Boomerang ......

'Boomerang' is the hunting weapon of the Australian aborigine. It is a curved piece of hard wood, about 2ft. 6 inches long. It is flat on one side and rounded on the other. A slight twist in the angle of one of the 'wings' makes it return to the owner when thrown. But when it hits something on the way, it cannot return. Special nonreturning types are made for use in warfare.

Coral Reef___

An animal called 'polyp' builds itself a skeleton from the lime it collects from the sea. A polyp looks like a plant and lives in warm salt water. The skeleton it builds is a hard as rock. It protects the polyp during its life time. When the polyp dies, the skeleton remains. A Coral Reef is formed when so many polyps join together over the thousands of years and left the skeletons behind._____

Fire Works

Fire works have been used by man for thousands of years. They had their beginning in China and gradually spread through the East. It is believed that the crusaders brought fireworks to Europe in the thirteenth century. The colours in fireworks are produced by the metal salts used in the explosive. Copper makes blue; barium green, sodium green and strontium red.

Black Forest___

Black Forest is a mountain range in West Germany. It is situated where the border meets those of France and Switzerland. Germany has many fine forests. The mountain slopes are covered with dark-leaved fir trees, which gave the firest its name. Many German folk tales come from the region and many wooden toys, instruments and clocks are made there. The Black Forest region is a favourite holiday resort too.

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Circus___

The term 'Circus' comes from the Latin word for a ring or circle. In ancient Rome it was the circular arena built for holding chariot and horse racing, gladiatorial combats and fight between wild beasts. From these beginnings has come our circus of today, still with a ring, but with pleasant and happy things going on inside it.

Smile Please____

A smile costs nothing, but gives much. It enriches those who receive, without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memoryof it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it, and none is so poor that he can be made rich by it. A smile creates happiness in the family, fosters goodwill in business, and is the countersign of friendship. It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and it is nature's antidote for trouble. Yet it cannot be bought, begged borrowed or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give...........

Good Sayings-27

521. Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.

522. Every where you go, take a smile with you.

523. Abstacles are those frighful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.

524. Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason why so few engage in it.

525. Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success.

526. Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.

527. Any one who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Any one who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.

528. Paying attention t0 simple little things that most men neglect makes a few men rich.

529. Don't find fault. Find Remedy.

530. Success is a matter of adjusting one's efforts to obstacles and one's abilities to a service needed by others.

531. The successful person makes a habit of doing what the failing person doesn't like to do.

532. There is always another chance... this thing called 'failure' is not falling down, but staying down.

533. A life spent in making mistakes is not only more honourable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.

534. There is no failure except in no longer trying.

535. Who has never tested what is bitter does not know what is sweet.__German Proverb

536. Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.

537. The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one does.

538. Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand.

539. The empires of the future are the empires of the mind.

540. If you do not except it, you will not find the unexpected, for it is hard to find and difficult.

General Knowledge-2

1. In the first War of Indian Independence, which ruler of Afghanistan remained friendly with the British and kept the North West away from the ambit of revolt?___Dost Mohammad

2. What term is used to describe the study of communication and control between men, machines and organisations?___Cybernetics

3. At the Double and Rhythm and Swing are the autobiographies of which all-round cricketer from NewZeland?___Richard Hadlee

4. When Ravan ordered Hanuman's death, who pleaded for his life, telling Ravana that an envoy should never be killed?___Vibhishana

5. Wolfarm is the alternative name of which metallic element?___Tungsten

6. What form of fine textured cotton cloth owes the origin of its name to the former name of the port of Kozhikode in Kerala?___Calico

7. The flights of which pioneering aviator and Parisian neighbour inspired JRD to become a pilot in 1909?___Louis Bleriot

8. Which present day word for a place of uproar owes its origin to a mental asylum in Bethlehem, dedicated to St. Mary?___Bedlam

9. To ward off Humayun's invasion of Gujarat in 1535, which island was ceded by Bahadur Shah to the Portuguese?___Bassein

10. Which ruler of the Khmer empire in eighth century organised his state around the three capitals Hariharalaya, Amarendrapura and Mahendraparvata?___Jayavarman-II

11. In Greek Mythology, which son of the inventor Daedalus perished by flying too close to the sun?___Icarus.

12. The name of which Asian country is derived from the Arabic for 'Fort'?___Kuwait

13. To which gharana does noted sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan belong?___Senia Bangash

14. What generic name is given to the class of whales who do not have teeth?___Baleen

15. In 1909, which Indian revolutionary assassinated Scotland Yard officer Curzon Wylie at the Imperial Institute, London?___Madan Lal Dhingra

16. What unit of measurement is named after the French scientist who invented the galvanometer?___Ampere

17. In 1948, who became the only Indian to dismiss Don Bradman in a Test match?___Lala Amarnath

18. By what common name do we know the Patella bone?___Kneecap

19. Who authored the classic Tao-Te-Ching and was the first major patriarch of Taoism?___Lao Tzu

20. By what name is the group of inert gases that make Group Zero of the periodic table known?___Noble Gases.

How to Make Successful Decisions

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.....................Be your Own Worst Enemy: Taking Decisions Alone

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I consider that a lot can be gained from involving other people in your decision making, if they are involved on the right terms. There are some decisions, however, which you may make entirely alone. Perhaps they are so personal you do not wish to discuss them with anyone. Perhaps they need to be kept an absolute secret. Perhaps you feel it is time to make a decision completely alone, to reinforce your own feelings of responsibility and control.

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Reasons For Taking Decisions Alone

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There are good reasons and bad reasons for taking decisions alone. Some examples will help to clarify the difference.

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A decision taken alone for a good reason-establishing independence:

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Jenny had recently made a major change in career direction. She had been teaching and assessing disturbed children, but with the birth of her first child and the break up of her marriage soon afterwards, she felt she needed a complete change. She wanted to work with adults rather than children, since much of her emotional energy was now needed for her own daughter. For a long time she had wanted to study medicine, and she applied for a place at the medical school in her home town. She was accepted, and began the course in September following her application. Her daughter was two by then.

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Within a few weeks, it became clear to Jenny that studying medicine was even more demanding than she had thought it would be. In the past, she had always been a conscientious student, preferring to do more work than was expected rather than less. Now she found she had to miss lectures and rush through assignments without fully mastering their content. This preyed on her mind. She found she could not relax: either her daughter needed her or she felt she should be studying. Not only this, but she saw little prospect of the relentless pressure ending. She began to appreciate the extent to which it was assumed that a doctor's first commitment was to his work, not to his family. She saw years stretching ahead in which her daughter would have to take second place to her career.

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She did not want that for her daughter. She did not want it for herself. Subtly, she became aware that she was studying medicine largely in order to put meaning and purpose into her life. She faced the fact that she should be looking for that meaning in herself and in her relationship with her daughter, not in the relentless pressure of external demands.

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Jenny knew by Christmas that she was reaching a crisis point. She could not continue with medicine unless she was firmly committed to it. She had to decide once and for all whether she could, and should, make that commitment.

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Jenny made that decision on her own. She decided, in fact, to give up medicine, and pursue a less impressive but still interesting career in industry, one which would enable her to put daughter first in the evenings and at weekends, one which did not hold out any false promises of giving meaning to her life.

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There are two main reasons why Jenny took that decision alone. The first was that she had recently relied a great deal on other people's advice. This decision was just the latest in a whole series of difficult choices she had had to make. Because of her temperament and the suddenness with which some of the decisions had been forced upon her, she had depended heavily on a particular group of close friends. These friends had talked things over with her until the early hourse, had let her ring them up late at night, had been a constant source of good sense and support. Jenny felt that she owed it to them and to herself to show that she was now beginning to stand on her own two feet again.

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The second reason why Jenny took this decision alone was that she knew it would be very painful and could be a source of regret. She wanted to be absolutely sure she took full responsibility for it, that looking back she would never be able to blame anyone else or claim they had influenced her at a time of stress. She would have to live with the decision for the rest of her life and she had to be extra careful that she was making up her own mind.

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A decision taken alone for a bad reason__seeing other people's views as irrelevant:

Nick was about to take up a two-year residential place in business studies at a university some eighty miles from where he currently lived. He owned his own house, and needed to decide whether to sell it or let it. He had enough money saved to cover his living costs over the next two years, so he did not have to sell his house. Renting it out would just about cover the mortgage repayments.

Nick didn't be believe in asking for other people's advice. He consider his affiars to be his own business, and his alone, and did not think other people could tell him anything useful. It never crossed his mind to discuss whether he could sell his house with any of his friends, family or colleagues. In this, he was following a well-established pattern. Within the previous few months alone he had decided to apply for the place in business studies, to sell his car, to resign from his job, all decisions made without consulting anyone else.

It was not that Nick found the decision whether to sell or rent his house easy. He recognized the numerous considerations, such as the possible nuisance value of still being responsible for a property investment, the likelihood of being able to sell his house easily against the problem of where to store his possessions if he did so. It was simply that Nick could not conceive of its having anything to do with anyone else.___CSR

Kids need life skills

A finishing school is what you need to polish up your manners and teach you the right etiquette for every situation. But regular students need some classes on life skills too. Science, maths and history are essential in any school curriculum, but pupils ought to learn some practical skills - like how to lay a table or knot a tie. Which is perhaps why Brighton College in England has introduced classes to train its wards and prepare them for all aspects of dult life. The teenagers will learn how to read a map, how to boil an egg and how to iron a shirt, among other things. Students in the city could do with a few such classes, feel teachers and parents.

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We look to our parents to teach us life skills, but they are often hard pressed for time. " It is a good idea for kids to learn these basic things, but it's difficult to find the time to teach them," says Deepshikha Yadav, a working mom. "Earlier, we had joint families and there were elders to teach the kids. Now, with nuclear families and working parents, who has the time. It would be better if the schools could incorporate these practical skills into their curriculum. Kids will take it more seriously coming from teachers and it'll be more fund learning with classmates."

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But school authorities too have their plates full with so many pupils to look after, a syllabus to complete and exams to conduct. Mrs Sai Leela Reddy, principal of Oxford Grammar School says, "We don't have the facilities to teach our pupils table manners as they bring their lunch in boxes. As far as personal hygiene and groomong are concerned, it is the responsibility of the parents to see that their kids are well turned out. Parents should ensure that the uniform is pressed, shoes polished and hair neatly in place, before they send the kids to school every morning."

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The fact still remains that children need to equip themselves for life. Picking up some of these skills would be really useful, says Divyangana Choudhary, a class 8 student of St. Andrew's High School. "We do have hobby classes in school but they don't teach us practical skills. I never learned how to knot my tie and my mom does it for me every day," she adds.

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Director of Hamsatech Institute, Ajita Reddy, agrees that kids need to learn practical skills, "When our students foist join finishing shool, quire a few of the don't know hoe to carry out these simple tasks. Nowadays parents give their kids to many facilities don't spend much time with them. That's why they need to be taught these things by professionals," She says.

---------tENZIN dECHEN

Good Sayings-26

501. The smell of flowers goes only with the wind, but the fame of good men goes even against the wind.__Buddha

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502. By the accident of fortune a man may rule the world for a time, but by virtue of love he may rule the world forever.

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503. One who fears failure limits his activities. Failure is only the opportunity more intelligently to begin again.

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504. Let us try to unite our thoughts with words and words with actions in being and doing good.__Swami Sivananda

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505. That which is seen is false; that which is heard is false; that which is thoroughly investigated is true.

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506. No mother or father or any other relative can do oneself a greater good than what his own well-directed mind can.

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507. At the hour of death what matters is what you have done, not what you had planned to do.__Don Bosco

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508. Every great and commanding movement, in the annals of the world is the triumph of some enthusiasm.

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509. The secret of joy is contained in one word - excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.-Pearl Buck

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510. The only way to avoid mistakes is to gain experience. The best way to gain experience is to be prepared for mistakes.

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511. The generous can indeed forget that they have given but the greateful can never forget that they have received.

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512. The art of progress is to preserve order amidst change and to preserve change amidst order.__A.N. Whitehead

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513. The greater discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.

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514. Whoever acquires knowledge and does not practise it resembles him who ploughs his land and leaves it unsown.

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515. Motto of progressive society: "Not blind opposition to progress, but opposition to blind progress."

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516. Mankind is divided into three classes: Those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move.

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517. It is far easier to criticise and find fault. But just see the effect of a pat on the back. It makes all the difference.

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518. We want infinite energy, infinite zeal, infinite courage, and infinite patience, then only will great things be achieved.

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519. Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs.__William Shakespeare

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520. Peace begins with a smile.__Mother Theresa

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Good Sayings-25

481. Service without humility is selfishness and egotism.

482. Anger is a momentary madness, so control your passion or it will control you.__ Horace

483. Just remember - when you think all is lost, the future remains.

484. Silence is one great art of conversation.__William Hazlitt

485. Man's best possession is a loving wife and a woman's best possession is a loving husband.

486. You are only what you are when no one is looking.

487. Be your own judge and you will be happy.__Gandhiji

488. The future of the child is always the work of the mother.__Napoleon

489. Virtue is more clearly shown in the performance of fine actions than in the non-performance of base ones.__Aristotle

490. What God gives you is not to be kept under lock and key but to be shared with the deserving__Mother Theresa

491. Borrowed thoughts, like borrowed money, only show the poverty of the borrower.__Lady Blessington

492. The older I get, the more I judge people by their character and not by their ideas.__Jawaharlal Nehru

493. Try and stand on one leg and then you will realise what a blessing it is to have two legs.__G.K. Chesterton

494. Two sorts of writers possess genius: those who think and those who cause others to think.__ Rouse

495. There is nothing that is impossible if one brings to bear on one's work a vigilant and resourceful mind__Thiruvalluvar

496. What you cannot accomplish by reason, prudence and skill, you will never be able to achieve by force.__ Montaigne

497. The sum of behaviour is to retain a man's own dignity, without intruding upon the liberty of others.__Francis Bacon

498. It is better to bind your children to you by respect and gentleness, than by fear.__Terence

499. The two great movers of the human mind are the desire of good, and the fear of evil.__Johnson

500. A man sinks lower and lower and a well or rises higher as a rising building; all, through his own actions.

Ideal man___

An ideal man should combine in himself the swiftness of Garuda (the Lord's Mount) when pursuing an act, the stability of the Himalayas (to the bear with difficulties), the depth of the ocean (to conceal his feelings), the pleasing nature of the moon (to be cheerful and helpful) and the splendour of the sun (to be a source of encouragement to others). An ideal man should maintain equanimity towards a friend and a foe. ___ Vedanta Dasika.

Let me give

I do not know how long i will live, But while I live Lord, Let me give; Some comfort to some one in need, by smile or money, kind or deed, Then I will not have lived in vain, and I will not care how long I live, If I can Give and Give and Give.-----------

A Man Is As Great As

A man is as great as the dreams he dreams,
As great as the love he bears;
As great as the values he redeems,
And the happiness he shares.
A man is as great as the thoughts he thinks,
As the worth he had attained;
As the fountains at which his spirit drinks,
As the insight he has gained.
A man is as great as the truth he speaks,
As great as the help he gives,
As great as the destiny he seeks,
As great as the life he lives.

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How did Fruits and Vegetables Get Their Names?

The name of everything we use in our life has an origin and it is amusing to know how certain names began. For instance ‘goose berry’. We wonder why this berry has got ‘goose’ attached to it, when it has got nothing to do with ‘goose’. It is interesting to know that it was originally ‘gorse berry’. In Saxon, ‘gorst’, from which ‘gorse’ is taken, means “rough”. And this variety of berry has this name because it grows on a rough or throny shrub.
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Raspberry comes from the German Verb ‘raspan’. It means to rub together.
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Strawberry is originally ‘Stray berry’. It was named thus because of the way the runner from this plant strays in all directions.
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Cranberry was once called ‘crane berry’ because its slender stalks resemble the long legs and neck of a crane.
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Cherries got their name from the City of Cerasus.
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The English term ‘grape has its equivalent in the Italian ‘Grappo’ and the Dutch and French ‘grappe’. All these mean a ‘bunch’.
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Raisin is a French word which comes from the Latin ‘Racenus’, a dried grape.
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Apricot comes from Latin ‘Praecoquus’, which means early ripe.
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Melon is a Greek word for Apple.
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OLD IS GOLD

Long ago there live a Kind, who one day decided to visit another land with his people. But the road to that land was long and hard. The day before they started, the Kind announced that all old men be left out. “They will burden us in our travel”, he said. People were greatly grieved but could not go against the King’s order. They feared and obeyed the King. Only one of the King’s men, the young John, did not leave his old father. He and his father agreed that he would hide himself in a large bag and his son would carry him secretly to the land.

The next day the King and all his people moved on. They travelled for a long time through the desert. Men and cattle began to suffer from lack of water. The King sent his men to find water but they came back without finding any. Fear gripped the people. They did not know what to do.

Then John made his way secretly to the horse on which his old father was hidden in a large bag.

“Tell me, father, what are we to do! The people and cattle are dying of thirst.”

And the old man said:

“Set loose a cow and see where she goes. Dig where she stops and starts smelling the ground.”

John did exactly as he was told. The cow put her head low to the ground and roamed and finally she stopped and began smelling the ground.

“Dig here” John said.

The men started digging and in a short time struck a large fountain of water. They all had as much water to drink as they wanted and rejoiced and looked brighter.

“How did you manage to find a fountain head in this arid place?” the Kind asked the young man.

“I followed special signs…” John said.

The people drank, rested and moved on.

One night there was a strong downpour which put out their fire. Hard as the people tried they could not start it again. Suddenly one of them noticed a spark from a bonfire on top of a distant hill.

The Kind immediately ordered that they go to the hill and fetch the fire. The people hastened to fulfil the King’s order. Sitting on top of the hill by the fire was a hunter. The king’s men took burning sticks from the fire and tried to bring them back still aglow. They could not do so for the rain kept putting them out.

It was John’s turn to fetch the fire. He went to his old father and asked:

“Father, how am I to bring the fire back to camp!”

“Don’t take the burning sticks but collect some embers in a pot and thus you will bring the fire back to camp”.

John did as he was told. The people started fires, got warm, cooked their meals. The King ordered John to come before him. John came and the King began to shout at him”

“Why did you keep this a secret so long? Why did not you tell us at once how to go about it?”

“I did not know myself”, John answered.

“So, how did you find out?”

John had to tell the King that he had carried out the King’s orders, thanks to the advice of his old father.

“Where is your father?” the King asked.

“I have been carrying him all the while in a large bag” John said.

The King at once ordered the old man to be brought before him and said.

“Pardon me brother. I revoked my order. Old men are not a burden to the young. The old are wise. Don’t hide any longer! Travel with us openly and happily”.

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Basic Law of Right Behaviour

The basic law of right human behaviour is self-reform… whenever any trouble occurs with our friends or dear ones, we should inwardly lay the blame on ourselves for getting into an unpleasant situation and then try to get out of it as fast as graciously as we can. It is fruitless to increase the trouble by loudly, unkindly, discourteously blaming others, even though we find that they are to blame. We can teach quick-tempered dear ones to mend their faults – a hundred times better by setting a good example than we can, by harsh or self-righteous words.

------Paramahansa Yogananda….

Pearls Come From Molluscs

Pearls come from molluscs. Molluscs are a group of animals which includes squids, clams and oysters.
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The mollusc has a mantle or outer skin under its shell. When a particle of dirt, or tiny marine creature gets stuck in this mantle, a hard substance forms around it. This makes the pearl. It is formed of the same material as the mother of pearl. Pearls come in many shapes and colours. The most valuable ones are very smooth, spherical and usually white. But there is a black pearl from the Gulf of Mexico. It is also extremely valuable.
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The Chinese were the first people who discovered how to stimulate the production of pearls. They put the mollusc into a shallow pond, insert a speck of mud into the mantle, and wait for the pearl to form. After a couple of months they would detach the pearl from the mollusc’s mantle.

Enrich Your Vocabulary-3

Haiku (Japan): Unrhymed poem in three lines or Japanese three-part poem.

Literature: Written works, esp. those whose value lies in beauty of language or in emotional effect eg. Novels, poetry, plays histories, biographies, essays etc.

Tongue-twister: Sequence of words difficult to pronounce quickly and correctly.

Trilogy: Literary work in three connected parts.

Preface: Introduction to a large book, stating its subject and scope.

Vignette: Brief incident, scene or story; a short descriptive essay or character sketch.

Stanza: division of a poem (often into four, usually not more than twelve lines).

Rhyme: Identity, correspondence in sounds between words or the endings of words, esp. in poetry.

Anthology: Collection of writings by different authors.

Bibliography: List of resources used in compiling a text or books referred to; a list of the books of a specific author or publisher.

Biggest Disease

The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted, uncared for and deserted by everybody. The greatest evil is the lack of love and charity, the terrible indifference towards one's neighbour who lives at the roadside assaulted by exploitation, corruption, poverty and disease.___Mother Teresa...

Just for TODAY___

Just for today I will be happy. This assumes what Abraham Lincoln said is true that "most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds tobe". Happiness is from within; it is not a matter of external.

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Just for today I will try to adjust myself to what is and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my family, my business, and my luck as they come and fit myself to them.

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Just for today I will take care of my body. I will exercise it, care for it, nourish it, not abuse it nor neglect it, so that it will be a perfect machine for my work.

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Just for today I will try to strengthen my mind. I will learn something useful. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration.

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Just for today I will do somebody some help and not get found out.

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Just for today I will be agreeable.

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I will look as well as I can, dress as neatly as possible, talk low, act courteously, be liberal with praise, criticise not at all, nor find fault with anything and not try to regulare nor improve anyone.

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Just for today I will try to live through this day only, not to tackle my whole life problems at once.

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Just for today I will have a programme. I will write down what I expect to do everyday. I will eliminate two pests, hurry and indecision.

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Just for today I will have a quiet half hour all by myself and relax. In this half hour, sometimes I will think of God so as to get a little more inspiration into my life.

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Just for today I will not be afraid to be happy, to enjoy what is beautiful, to love and to believe that those I love, Love me.__

_______Source: Immortal Words: An Anthology>>>

Man of faith is man of excellence

Faith is the energy with which man faces the various facets of life. It is not merely an energy but also an inspiration. It propels man to reach heights unscaled till then. It gives man tireless zeal and unceasing hope.

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It has a way of finding likeminded people so that the wise man does not suffer from pangs of desperate loneliness.

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Of course it has its moments of seeming decline, but very soon it recovers frojm temporary setbacks. It is here that good company plays a big role. Good company is God-reminding company.

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Faith is the link between the maker and the made. It never lets man fear or temble. It gives strength to the timid, hope for the hopeless, cheer for the cheerless. It is a beaconlight to those to those who need a path in life. It is infectious as it spreads far and wide. Lord Krishna, in the Gita constantly assures Arjuna, that he who has faith will never come to ill.

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Faith is the fragrance of flower of life. It is necessary to believe in the Lord and that too without any reservation. To believe Constantly, Continuously, Consistently and Courageously. Faith springs from the inner depths of oneself. It is a rare combination of brain and heart. It is a lovely amalgamation of thought and feeling.

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It encompasses belief in the maker and concern for the creatures. It excludes hatred from life because hatred is negative. Hatred is born out of Supreme Selfishness. It is emotional cancer. It kills your appetite and spoils your sleep.

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Faith is positive, it makes you grow while hatred stunts your growth. It brings out the best in you. The man of faith is a man of excellence. It is for better living here and salvation thereafter. Faith is the anchor in the stormbeaten condition of life. It gives life a support, a sustenance, a source of energy.

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Faith is a shield. It protects man from external and internal enemies too. It raises man to divine heights. It adds charm to the person. It creates a new confidence in man which lights up the very personality of man. He radiates delight wherever he goes. He befriends all and hates none. He carries the torch of wisdom and solve many a problem.

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Faith gives man strength in his lonely moments. Man realises that he is not alone. In every movement he sees the hand of God, in every word the breath of His grace. He slowly realises that a greater power than himself is at work.

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Faith gives meaning to life and sets fresh goals for man to achieve. Those who have the Lord with them need not worry about anything. Success is a foregone conclusion for them. They win every battle because their minds are pure and intention unsullied. Their dedication to virtues and values gives them strength to survive every storm. They save themselves and those who depend on them.__ Excerpts from "Kshetravani"

Youth Arise, Awake and know your strength.,.,/// PART-I

i) Introduction
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To cherish high ideals, to reach great heights in life, to come out with flying colours in all one's endeavours, to attain the desired goal, even after facing mighty obstacles, is the ambition of every youth. This ambition is really wonderful, marvellous, a sign of real youth, without that life is meaningless, useless and monotonous. Youth must always look forward - and should never be satisfied with anything less than what they want to achieve in life. Stagnant life is a sign of death. "Go forward, go forward, go forward - never look back even for a moment." These are the encouraging words of great ones. "Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached!" May these inspiring words of Swami Vivekananda ring in the minds of our youth day and night. Succeed you must. Nothing to despair, nothing to lower your spirit, you have within you that power, that infinite strength to reach your goal, to achieve everything that you wish to achieve; you may not be aware of it. Try to know your strength, hidden strength, infinite strength. Awake to rise, rise to long, long to achieve, achieve to fulfil. Always remember the spirited words of Swami Vivekananda. "Stand up, be bold, be strong. The the whole responsibility on your, and know that you are the creator of your own destiny."

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ii) Who is Real Youth?

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Physical growth alone is not a sign of real youth. There are hundreds and thousands of such youth, but their faces do not reflect the qualities that every youth should possess. Will you call him a youth who is chicken-hearted, with a pale and long face, sickly in appearance, indisciplined senses, restless mind, dull intellect and an incarnation of laziness?

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NEVER, NEVER! We want the youth of Swami Vivekananda's dream. He said, "Arise, awake, for your country needs this tremendous sacrifice. It is the young men that will do it. The young, the energetic, the strong, the well-built, the intellectual, for them is the task. " Development of these qualities will certainly transform our so-called youth into real youth, then alone will they be able to break all barriers that hamper their progress. Swami Vivekananda was confident about such transformation when he said, "My father is in the younger generation, the modern generation; out of them will come my workers. They will work out the whole problem, like lions.

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Swami Vivekananda wanted our youth to be like lions. He himself was a lion and came to this world to transform everyone into lions. The effect of his thunderbolt-like words was such that many youth who fought for the country's freedom were transformed into real lions; to mention a few names - Subhash Chandra Bose, Lokamanya Tilak, Aurobindo, Sister Nivedita, Mahatma Gandhi__ who made India free. His only mission in life was to awaken the youth of this country to bring back the lost glory of our motherland. His life and message are a perennial source of inspiration to our modern youth. This is not a mere exaggeration but testimony of facts. His biographers did not fail to notice the youthful qualities of young Narendranath (later, Vivekananda): "His mind filled with a hundred soaring visions, heart soaked in affection, intellect razor-sharp, courage boundless, inventive genius astounding, working capacity unreckoned, and enthusiasm irrepressible__ Naren was peerless even from childhood. Above all was his spontaneous inclination towards God."

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These shining qualities made Vivekananda a renowned figure. The world recognised him as a great, inspiring personaility when he appeared as a delegate at the famous Parliament of Religions held in 1893 at Chicago. These qualities of young Narendranath convinced the Government of India to announce his birthday, i.e, 12th January, as the National Youth Day.

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iii) True Education :

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Are our modern youth of India any where near this ideal youth, narendranath? It is for the youth to rebuild our nation. Alas, they are not able even to build their own character! How will they be able to build a new India? If they cannot s their own problems, how are they going to solve the problems of the nation? The minds of our modern youth are becoming Storehouses of multiple complexes, such as sex complex, fear complex, ego complex, inferiority complex, etc. All such negative emotions are making their lives a playground for all types of vices. They are unable to get out of the clutches of these terrible demons. Unless they are determined to escape from these vices, there is no hope for them or for the country. To create such youth, who will bring glory to our motherland, we have to train them in the right direction. It is high time we exposed our youth to positive methods of learning. Swami Vivekananda has already suggested the type of education that our youth need today. He said, "We want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded and by which one can stand on one's own feet."

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iv) Strength is Life:

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"Strength is life, weakness is death."__Swami Vivekananda..

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In this changing scenario modern youth are facing enormous problems. No one has sympathy for them. Everyone wants them to be the best in every field. Pressure is mounting on them day by day. Parents pressurise them to get good ranks, teachers expect the best performance; employers demand skilled and experienced hands, not to speak of cut-throat competition to secure jobs; above all, lack of parental love and proper understanding are causing several complexes in the minds of modern youth, resulting in depression, trauma, hatred, disobedience, fear complex, frustration and even psychological disorders and suicides. On the other hand, electronic media is creating a lot of harm by not only killing their time but also by contaminating their minds with vulgarity and obscenity.

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To face these challenges it is obvious that our youth need to equip themselves with superhuman strength. Modern educational system and book strength. Modern educational system and book learning alone is not going to help them in solving problems. They will have to discover that strength within themselves. Let us have faith in the words of Swami Vivekananda: "All power is within you; you can do anything and everything. Believe in that, do not believe that you are weak. Stand up and express the divinity within you."

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Swami Vivekananda is the architect of modern India. To acquire first-hand knowledge of the Indian people, he went round the whole country as a wandering monk. He was shocked to see everywhere emaciated and physically weak youth. What was his advice to them? "First of all, our young men must be strong. Religion will come afterwards. Be strong, my young friends; that is my advice to you. You will be nearer to Heaven through football than through the study of the Gita. These are my bold words, but I have to say them, for I love you. You will understand the Gita better with you biceps, your muscles, a little stronger. You will understand the mighty genius and the mighty strength of Krishna better with a little of strong blood in you."

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What are we doing to make our youth strong? It is not just enough to provide them with food, shelter, clothing and education. What is more important is to prepare them for the battle of life through positive outlook and practical wisdom. From the morning till the evening students are confined either to classrooms or to houses. They don't have time to play or exercise. Attending coaching classes, preparing for competitive exams, entrance exams, homework and spending time sitting before television and computers-- that is their daily routine. Unfortunately, parents also don't encourage them to spend some time on playgrounds; for them it is a waste of time. This sedentary life-style is causing health hazards to many of our youth. India needs heroic sons and daughters and not just goody-goody bookworms. What made Sardar Patel a great leader and the iron man of India? His biographer writes, "At school, Vallabhbhai was more fond of games than of books. He had no great love of study and preferred to learn from men with whom he mixed freely. He observed them closely and saw the impact of foreign influences on the old traditions and culture of the country. The town people admired the British, who had become masters of the world. They aped their manners, their dress and their way of living. Vallabhbhai wondered what their source of strength was. It was said that they devoted much time to sports and games which developed endurance, team-spirit and discipline. Somebody had said that the Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton. Young Vallabh became fond of sport and devoted all his spare time to it."

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Practical wisdom and physical and mental strength made young Vallabhbhai a wonderful leader, a 'Sardar' in true sense, who was ever ready to face challenges and difficulties with courage and boldness. When we come across such great characters, we instantly remember the inspiring words of the great hero, Swami Vivekananda. He said, "What our country now needs are muscles of iron and nerves of steel, gigantic wills which nothing can resist, which can penetrate into the mysteries and the secrets of the universe, and will accomplish their purpose in any fashion, even if it means going down to the bottom of the ocean and meeting death face to face."

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V) Strength of character:

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"Neither money pays, nor name, nor fame, nor learning; it is CHARACTER that can cleave through adamantine walls of difficulties".__Swami Vivekananda

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There is a popular saying, " If wealth is lost nothing is lost, if health is lost something is lost, but if character is lost everything is lost". But today what we see in society is quite the contrary. Money is playing a very dominant role in the present society. People are prepared to do anything for money, they can go to any extent, they are least bothered about the means. They are busy amassing wealth even at the cost of others. Their hearts are dead. They are living corpses. They have no compassion, love or sympathy for other human beings. Adulteration, cheating, bribery, theft, scams, scandals, dowry harassment, robbery exploitation are rampant everywhere. Surprisingly, it is perpetuated by the so-called educated people. In the modern educational system, only the intellect is being developed but there is no scope for the development of the heart. It is only making people more and more selfish and greedy. Swami Vivekananda observed this when he said, "Bring light to the ignorant, and more light to the educated, for the vanities of the education of our time are tremendous."

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In the midst of chaos and confusion, here and there we come across a few great characters who have left their marks through their wonderful contribution. Among such we have a most celebrated personality, Sir Mokshagundam Vishveswaraiah, a great engineer produced by India in the last century. He is a bright example to our youth. He lived for 102 years and was full of enthusiasm, zeal and energy, almost till the end of his life. His dedication, sincerity, hard work, skills, integration, honesty, spirit of service, patriotism, above all his undaunted courage and disciplined life made him a unique personality. He was awarded the highest civilian award, "Bharat Ratna", for his great contribution to our motherland. His biographer writes, "His was an unblemished pure life. No blemish could be traced in his long career. When on duty he would use Government vehicle, otherwise his own car. He never used Government paper and stationery for personal and non-official correspondence. When in doubt, whether it was Government paper or not, he would examine in bright light to detect the embossed makr, "Government Stationery." When he was asked about the eradication of poverty, he said, 'poverty is not natural. It is unnatural. It is curable like any disease. Ignorance, dependence, inefficiency, laziness; want of the spirit of enterprise are the real causes of poverty."

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Gandhiji's slogan was 'Industrialise and perish', whereas Sir Vishveswaraiah's slogan was 'Industrialise or perish." Both were right: one was emphasizing human values, the other material prosperity. Swami Vivekananda came to harmonise these two apparently contradictory views. He encouraged Sir Jamshedji Tata to establish heavy industries in India, and asked Mysore Maharaja to help Jamshedji by way of providing land and infrastructure for the same. Swamiji wanted India to be great in every field, but not at the cost of long-cherished values and culture. He was sure that unless we combine both there cannot be real progress. The education which provides us both these aspects was real education, according to him. He said, "What we want are Western science coupled with Vedanta, Brahmacharya as the guiding motto, and also shraddha and faith in one's own self."

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Unfortunately, after independence, we are mostly concentrating on only one aspect, that is, western science; the other one is completely neglected. In the name of secularism, we have carefully avoided long-cherished values which our ancestors lived for and practised. Due to lack of character energy, we have converted human beings into machines. Every year we are manufacturing thousands of Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, Managers, Administrators but not real human beings. human values such as love, compassion, peace, happiness, truthfulness, honesty, sincerity, contentment, non-violence, patriotism, fearlessness, confidence, courage, self-restraint are replaced by hatred, cruelty, deceit, greed, dishonesty, lust, anger, fear, cowardice, selfishness, violence, self-indulgence, etc., which has created a vacuum in the hearts of people. We have never seen in the history of India such degradation of human values.

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VI) Development of Will-power:

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It is no use blaming others, when we cannot change them. Today, our youth must develop tremendous will-power to resist these evils. They must develop moral strength to fight against social evils. Keeping quiet is not a great virtue. We need positive force to spread good ideas. Swami Vivekananda wanted young people to shoulder this responsibility: "A hundred thousand man and women, fired with the zeal of holiness, fortified with eternal faith in the Lord, and nerved to lion's courage by their sympathy for the poor and the fallen and the downtrodden, will to go over the length and breadth of the land, preaching the gospel of salvation, the gospel of help, the gospel of social raising up - the gospel of equality."

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Dear youth, how long will you sleep? Get up, give up all that is degrading you and respond to the clarion call of Swami Vivekananda and your life will be blessed.

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"My hope of the future lies in the youths of character-intelligent, renouncing all for the service of others, and obedient - who can sacrifice their lives in working our my ideas and thereby do good to themselves and the country at larger."___Swami Vivekananda