English Knowledge

(4) There was a farewell day in your school. Prepare a report about it. Farewell Function 21st February, 2019 Surat There was a farewell day in my school for students of class - X and XII. At about 8:00 a.m. the function started. Mr. Niketu Maniyar, our secretary was the chief guest of the function. First of all a small prayer was said. The students of class VIII, IX and XI expressed their feelings. The staff members showered blessings on the parting students. They wished them 'Best of Luck'. A small inspiring and thoughtful speech was made by the principal. Some necessary instructions and tips were given to the students by the chief guest. The 'wish-takers' promised to do their best in the board-exam. In the end a group photography was taken. All dispersed after light meal.

(3) Sarvajanik Vidhyalay took out a rally for environment awareness. Prepare a report. An Environment Awareness Rally May 15, 2019 Mehsana The students of Shri Sarvajanik Vidhyalay, Mehsana took out a rally for environment awareness. About 1200 students and 60 teachers along with the principal Mr. Atul Raval joined the rally. They had banners and signboards with slogans and sketches to appeal the people on their route to aware the citizens for environment awareness. It was a five kilometre-route and the students approached some shopping complexes and well-off people requesting them to know about environment. Yesterday the Environmental Awareness Quiz Contest was held in our school. About thirty schools took part in the contest. Our school won the contest. The chairman gave the trophy to the winners in the prize distribution ceremony. Such contests will bring about a good deal of environmental awareness among students.

(2) You watched a rescue operation of a burning house. Prepare a report on it. ( March 2020 ) A Rescue Operation of Burning House May 15, 2019 Keshod Fire accidents are not very common. But when they take place they cause great alarm and destruction and sometimes loss of life. After taking our food in the night, we went away into our room. The beds were ready and we slept. It was 9 o'clock in the night. My father was reading a newspaper. Suddenly, we saw smoke entering our room. We wondered from where it was coming. We went out in the courtyard. The smoke was coming out of the nearby house. The house had caught fire. The neighbour was crying loudly for help. He began to take out costly things. The people came quickly for help. Some helped him in bringing out the things from the house, while others ran to a nearby well for water. There were only three buckets in the house. They cried for more buckets. Some brought four more. Others only kept weeping in pain. The neighbours were nervous and they lost presence of mind. They did not know what to save and what to leave behind. There was more noise and less work. People were running over the roof and pouring water with buckets. Neighbour's young boy Raju was also pouring water to extinguish fire. He worked very hard to put out fire. He ran with the buckets over the roof of the kitchen. Suddenly the roof fell down and he fell over the head of burning wood. We saw him in the flames. We acted quickly and took him out of the burning home. Pappu was lucky because the intensity of fire was rising. In the meanwhile somebody had the good sense of inform the fire-station. The fire-engines soon arrived at the site of the fire. The firemen immediately set to the work of fire-fighting. They did their best to control and extinguish the fire. They pumped fast the water in the flames, with their hoses. It took almost two and a half hours to control and then finally to extinguish the fire. They struggled hard and heroically. One of the firemen was seriously injured in the efforts, and a few of them had received burns and bruises. Most of the fire accidents occur because of our carelessness. Every year there are many fire accidents, resulting in a great loss of property and life. Many of these can be easily avoided if we are more careful, and observe certain rules and regulations regarding fire-protection, etc.

Report (1) You visited an old age house in your city last week. Prepare a short report on it. Visit to an Old Age House May 15, 2019 Baroda We visited an old age house in my city last week. Nobody, not even science can explain the love, bonding an affection between a mother and child. Every mother wants her children happy. But when she finds that she is a load in her children's life. She wants her children to have the best that she could afford. To obtain this she works hard for most of her life. Sometimes she goes hungry to feed her children. When her children have grown up she wants them to spend some of their free time with her. But when she is pushed into an old age home, she feels very sad. She tries her best to adjust to the surrounding, talk to the people who are strange and unknown to her. When I visited an old age home, I got to know being old is not easy. I could actually see the pain and loneliness in each person's eye. Our classes were divided groups of ten. Each group was accompanied by a warden. We were taken to each ward which was having of three to four beds. We were not taken to some wards because there were mentally retarded people. We had taken some daily used items like worn clothes, bed sheets, bedspreads, fruits, snacks, etc. They were very happy talking to us. There was a person who could draw very well. We asked her how she landed up there. She told us such a shocking story. I want to share my views. She was from a very well bred family. She had a son on whom she had a lot of hopes. But he took all her jewellery, money and property worth one crore. He deserted her so she came to the old age home. This was a very shocking story. She told that she had never expected this from her most beloved son. Really, we felt that the old age home is a taboo on the civilized society. We took oath that we will take care of our parents in future.

38. Blood Donation patients who have lost much blood on account of accident, disease or surgical operation require blood. Sudden loss of blood in a large quantity can cause even death. To supply blood of the right group immediately to the patients, blood banks have been established all over the world. These banks collect blood, test it, classify it into different groups and store it for future use. Blood banks get blood from people who donate it voluntarily. Blood donation is therefore a great service which any suitable adult can provide to the suffering humanity. There is a wrong idea among some people that blood donors become weak by giving blood. In fact our body makes and replaces the blood we have given within a few weeks. But it is advisable for the donor not to give blood more often than every six months. Blood donation drives are usually organized by voluntary agencies through camps. People come and offer their blood. Nurses and doctors help in collecting blood. Blood group of the donor is first checked. The donor must be of the right age, above 18 years and weight, more than 50 kg. He must be healthy. Blood is drawn from a vein in the donor's arm. The blood is collected in a bottle or a plastic bag, kept in a cool place and sent to the blood bank. Blood is also donated directly in case of emergency. The donor is made to lie in a bed near the patient and blood is taken from the body of the donor and transmitted to the body of recipient immediately. This is called blood transfusion. There are some people in India who donate their blood for money. Sometimes, if a donor suffers from some infectious disease, the recipient is likely to catch it. Blood donation shows that man, after all, is not so bad as he is sometimes depicted in stories, novels and films. =============== std. 12 Essays

37. Co-education Co-education means a system of education in which boys and girls study together in the same institution. Co-education is no longer a controversial issue as now-a-days most of the educational institutions are for boys and girls. However, those who oppose co-education say that boys and girls are different - physically, emotionally and mentally. They have to play different roles in life. So the same type of education is not suitable for both the genders. Again, the presence of members of opposite sex is likely to distract the attention of both boys and girls and this will have a harmful effect on their studies and progress in life. Those who are in favour of co-education say that boys and girls are mentally not different and physical and emotional difference is not bar to learning any subject. In modern times women are competing with men in almost all fields of life and are doing almost all the jobs equally well as men. Therefore girls too have to be prepared for all the jobs for which are being prepared. Again, there is no truth in the argument of distraction of attention. There is, no doubt, natural attraction between members of opposite sexes. But boys and girls will try to excel in their studies in all fields in order to win the admiration of the opposite sex. This will improve their overall performance. Segregation એકબીજાથી જુદાં પાડવા of the sexes for education is therefore neither natural nor healthy and is therefore not desirable. =============== std. 12 Essays

36. Pleasures of Reading Among a number of hobbies that one cultivates and nurtures ઉછેર, the hobby of reading is one of the most useful and enlightening જ્ઞાન આપનાર . Every piece of good reading material educates us, broadens વિસ્તારનાર our outlook and increases our general knowledge and self-confidence. It enriches our vocabulary and makes our interests in life varied વૈવિધ્યસભર. Books are our never failing friends. They will never betray છેતરવું unlike our cunning and calculating human friends sometimes do. They are always a never failing source of pleasure and inspiration. Books are treasures of knowledge, noble thoughts and high ideals. Books relieve us of our sad moments and fill our hearts with hope and courage. Poor indeed is the man who has not cultivated the habit of reading. Books, however, should be chosen meticulously કાળજીપૂર્વક. The growing habit of reading comics and other trash કચરો should be discouraged. It is very necessary that the young should cultivate the habit of reading books on various topics such as travel, history, biography, science and morals. Magazines and newspapers also provide us with noble thoughts and high ideals. Teachers, parents and social organization should inspire the students to lap up એકઠું કરી લેવું good reading material and relish (enjoy) it. Good books keep the students gainfully occupied and show them the path of moral and social upgradation. =============== std. 12 Essays

35. Trees - Our Best Friends Trees have been eternal friends of human beings as well as of animals since their existence on the earth. Man, being the most intelligent of all the animals, has been reaping the maximum benefits of trees. Trees furnish all our basic needs - bread, clothing and shelter. They give us cotton, wood, jute and many other useful materials. They provide raw materials for our industries. They are one of the major sources of fuel. Food-grains, cereals, vegetables and fruits from trees sustain us. Trees have been considered to be the best source of medicines from time immemorial. Trees keep the environment clean by inhaling the harmful carbon dioxide from the air and exhaling oxygen. They reduce air-pollution and maintain the ecological balance. Forests help retain humidity in the air and attract rains. Trees check strong currents of wind and water and prevent soil-erosion. They keep up soil fertility. They prevent floods and deserts from advancing. Yet, man has kept on cutting them down for his selfish purposes. If this tree-felling continues, the very survival of mankind on this planet will be in danger. Can we have better friends than trees? Let us save trees to save ourselves. =============== std. 12 Essays

58. A Day in the Life of a Lawyer Lawyer is a professional person who has long arduous અઘરું hours of work throughout the day from morning till some times late night. He is up and ready for the work latest by 9.00 a.m. He attends his office by this time to give instructions to his subordinates for work slated આયોજીત કરેલું for the day ahead, picks up the volumes containing law cases or law points relevant to his clients and take these to the appropriate courts, where he would argue the cases before the judges or magistrates later in the day. He meets his clients or would-be clients and gives them guidance after they present their problems. Sometimes, time permitting, he rushes home for quick lunch or on other busy days straight attends the courts and argues the cases before the judges. During the recess in the court he takes quick lunch or partakes (eating less) snacks with tea or coffee. He moves from court to court, as he has to argue cases before various judges depending on the nature of the cases. After the court work is over, he returns to his office, talks to his clients or confers મંત્રણા કરવી with other lawyers, gives instructions to his juniors for the next day's cases and by about 8.00 p.m. he returns home. After his dinner and a brief respite રાહત from onerous કઠીન work, he attends to client's cases at home. Thus by the time he finishes his long and tiresome day's work he is fagged out લોથપોથ થઈ જવું. Thus a day in the life of a lawyer is always tiring but many a time self-satisfying when he has helped a hapless દુઃખી client to procure પ્રયાસથી પ્રાપ્ત કરવું justice.

81. Blood Donation patients who have lost much blood on account of accident, disease or surgical operation require blood. Sudden loss of blood in a large quantity can cause even death. To supply blood of the right group immediately to the patients, blood banks have been established all over the world. These banks collect blood, test it, classify it into different groups and store it for future use. Blood banks get blood from people who donate it voluntarily. Blood donation is therefore a great service which any suitable adult can provide to the suffering humanity. There is a wrong idea among some people that blood donors become weak by giving blood. In fact our body makes and replaces the blood we have given within a few weeks. But it is advisable for the donor not to give blood more often than every six months. Blood donation drives are usually organized by voluntary agencies through camps. People come and offer their blood. Nurses and doctors help in collecting blood. Blood group of the donor is first checked. The donor must be of the right age, above 18 years and weight, more than 50 kg. He must be healthy. Blood is drawn from a vein in the donor's arm. The blood is collected in a bottle or a plastic bag, kept in a cool place and sent to the blood bank. Blood is also donated directly in case of emergency. The donor is made to lie in a bed near the patient and blood is taken from the body of the donor and transmitted to the body of recipient immediately. This is called blood transfusion. There are some people in India who donate their blood for money. Sometimes, if a donor suffers from some infectious disease, the recipient is likely to catch it. Blood donation shows that man, after all, is not so bad as he is sometimes depicted in stories, novels and films.

79. Co-education Co-education means a system of education in which boys and girls study together in the same institution. Co-education is no longer a controversial issue as now-a-days most of the educational institutions are for boys and girls. However, those who oppose co-education say that boys and girls are different - physically, emotionally and mentally. They have to play different roles in life. So the same type of education is not suitable for both the genders. Again, the presence of members of opposite sex is likely to distract the attention of both boys and girls and this will have a harmful effect on their studies and progress in life. Those who are in favour of co-education say that boys and girls are mentally not different and physical and emotional difference is not bar to learning any subject. In modern times women are competing with men in almost all fields of life and are doing almost all the jobs equally well as men. Therefore girls too have to be prepared for all the jobs for which are being prepared. Again, there is no truth in the argument of distraction of attention. There is, no doubt, natural attraction between members of opposite sexes. But boys and girls will try to excel in their studies in all fields in order to win the admiration of the opposite sex. This will improve their overall performance. Segregation એકબીજાથી જુદાં પાડવા of the sexes for education is therefore neither natural nor healthy and is therefore not desirable.

75. Pleasures of Reading Among a number of hobbies that one cultivates and nurtures ઉછેર, the hobby of reading is one of the most useful and enlightening જ્ઞાન આપનાર . Every piece of good reading material educates us, broadens વિસ્તારનાર our outlook and increases our general knowledge and self-confidence. It enriches our vocabulary and makes our interests in life varied વૈવિધ્યસભર. Books are our never failing friends. They will never betray છેતરવું unlike our cunning and calculating human friends sometimes do. They are always a never failing source of pleasure and inspiration. Books are treasures of knowledge, noble thoughts and high ideals. Books relieve us of our sad moments and fill our hearts with hope and courage. Poor indeed is the man who has not cultivated the habit of reading. Books, however, should be chosen meticulously કાળજીપૂર્વક. The growing habit of reading comics and other trash કચરો should be discouraged. It is very necessary that the young should cultivate the habit of reading books on various topics such as travel, history, biography, science and morals. Magazines and newspapers also provide us with noble thoughts and high ideals. Teachers, parents and social organization should inspire the students to lap up એકઠું કરી લેવું good reading material and relish (enjoy) it. Good books keep the students gainfully occupied and show them the path of moral and social upgradation.

74. Trees - Our Best Friends Trees have been eternal friends of human beings as well as of animals since their existence on the earth. Man, being the most intelligent of all the animals, has been reaping the maximum benefits of trees. Trees furnish all our basic needs - bread, clothing and shelter. They give us cotton, wood, jute and many other useful materials. They provide raw materials for our industries. They are one of the major sources of fuel. Food-grains, cereals, vegetables and fruits from trees sustain us. Trees have been considered to be the best source of medicines from time immemorial. Trees keep the environment clean by inhaling the harmful carbon dioxide from the air and exhaling oxygen. They reduce air-pollution and maintain the ecological balance. Forests help retain humidity in the air and attract rains. Trees check strong currents of wind and water and prevent soil-erosion. They keep up soil fertility. They prevent floods and deserts from advancing. Yet, man has kept on cutting them down for his selfish purposes. If this tree-felling continues, the very survival of mankind on this planet will be in danger. Can we have better friends than trees? Let us save trees to save ourselves.

25. 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 prepare 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. =============== std. 12 Essays

33. 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 responsible in reporting without fear or favour. =============== std. 12 Essays

32. 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 polluted to varying degrees. Many old trees are felled (cut) thoughtlessly in the cities to make 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 industries 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. =============== std. 12 Essays

31. 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 help to our victimized brethren બાંધવો, for it is not in our hands to prevent natural calamities. =============== std. 12 Essays

30. 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. =============== std. 12 Essays

29. Famines =========================== Every year India faces the fear of famines. Famines 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 help 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. ============================= std. 12 Essays