. Somebody bought in 52 party poppers. We all
contributed chips, drinks, balloons and lots more. We were going to give
the best surprise party. We were going to buy Miss Luliano some champagne
glasses and a champagne bottle. Mrs Megowen was going to give the bottle
to her friend who decorates champagne bottles. At last the day came.
While Miss Luliano was in the staffroom Mrs Megowen came in and took
us to her classroom and we all hid behind the door and waited for Miss
Luliano to come in. Miss Luliano was surprised that we weren't in the classroom,
so she came into Mrs. Megowen's room and we all jumped up and surprised
her. Then we popped the party poppers and gave her the presents. She loved
the decorated champagne bottle. After that we all ate untill we were full.
We all gave different presents. But I gave her a special one. It was a
leather purse which I had brought from Sri Lanka. We had some games together
that day. I love my class teacher very much.
By Sirini Dharmapriya
Grade 4
Christopher's Primary school,
Melbourne, Australia.
Variety
of insect life
Insects are among the most numerous of all
animals. Nearly one million different kinds have so far been discovered.
Apart from the oceans, insects live in all corners of the world, from the
Arctic Circle to the tropics.
They are found in ponds and streams, in the soil, on plants, and even
in our homes.
There are plant-eaters, hunters and scavengers. Some, like butterflies,
we consider beautiful and harmless. Others, like flies and mosquitoes,
can be harmful and spread disease.
In all there are nearly 50 different insect groups or orders. They can
usually be recognized by the way their wings are built. Most numerous are
the beetles or Coleoptera (sheath-wings) which have hard outer wings, or
elytra. Flies or Diptera (two-wings) have only one pair of wings instead
of the usual two pairs. The bees, wasps and ants belong to the Hymenoptera
(membrane-wings), whose wings are supported by a network of veins.
Grasshoppers and crickets, including locusts, belong to the Orthoptera
(straight-wings). They have long hind legs for jumping and can also fly.
Fleas are also good at jumping but have no wings. They live on other animals.
Bugs (Hemiptera or half wing) have half of their forewings hardened
and a sharp, sucking mouth for feeding on plant juices or on blood.
On this page are some of better known insects. They vary in size from
midgets, smaller than a pin's head, to giants like the Goliath beetle and
the Atlas moth. The Goliath beetle is ten centimetres long and weighs 100
grams. The Atlas moth has a wingspan of 30 centimetres.
An insect's mouth parts vary according to what it feeds on. A honey
bee has a long tongue in order to reach the hidden glands of flowers where
the nectar is stored. A hawk moth has an even longer tongue which can be
pushed into flowers with deep tubes like the honeysuckle. Flowers with
flat heads can be visited by insects with short tongues, such as flies
and beetles. Flowers need to attract insects with their bright colours
and scents because the insects help them to pollinate.
Inside an insect
Insects can be distinguished from all other arthropods because they
have a body divided into three parts — the head, the chest or thorax, and
the main body or abdomen .
On the head are the mouth parts, a pair of feelers, or antennae, and
the eyes. The antennae are sense organs used in feeling and smelling. The
eyes are either simple or compound.
The brain has a nerve cord passing along the lower side of the body.
This has a swelling or ganglion in each segment.
Food which is eaten passes into a crop where it can be stored. The gizzard
is where it is digested. The kidneys get rid of any waste, which is passed
out through the rectum.
The blood system is simple. There are few blood vessels. Instead blood
flows freely inside the body cavity, and is kept moving by the pumping
of the heart. The blood carries food from the intestine to other parts
of the body, and waste products back to the kidneys. Insect blood does
not carry oxygen as human blood does. This is done instead by the breathing
organs or tracheae.
How insects fly
Since insects have no inside skeleton of bones in their wings, the way
they fly is quite different from birds and bats. Muscles which work the
wings are attached to the inside of the body wall. The vertical muscles
pull the upper wall of the body downwards, and this raises the wings. Then,
horizontal muscles pull the upper wall upwards and the wings drop. This
can be compared with pulling an oar when rowing a boat.
The up and down wing beats can be as few as five per second in some
butterflies, or as many as 1,000 a second in midges. Hawk moths can actually
hover in front of flowers as they sip nectar, just as hummingbirds do.
Dragonflies and hoverflies are real experts, and can rise and fall, and
dart backwards and forwards. The fastest known insect is an Australian
dragonfly which can reach 58 kilometres per hour.
Insect eyesight
Eyesight in insects is of a special kind. The simple eyes found mostly
in larvae are probably only useful for telling light from dark. The large
compound eyes are very efficient in noticing movement. They consist of
many separate lenses called ommatidia. These are coneshaped and each can
see a separate part of an object it is looking at. The result is a hazy
picture of an image seen in separate parts, rather like a mosaic. However,
with so many lenses an insect can spot the slightest movement. If you have
ever tried to catch a housefly with your hand you will know how quickly
it can see you.
Insects which hunt their prey, such as dragonflies, may have as many
as 30,000 ommatidia in each compound eye.
The eggs of an insect are formed inside two egg-tubes which lead into
the oviduct. As the eggs move down the tube they receive a store of food.
They meet the sperms received from the male insect during mating, and become
fertilized. Insect eggs vary greatly in shape and appearance, as can be
seen when they are under a microscope.
An insect's hard outer skin is made of a dead material called chitin.
This is built largely out of waste material, and acts as a support for
the body, almost like an outer skeleton. It protects the insect, but more
important it prevents the loss of water, without which the insect would
soon die. Some insects can live in the driest and hottest places on earth
where other animals would soon perish.
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