Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Newspapers are truly an addiction. Every morning it is delivered to your door step and you spend nearly
half an hour eagerly digesting the recent happenings of the world, the country, the city and the locality. If there
were no newspapers, our daily routine would be disrupted. The leisurely cup of tea would no longer taste the
same. Indeed, our very mornings would no longer be the same.
The next change would be that we would be less informed about our current affairs, the political
situation; the new stock marked downs and ups, etc. Adolescents would be very disturbed to find that the
entertainment column is no longer at their fingertips. They would have to waste time scouting the theatres for
movie of their choice. Stock marked investors would miss their favourite page with the innumerable quotations
– the latest index figures of their blue shares. Others would miss their favourite comic strip, and sports
enthusiasts would lament the lack of coverage about the Wimbledon series.
The T.V. and radio could be seen as valuable alternatives. Both of them would try to offer many
channels and the latest news every half – an – hour. This would give us information with live video coverage
but the habit of reading would be lost for ever. For many gown ups, the newspaper is truly a gateway to the
world. So for these people, a world without newspaper is a disaster that must never happen!
If I were a Teacher
When I was young, I was fond of playing the role of a teacher. I would imagine a class of children in
front of me, a black board on the wall and myself - an ideal teacher. Everything was imaginary except the ruler
in my hand.
If I were a teacher, I would give greater importance to example that to precept. I would make the
children understand the worth of polite speech and decent behaviour. I would never go late to class, i would
avoid taking casual leave as far as possible.
When I would enter the class I would bid them the time an expect them to bid me in return. ‘Good
morning, children’ would be the beginning of the day. I would plan the lesson well and ensure that every child
had understood the day’s topic. I would give special attention to the weaker students, unlike some teachers who
only care for the clever children and neglect the below average ones. I would consider it my duty to analyse and
solve the problems of every child without any partiality.
I would not approve of learning by heart. I would try to make every lesson interesting by giving
practical examples from every day life. The children would be encouraged to collect information from
newspapers and magazines. I would encourage the children to participate in games, sports and cultural
activities.
It would be my principle never to make any personal remark which would hurt any child’s feelings. I
would never tolerate selfishness, rudeness or dishonesty. I would encourage them to love their home members
and their friends, and make them happy.
Throughout my career as a teacher, my air would be to instil in every child real and noble values of life
and mound him into a responsible and productive citizen of the world.
If there were no Electricity?
Electricity is one of the basic forms of energy. Of all the forms in which energy exists including motion,
sound, heat, light and radio waves, electricity is the most versatile (having many uses). It can be generated from
many different sources. It can be sent almost instantaneously over long distances, carrying either messages or
power and it can be converted simply and efficiently into other forms of energy as needed.
Because of this versatility, electricity plays a part in nearly every aspect of modern life. It provides light
and heat, and mechanical power and makes possible the telephone and telegraph, radio and television and
countless other necessities and luxuries. Nowadays, we take gadgets like the light, fan mixer, oven, iron,
refrigerator, air conditioner so much for granted without giving a thought to its working.
We often hear our grandmothers talking of the good old days without electricity, when one would rise
with the dawn and sleep early. All studying would be in the daylight hours; cooking on wood - fire had its own
flavour and meals would be family meals to be eaten together at a fixed time by candle light. Once when we
had no electricity for 8 hrs. life came to a standstill. The bells didn’t ring. The washing machine wend dead. TV
sets was dark and silent. The radio was just a box without voice. The food spoiled. The electric clock about
without flashlights, knocking on each others doors instead of ringing doorbells. Travelling by trains (electric)
would be affected leaving millions stranded. In other words, chaos reigned supreme. Such power failures are a
housewife’s nightmares. Chores which are quickly attended to remain unattended.
We are so dependent on electricity and the comforts it provides, that without it we are literally left in
darkness. In this modern day such black - outs are frequent because demand is more than supply. Our
population has increased manifold and so has our consumption. Hence there is over - loading and power
breakdowns. The day is not far off when we will face an acute power crisis.
We just cannot imagine what our life would be without electricity.
Pollution
Pollution is the price we are paying for modern civilization and material progress. Pollution means
making foul or filthy. Pollution is our enemy number one today. There is pollution everywhere, in the
atmosphere, on land, in the seas and rivers. Our air is polluted or made foul by smoke, gases and chemicals
puffed out by vehicles, and factories, and by the use of various chemicals. Besides this, there is noise pollution
in big cities resulting from the noise of vehicles, machines, loudspeakers and crackers.
Tonnes of industrial and chemical waste thoughtlessly dumped into our rivers, lakes and seas kill fish
and other marine life. Polluted water destroys plant life. It corrupts the soil and makes it useless. Atomic
radiation also pollutes the air and poses terrible health hazards. Radioactive pollutants are most dangerous as
they affect human chromosomes and bring about permanent hereditary disorders. Unplanned growth of cities
brings about more and more slums where dirt, disease and death breed. The tragedy in Bhopal which took the
toll of thousands of innocent people killed by toxic - methyl - Isocyanate gas leaked into the air from Union
Carbide’s chemical plant, is a fearful reminder of how dangerous air pollution can be. Among our cities, which
are getting dangerously polluted each day, may be mentioned Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi
and Rajkot. These cities are on the brink of total ecological disaster if pollution is not ruthlessly checked.
Pollution poisons the air and harms the ozone layer of the earth which protects us from the radiation of
the sun. If the ozone layer is destroyed, mankind will perish through the harmful radiation of the sun.
We must take immediate and effective steps to fight pollution. We must reduce vehicular and factory
smoke. We must shift industries from the cities, we must find some efficient system for the quick disposal of
garbage. We must stop the dumping of chemical wastes into our rivers, lakes and seas. We must grow more
trees, protect our forests, and have more gardens and open spaces. People should be more concerned about the
continuing pollution of the environment. The sooner effective steps are taken the better it will be for mankind.
Trees - Nature’s Gift to Man.
Of all the living beings inhabiting this earth, trees are out best friends. Mother Nature, in her infinite
wisdom, has gifted them to man to live in harmony with him and to be of great service to him.
Besides fruits, trees provide important raw materials for our industries. Industries provide employment
to people. The wood for furniture, housing, railway carriages and ships come from trees. Wood is also used for
fuel and for making charcoal which is used as fuel. From trees we get wood - pulp to make paper and artificial
yarns (like nylon). Trees also give us products such as spices, rubber, turpentine, eucalyptus oil and gum. We
also get honey and many valuable things for medicine from forests.
We get so many things from forests that forests are rightly known as ‘ green gold’ Trees provide shade
to tired travellers and animals and shelter to innumerable birds and insects. Trees keep the environment clean.
They absorb harmful carbon dioxide from the air and fill the atmosphere with precious life - sustaining oxygen.
In this way they reduce air pollution. Therefore, trees are called the lungs of nature. Forests retain humidity and
attract rains. There will be no rain if there are no trees. It is for this reason that trees are known as rain catchers.
In fact, all our basic necessities like, air, water, food, clothing and shelter come directly or indirectly
from trees. We thus, owe our very existence to trees.
If there were no trees, there would be no rain and land would turn into an arid desert. Mankind would
perish for want of food, drinking water, fresh air and sufficient humidity. So we should ever remain grateful to
trees.