Current Affairs Secondary School Level

It was the first day of the S. S. C. Examination. There was an atmosphere of suspense and tension in the examination hall. As the last bell rang, the perfect silence was broken by the rustle of the question papers in English which were being handed to the candidates, and the tense atmosphere gave place to one of excitement. I was considered to be a bright student, a promising scholar. I used to study regularly throughout the year and was not at all scared of examination. On this particular day, I was unruffled and confident, and placidly read the question paper, as though it was a newspaper. I always made it a point to attempt the essay first. While the other questions could be disposed of quickly, the essay demanded leisure, imagination and freshness of mind. One of the essay topics happened to be ‘Examination Reforms’, and in a fateful moment I plumped for it. After arranging my ideas on the subject, I started writing on the defects of the examinations as a test of memory rather than of intelligence and understanding? Do they not put a premium on cramming? As I went on writing, I was possessed by the spirit of the subject. I lost myself in exposing the defects of the examination system and wrote with a fervour and sincerity quite unusual in an essay of this kind. An invigilator looked at me curiously, as if I was a poet composing a poem in a state of inspiration. I finished the essay in an hour, an unusually long time. But the arguments against examinations which I had so sincerely put forward continued to trouble me. I looked at the pale faces of some of my companions, and something within me cried for action. I had not merely written an academic essay on examination reforms but I felt that I was engaged in a crusade against an evil. I felt that I must express protest against examinations in a concrete, practical form. To the inexpressible astonishment of my fellow-candidates and the invigilators, I surrendered my answer book two hours before the end of the examination and walked out of the hall!

India is a country of festivals. Almost every week there is some festival or the other. Some of the important festivals of India are Dussera Durgapuja, Holi Idd, Christmas, Baisakhi, Ganesh Chaturthi, Onam, Pongal, Saraswati puja. But I believe, the queen of all these festivals is Deepawali. It is the most beautiful of festivals. Deepawali is generally' celebrated around November which is the best month of the year in India, the weather is very pleasant. After the sticky And, muddy rains, the bright and cool November fills the hearts of the people with enthusiasm. They are in a festive mood. So they celebrate the victory of good over evil with great zeal. On this day Lord Rama come back to Ayodhya after his victory over the evil Ravana. People welcomed him by lighting the whole Ayodhya with earthen lamps and decorating theit houses. That is how it is done even now. It is also believed that Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, moves about on this night. Her invisible visit to a person's house makes him rich. These colourful stories add a strange depth to the festival.  Before the actual festival there is great activity among the people. The houses are cleaned and white-washed. All the dirt, dust of the year is removed. The men and the children go out to make purchases. There is brisk sale of earthen toys, earthen lamps, candles, roasted rice, toys made of sugar, sweets. The children press their parents to purchase large quantities of fire-works. The women are not behind. They purchase new sarees and ornaments. There is a tradition to purchase new metal utensils. On the eve of Deepawali there is the worship of Laxmi and Ganesh. And then starts the fun. Every house is lighted with rows upon rows of earthen lamps or candles or bulbs. The bulbs are multi- coloured. The individual houses, then the localities and finally the whole city. become a sea of light of various colours. It is such marvelous sight! After this comes the programme of tire-works - dazzling, bright lights and terrific explosions exhilarate all, especially the children And finally, people end it all with delicious sweets What a wonderful festival Deepawali is !

Naisha has a magical pencil. It does all her homework for her. The pencil can go on writing for hours and hours. It never tires. Her pencil has a beautiful flowery design. Naisha has to only dictate what she wants to write. Her pencil understands English and can write on its own. The best part is it never makes any spelling mistakes. On Sundays the pencil takes a holiday. It will not write as it loves to sleep. Thus Naisha finishes all her homework on Saturday. On Sunday naisha cleans her pencil with a special detergent and sponge. She keeps her pencil sparkling bright. One day she lost her magical pencil in school. Naisha was very sad and cried all day. At night after she prayed to god and went to her room to sleep she found the pencil under her pillow. Naisha could not believe her eyes. Her magical pencil had come back to her. Naisha promised to be very careful and take care of her pencil.

All of us have been to a circus and watched with amazement as animals performed their tricks. We have never, however, paused to consider how an elephant can balance on a ball or how the bear jumps through rings of fire or how the tigers ride bicycles. If we knew the horrendous truth behind these carefully orchestrated acts we wouldn't stand in queues to buy tickets to watch these animals perform. Animals are forcefully taught to perform these physically difficult tricks by whip-wielding trainers who use not just whips but tight collars, muzzles, electric rods, and bull hooks too. Animals in circuses are trained with abuse and intimidation and they are kept in extreme confinement. These animals were not meant to entertain us, they were meant to roam wild and free. Many countries have banned the use of animals in their circuses. In poor countries banning the use of these animals amounts to the loss of livelihood of those working with them. Although this is true, it can hardly be reason enough to continue using animals for our selfish ends. Getting the government to pass stem laws to ban circuses from using animals is one way of helping the cause of these voiceless animals. The most effective way to put an end to this is to stop supporting these circuses by boycotting them when they come into your city. So do your bit, save these animals.

Outline: Comparison of female alcoholic to male and societies’ acceptance. Charactristics, research reports and diseases caused among women. Recommendations and steps for reducing alcohol consumption. Drinking, especially heavy drinking, is less accepted for women than men. Intoxicated women are more dishonoured because of the total non- acceptance of the societies. Women drinkers are said to be secretive drinkers. Compared to male alcoholics women appear to take up drinking at a later age. The shift from controlled to uncontrolled drinking is more rapidly among women than men. The female alcoholics take on some of the adaptive characteristics of the father including the use of alcohol for escape and relief from tension. It is estimated that around 8% of female alcoholics had alcoholic mothers. Some researchers have reported that female alcoholics drink out of a sense of inadequacy and insecurity developed in early life. Generally, it is believed that female alcoholics tend to reject female roles. They are more macho than non-alcoholic women. But they appear to be more defenceless than men to many adverse consequences of alcohol use. A higher concentration of alcohol in the blood makes them more weakened than men after drinking equivalent amounts. Research also suggests that women are more at risk to alcohol-related organ injury and social violence. Women are more vulnerable than men to alcohol-related distress and interpersonal difficulties. Compared with men, women develop liver disease over a shorter period of time. In addition, long-term consumption may lead to brain haemorrhage. It is proved that a brain region involved in directing several brain functions is significantly smaller among alcoholic women compared with both alcoholic men and non- alcoholic women. Women who consume one or two alcoholic drinks per day have a lower death rate from heart disease compared to. Heavy drinkers. Among heavier drinkers, research shows similar rates of alcohol-associated heart disease for both genders. Many studies report that moderate to heavy alcohol intake increases the risk for breast cancer although one study has found no increased breast cancer risk associated with consumption of up to one drink per day. Addicting to alcohol among women is most common between the ages of 26 to 34 years. It is also common among women who are divorced or separated, however, there are certain recommendations with regard to the reduction of alcohol consumption among females. Advertisements pertaining to alcohol should be stopped. The strength of liquor produced must be progressively reduced. The number of liquor shops both in rural and urban areas must be reduced. Furthermore, liquor shops should remain close for an increasing number of days in a week. High priority must be given to the closure of liquor shops around industrial and developmental project areas.

The Romans had a proverb, 'mens sana in corpore sano,' meaning 'A healthy mind in a healthy body'. Research shows that the Romans were really on to something. While it is known for a long time that exercise can protect general health and wellbeing, it now seems that exercise may help to preserve brain health also. For example, fitness levels have been associated with maintenance of brain function in age while physical activity has been linked with a reduced risk of development of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Exercise is emerging as a possible means to maintain or improve brain health throughout life. However, many things that happen in life can disrupt emotional health and lead to a strong feeling of sadness, stress or anxiety. "Good" changes can be just as stressful as "bad" changes. The body responds to the emotions i.e. the way people think, feel and act. This is often called the "mind/body connection." Under stressed, anxious or upset conditions, the body tries to indicate that something isn't right. For example, high blood pressure or a stomach ulcer might develop after a particularly stressful event, such as the death of a loved one. Some other physical signs of emotional health being out of balance are change in appetite, constipation or diarrhea, extreme tiredness, general aches and pains, headaches, high blood pressure, and insomnia. Stress results in an increased amount of the stress hormone, cortisol, being released into the blood and it attacks the immune system, the heart and the brain. Although, stress is a part of our existence, one should always find ways to beat stress. Laughter, spirituality, positive attitude, avoiding stressful triggers and social interactions are known to reduce stress and help one stay healthy. "Relaxation frees the heart. Courage opens the heart. Compassion fills the heart". Poor emotional health can weaken the body's immune system, making one more prone to colds and other infections during emotionally difficult times. Abuse of alcohol, tobacco or other drugs may also be a sign of poor emotional health. Persistence of negative feelings is called "major depression." Depression is a medical illness that can be treated with individualized counseling, medicine or both. When people indulge in negative emotions, they pay the price through the negative effects on their health. Misery can kill one as fast as a bullet. Optimism decreases damage to the arteries. Similarly, in people who forgive easily, stress has fewer effects. Emotional vitality, a positive state of mind, associated with interest, enthusiasm, excitement and energy for living, has been linked with cardiovascular health. For people to enjoy a healthy life, they should strive to improve their emotional vitality. This mental attitude is the key to a healthy living. Remember, "Joy in living keeps the heart healthier". Meditation helps to develop compassion, as it aids in dealing with the outside world helps one forgive him-self and move away from any hurt that may prevent a person from being happy and staying healthy. Positive emotional states produce buoyancy and satisfaction in more...

Libraries are important means of disseminating knowledge. “A good collection of books” says Carlyle, “is the true university of our days”. The formal education received in schools and colleges is not of much value, unless it is supplemented by as wide a reading as possible. So many good books are published now a days that it is impossible to buy and possess each and every number of them. Lovers of books have no alternative but to depend on a good library. There is a good public library in my town of which I am a member. I have cultivated the habit of spending at least an hour in that library every evening. To the countless hours I have spent there I owe the broadening of my mental horizon, my general knowledge, which often elicits warm compliments from my teachers, and the wealth and variety of ideas which help me in writing an essay or speaking at a debate. Let me describe my hourly routine in the library. On entering the library I first go to the stand where the daily newspapers are put up for perusal. I stand before it for about fifteen minutes, reading the headlines, scanning the interesting news items, and sometimes going through the letters to the editor, if they happen to pertain to education or any other interesting subject. I am very much annoyed if some aggressive person by my side thrusts himself forward or turns a page when I am absorbed in reading an interesting news item. Then I move on to the table where the weeklies and magazines are kept. I glance at some of them and finally select one in which there are articles or short stories I would like to read. I settle myself in an easy chair, preferably in a cozy corner, and read the articles or short stories for about half an hour. (I sometimes find, to my disappointment, that no easy chair is empty.) Before rising from my comfortable seat I look around and observe what others are doing. One gentleman is snoring in an easy chair, his face covered with a large magazine. Some people evidently come to the library more to relax than to read. Some people, I notice, cannot resist the temptation to comment loudly, apparently for the benefit of their neighbours, on what they are reading, and sometimes even to enter into a discussion with them on some point or other. An old man who must be on the wrong side of eighty is standing before a newspaper, earnestly jotting down something in his small note book. I wonder what he is taking down and how it can be useful to him when he is on the threshold of the grave. I then go to the stacks containing books and stand before them, gazing at the titles and attractive covers of some of them. There are novels and plays and books on history, science, religion and so forth. How is it possible to read even more...

When I think of the many festivals that India has I feel myself lucky to be born here. Almost every season has its own festival. In January we have the Pongal, Lohri and the 26th January. In March we have 'Holt followed by Easter and Baisakhi in April. May brings us Idd. August comes with 15th August, Raksha Bandhan and Janmasthmi. In October we have Dussera and Durga Pooja. Then comes Deepawali; and finally comes Christmas on 25th December. Which country can boast of so many festivals in a year? Of all these, my favourite is the Durga Pooja, the festival dedciated to goddess Durga. It comes at, the time of Dussera when the weather is New Pattern Essays pleasant. The summer heat is over. The rigours of winter are yet to come. The Pooja is a festival of five days, from Shasthi to Dashami. it celebrates the killing of cruel Mahishasur  (the buffalo-demon) by the goddess Durga. Different localities of the city celebrate the Pooja with great enthusiasm. A huge ‘pandal’ is set up and on one side the idols of the different deities are tastefully arranged. In the centre is goddess Durga, sitting on her steed, the lion. Below lies the slain Mahishasur. On one side are Laxmi and Ganesh and on the other side are Kartikeya and Saraswati. Every morning, from Shahthi to Navami, there is the pooja and then the Anjalli or offering of flowters. Prasad is distributed. In the evenings there is the Arti. This is the most remarkable ceremoney. The priest worships the goddess with different things like earthen lamp, joss sticks, flowers, conch-shell etc. He does it very artistically and rhythmically, The drummers and young boys and girls dance ecstatically before the goddess. The total effect is hypnotic. Late in the evenings there are plays and variety shows presented by different amateur and professional troupes. Men, women and children dress in their best clothes. They make rounds of the different Pooia pandals and pay their homage. Finally, on the Dashmi day, is the ‘Immersion’ or –‘Visarjan’. The idols of different -Barwaris5 are carried in trucks followed by the people of those areas. They go to the river ‘ghat’ for the immersion of the idols in the river. This it self is a grand ceremony when people dance and sing to the accompaniment of music. Lastly comes the sweetest item of all –the visit to the houses of friends and relatives. Wherever one goes one is welcomed with special Bengali-sweets like Rosogolla, Sandesh, Kalajam RaJbhog, Gopalbhog, Kheerkadam and many more such delicacies. What a sweet end to the Pooja festival !

Jane has a bright red bicycle. It looks like any normal bicycle with two wheels; however it can fly in the sky. Jane received it as a gift from her fairy god- mother. You need not push the pedal as there is a magical switch that takes it up in the sky. The ride through the clouds can be quite bumpy. Jane takes her little brother for a ride. They enjoy seeing the tall buildings and the church tower form top.  Jane could actually touch the town hall clock. It was quite windy. On normal days Jane is also able to pedal her magical cycle to school. When tired she just pushes the button and lo! It flies. While coming back to the ground you have to be careful or else the cycle may hit with a thump. Jane keeps her cycle shining clean.     

When my grandma died, I was blessed to be there to hold her hand. It was in that instance that I knew what I wanted to do when I grew up. I wanted to be a nurse. I wanted to help make people feel better. Nursing is a noble profession. It calls for putting your patient’s needs before your own. It calls for understanding human emotions and feeling compassion for another in pain. It may appear as a thankless job especially since the hours are long and the credit always goes to the doctor but what can be more rewarding than putting a troubled mind to rest, or giving a body in pain relief? I don't want to be just a nurse. I want to be a nurse that gives hospice care. Hospice care deals with those that are terminally ill and wish to spend the rest of their days in their homes in the comfort of their familiar surroundings. Sometimes they may not have people to look after them, that's when hospice care comes in. I want to be there for those that are taking their last steps in the twilight zone. I want to be there to hold their hand and ease their fears. I want to be able to make the last leg of their journey less painful, less stressful and as comfortable as possible. I want to take this life that God has given me and turn it into something meaningful to serve his people.