10 High School Essays

Road Safety

Why think of road safety at all? It is because of the accidents that occur everyday on the road, in which all sorts of vehicles and human beings and even animal are involved. These accidents mean loss of life and loss of property and more often than not obstruction to traffic. In this age of speed and fast moving vehicles and with the congestion on roads, these accidents have became almost an everyday affair. So unless everybody is educated on the importance of road safety, the loss and the sorry spectacles cannot be avoided.Prevention is better than cure. This holds good even in the matter of road accidents. Accidents are due to many causes and may occur under different circumstances. The simplest but at the same time dangerous perhaps is people slipping down on the road caused by an orange or a banana peel. Without meaning any harm, quite innocently a person may throw away the orange peel or the banana skin on the road or the sidewalk. When a person, walking briskly, steps on, it he or she will slip down ending in fracture of bones and sometimes even more dangerous than that. So people must take care they do not throw the pealings on the road but should deposit them in a dust-bin. In some countries the offenders are severely punished. The second cause of accident is due to careless crossing in busy roads. While crossing one must look to the right and left for moving vehicles and then cross. Where there are Zebra crossings on the road for the pedestrians to cross, one should cross along them. One should keep to the margin of the road while walking and the vehicles must keep to their lanes in busy streets. In the case of accidents involving vehicles there are many causes. One is trying to overtake and very often taking risk. Another is wrong judgment in crossing. Sometimes it may be not caring for the signals. In crowded streets accidents may take place in a snap second because one does not care for the signal. "Stop, look and go" is the best precept; it will save vehicles from accidents. But where one takes a foolish step, the result is the inevitable accident. Jay riding may be another cause. Riding two or three abreast is always dangerous. Especially one must be aware of this. Scooter riders become victims of road accidents. But if they just wear the helmet as required by law they could easily avoid fracture and hence death. Very often the cause of accidents is the failure of the brake system which means the owner of the vehicle does not bother to keep the machine in good condition. By attending to the vehicle regularly a lot of miseries could be avoided. Road safety is a matter of education in which the school can play a significant role. Through scouting, Red Cross and social education classes, children can be taught the importance of observing the rules of the road. Children must be taught their limbs and lives are very valuable and they must not take risk, especially when leaving the school. As soon as the bell goes children rush out and accidents do happen. Under the circumstances the teachers must feel it their duty to regulate the traffic near the school. The police can cooperate with the school in this respect. To make the people road conscious, the mass media can play a useful role. The newspaper, the wall poster and the cinema and now the TV come in handy. Shots in the cinema or TV emphasizing the importance of road safety can be highlighted. There may be speeches over the radio by the police officials. During peak hours in crowded areas, the police may direct the traffic and ask people to keep to their lanes. Our neighbor   Living next to next is the principle of a neighbor. Good neighborliness is the ideal to be aimed at and pursued. People live in the same neighborhood for many reasons. Sometimes it may be aesthetic and very often convenience. It may be the nearness to one's office of work, school, traffic centers and so on. As the saying goes, no man is an island; he has to live with his neighbors. To make life tolerable and bearable one must cooperate with one's neighbor.One's neighbor may be temporary as in the case of traveling by bus or train. Here the neighbor is with one for a few minutes or few hours. Even here if there is understanding between the neighbors the travel will be pleasant. Good neigborliness generates good company and especially during travel it helps to take away the boredom. There are cases when such travel has culminated in longstanding friendship. Whether one likes it or not, one cannot do without neighbors. Even where houses are isolated as in the case of bungalows there is inevitably the neighbor. Normally one may think one can do without neighbors because one can command all comforts and services, so the services or the need for a friend may not arise. However serviceable the radio or the TV may be in providing the recreation, they cannot supply the human elements. The sympathy, the admiration and the appreciation which a neighbor may offer will have a great humanizing influence. To share one's view and sometimes even one's sorrows one needs some neighbors. Because man is gregarious he cannot live in isolation. But all neighbors are not always keeping the cordial relationship. Stresses and strains develop because of misunderstandings. The cause may be very trivial or flimsy, still tension develops ending in animosity and feud. Jealousy may be another cause for such a tension. The neighbor may be doing fine, has earned a lot of money, his children are doing well, he gets quick promotions, these and such others may create jealousy. Once this is generated, this leads to non cooperation and petty quarrels. Very often children may be the cause for strained feelings. Children may quarrel drawing the elders into the fray. The neighbor's son may pick a flower or a fruit from your garden and an argument may erupt. Again he may throw his ball at your window pane damaging it. These are not unnatural so far as the younger one is concerned but it is for the elders to view at them with equanimity and make up for it. This may read easy on paper but not so in practical life. But with some broad outlook one must be able to tolerate. Another reason for tension may be the animals. Your neighbor's dog may be a real nuisance or his poultry which would come into your garden and eat away the young saplings. In all these cases to keep up good neighborliness some understanding between the neighbors is important. Small differences can be easily patched up or ironed out. Care can at times play the good samaritan and helps the neighbors in a small or big way. Nobody is perfect and it is better not to speak disparagingly of your neighbor. A cheerful word or a nod or a casual enquiry will strengthen the feeling of good neighborliness. Negatively, one must not pry into what the neighbor is or what he does. Tolstoy speaks in one of his stories how neighbors should behave. A child was wearing a new shirt and the neighbor's child threw mud on it and thus spoiled it. Women folk started the quarrel and men folk entered into the fray ending in a few heads broken and so on. By then the children forgot all their quarrel and were playing. Tolstoy draws a moral from the story namely neighbors must be quick to forget small wrongs done. Neighborliness is not only for individuals but it is important also in a great measure between neighboring countries. History has got a lot to teach in this respect. Unless countries learn to live as good neighbors, there cannot be peace on earth. So children must be taught at home and in the school to cooperate with the neighbors and be friendly with them. The basic principle is to give and take and to develop a sense that the other man has as much right as you have and some degree of tolerance is very necessary. Computer and their uses   Perhaps the single greatest invention of the century is the computer. The computer is essentially a machine that enables humans to complete tasks that may be time consuming or very repetitive in nature. This it achieves by imitating human thought processes. In much the same way that humans think using pathways in their brains that conduct minute electrical currents, computers too use tiny electrical circuits which tell it what to do. The difference being that computers do this at incredible speeds. In this modern age man has grown to be heavily dependent on computers to carry out all kinds of jobs that were done manually before. In banking for example computers allow for millions of transactions to be carried out involving large sums of money which would otherwise require thousands of bank tellers. Computers do the job in a much shorter time and practically free of any errors. Computers are responsible for air traffic control and the running of trains to ensure that travel is made as smooth as possible. In factories nowadays computers operate mechanical devices that produce goods we require for everyday living, in such quantities that would be otherwise impossible to achieve if these factories were run by humans alone. Perhaps the greatest advancements have been made in the field of communications. All of us are by now familiar with the 'Internet'. The internet is a collection of computer systems and individual terminals linked up worldwide through telephone lines and other channels. It offers a cheaper alternative to communicating with people within a country and internationally through computers. It has also been described as an immense pool of knowledge just waiting for applications it has given rise to a new means for countries to carry on trade with each other through 'E-Commerce'. It must however be kept in mind that as useful as computers are. They are not capable of independent thought and still require human input. In recent times scientists have developed' Artificial Intelligence' in computers that may enable them to function independently of man in the future. The pleasures of reading   Animals may have moments of pleasure but only man has got a lot to do with it. It is through our sense organs that we enjoy pleasure. The sense of smell, sight, hearing, touch and taste each brings pleasure. Even the baby as soon as it is born feels the pleasure of sucking and the comfort of being cuddled in the wads of cloth in the mother's lap. But for the pleasing smell we will not be able to enjoy our food. We are thrilled by the sight of ice capped mountains or the roaring water falls of the Niagara. So they are the senses that help us to get pleasure. There is no end to the sources of pleasure. But reading for pleasure belongs to a higher order and stands as a category by itself. While external things bring pleasure to the sense organs, reading brings pleasure to the mind. Greater the mind is cultured, greater will be the derived from reading for reading makes a full man. Reading is the end product of writing. Unless there is something written one cannot read. So good writing is a concomitant of reading. Man alone can write, in other words put his ideas in black and white. In fact even before printing came into being man was writing and it is as old as modern civilization. Man can preserve his thoughts and ideas through writing. Thus the whole world of literature is there far one to read. Now reading material is available for all tastes. A scholar may go through serious writing for the sake of enriching his knowledge. Another may read a magazine or a picture book for whiling away the time. One chooses the reading material according to his moods, his literary background, the time at his disposal and the purpose if any. A teenager may like stories of romance and an old man may prefer books on philosophy and religion. Some gifted with imagination and the faculty to reflect may read poetry. One who takes pleasure in reading always tries to build his library. Very often a good library may serve the purpose. The greatest advantage in reading is when one comes across great minds. Whether you agree with what is there to read or do not agree there will not be any quarrel. You may pronounce your judgement on the writer. There will be no harm if your judgment is silent and not published. Given the proper atmosphere like a good silent place, soft light and comfortable seat, one can read and read and enjoy it. There are great masters of writing in all great languages of the world. English Language abounds in such great authors. Again it may be poetry, novel, fiction, drama, travelogue, and letters. Biographies and autobiographies, form a sizable part. In these days of rush good magazines supply the material for reading. For example, one may cite the Reader's Digest. In order to enjoy reading, one must cultivate that habit. Reading is not the 'be all' and `end all' of life. Yet, it can be ennobling. There is dignity in reading habit. Obedience to parents and elders   To be obedient is to obey the orders of one's elders and superiors. There cannot be order unless there is obedience. One has to obey the laws of the country, otherwise the society cannot exist. The laws may be irksome, but, for the overall good of the law one must obey them. For instance, the laws to be obeyed on the road ensures road safety. The laws pertaining to property help society continue without hitches and hindrances. Even in our body our limbs obey the commands of the brains unless they are diseased. Obedience is essential for the enforcement of order. Obedience includes obedience to one's parents and elders. Parents are the best well wishers of their children. From their experience, they know what is good for their children. They would never mean ill for them. For the sake of the well being of the children, parents insist on obedience. Obedient children grow into fine children. They are not only loved by their parents but also by others connected with the household and by the neighbours. When children obey parents they are happy. Circumstances as they may be, parents may set certain norms. Children may not understand their implications, but if they obey, very often they will steer of dangers. For instance, the parent may warn his son of bad company. If the son obeys, he will grow unscathed. The parents may insist on personal cleanliness, keeping things neat and tidy, being regular in studies and so on and so forth. If the boy or girl obeys the parents in such and other things, he or she will surely grow into a finer one. Of course the parents' example may be forceful enough. If the parent shows how he is obedient, the son will naturally be obedient. There cannot be a better story than Casabianca on the deck. The father had asked the boy not to leave the deck until the parent returned. The ship was on fire, the father was dead and other sailors asked Casabianca to leave the deck and escape for life. But the boy would not leave, for father had asked him not to. The fate of the boy could be conceived but Casabianca has become immortal because he obeyed his father. Being obedient to parents and elders will have to be followed in life. An obedient servant is always liked and respected. But for the unquestioning obedience of servants big establishments cannot be run. Unless one knows the value of obedience and has been practising it, suddenly he cannot become obedient. Servants who are obedient are preferred to clever ones. One may argue that blind obedience won't do good. Where one can prove the other is wrong, strict obedience can be waived. This happened sometimes; a junior may have a brilliant idea and without infraction of obedience he may put up his idea in the appropriate manner. Obedience, just like charity must begin at home. Parents have a duty in bringing up children to be obedient and loving. My favorite outdoor game   Soccer is my favorite game. Ever since I joined the school, I have been playing soccer. The luscious grass field is very much suited to run, to roll over and kick. The game is played between two teams of eleven players each though sometimes lesser number like six or seven may be there in a team. Among the players of a team, some may be forwards, others mid-fielders and defenders, and one goal keeper. Unlike the other players the goal keeper can handle the ball as the situation calls for. As it is a team game, all must cooperate. The forwards must be fast, able to take the ball through the legs of the opponent. The midfielders help not only in defense but also help the forwards in clearing and supplying the ball. Defenders must offer strong defense. The goal keeper must be agile, quick to see, correct in anticipation and should kick the ball high and far. There are well established rules and foul play will be penalized. The referee's job is tough and there have been instances when the poor referee has been man handled by the onlookers. It is the bane of the game that the audience turn partisan. Among the great soccer nations Argentina, Brazil, England, Russia and Germany are a few. The name of Pelee, the great footballer of all times has become a household word among the soccer fans. Football is a manly game so I like it. Whenever I find time in the evening, I never fail to play for an hour or so. I take the forward position because I feel there is more fun in pursuing and heading the ball. Those who do not know much about the game say it is a rough game. Of course there are cases of broken heads, muscle twisting and sometimes even fractures. But these are caused when one does not play according to the rules. Of course they are inevitable in a game like soccer. Nowadays people protect themselves with guards. But for the risks the game is all right. If it is all soft then there won't be any game at all. Life in a high-rise flat   Man is the only home making animal. He alone can enjoy the warmth of his hearth and family circle. Man has evolved from tree dwelling to the modern flat. Primitive man was the master of his hut and it was his castle. Till recently the house had been a complex affair. There were the gardens, barn, poultry, cattle shed and so on. The house itself was having different portions spacious enough for all the family members to move about. These villas till recently were popular. Even today we may come across these villas in the countryside. There was good neighborliness. In sorrow and joy the neighbor shared. They were helping each other in many of life's needs and operations. They had enough leisure. They had time to sit over a pipe or glass of drink and gossip. In short everybody was known to everybody and the society was in one sense self contained. But those days are gone though there may be vestiges in remote places. The onslaught of Industrial Revolution and the growth of industries as a result have caused the birth and growth of towns and cities. Though even in ancient days there were cities, they were the capitals of kings and emperors, otherwise there were not many cities. Any student of history could appreciate this point. So the growth of cities is a modern phenomenon, concomitant to the growth and concentration of industries. In an industrial area space becomes scarce and as more and more families pour in they cannot find space for houses. Not only the space but also the cost becomes prohibitive. So an average office goer or a worker cannot have the luxury of owning a house. Still they want some shelter to lay their heads down when they have returned from their office or factory. The answer has been the high rise flats of several floors. They are either built by building societies or by the Housing Boards of government. These flats are provided with all facilities like water, electricity, good drainage, airy rooms and so on. In every high rise flat there may be even lifts to take people up and down. In the flats the tenants may be independent. But there are more disadvantages in living in a high flat. The movement will be restricted and conditioned according to the circumstances. One may have to live with all sorts of people, the homogeneity which was the rule rather than the exception will be wanting. One does not know who his neighbor is, so though living in the midst of many one may feel lonely. Since all facilities are artificially controlled any breakdown in them would paralyze life. For instance, if there is any defect in the water system, life will be upset. For want of space, one must plan carefully what one must own. Whereas in olden days people had enough space to entertain guests and relatives. It is the children who would suffer most for there won't be enough space for them to run and play about. Unless one has the facility to take them out, they will develop complexes of closed space. Since the cannot easily mingle with other children, there may be blind spots in their character. Living such artificial surroundings may even tell on their health and growth. In short they will feel like caged birds. This may be true of even grown ups. Further if there were to be accidents like fire or the breakout of epidemics, the high rise flats will suffer most. From aesthetic point of view also the flats do not add to the beauty of the city. In short one may conclude that life in a high rise flat is necessary evil in a big city. How to make your life successful   What we call life is a very complex affair. It is not simply eating, reproducing and finally dying. Every creature does these. But in the case of man he has to lead a highly complicated life. It is like going through a maze and coming out. He is an economic being and a social animal. He has to earn, make a home, look after his people, attend to his obligations to the society and the Government. So in order to be successful, in all these, he has to develop certain qualities. What do we mean by saying a man is successful? If in his occupation he can do satisfactorily both for himself and others then he is successful. He must be able to look after his people and bring up good children. If he becomes a professional man like an engineer, doctor or lawyer, making money should not be the only criterion; he must also be able to satisfy his clients and be honest at it. In order to be successful one should develop certain qualities. At first he must realize his purpose; in other words what he would like to be. This is the crux of the problem, for the choice does not come to him. Parents decide it very often for them. Let us suppose he decides to be somebody in his life. Once having decided he must work for attaining certain standard in that line. Only hard work would make him fit for the job. It is rightly said that it is 5% inspiration and 95% perspiration. One must deserve before desiring. One must remember one's education does not stop with the school or college. it is a life long process. Professional people must keep themselves up to date. Then one must get on with others. In the chess board of life one may find himself in any position; it may be the all powerful queen or simply a pawn. It must be remembered that given the chance, even a pawn can destroy a queen. This means in a complex society, everyone finds oneself in a particular position; there may be some above and some below. One need not be favoring and flattering those above and be arrogant with those below. "What can I do for you' is the correct attitude and having done it go about your duty. In getting on with others sweet temperament is really an asset; then only others will like to transact with one. One must not be easily irritable nor give irritants to others. Then one must be reliable. One may be clever but if he is not reliable, he cannot achieve success in a great measure because others will have very little to do with him. Another important quality that would make up for success is doing things then and there. Procrastination is the thief of time. Postponement of doing things means swelling of work for the next day. A small chink may be easily closed today but tomorrow it may be late. If we analyze the life of successful people we could easily see they have been through and never postponed doing things. Still another quality is not to argue. The other may be really wrong. By pointing out that he has been wrong you are not going to improve matters, on the other hand you can help him correct. Arguing not only takes away precious time but also causes irritations. Especially one's superior may not like situation something like this. 'You may be right, sir', or 'This is all right', but 'what about our alternative' and so on. One must be capable of learning from experience. One must be able to learn from the mistakes of others. Only when nations and individuals fail to learn from the past mistakes, they are ruined. History is replete with examples. Precious water   Water is one of the things we need most besides air, and thank god water is plenty generally speaking, because three fourths or so of earth's surface is covered with water. This is only a general fact and not all places on earth are having enough water and healthy potable water is a rare commodity. Rivers may bring water and lakes may be having it. From the health point, they may not be fit for drinking. Most of these waters are contaminated and may contain mineral as well as organic impurities, and sometimes epidemic spreading bacteria like those causing cholera and typhoid. Nowadays the chances of contamination of water sources are quite common with industries coming up and sending out their effluents indiscriminately. So to make these waters potable they must be treated before being supplied to a population. Treating water and supplying it to a town or city means cost. The water has to be filtered for suspended impurities and then chlorinated and then pumped to a storage tank from where the water is distributed through pipes. So one must remember that when one draws water from the tap, one is actually buying or paying for water. This has become inevitable with the growth of cities and towns. Once we bear in mind we will be careful in using water. There are many ways in which water is wasted. The tap may be leaky whereby water may be spilled. That means some periodic attention must be paid to the plumbing and leaky taps. The tap may be open and the water running out and nobody would care to stop it. Unless there is need, the tap must be kept closed. This must be particularly remembered when one leaves home on holiday, otherwise throughout their absence water may be flowing out. Just as we see if the electric mains are off when we are away for some time so too is the water tap. Major part of the water is used for bathing, washing, and cleaning. In all these needs water must be prudently used, Take bathing for instance; when one is scrubbing or applying soap to one's body the shower need not be running. Water economy must be remembered in the use of bath tubs. One need not be a Rhino to be in one's bath for hours on end. This prudence in the use of water may be practised in washing and cleaning. Since these consume a lot of water, the municipal corporation, if it is affluent and water is in plenty, can have a separate system supplying water for washing and cleaning alone. The industrial houses must not be allowed to draw from public water system for their industrial use except perhaps for drinking water. One must bear in mind when one wastes water one is depriving another of his share of water. Good water may get scarcer in days to come. With the advent of rapid industrialization contamination of water sources poses a threat. So the industrial people must feel it their duty not to add to water pollution. In areas of acute water scarcity steps may be taken for recycling water. Remember one of the casualties of the so called modernization is that we have to pay for nature's goods of which water is one. Accidents at home   Let us cite some examples of accidents at home. Cutting, burning, scalding, hurting to cause fractured, bones and getting electric shock are some of them. These may happen anywhere, in the kitchen, in the bathroom, or on the staircase. These accidents may lead to temporary disablement or permanent ones. Sometimes they may prove fatal. So as in many cases in life it is always better to prevent them; hence the proverb 'prevention is better than cure', but one must be aware of the cure also. Let us consider the preventive aspect first. One must be careful in using cutting instruments in the kitchen. One must learn from those who have experience how to use the knives, manglers and so on. Care must be taken in handling hot things. Use good tongs to remove hot vessels from the oven. Hot things must not be placed anywhere, otherwise one would get scalded. Steam causes a greater injury than hot water so one must be careful where steam is involved. Since pressure cookers work on steam one should be careful when removing the lid of the cooker. So too with hot oils. Here care must be taken not to add water to hot oil when it is on open fire because it will catch fire. Falling down by false step is another accident. Bathrooms, poorly lit landing places, ill fixed mattresses on the staircase are worst offenders. Oil drops or soap bits must not be dropped down in the bathroom as these may help slipping down. The staircase must be well lit so that no false step is possible. The mattresses must be well fixed. Fall from ladder and stools are common. Unless there is somebody to hold or unless the ladder is well fixed, one must be very careful in using ladders. Trying to reach a higher point from a ladder always results in slipping down. So too with stools; broad based three legged stools are to be preferred to four legged ones because of the stability of the former. Electrical wiring must be periodically checked. Frayed wires must be removed. When handling electrical equipment it is always advisable to have the mains off. Too many leads may not be taken from a single pin point as it results in heating and hence some accidents. Electrical appliances must have insulated or protective handles. When using the electric iron it is better to stand on a rubber sheet or dry wood plank. No wet cloth must be hung on any electrical wire for, in case of any leakage, it would prove fatal. Medicines must be kept away from the views of children and kept under lock and key. Otherwise they may be tempted to swallow or drink the wrong medicine and may prove dangerous. Youngsters must be taught how to use knives and other sharp instruments. Nowadays gas is being used for cooking. It must be seen that there is no leakage of gas lest there would be some explosive accident. Children must not be allowed to play with the valves for even breathing of the gas is dangerous. Beware of leakage of gas. In all these cases by being a bit careful, many an accident can be avoided.