English Knowledge

28. Floods =================== Floods are unfortunately a regular feature (ઘટના) in India. Many people lose their lives and property during floods. In spite of progress in science we have not yet been able to prevent or reduce the loss caused by floods. Heavy rain cause the rivers to overflow. Dams burst due to heavy rains and the waters flood the surrounding areas. Floods bring in their wake lot of damage. House collapse, crops are destroyed; people, birds and animals are mercilessly swept away. Roads, bridges and railway lines are either totally washed away or badly damaged. Electricity and means of communication are disrupted. The affected areas are cut off from the rest of the country. People of the flood-affected areas are many a time marooned (વિખૂટા પડી જવું) and face a shortage of food. Floods cause a spread of epidemics like cholera and jaundice કમળો. The Government and voluntary agencies take steps to provide relief to the victims. Food packets, medicines and other essential things are airdropped by helicopters. Relief camps are opened for the victims of floods. However, the Government should try to take long term steps to prevent floods. These include, among other things, building dams and planting trees. ============================= std. 12 Essays

71. Examinations The word 'examination' frightens most of the students. Even though students have worked all through the year, they become nervous and feel helpless when examinations are near. This proves that system itself is defective. The real purpose of examination is to test a student's knowledge and intelligence and not his capacity to memorize the facts packed in the textbooks. The test of their cramming forces them to have recourse to set-questions and ready-made answers. It makes them crippled. They lose their capacity to think for themselves and their originality comes to a dead-stop. Their paramount anxiety is not how to study but how to preapere and pass the examinations. Passing being the only aim, students often resort to dubious and disgusting practices in examination. Passing or failing has become a matter of luck or chance. Intelligent students may suffer and the dull often come out with flying colours. Thousands of such graduates and post-graduates finally drift into the ocean of unemployment. The degree-job link has given rise to malpractices like mass-copying, advance leakage of question papers, bribing the examiner and so on. Private tuitions - a blot on this noble profession - is the outcome of this inevitable system only. Examinations should be considered as a part of the process of education and not their end. The degree-job link must be broken and the whole system of examination should be changed.

70. Newspapers - Our True Friends Many of us begin our day with a cup of tea or coffee in one hand, and a newspaper in the other. How do newspapers influence us? Newspapers mould ઘડવું public opinion. They inform the people about politics, social and cultural developments and inventions and discoveries. Newspapers enable the people to make their voices heard. Newspapers help to reveal the wrongs or injustice done in society. They expose criminals and frauds. Of course, they also highlight admirable activities in the area. Newspapers act as social reformers. The newspapers expose social evils like dowry, child marriages, child labour and exploitation of women. They carry advertisements of products, services, jobs and even matrimony. Sometimes, newspapers carry gossips and rumours, too. Such news creates false alarm. Thus newspapers have power both for good and evil. We, therefore, expect them to be responsibile in reporting without fear or favour.

69. Environmental Problems in Big Cities Big cities in any part of India are always very fast developing. Many new industries have come up in and around these cities over years. But this development is not without its ill effects. Many cities in India are pilluted to varying degrees. Many old trees are felled (cut) thoughtlessly in the cities to mske place for high-rise buildings. Trees help to purify the air and also attract rain clouds. They provide shade and add to the beauty of the city. The rapid industrialization and modernization have contributed to air and water pollution. The gases and smoke from the indistries have polluted the environment. Many industries dump their chemical waste into the nearby water source. This polluted water has adverse effects on people. The number of vehicles in the developing cities is always on the rise. The smoke and gas emitted છોડવું by vehicles, constant noise of engines and horns create air and noise pollution. The noise pollution due to loud speakers used during public festivals and crackers add to the misery. The collection and piling of garbage on roads, hawkers selling uncovered and unhygienic food, etc. breed પેદા થવું germs of diseases. The growth of slums has added to the environmental problems. We can safely conclude that every big city of India has pollution problems.

68. Natural Calamities Mother Nature is kind. But when she frowns નારાજી દર્શાવવી, she causes calamities like floods, famines, cyclones, earthquakes, etc. Heavy rains or melting snowy mountains cause floods in rivers. Flooding rivers or tides in oceans make people homeless and turn prosperous cities into heaps of dirt and filth ગંદકી. Too little rain causes famines. Fields and forests, lands and gardens look barren. Water sources are dried up and thirst and starvation ભૂખમરો stalk menacingly ભયંકર રીતે પ્રવર્તવું. People and animals die in large numbers everywhere of migrate and the villages are destroyed. Sudden and violent shaking of a part of the earth's upper crust પડ causes earthquakes. Tall buildings and huge bridges turn into heaps of wreckage in a few seconds. The loss of human and animal lives is mind-bogging મનને હચમચાવી મૂકનારું. Mountains turn into oceans and rivers change their courses. Storms blow up everything that comes in their way and blast them in heaps miles away. Man has built dams to check floods, tried to bring artificial rains to fight famines, invented the seismograph to record the earthquake but, alas ! all in vain. He has always proved helpless against the furies of nature. Nature has always had a last laugh. We can only extend our sympathy by sending succour (help) to our victimized brethren બાંધવો, for it is not in our hands to prevent natural calamities.

67. Earthquakes An earthquake is caused by a violent shaking of the earth's surface. There are tremors lasting for a few seconds or a few minutes, depending on the intensity of the earthquake. At first, an earthquake makes things like utensils, beds and other household articles rattle ખખડવું. People start running out of their houses to save their lives. If the earthquake is of a severe intensity, houses, and buildings come down like houses made of cards and even dams are breached તૂટવું. Many people and animals are buried alive under the debris. A severe earthquake also causes roads, railway lines and bridges to cave in or they are cratered. Water pipes, gas lines and electricity lines are also damaged. High tidal waves sweep over the coastal areas and besides causing problems of silting કાંપ they cause death and destruction. A very severe earthquake changes the features of the earth. Islands submerge under water. New islands also come up where there were none before. In spite of all scientific progress man is helpless against earthquake. But it can be predicted and the damage can be controlled and reduced. The memories of the recent earthquake of Gujarat still make people shudder ધ્રૂજવું and remind them of man's helplessness against fury of nature.

66. Femines Every year India faces the fear of femines. Femines are caused by too much or too little rainfall. In India, however, we face famines because of scanty ઓછો rainfall. India is an agricultural country. A good harvest depends on good rains. If there is less rainfall, a danger of famine looms large મોટી આપત્તિ તોળાતી હોવી. Less rainfall causes a scarcity of water. People do not get enough drinking water. Standing crops are destroyed. People die due to hunger and thirst. Many birds and animals die. During famines, people have to walk long distances in search of water and food. Many people leave their homes and temporary migrate to other places. The government provides succour સહાય to the famine-affected people. People are supplied food-grains and drinking water. Medicines are quickly and widely distributed free of charge to control the epidemics. Relief camps are also opened for villagers as well as cattle. Besides these measures, famine relief works like building roads, depending public wells are undertaken to provide work to the famine-stricken people. But all said and done, man proves utterly helpless to bridle નાથવું the fury of Nature.

65. Floods Floods are unfortunately a regular feature ઘટના in India. Many people lose their lives and property during floods. In spite of progress in science we have not yet been able to prevent or reduce the loss caused by floods. Heavy rain cause the rivers to overflow. Dams burst due to heavy rains and the waters flood the surrounding areas. Floods bring in their wake lot of damage. House collapse, crops are destroyed; people, birds and animals are mercilessly swept away. Roads, bridges and railway lines are either totally washed away or badly damaged. Electricity and means of communication are disrupted. The affeacted areas are cut off from the rest of the country. People of the flood-affected areas are many a time marooned વિખૂટા પડી જવું and face a shortage of food. Floods cause a spread of epidemics like cholera and jaundice કમળો. The Government and voluntary agencies take steps to provide relief to the victims. Food packets, mecicines and other essential things are airdropped by helicopters. Relief camps are opened for the victims of floods. However, the Government should try to take long term steps to prevent floods. These include, among other things, building dams and planting trees.