My home The saying East or West, home is the best is true in more ways than one.

Home offers affection and security. My home to me is the best place in the world, where I live with my mother, father and a sister. I belong to a middle class family. My home is a cosy little flat on the 1st floor in Essex. Our drawing-cum-dining room is tastefully decorated. It has a TV set, a sofa, a refrigerator, a dining table. The decoration pieces remind me of our visits to different places. There are two bedrooms. One is used by my parents and the other is shared by three of us. Not only the room but the study-table is also shared by us. Ours is a small and happy family, where every members has consideration for the needs and comforts of each others. We all share household work too. Our morning are busy and everybody rushed about doing ones work too. Our morning are busy and everybody rushes about doing ones work and takes food or breakfast as and when ready. But we all have our dinner together. We share all that we had enjoyed or suffered during the day. We keep our home clean and tidy. Every thing is kept in place. I am proud of my home

MY SCHOOL I study in Cambridge School which is one of the best schools of London. It has a stone building. It has all facilities a good school should have-well furnished classrooms, laboratories, library and playground. As we enter the school, there is a playground to our left and a small garden to our right. When we enter the building, the Principals room and the office room are to the left and the staff room to the right side. These are well furnished. There are thirty four classrooms. Our labs are well equipped. Our library has books almost on all subjects. Our Librarian is also very helpful. Our school, like all schools, has a prescribed uniform. We have to wear white or cream cotton shirts, light-blue trousers, black shoes and white socks. Girls have to wear white blouses and light-blue skirts in primary and middle classes and white shirts and light-grey skirts in higher classes. They have to tie white ribbon also. In our school special attention is paid to behavior, cleanliness and punctuality. The most well behaved, neat and punctual student is awarded a prize at the Annual Day function.

Our Principle is a strict disciplinarian. He takes the help of P. T. Teachers too. If any one violates the rules, and is not in uniform, or makes mischief, he gets punished. But he is fair and loving. He tries to find out the reason and guides us. Our teachers are also quite strict. They teach us with great care, check our note-books, help us when we need but if we are inattentive and dont work properly, then we are punished. I like my school very much and I am proud that I belong to it. I shall never forget it.

MY FRIEND Man is a social animal. Where ever, he goes, he makes friends but few are real friends. William is my real friend. He is of my age and studies in my class. William is quite tall, fair and healthy. He is an ideal student. He is hard working. He listens to the teachers attentively. He is good in Basketball and Table Tennis, the game I like. He is well behaved and liked by all. William is always ready to help me. Whenever I have any difficulty in studies, he tries to solve it. He is good at mathematics and I an weak. He helps me when needed. The problems that I do not understand are explained by him. He does not lose patience, if I am slow in grasping it. In the evening we always play together. We visit each others houses too. My parents like him very much. He has become almost a member of my family. We discuss all problems in his presence and at times consult him too. His parents treat me in the same way. When my brother was hospitalized, he stood by me and shared my duties. A friend in need, is a friend indeed I am lucky to have such a friend.

MY HOUSE I live in a sky-scraper at the eighteenth floor. There are six more storeys above my floor. Below the ground level also there are two storeys in the basement. One of them is used as a parking area and below that there is a storehouse hired by a business-magnet of the metropolis. This is the oldest multi-storeyed building in the city. At that time it was very difficult even to get the building-plan for this building approved by the civic authorities. They had their doubts, objections and bottlenecks. But the architect was an angel. He got it passed by the Engineers of the Royal Society in London, who wrote back to the Chief engineer

of the Municipal Board to release the plan of the multi-storey, the first of its kind. The contractors were panicky in the beginning. A firm came to their rescue by accepting the challenge, at the lowest quotation. It took six years in those days of plenty, to erect this monster. Then it cost about millions of dollars. The people used to come and stare at it. There were a number of stories floating around about it. Some said there was a plan to construct an observatory for the weather reports. But the fact is that it was meant purely for residences and business houses. In the first six storeys there are office mostly banks, chartered accountants, advocates, incometax advisers, leading physicians, and specialists of the town. Next six storeys are hotels, guest-houses, clubs, chambers of commerce, societies and association. Then six more storeys are offices and managers residences and offices combined, the last six floors are for drivers, peons, caretakers, clerks and typists. In between the tenth and the twelth storeys, there is a super-store in the sky scraper itself. In this store one can get everything from a paper-pin to a type-writer, and from milk, butter, cheese, jam, biscuit, cakes, toffees, pastries, to flour, sugar, spices, groceries and other domestic supplies. There is a crche and nursery school also at the sixteenth floor, where about one hundred and twenty children are admitted every year. Clinics there are many. There is a proposal to hire an entire storey, for a secondary school adjacent to a hotel complex in the tenth floor. This will solve the problem of the students of my age. Pictures one can enjoy in the clubs and canteens at various floors. People enjoy a play or concert in place of a movie. My house on the eighteenth floor is a boon in the modern scientific age. But I do not forget the electric failures, when the whole system goes to dogs, since the lifts do not work for long hours. It is only at such time, that we start cursing ourselves and pine for our villages and small towns with green and open areas. MY SCHOOL LIBRARY Even since I was admitted to this school, I was very keen to see the spacious hall, where only the students of the higher classes were allowed to go during the lunch hour. To other it was something very important, where only one could go with the prior permission of the class-teachers. But I being a student of class IX, did not have to face that difficulty any more. It was on July 20, that I got a chance of peeping through the glass-panes of big almirahs. I found out that there were some heavy volumes. It was difficult for me even to move them. Then there were some very small ones also. These were like toys which even my younger brothers and sisters would like to have. Most of the other books were of an average size. There was an awe inspiring official who appeared to be very busy. I could read from

name-plate that he was the librarian. He was having heaps of books on all sides of his table and in shelves. It looked as if he was drowned in a sea of books. Here I remembered. Alone, alone, all all alone, -Ancient Mariner Nearby was the Newspaper Section in which about 20 newspapers of various languages were displayed on newsstands. There were about 60 magazines also on Sports, Science, Current-Affairs, Commerce, Management and Computer Science. This library had Reference Section for teachers also. In all, there were about 6,000 books on various subjects there. I was happy that I saw the library that day. MY SUBJECT I am a science student but unlike my other classmates, I have opted for Elective English. My friends and relatives tried to dissuade me saying-I will have to waste a lot of my precious time on English-a not very scoring subject. But English as it is not literary. Reading in itself is a great pleasure. English has a wealth of literature, unsurpassed by any other language, the descriptions and the complexities of the nuances. Studying Shaw and Hardy gives us an insight in human nature. We realize what actions bring what reactions. How a man would react to a given set of circumstances or action. We learn to look for and understand deeper meanings. My love for my subject has inculcated in me the habit of reading. As a philosopher pointed out, Reading ennobles man, makes one more tolerant to the follies of others and bridges the gap between the countries and cultures I hope that it will do so for me too. LAST SUNDAY Sundays generally have a fixed routine for the TV programs. But last Sunday was different. On Monday I had two papers-English and Mathematics. Due to unavoidable circumstances, I had not been able to do any revision. So, I had planned in detail how I would revise both subjects that day. I had planned to get up early and had set alarm clock to wake me up, but I got up very late. I had to skip through my lessons in English to make up for the lost time. I was not really worried, as I felt I knew it. After breakfast, I started revising Maths. I got stuck in the third problem. I was still trying to solve it when my uncle came with his family. I had to go to the market. When I

returned, I learnt that the maid had not come. My sister was busy helping mother in the kitchen. So, I had to help in lying table, doing odd jobs and entertaining my uncle and cousins. I was free, only when they left at 5 p.m. I went to my room and bolted the door, so that I could study undisturbed. By the time I really settled down there was a breakdown of electricity. I was very upset. Mother advised me to go to sleep and promised to wake me up, as soon as the electricity came. As there was no current till late at night, all went to sleep.When I got up, it was almost 5 Oclock. The lights were on in all the rooms. I became worried and went round to see what the matter was. I found every one sound asleep. I tried to sit and study but I was so angry and anxious that I could not concentrate. Anyway, it was to get up and get ready. Thus, the whole of the last Sunday was wasted. I could neither watch TV and enjoy, nor study. FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL This is my third school yet on the day I joined it was very nervous. We had shifted to Singapore recently and so I had to change to this school. This school is very different from my previous one. It has a very grand and imposing building. There are big playgrounds on two sides and a beautiful garden in front. I was very happy to come to this school and had visions of all the games that I would be able to play. And yet I was full of apprehensions. I saw some students walking around. They seemed to be quite indifferent to me. A few even stared at me insolently. It frightened me. How would I get along with these students? At that time the class teacher of my class came out of the Principals room. She took me to my class, introduced me to the students, asked a student to give a seat to me and told me that I should sit there every day. That student did not even say hello to me. All my apprehensions came to fore. I felt very alone and stupid. Then the bell rang. The teacher left the class. Some five-six students crowded round me asking my name telling theirs, making fun of each other and pulling each others legs. Soon I was one of them. What I considered their aloofness was just discipline. How could they talk in front of the teacher! Now I love my school. MY FEELINGS ON GETTING LOW MARKS An examination is at best a gamble but after taking an examination, we know slightly what we can expect. I had worked hard for this examination. I had done my papers well. I was quite confident that I would get a high 1st division. There was a sneaking hope in my mind that I might get a merit position. I waited anxiously for the results. On the day the results were to come, i reached school well before time. As soon as the

result were put on the board I hunted for my roll number. I had secured a first division but just scraped through it. I could not believe it. How could I get such low marks? All my answers were correct. Then how I had scored only 80% marks in Mathematics? And how the hell I could get barely forty-five marks in Social Studies? I was very good in it. I felt cheated. At first I felt like crying. In desperation I could have committed suicide. All my hard work had gone waste! And then secured in me such a range that I could have torn my examiners to pieces, if only I could lay my hands on them. What did they mean by giving me such low marks? I deserved better. They probably evaluated my papers after a quarrel or in a bad mood. But why should I be made to suffer? I felt shy of facing my friends and teachers. Gradually, anger and shame gave way to a dull acceptance of my fate. My parents comforted me by telling that there are other examinations. Moreover first division is not so bad that I should feel so miserable. What cannot be cured must be endured. Anyway time is a great healer. I also kept quiet. MY ONLY WISH I am not dreamer, yet I have my hopes and ambitions, and I always strive to achieve the goal, that I have set before me. Since my childhood, I have been very fond of reading books and playing challenging game. My mother tells me that I rode a horse, when I was only 8-year old, after I had seen a picture-book which contained a soldier riding a horse. Again, at the age of 12, began to swim though my father scared me saying that water was a friend, but a foe too. As a student of secondary classes, I opted for swimming, and used to go to the school-pool every evening for training. It was then included in the Time Table. Since I passed my Secondary Examination in second division, I took to teading of good books, in addition to my course books, and thus succeeded in securing 78 per cent marks in the Senior School Certificate Examination from this year. I now wish only to be a great scholar. I read book almost on all subjects. Burning midnight oil is now very common for me, as this would help me in achieving my objective of being a scholar. I have never liked, the job of physician, Engineering is Greek to me. Business and Commercial line is just the thing which I hate. Government service, according to me, is meant for the mediocre. So, these ideas hardly leave any other opening for me. I wish only to be a scholar and I am glad, I am trying hard for the same.

FIVE THINSG I LIKE All of us have our likes and dislikes. So have I, my dislikes are many. But out of my likes I have five on the top. These are poetry, music, excursions, meeting people and reading thought provoking books and magazines. Being a student of literature, I have read Wordsworth and his poems have left their lasting effect on me. Other poets of nature who have impressed me most are Keats, Robinson. Music people say, has its effect even on trees, plants, animals and their growth. Milch cows have shown better yield of milk due to music I like Michael Jackson the most. I have gone on excursions to almost all nearby hill stations and health resorts. I prefer to go on educational, scientific and historical tours also. Meeting people from various professions is my another hobby. I have pen-friends among intellectual, artistes, actors, Dancers, Scientists and University Professors. Reading books on Philosophy, Religion, Anthropology, World History and Literature is my last liking. I subscribe to magazines and read books on these subjects.

MY NEIGHBOUR Blessed are those who have good neighbors. I am lucky to have Mr. David as my next door neighbor. He is every inch a gentle man. He is very helpful to all. Mr. David is a wealthy businessman. He is very intelligent. He has two pet dogs. In spite of being rich he is not arrogant. He speaks to every one and is generous and kind. Mr. David has four children-two sons and two daughters. The eldest son helps him in the business. The second son is of my age and studies in a public school. His daughters are students of class nine and seven. His father also lives with him. All the members of his family are good. His father is very kind and religious. His children are good natured and have good manners. They are good at students too. Whenever I have any problem, I go to Charies, the second son, and he always helps solve it. On festivals like Christmas, Mr. David arranges for a get-together for all the neighbors in the common park. At times it is contributory and times the entire expenditure is borne by him.

Mr. David and the members of his family are very co-operative and helpful. They have forget a kind of family feeling among the neighbors. NEWSPAPER Life without newspaper is difficult to imagine. It is the first thing that we look for every morning. It brings us news and views from all corners of the world. Any event or occurrence of importance that takes place is reported by the newspapers. The newspapers carry information for everyone-businessman, politician, unemployed people, players and kids etc. It widens knowledge, keeps one abreast of all advances made in the fields of science, education, medicine and technology. Newspapers are important pillar in a democracy. A free press not only makes people aware of the views and policies of government, but also of their rights. It keeps the government informed of peoples wishes, desires and aspiration can be expressed. Newspapers keep us in constant touch with news, developments, changes, advances and occurrences in each nook and corner of the world and at a very little price to the reader. Its popularity gives it immense power in molding public opinion. Unfortunately most newspapers have vested interests. They are owned by capitalist and have to toe their line. Some newspapers are organs of political party. Their loyalty to the party is greater than sense of fair play. It is essential to cultivate faculty in the readers, so that they do not believe every word of news. The newspaper should also have a very strict code of ethics to which it should conscientiously adhere to. RAINY DAY This year the summer season was unduly long and extremely hot. It was July, the schools had reopened. The scorching sun and the extreme heat had made life unbearable. Going to the school, studying in the class or playing on the ground all seemed to be a punishment. One morning, clouds gathered in the sky. There were vivid flashes of lightning. Suddenly it started raining. There was a downpour for a short while but soon it turned into a steady raining. It was time for school. So, we took our umbrellas and set out. It was refreshing to go out in the cool air. Every one and every thing looked fresh. The trees looked green. The sound of falling rain was pleasing to the ears. Not one minded the inconvenience of wet umbrellas, soaking shoes and wet clothes. The plight of bus travelers was of course pitiable. Buses were late and overcrowded. It

may be quite pleasant to take a brisk walk in the rain, nobody likes standing in the queue in wet clothes with the drops from other persons umbrellas dropping down the back with cold clammy frequency. The street urchins were having a great time playing in the streets, floating boats on the sides of the roads where water was flowing fast. I wished I could join them. In the class, very few student were attentive. Almost everybody was looking out and watching rain every now and then. Primary class children were playing with boats in the pool which serves our center court. Water had gathered there. Our school gate and the road had ankle deep water. The municipality had been caught napping. The drainage system was choked. All low lying areas had knee deep water. It is exhilarating to watch pouring rain and to run about in it. But soon I was happy to return home and change wet clothes. FLOODS Flood are a natural phenomenon which has resulted in various geographical features. They benefit mankind by forming alluvial soil but they also cause tremendous havoc to human life and property. Floods are natural calamity and take place regularly in certain areas. When they are expected, they do not cause much harm. In endemic areas people are prepared. They even take advantage of floods to enrich their soil, trap fish and move logs of wood. But when they are not expected, they cause until misery. The rush of water demolishes and carries away the houses, top-soil, men and animals. It inundates large area under cultivation, wrecks public services and makes life miserable. Floods, however, have always brought out the best in men. They organize rescue and relief for people whom they do not know and from whom they expect no personal gain. Voluntary organizations arrange relief camps and provide medical facilities. Floods also bring out the worst in men to the fore. People and politicians try to cash on the sufferings of people. They make collections in the name of relief and misappropriate for personal benefit. The increasing incidence of floods can be definitely brought down by construction of dams and forestation in the catchments areas. Desilting of rivers in the plains will also help. But these things can be done by government alone as these require big resources, organization and manpower. But people can also contribute at individual level by planting trees and preventing denudation of vegetable cover.

MAN WHO INSPIRED ME Can I ever forget the octogenarian who stayed with us for two days. He was a tall frail looking man who commanded respect. He had immense patience and strove for perfection in everything. He was sent to say in our house to avoid the hustle and bustle-the crowd and noise due to a wedding in our neighbors house. My mother had agreed to have him, as she was confident to give him a calm and peaceful atmosphere in our house. But to and behold, my sister arrived with her boisterous and rowdy kids for a week. My mother got up early in the morning to give milk to the kids before they start screaming. Mr. Joseph was up, mother offered him tea. As she was having tea with him, the kids came crowding in. They fired questions after questions. He calmly sat there answering their questions with such a patience that I was flabbergasted. I would have, by that time been exasperated and brushed them away. They asked him to make on thing after another. He not only made the thing but also strove for perfection. I could not help but ask, why he was taking such pains. It would tire him. Moreover, the children were bound to destroy these things in no time. He said to me in no uncertain terms, young one, never be sloppiesh. Nothing that has to be done, can be so trivial, as to do it sloppishly. Whatever, you undertake to do, put in effort and do it to the best of your ability Even now when I do some thing carelessly, his words echo in my ears, He inspired me to take paints in everything I do. I hope I will at least be half a perfectionist, as he is. EDUCATION TOURS Traveling according to Sir Francis Bacon, the famous Essayist, is education. In the earlier days, people, before going on long tours, used to depart form their places, with great amount of ceremony and their friends and relatives also used to give them farewell. But with advance of science, and new ways of travel developing, going out has become a pleasure now. Even government allows many concessions and grants for educational tours. The railways regularly allow concession on tours to educational and historical centers, and places of importance like the dams, powerhouses, lakes, hill stations, tourist-resorts, factories, industrial-houses, gardens, sanctuaries, monuments, and so on. When students leave their surroundings and stay out for a few days, with their friends and teachers or guides, they automatically develop self-confidence, responsibility, punctuality, self reliance, tolerance and over and above all, general knowledge.

Simply reading books on science, commerce, arts, medicine, management, computers, education, law, engineering, history, architecture etc. Produces only bookworms. For having enlightened citizens for a better world-order, we should encourage educational tours in our schools and colleges and thus develop the personalities of the young boys and girls. COMPUTERS TODAY Computers are referred in the press, on the radio and television. They appear in films and books and now have invaded all walks of life. It is true that we should not miss the catch up with our environment, economic, social and cultural and so we should permit computerisation at all level. If a developing nation has to invest in this technology, we must have a good set of reasons. Let us try to answer basic questions like (1) What is a computer? (2) What can it do? (3) How can one communicate with it? (4) What are the implications of computerisation over a short as well as a long period time? A computer was created for computing fast-a purely mathematical function. Today they are used to forecast the weather, to operate machines, to cut steel to size and even to guide a space craft to the moon. Computer help to trace criminals, are used in the airlinesthe whole world of airlines functions efficiently with its help. Hotels make use of them from managerial capacities to kitchen and companies use them for accounting, invoicing, etc. Thus, a computer is a data processing device which acts upon data coming to it in all shapes and sizes. It deals with the science of information processing, invoicing, recording, manipulating, and retrieving information. Computers are electronic devices, all information stored as patterns of electrical pulses. A computer has to be programmed as per the requirement either to guide a missile or to write poetry. In the years to come, energy efficient technologies will be at a premium;the micro processor as the key machine will lead the industry. It could easily be concluded that in the long run, "Computerisation on a large scale would become essentially a matter of survival." Hence, it is essential to bring an awareness of computers among the common people. FRIENDSHIP A NEED 'Ointment and perfume rejoice this heart,- And so does the sweetness of a friend's loving face.' -(The Bible) Man does not live by bread alone. His relationship with others in the family and society

give him an identity and provide a psychological satisfaction. Among all other ties, friendship brings immens joy in our life. If we are lucky to have a noble friend, he will save us from all our depressions. The magic of mutual love will bring boundless joy as love knows no weariness. There are hundreds of stories in the world classics which tell us many immortal comradeships. David-Jonathan, etc. are some rare examples. How does this miracle happen between two strangers and bind them in the knot of love? There is something in each that strikes a spontaneous appreciation. Friends always find something fresh to admire and appreciate in each other. We should be grateful for friendships. It involves sacrifice of time and thoughts. It is a lovely thing to be perfectly loyal to a friend. We should try to keep the friends we have. Strive to help them. Never find fault or speak ill of them. Take interest in their life and shower love unconditionally on them. Don't hurt your dear ones even in your disturbed moments. Remember the words of shakespeare. 'But if the while I think on the dear friend,-All Losses are restored and sorrow end.'

HOBBY A GOOD PASS TIME A hobby is the best form of recreation to mind and body. People's hobbies differ very much according to the character of the person himself. What would appeal to one man might be the subject of ridicule to another. The best form of recreation is one that can develop in one awareness, colour, concentration and an observational power. In pursuance of a hobby, one can enjoy one's leisure and learn at the same time. There are many activities in our life, which can be developed into hobbies or interest. One should choose a hobby wisely. Reading, indoor games, painting, writing, singing, dancing, reading for a blind boy or even decorating a house etc. are some well-known hobbies. Denise Robins, queen of romantic writers, with 130 novels to her name, cultivates roses. Hobbies fill a gap. It can our spirit when we are depressed. It makes us creative. Many friendship are formed among people who have common hobbies. The unique quality of a person can be developed with the help of a good hobby. It eases your mind to be absorbed in something. You have something to show to your friends and something which is educating and brings relaxation to a tired mind. Many hobbies can be used commercially and it can bring fame. Hobby is constructive. It gives the mind something positive to hold on to. Nothing can make you feel bore while you have an interesting hobby to turn to.

INDIAN VILLAGE India is a land of villages. When a tourist comes to our country. One of the things of great interest is the seeing of an Indian Village. Villages differ from state to state in appearance and style of living. Villages in North India and villages of South India have agriculture as a common occupation but in Punjab it ismore mechanized. Hence, Punjab villages are very rich. I went to Kerala with my friend to see his native village Palani. Kerala is rich with lush green vegetation and every few yards you will see a pond with lotus flowers. I had never seen such breathtaking scenes full of coconut tree, mango groves and small rivulets. All, young and old know swimming. One can see snakes crossing roads just as we do. Village people live a very simple life. Their poverty is visible in their atmosphere. There are two temples in the village and daily some one or the other festival is going on. In the evening the deity is taken out in a procession and men and women dance to religious tunes. There is only one primary school, and some children dont go to school at all. There is no medical-centre or health-centre. The villagers should get at least these basic necessities. We have to pray for that Ram Rajya to come soon. A VISIT TO A ZOO Last Sunday it was cloudy. I along with my friends visited the zoo. As we reached near the main gate of the zoo, we saw a huge crowd. Some were buying entrance tickets, some were gossiping and chatting other were relaxing under the shady trees. We entered to zoological garden and came across a beautiful lake in which some waterbirds like ducks were swimming. Seeing the white ducks on the smooth surface of water is a charming sight. As we moved, we came to the enclosure in which flying birds (fowls) were kept. They ranged from sparrows, eagles and parrots to pigeons of various colours. The birds were chirping. It was an enchanting music. We enjoyed it very much. In the next enclosure were kept-lions and leopards tigers and tigresses, whose roarings were deafening. We approached the net, a lion rushed towards us and we were frightened. Their fierce looks were frightening for us. After seeing this, we came across a garden in which stags very smart and beautiful. In one of the corners monkeys were jumping. Their tricks and pranks were very pleasing. Some people threw food grains to them and they immediately jumped down the trees in order to eat them. Some children were making faces at them. Our next halt was at an acquarium in which we were most interested. A large number of the fishes were kept there. There were fish of many species and colours. To see them fidgeting in water was really a delightful spectacle. There were many other acquatic

animals. Just by the side of this enclosure we came across polar bears who looked sad and deserted. It was the place of black bear which attracted a mammoth gathering. The bear was playing many tricks which thrilled the spectators. Some people offered him eatables which he gulped at once. The zoological parks are so vast that it is very difficult to describe all the departments and enclosures fully. When we took a complete round of the zoo, we relaxed for some time in a cool and beautiful garden inside the zoo. The fragrance of the flawers was tremendously soothing. Then we had some snacks and drinks which refreshed us much. It was evening and the sun was setting. We came out of the zoo like many other visitors. We boarded the bus while casting our last and side by the old but majestic wallof the old fort, which, no doubt, added to the beauty and grandeur of the zoo. A CRICKET MATCH Last winter I happened to sea a cricket match in Delhi. The match was played between Indian cricket team and the West-Indies cricket team. The match was played at Ferozeshah Kotla groungs. Cricket is quite an interesting game. Every game has its plus points. It fosters discipline, duty, team-spirit, cooperation and a sportsmans spirit. Some of the Indian players are players of international repute. Cricket is played between two teams of 11 members each, it is on a flat, smooth and clean ground. Cricket requires, two seats of stumps, wickets and a ball. The distance between two sets of wickets is 22 yards. The bowlers take their turns after every six balls. In this fielding is also necessary for victory. Before the game starts, there is the toss. It is the whim of the toss winning captain to first go for batting or fielding. The fielding party puts three fieldsmen on the one side, six on the off side, while one is posted for guarding the wicket and one for the bowling. The game is generally played for six hours a day. The umpire is the final judge. He is the man who declares the players out; whether they are run out, bowled out, caught out, stumped out or leg-before-wicket out. The match which I witnessed was really very interesting. There was huge gathering at the Ferozshah Kotala grounds. Indias leading cricketers were playing in the match. I saw the fine game of tendulkar. He hit many boundaries, while Azhar was playing very carefully. But soon Tendulkar was out. Then he was replaced by Sidhu. He made 50 runs in 76 minutes while Ganguly made 66 runs in 70 minutes. Soon there was break for lunch. The Indian team made 219 runs for there wickets before lunch. Then the West Indies players started bowling after lunch. Marshall bowled very fast and he stumped of Sidhu. Soon he was replaced by Manjrekar. He hit three sixers. There was

a tremendous cheer from the spectators. There was great excitement among the spectators as well as players. Everyone was in high spirits. Manjrekar played upto the end and he scored over a century. Then the umpire gave a long whistle and the match ended for the day. The spectators dispersed. Some of the cricket fans were patting Manjrekar for his brilliant performance. Soon the crowd fizzled out and we came back home. It was a thrilling match for me. DIWALI Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the Hindus. It is celebrated with great enthusiasm throughout India. With this festival are associated so many lores and legends. It marks the victory of Rama over Ravana. As a matter of fact, Diwali is the symbol of the victory of the forces of good over evil. One the day of Diwali there are hectic activities all over the country. People call and invite their nearest and dearest ones. On this festival, sweets are made and distributed among friends are relatives. People indulage in fun and frolic on the day of Diwali. New cloths are worn by the young and the old, high and low. Children and teenagers are dressed in their most glittering and dazzing dresses. At the same time, during night, fireworks and crackers are also let off. The bright flames of the fire-works present and exquisite sight in the dark night. The festival wears a lovely look. Everyone is well glad, gay and mirthful. Some celebrate it in the most enthusiastic way. Some indulge in gambling. Gambling according to gamblers, forms a part of Diwali festival and whosoever does not gamble, become a doney in his next life. At night the people illumine their houses, walls and terraces with earthen post. These gittering lights in the darkness of night pre-set a bewitching spectacle. A part from houses, public buildings and Government offices are also lit up. The public buildings and Government offices are also lit up. The scene of lights and illuminations is very enchanting. At the nights is performed Lakshmi Puja. The Hindus worship Lakshmi; the Goddess of weaith on this day. They pray, so that, Goddess Lakshmi may visit their houses. Diwali festival is the festival of the whole country. It is celebrated in every nook and corner of the country. Thus, this festival also creates a sense of oneness among the people. It becomes the symbol of unity. India has been celebrating to celebrate it even today which is both historical and religious.

RAILWAY STATION I study in Cambridge School which is one of the best schools of London. It has a stone building. It has all facilities a good school should have-well furnished classrooms, laboratories, library and playground. As we enter the school, there is a playground to our left and a small garden to our right. When we enter the building, the Principals room and the office room are to the left and the staff room to the right side. These are well furnished. There are thirty four classrooms. Our labs are well equipped. Our library has books almost on all subjects. Our Librarian is also very helpful. Our school, like all schools, has a prescribed uniform. We have to wear white or cream cotton shirts, light-blue trousers, black shoes and white socks. Girls have to wear white blouses and light-blue skirts in primary and middle classes and white shirts and light-grey skirts in higher classes. They have to tie white ribbon also. In our school special attention is paid to behavior, cleanliness and punctuality. The most well behaved, neat and punctual student is awarded a prize at the Annual Day function. Our Principle is a strict disciplinarian. He takes the help of P. T. Teachers too. If any one violates the rules, and is not in uniform, or makes mischief, he gets punished. But he is fair and loving. He tries to find out the reason and guides us. Our teachers are also quite strict. They teach us with great care, check our note-books, help us when we need but if we are inattentive and dont work properly, then we are punished. I like my school very much and I am proud that I belong to it. I shall never forget it. INCIDENT I NEVER FORGET Childhood is very impressionable age. One incident of my childhood is indelibly printed in my mind. I was eleven years old. I had just joined middle school. The children of primary school did not admit me in their company and those of middle school didnt wanted to be friends with me. They treated me as an outsider. To add insult to injury they often befooled me and made me a target of their jokes. No wonder I got into the habit of visiting the nearby orchard for solitude and incidentally stealing fruit. Once I got into the orchard and climbed up a huge mango tree. The owner saw me, and unnoticed by me put a toy dog looking like a real dog at the foot of that tree. After eating to the fill and filling my pockets with mangoes. I thought of getting down it was then that my eyes fell on a dog. My blood ran cold. I waited and waited for the dog to go but it remained there. Deciding to face the consequences of my theft. I jumped down.

Imagine my surprise when I found that the dog which had frightened me to the bone was just a stuffed one. I started laughing helplessly at myself. The owner heard me. I was caught. He was a kind man. On my begging forgiveness, he let me go with just a word of advice. Can I ever forget this incident?

SOLAR SYSTEM The solar system consists of nine planets, of which the earth is the one and the star in the centre is called the sun. This solar system is tucked away in a corner of a Milky way at a distance of about 30,000 to 33,000 light years from the centre of this galaxy. This system contains nine planets- Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. A planet means a wanderer. Unlike the stars which have a fixed position, the planets shift their positions and velocity and are never stationary. The first five planets are named after Roman gods. The inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) are highly dense and rocky. They resemble like the earth and are aptly called terrestrial planets. The solar system is very big and Jupiter is the largest of all planets. Astronomy tells us so much about these celestial bodies. The earth is the only gifted planet which has life. Researches are going on experimenting life on Mars. The chances seem bleak. Man continues his quest to know more about the planets. With every technological innovation and scientific invention man is taking a step forward towards quenching his thirst for knowing the unknown. REPUBLIC DAY CELEBRATIONS Twenty-sixth January is a red letter day in the history our nation. It was on this day that our own Constitution came into force and our country become a secular, democratic republic. It reminds us of the day when the Congress Party took a historic pledge to free the country from the foreign rule. The preparations arrangements are made in the lawns near India Gate. There are both V.I.P. seats and ordinary seats. The tickets are made available from different places. One platoon from every regiment takes part in the parade. In the same way, the sailors and airmen are drawn from the Indian Navy and Indian Air-Force. The country proudly displays her night through the gums tanks, ships and aeroplanes. The function starts early in the morning. The Prime Minister lays a garland near to Jawan-Jyoti. He pays homage to the martyrs who gave their lives to save the nation. At exact 8 A.M. the President reaches the saluting base and is received by Prime Minister and other Ministers. He is

also the Supreme Commander of our armed forces. The march begins with the heroes of the earlier wars. All those members of the armed forces who won the highest decoration, i.e., the Param Vir Chakra lead the march. Then comes the young boys and who win bravery award for the year. The soldiers march briskly. The band plays martial tunes. As they pass the saluting base, they turn their eyes towards the President. The Commanding Officer salutes and marches on. The members of the paramilitary forces also take part in the march. Last off all come the Jhankies of Various states in which they display the life of the people. The cultural troupes also perform the folk dances. The students drawm from various schools of Delhi bring up the rear. They put up a very beautiful show in the from of dances and national songs with action. The whole of programme is telecast on the T.V. On January 28th, there is beating of retreat. The soldiers taking part in the parade march back to their barracks. It is one of the most charming displays out up our armed forces every year.

DEMOCRACY AND ITS NEED 'Democracy,' defines Bernard Shaw, 'is a social order aiming at the greatest available welfare for the whole population and not for a class.' Democracy has many merits. Freedom and equality are its essential concepts. That is to say, there should exist respect for the individual as the supreme motive of power. Perfect democracy can be achieved by educating all people in a country. People should be made to realise their social and political responsibilities. They should have a complete knowledge of democratic living and democratic from of government. Constant vigilance is the price of democracy. The success of democracy largely depends on its power to produce the right type of leadership. The things to come are determined by the thinking, value and beliefs of these leaders. They should be conscious about the essence of democracy. Freedom of expression and a well motivated public opinion through an impartial media will help to achieve effective democratic value. people should be more active and vigilant in the democratic form of government, since it is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Other essence are recognition of the rights of minority, uniform justice throughout the country to citizens to have a right to fight for justice etc. Holding free and impartial election ensures democracy in true sense. To achieve all these essentials a basic economic independence of all citizen is a must for democracy.

Internet Plagiarism Not all thieves lurk in dark alleys and parks. Some sit with their faces lit by the glow of their computer monitors, copying, pasting, and printing. It may seem like just another helpful source of information, but the Internet has taken the theft of intellectual property to a new level. Part of the problem is that most students dont really know the exact definition of plagiarism or its consequences. Some say that using someone elses ideas without attributing them is a form of theft, but most people dont think of it as a serious crime. For teachers, Internet plagiarism has been especially problematic compared to theft from other sources. This is because it is so difficult to locate the origin of Internet material. To counter student plagiarism, Internet services designed to detect copied material have emerged to aid teachers. One Internet company, TurnItIn.com, has developed a system for detecting material plagiarized from the Internet. Teachers can upload student works onto the site, which searches for similarities to material from all over the Web. The teachers receive an originality report within a few days. To utilize this new technology, a few teachers at this high school are having students submit their papers on disk as well as on paper. The threat of using [these programs] will stop a lot of students. They will be afraid theyll be caught. Unfortunately, fear is what works, English teacher Judy Grear said. English teacher Barbara Swovelin said, With all the info thats on the Internet, its understandable that we go to it to get information. Its understandable that people would use it as a resource. The legal and moral issues come in when students use it improperly. A main concern is not only the use of a few plagiarized sentences, but of entire papers. Paper mills like SchoolSucks.com and Evil House of Cheat are some of the most popular sources for pirated papers. Sites like these, which have achieved fame and notoriety among slackers everywhere, were the motivation for TurnItIn.com and similar sites. In addition to such blatant cut and paste plagiarism, most teachers agree that students must be wary of the theft of ideas. One plagiarism-detection program, Word Check, asserts through their Web site, Whether you agree or disagree on how information should be used or reused in digital form, one thing is clear: protecting intellectual property from theft and infringement is the number one security issue.

By some definitions, it seems like everyone plagiarizes. But for many students who feel that they might unknowingly plagiarize, programs like TurnItIn.com are intimidating. The detection system on TurnItIn.com, which is a part of plagiarism.org, claims to detect plagiarism down to the eight-word level, which many fear could include accidental lifting of words. You might lift an idea or a line or two. Everybody does that. Some writers dont read other writers because of it, Grear said. Swovelin responds positively to the new technology that detection programs use. What we would try to produce would be students who would be ethical. People learn lessons when they do something wrong, she said about the program. I think that the idea is good, Chris M., a senior, said. But it might be a little extreme because some phrases are common enough that they might be in more than one essay. The thieves are out there, and they arent wearing stocking caps. Theyre not robbing banks; theyre stealing words.

INDIAN FARMER Agriculture is as much important, if not more, as the industry in a country. Thus here lies the importance of our farmer. An Indian fanner is the backbone of the society. His importance in the economy of the country cannot be over-emphasized. He grows vegetables and fruits for our food and cotton for our clothes. The Indian farmer is a hard working man. He works from morning till evening in the scorching heat and biting cold. Early in the morning he drives his oxen to the fields. He ploughs the fields, sows seeds and waters the plants He looks after the crops and saves them from being spoiled by stray cattle or wild animals. He enjoys no holiday. At noon he takes his meals under a shady tree and then takes little rest. In the evening he returns home, tired and exhausted. But he leads a simple life. He lives in a mud house, eats simple food and wears coarse clothes. Generally he is illiterate. We believe in old customs and superstitions. His cattle are his most valuable property. Often during drought crops fail and he is in trouble when the crop ripens, he feels happy. He reaps it, thrashes it and takes the corn to the market. In times of a bad harvest he has little money to buy seeds and manure and runs into debt. The farmer is fond of festivities. He spends lavishly on marriages and other social ceremony. Recently, the use of agricultural machinery and chemical manures and the

provision of credit facilities by cooperative societies and rural banks has improved his living and changed his outlook on life.

IIND ON INDIAN FARMER An Indian farmer is one of the most important members of society. He is the giver of food to the people, to all practical purposes. He gets up early in the morning and goes to his fields. Nowadays, in a number of states, the days of plugging the fields with the help of oxen are almost over except or the farmers who are too poor to purchase a tractor. The farmer has many kinds of works to do. He ploughs his fields. He sows the seeds. He waters the fields regularly. He has to take care of the crops. He has to protect them against hail and frost. He has to apply compost and fertilizers. He has also to sprinkle insecticides and pesticides to protect the crops against pests and insects. Most of the old farmers are illiterate. But the farmers of the new generation are mostly educated. Their being educated helps them a lot. They get the soil of their fields tested in a laboratory. Thus, they can know what kind of crop will grow best in their fields. Although the lot of big farmers has greatly improved, the condition of small land-holders and marginal farmers is still far from being satisfactory. Such farmers get big loans from banks which they cannot repay. Many farmers have committed suicide m various states during the last few years. Most of the farmers are not interested in free electricity and water. They rather want an uninterrupted supply of electricity for which they are ready to pay. In states like Punjab, at first the Green Revolution helped the farmers a lot. But the low prices of their produce on account of bumper crops became a negative factor for them. Small farmers should also start some cottage industries. Crop rotation system and contract crop system has been started in some states. Such steps are in the right direction and will help the farmers in the long run.

AGRICULTURE IN INDIA Agriculture constitutes the backbone of the Indian economy. It contributes around 32 per cent of the national income and provides employment to 70 per cent of Indian working force. Further, agricultural product constitutes 50 per cent of our exports and manufactures with agricultural content (cloth, sugar and manufactured jute) contributes another 20 per cent of India's export.

Thus around 70 per cent of our exports consist of agricultural product. The role of agriculture in the industrial development of the economy is no less important. Agricultural sector supplies raw materials to the agro-based industries like sugar, jute, cotton, ground-nut and oilseeds. Failure of agricultural crops spells a disaster for the Indian industries. Agriculture also directly and indirectly provides a market for the industrial products. Directly, agricultural sector consumes industrial products like chemical fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides and small tools and equipments. Indirectly, the success in agricultural sector increases the purchasing capacity of the people to purchase industrial products. Thus, agriculture occupies a pivotal position in the Indian economy. And, a rapid development of the economy depends on a smooth and sustained growth in the agricultural sector.