The Olympic Games

          The ancient Greeks loved games and sports. Many people, young and old, participated in the items. Every four years games were held, at Olympus in south western Greece. So the games were known as the Olympic Games. The first records of the Games are kept from 776 B.C. Many Greeks took part in them and thousands of enthusiastic spectators assembled to have a look at them, A temporary town of tents sprang up during the games. The games, thus started, vent on till 394 A.D. when they were abolished by the Roman Emperor, Theodosius I. The modern Olympic Games were again revived in Athens by Pierre de Coubertin. The Games have been held every four years since then. They were, however, not held in 1916. 1940 and 1944 when wars were going on. The women participated in the Games in 1912 for the first time.

Jagadish Chandra Bose

            Jagadish Chandra Bose, the great Indian scientist, was born in Dacca in the year 1858. He was a brilliant scholar. He went .to Cambridge for higher studies after graduating from Calcutta University. Returning to India, he joined the Presidency College, Calcutta as a Professor of Physics. Gifted with an inquisitive mind, lie devoted himself to researches work. One of his great achievements was that he succeeded in sending electric waves without the help of any wires. He is best known for his researches on plain-life. He was the first to discover that the plants breathe and feel in much the same way as we do. After retirement, lie founded the Bose Institute which became one of the leading centres of scientific research in India. Jagadish Chandra could write excellent Bengali prose and his writings are highly popular all over the country.

How Paper is Made

          Paper is made from bamboo, cotton rags, and some other materials. Today it is made in large quantities in paper mills. The materials are first soaked in water and then are reduced to pulp. Sulphur and some other chemical substances are used in making the pulp. It is then made clean and lime is added to it to give it the white look. Next, the pulp is spread in thin sheets and dried, and finally, cut into pieces of various shapes and sizes. All these things are done by machinery. In this way we get paper that we use for writing and printing. Many paper mills are found all over India. The Titaghur Paper Mills near Calcutta is the oldest and biggest of them all.

TEA

          Tea is very popular drink in the world today. It is grown in India, China, Japan, Ceylon, Brazil and in many other countries. Tea is dried leaves of the tea plant which is grown on sloping grounds. The leaves are small and oval in shape. Not all the leaves are picked; two top leaves and a bud make the crop. These then go through several processes in the factory. After that they are packed in chests, ready to be sold in the market. To prepare a cup of tea is quite easy. The drink is made with boiling water and then sugar and milk may be added to it. Tea is a very refreshing drink and is, indeed, a good stimulant.

Tiger

          Tigers are large, fierce animals of the cat family. They are yellow skinned with black stripes. They live in the jungles of Asia. The tigers of the Sunderbans are called The Royal Bengal Tigers’. Not many of these animals are left today, as they have been shot and trapped by hunters for many years. They are now protected in some National Parks. Tigers help man in many ways. They kill pigs and deer that destroy crops. Not all of these creatures are man-eaters. Some old or wounded tigers cannot catch their prey and they turn man-eaters. Usually a tiger does not hunt men. For human habitation, mills and factories, jungles are being cleared. ‘So the tigers get killed or are driven away. But it is our duty to keep the wonderful species alive. A day may come when tigers may be seen only in game reserves or zoos.

My School

          My school is situated in a calm and quiet village. It is an old school and our Headmaster, who is a fine scholar, happens to be an ex-student of this school. The class rooms are spacious and airy. We have a big playground where we play football, cricket and many other games. Throughout the year’ we organize various functions and competitions. All these enthrall us greatly. We have forty teachers. They love us and are always eager to help us. We have a big library too. It contains many useful books and journals. The librarian is a kind man and he helps us in selecting books. The students of our school do well in the Public examinations. I am proud of my school. When I grow up, I think, I will do something for my school.

THE FARMER AND THE SNAKE

          One day, a farmer was returning from his fields of wheat. Suddenly, lie came across a baby snake almost frozen to death on the roadside.

          The farmer was very kindhearted person. So he picked the baby snake up from the roadside and brought it home.

          The farmer and his wife took care of the baby snake, warmed it by the open fire and gave it a warm drink of milk. They also put it into a cardboard box with straw inside it. The snake soon became a part of their family.

          Everyday, they gave milk and banana to the snake as well as their son. They looked after the baby snake like their another son. They firmly believed that the snake would do them no harm.

          Soon the snake developed into a full grown snake. It meanwhile had seen the outside world and the ways of its kind. It had learned their viciousness. Then one day the snake tried to bite the only son of the farmer. His wife saw it and screamed in horror. The farmer at once! rushed forward with his sickle. He cut the snake into two parts before it could touch the baby boy’s leg.


Moral: Never trust a vicious creature.