Floods

Floods are a natural phenomenon. They cause tremendous havoc to human life and property but are sometimes also a blessing in disguise because they bring alluvial soil which is essential for crops. This is a great benefit compared to the havoc it creates.

Floods are natural calamities and occur regularly in certain low lying area. The unexpected flood causes great misery. The rush of water demolishes houses and destroys homes. It inundates large areas under cultivation, wrecks public services and makes the life of the survivors miserable. Sometimes man is prepared for it and has learned to take advantage of floods to enrich their soil, trap fish and more logs of wood.

Floods, however have always brought out the best in men. Men organize rescue and relief activities for strangers without expectation of personal gain. Voluntary organizations organize relief camps and provide medical facilities. Floods bring out the best in men to the surface. People throughout the world make collections and airlift relief materials to the victims.

The increasing incidence of floods can be reduced by construction of dams and catchments areas. These activities cannot be carried out by a single man, but can be achieved only by the Government as these require colossal resources, organization and manpower.

Every single man can contribute to prevent flood by planting trees and preventing denudation of vegetable plots. Forestation is one of the best alternatives to arrest floods.

Experience of being kidnapped

My chauffeur was sick and I was told to take a cab home. I decided to walk instead and took the shortcut through a rubber plantation.

As I was walking, I noticed four men in dark glasses following me. I became frightened. I started running and was horrified to hear footsteps close behind me. Suddenly, I felt myself jerked back roughly. The next thing I knew, I was blindfolded and gagged. I struggled wildly to free myself but to no avail. I was dumped onto some rough sacks. Then I heard an engine start. The kidnappers must be driving me to their hideout.

In their hideout, the kidnappers called my father and demanded a ransom of one hundred thousand dollars for my release. They warned him that my life would be in danger if the police were notified. They also arranged to meet my father at a jetty at three o’clock in the morning.

At the appointed time, the men brought me to the jetty. My father was there, waiting anxiously. After collecting the money, the four men released me.

As the kidnappers were about to leave in a boat, the policemen, who were lying in ambush, ran out to arrest them. After a short struggle, the four kidnappers were caught. My family was thankful that I was safe and sound. I was glad that my father had notified the police.

Importance of water

Since the beginning of time, water has continued to be an important thing to all living things. Without water nothing could live. We may change our food according to the climate of a place but we may find no substitute for water. Man has always looked for pure fresh water to slake his thirst.

Water not only quenches our thirst but it is also a source of food to us. From the sea we catch large quantities of fish and other creatures. We use water to irrigate our lands to produce crops. Many parts of the world are dry and barren because there is no water there. People in such places lead a very hard life. Even the plants and animals find it a real struggle to survive. They can obtain water only by some means of ingenuity. Water also helps to increase the fertility of the land in several parts of the world. The alluvium that is brought down by rivers is very fertile. Even electricity, which has changed our lives completely, is produced by water-power in many countries.

Further, water is an important means of communication. We use waterways to carry our goods or trade. Water transport is cheaper than land transport and in many remote regions, rivers are the only means of communication. In many countries rivers are used to bring down timber from the hilly regions to the lower regions where the timber mills are. In this way much money is saved.

It is true, however, that water has also caused much destruction to life and property throughout human history. Heavy rainfall, swollen rivers and the angry waves of the sea have killed thousands of people and destroyed homes and crops. Yet, water is indispensable to life, and people everywhere are trying their best to bring water to places where it is scarce, to control its flow in times of floods and to make greater use of it.

Importance of Geography

Geography is a fascinating subject. It reveals all the wonderful changes and activities that have been going on in the world since the beginning of time.

By reading geography we learn not only about our own country but also about countries beyond the seas. We also learn about the mountains, oceans, islands, lakes, volcanoes, the winds and a number of other interesting things about the world and the universe.

Among the important things that we learn in Geography are the infinite varieties of creatures, plants, birds and land features that exist in the world. We know that there are millions of creatures, small and large, of various kinds in all parts of the earth. We also know that many of the early creatures have now become extinct, while many of them have changed from their original forms. Reading about all these is indeed very interesting.

We also learn about the various types of plants and birds that exist throughout the world. The plants and birds in the cold lands are not the same as those in warmer lands. In the same way, the land forms in the cold regions are different from those in other regions. In the equatorial regions, for example, plant and animal life is luxuriant, while in the poles the land is covered with snow, and animal and plant life is less abundant. In equatorial regions abundant rain has produced large rivers and lakes, while in areas where little rain falls there are large deserts without many rivers and lakes.

As the climate and vegetation of one place are not the same as those of another, the habits and activities of the people of different regions are also different. Even their religious convictions and languages are different from those of other parts of the world.

Thus, Geography is a very important subject, and because of its width and variety it is one of the most interesting subjects to read.

The important role of newspaper and magazines in our lives

The more society is developed the more means of communication are required. Among means of communication, newspaper and magazines play an important role in our lives.

Firstly, newspapers and magazines supply us with a variety of news every day. They keep us informed of the political situation of the world. By reading newspapers and magazines we can know what is happening in our country as well as in the world at large.

Secondly, newspaper and magazines contribute a great deal to the development of our knowledge. Through valuable and subtle critical and commentary articles on culture, social civilization, new life style we learn a lot of interesting things. Thanks to newspapers and magazines, our mind and point of view are consolidated and enriched. When reading them we can train our reasoning power.

Thirdly, through newspapers and magazines reading, we can find out what we need to know: a job in the situations vacant column, an object we want to buy in the advertising page, a missing relative in the finding missing relative column and condolence news in the agony column.

Fourthly, the Police Newspapers and Magazines help us take precautious against social evils such as theft, murder, robbery, rape, gambling and smuggling.

Fifthly, we can improve our English language by reading newspapers and magazines written in English. This enables us to broaden our knowledge of English in every aspect.

In conclusion, well-grounded and best-selling newspapers and magazines are worth reading. They are the mouthpiece of the nation and the unseen advisers of the common people.

A place of great natural beauty.

It was the hour when the sun’s golden hue filled the horizon. I settled down comfortably on a huge rock jutting out from the foot of a cliff. It was a moment of joy as I watched the evening migration of the seagulls. I felt a strong urge to walk, and so I did. A strong craving for freedom arose in me as I walked on that lonely but nevertheless beautiful evening. My intention of visiting this place was to enjoy the peace and serenity that it offered. At the same time I longed to catch glimpses of the familiar yet extraordinary beauty of God’s creation. Indeed, I found that moment excellent for relaxing the stressful and tension filled minds of man who lives in this materialistic society.

As I strolled along the beach, my rough feet touched the smooth white sand which seemed to gleam under the thin and dim rays of the setting sun. It was so gentle that I felt as if I was walking on a carpeted floor of a grand hotel. I looked ahead at the green, calm sea and my little heart was touched.

The beauty, of which I was then the witness, was beyond description. I only wished that I was born an artist so that I could capture this wonder and preserve it in my paintings. Walking on, I was visited by ecstacy when the naughtily noisy waves splashed on my bare feet. Far along the other end of the beach were some fishermen busy preparing their fishing nets and touching up their boats before they resume their daily work in the open sea.

Feeling tired after the long walk, I stopped and sat on a fallen coconut tree trunk. Even at this moment I could capture another aspect of the wonder of that evening. I was enthralled by the neat rows of coconut trees standing upright as if mocking the fishermen who were sweating and toiling to earn a living. The trees dancing and swaying to the music of the rushing waves made my heart sing to the matchless rhythm.

As time passed, the sun was almost disappearing behind the horizon. Nevertheless, there was still a group of young boys, naked, playing police and thief and making sandcastles. They were happy in their innocence. The still evening air brought their laughter over the sands and into my ears. Somehow, within me glowed the strong urge to shout and tell the world the unsurpassable joy I was then feeling and to reveal my pleasure and gratitude to God, the Creator.

Looking above me, at the clear blue sky, I could see tiny dots of stars beginning to appear jointly in the darkening sky. Then, my eyes caught the most beautiful sight. The beauty was inimitable. It was a group of long necked swans gently flying over the enormous ball of fire which was, a moment ago, shining in all its glory. The moon then appeared, taking the place of the sun. It was difficult to grasp the idea that the moon’s brightness is but a mere reflection of the sun’s light. This, to me, pointed to the harsh reality behind the beauty of man-made laws.

As it was already dark, the fishing boats were out of sight and the children have gone home. Feeling lonely, I left the realm of all emotions, of love and trust and of life and death, which is the beautiful beach. The beauty will remain engraved in my heart for all eternity. This is the only place that narrates, on its own, the beauty of nature.

In the future

Technology has been progressing at a great rate over the past few decades. I think that in a few centuries’ time, the world will be very different.

Perhaps, in the year 2990, the world will be entirely computerized. Every household will have a mainframe which is linked to all other systems. Adults do not have to go to work and children need not go to school as everything can be done at home.

Probably, by then, humans will not even have to take food in the form of meat, vegetables and rice to survive. Tablets containing the ideal proportion of the essential nutrients will be enough for us.

Robots could become so cheap that every household could afford a few of them. Life will be easy and comfortable with all the household chores being done by the robots.

Visiting relatives during Chinese New Year will not be necessary any more. All that the Chinese need to do is to switch on the mainframe and exchange greetings through the big screen. The money will be credited to their bank accounts using the mainframe.

All these changes are just my own idea of what life in the future could be like. I wonder if they will come true.

An incident I shall never forget

An incident I shall never forget

The outline:
1. When it happened
2. Where I was
3. What happened
4. The end

One day, last year, I was alone in my house, when something terrible happened. I can still remember the incident very clearly.

My parents were out that day to meet some of their friends. My brothers and sisters had gone to the cinema. All of them returned very late in the night. As I had some school work to do, I stayed at home alone.

I was reading my lessons in a room at the back of our house. It was now very dark. Suddenly, I heard a strange cry outside the house. It frightened me at once. I heard the cry again, but this time it was not so loud. I now felt certain that a child had been attacked by some person or an animal. I opened the door at the back of the house to find out what it was. As soon as I did so, I saw a small girl with a lot of blood all over her body, lying on the floor. She was still alive; however, I then took her into our house and telephoned to the hospital near by. Soon an ambulance arrived and took her to the hospital. I did not know what happened after that.

When my parents returned, I told them all that had happened. The thought of this incident frightens me even today.

An unpleasant dream I once had

The outline:
1. When?
2. What kind of dream?
3. Why it was unpleasant?
4. The end

I have dreams almost every night. One dream, however, frightened me greatly. It was indeed a horrible one.

One day, after a hearty meal, I went out for a short walk. I was alone on a lonely road near a grave-yard. I was thinking of my lessons when I suddenly heard a voice calling me. I looked back and saw an old lady grinning at me. She had long filthy hair. Her face was covered with blood and her nails were very long. She was wearing a white dress. I just stared at her in fear. I dared not move or try to run. I saw her walking towards me. I was too frightened to move. Her long hands then began to stretch out to catch me. I heard her laughing at the same time. It was a horrible sound and my body turned cold. Just before she could catch me, however, I made a desperate effort to run. But she was behind me and almost caught me. I now screamed.

As soon as I screamed, however, I woke up to find that I had only been dreaming. It was a great relief indeed.


Word-meaning:
Desperate = losing all hope
Grinning = showing the teeth while smiling
Horrible = frightening
Relief = lessening of fear

Slow and steady wins the race

The best illustration of this proverb is the old fable of Aesop about the hare and the tortoise. A tortoise, which moves very slowly, challenged a hare, one of the swiftest of the animals, to a race. The hare took it as a joke; and after running a certain distance, lay down under a bush and went to sleep, thinking he had plenty of time to beat his slow competitor. The tortoise, however, plodded on steadily, without pausing. He passed the sleeping hare, and had nearly reached the goal before the hare woke up. The hare, seeing his rival so far ahead, set off at full speed; but he had delayed too long, and before he could reach it, the tortoise had passed the winning post and won the race.

The proverb and the fable are a warning to erratic and lazy geniuses, and an encouragement to the ordinary man of average ability. Even a man of brilliant gifts cannot achieve much without steady work and perseverance; and there have been many men of talent, and even genius, who have failed, or at any rate not achieved the success they might have achieved, owing to laziness, or over-confidence in their natural ability. The English poet Coleridge is a good example; he undoubtedly had high poetic genius, but partly owing to a natural inability to persevere and partly owing to the habit he got into of taking opium, he did very little perfect or finished work. “The Ancient Mariner” is his only great finished poem; most of the rest are uncompleted fragments. He began many things, but completed very little.

An average man of very mediocre gifts is tempted to think that it is no use to accomplish anything great. So he attempts nothing. And yet many quite ordinary people have achieved solid success in life by perseverance, steady application and hard work. Compared with a brilliant genius, they are like the tortoise to the hare; and yet, as the tortoise won the race by plodding on bravely with unrelaxed perseverance, so a steady worker wins through in the end. At school, it is not always the cleverest the boy that takes the prizes; a steady plodder of average intelligence is often the winner.

The proverb therefore means that success in life may be achieved by even ordinary people having perseverance and steady application.