!Unexpected End of FormulaGeography is a fascinating subject.

It reveals all the

wonderful changes and activities that have been going on in the world since the
beginning of time.

By reading geography we learn not only about our own country but also about
countries beyond the seas. We also learn about the mountains, oceans, islands,
lakes, volcanoes, the winds and a number of other very interesting things about the
world and the ụniverse.

Among the important things that we learn in Geography are the infinite varieties of
creatures. plants, birds and land features that exist in the world. We know that there
are millions of creatures: small and large, of various kinds in all parts of the earth.
We also know that many of the early creatures have now become extinct, while
many of them have changed from their original forms. Reading about all these is
indeed very interesting.

We also learn about the various types of plants and birds that exist throughout the
world. The plants and birds in the cold lands are not the same as those in warmer
lands. In the same way, the land forms in the cold regions are different from those
in other regions. In the equatorial regions, for example, plant and animal life is
luxuriant while in the poles the land is covered with snow, and animal and plant
life is less abundant. In equatorial regions abundant rain has produced large rivers
and lakes, while in areas where little rain falls there are large deserts without many
rivers and lakes.

As the climate and vegetation of one place are not the same as those of another, the
habits and activities of the people of different regions are also different. Even their
religious convictions and languages are different from those of other parts of the
world.
Thus, Geography is a very important subject, and because of its width and variety
it is one of the most interesting subjects to read.
Rivers have been very useful to men in all parts of the earth since very early times.
They provide water to slake the thirst of men, to fertilize their lands and to provide
a means of communication for the goods that they transport from place to place.

Early civilization began on the banks of the great rivers of the world, such as the
Nile and the Indus. These rivers provided the water, the people on their banks
needed for all their purposes. As people in those early days did not have the
transport facilities that we have today . They had to live close to the rivers to
transport their goods to places along the rivers and to draw the water that they
needed.

Rivers not only provided water for their domestic needs and agricultural purposes
but also enabled the people to move from place to place along their banks. Boats or
rafts were used to travel from one end of a river to another. In the same way, goods
were also transported. With the transport of good and the contacts of people
between different parts of the same river there were also many cultural exchanges.
Thus, rivers helped to spread civilization.

It is true, however, that rivers have also caused much misery and unhappiness to
millions of people throughout history. They have caused floods and destroyed lives
and property in all parts of the earth. For example, the Hwang Ho in China has
been described as the “sorrow of China” because of the destruction that it had
caused in the past.

But it should be realised that floods occur once in several years. Therefore, the
damage that rivers cause is not so great as the benefits that they confer on
humanity. Today,rivers continue to be used not only as a source of water for
drinking and fertilizing the lands or as a means of transport but also as a source of
electricity which has revolutionized society. The importance of rivers is therefore
not difficult to appreciate.
Deep in the heart of every good book lies the distilled wisdom of centuries. To
read it is to become wiser.

Books are written for the benefit and pleasure of all those who like to read them.
But they are of various types. There are books for children, as well as for adults.
Some books are written for the specialists, some are written for students in the
schools and universities, and many are written just for the pleasures of the mind.
Indeed, the variety of books is infinite.

One of the reasons for the existence of such a wide variety of books is that the field
of knowledge is very extensive. Even to grasp a small part of it one has to read
several books for many years. Another reason is that different people have
different likes and dislikes. The book that one likes to read, the other may not like.
To meet these broad and varying needs of people for information, knowledge,
recreation and aesthetic enjoyment, more and more books are being written every
year.

Those who aim to specialize in a certain branch of knowledge concentrate more on

the books that provide information on their particular field of study. In the libraries
and book shops they look mainly for such books. But those who have no particular
interest in any subject read and buy all types of books. Sometimes they buy books
intended for the specialist, sometimes they buy those written for children. and
sometimes if they are preparing for some examination, they buy books which give
some information on their examination subjects.

Almost every book extends the knowledge of the reader and develops his intellect
as well. Even if the reader does not learn any new facts from the book, he may at
least learn a few new words, expressions or ideas. In fact, certain books are written
mainly to acquaint the reader with the beauty of language and ideas. They do not
deal with facts or actual human experiences. Books of this type provide great
pleasure to the mind, and almost everyone who loves reading buys a few of such
books. Books have also helped to promote better understanding among the peoples
of the world. By reading books. The people of one country have come to know
about the achievements of those in other countries.

Thus, books could be regarded as one of the channels of communication among

men. Indeed, without books man would not have made so much progress as he has
made today. By applying the knowledge that he has gained from books to practical
purposes, he has made the world a pleasant place to live in. Civilization therefore
owes a great debt to these inanimate things called books.
e value of physical education has been realized since the earliest times of human
existence. The Greeks and the Romans considered it indispensable to the
development of a good personality and character.

Today in all the schools and universities in the world, a great deal emphasis is
being placed on physical education as a means of producing citizens of good
character and personality.

Physical education develops the muscles of the body scientifically and increases
muscular activity and physical strength. All this makes the body active and
efficient. It is now also realized that there is a close connection between the body
and the mind. Therefore, if the body is active, the mind too is active. Proof of this
can be easily found among children. Children who are inactive physically are
usually also mentally lazy. An active and efficient body is a healthy body. When
the body is healthy, the mind too is and therefore happy. Thus, physical education
contributes greatly to the health and happiness of an individual such an individual
could do a great deal for the good of society.

Physical education can also contribute to the strength of a nation. If the youths of a
country receive proper physical education, they can build up a strong country to
protect itself from foreign attacks or invasions.

Further, physical education provides opportunities for contacts with people of other
lands. Athletes of all countries meet at various countries at various times to
compete with one another and thus promote common understanding among
countries for the benefit of one another.

It is therefore, not without reason that physical education has been a part and parcel
of academic pursuit today. I do therefore agree that physical education is important
to all people.
As the name suggests newspapers are a source of news and information. In several
respects they are also a medium of communication among the peoples of the
world.

Today there are hundreds of newspapers all over the world. Everywhere there is a
keen desire to learn more and more about the affairs of the world. This is partly the
result of the spread of education which sharpens one’s curiosity to learn about
distant lands.

As a source of news: the newspaper is almost indispensable to those whose thirst

for knowledge is insatiable. They contain news on events in distant corners of the
earth. Information about such events arrives almost immediately. As a result.
people everywhere are informed about the most important events in the world verỵ
quickly and almost all the same time. For example, if a war breaks out in one part
of the world today , the people in the other parts will certainly come to know about
it tomorrow. As a result, all the countries of the world are able to do something
quickly to help those who have suffered because of the war or to persuade the
countries at war to cease fighting.

Newspapers also play an important part in keeping the peoples of the world
informed about the troubles that might arise in the future, if nothing is done to
prevent them from happening. For example, if a dispute arises between two
countries for any reason: the newspapers can keep the peoples of the world
informed about what might happen if nothing is done to persuade the two countries
to resolve their differences peacefully. In this way many wars have been avoided
because of the intervention of some countries in the disputes of many countries
which were given prominences in newspapers.
When all this is considered, we feel that there is some silent communication among
countries through the medium of newspapers for the common benefit of the
countries of the world.

Further, constant reading of newspapers improves one’s outlook on life and makes
one a more reasonable person. The importance of the newspaper is therefore
obvious.
One of the most striking features of the present century is the progress of science
and its effects on almost every aspect of social life. Building on the foundations
laid by their precedessors the scientists of today are carrying their investigation
into ever widening fields of knowledge.

The contribution of science to the promotion of public health in the last hundred
years has indeed been tremendous. The unceasing work and experiments of
scientists during this time have led to numerous discoveries and removed many
misconceptions that many people had before, regarding health illness. The causes
of many of the diseases have become generally known. Indeed, many of the facts
relating to public health, which are now regarded as common knowledge, were
unknown even to the doctors of those days. The fact that germs were the cause of
most of the common diseases was not realised by doctors of high repute in the not
very distant past. Today, however, even a pupil of a primary school has some
knowledge of the destruction that germs can cause. The discovery of germs has
indeed revolutionised all medical concepts of disease and illness: everywhere
people have come to realise the importance of cleanliness in the prevention of
disease.

The researchers or scientists of all countries have also revealed other secrets. It is
now known that illness and diseases can be caused by other living creatures also,
such as flies, insects and even birds, animals and human beings. Their discoveries
have contributed to the progress of medical science. Today, people in all parts of
the world are doing their utmost to destroy the creatures that carry diseases. At the
same time, however, scientists have also discovered that certain animals and
creatures could provide some cure for a variety of diseases that are dangerous to
human beings. Even the curative value of certain plants has been discovered.

An important result of the discoveries of scientists has been that, they have also
found the cure of almost every disease. It is a practice of the scientists to work for
the discovery of a cure as soon as they have discovered the causes of a certain
disease. This service of the scientists has promoted the welfare of the human race.
In this field of research, scientists make no distinction between races. Whatever
they discover is used for the advantage of men everywhere. The progress of
humanity is their main aim.

The work of medical scientists also reduced pain to great extent. In the past
operations were performed on individuals in a very crude manner. Amputation was
a very painful affair. Today, however. the whole body of a man could be cut open
without his feeling any pain by the use of chloroform. In this way science has
relieved the misery of men tremendously.

Another very important discovery has been that, water, without which life cannot
exist, sometimes contains the elements of destruction as well. impure water could
spread disease and death at tremendous speed. This knowledge has led people in
all parts of the world to use only pure water tor all domestic and other purposes.
Water is considered so important a factor in public health that all the governments
of the world control its use for drinking purposes. All these discoveries have
indeed promoted public health during the last hundred years.
Briefly, education means the acquisition of knowledge and abilities, and the
development of one’s character and mental powers by systematic training and
instruction. Education is therefore of great value to any person.

It has been realized that a person without education is deprived of many benefits.
He not only lacks the knowledge of human affairs but also the ability to appreciate
the value of many of the things that concern his own welfare. Thus, he is not able
to contribute his full share to the progress of society and the world. Neither is he
able to develop his personality to the fullest extent.
One of the greatest benefits of education is that it helps a person to understand the
position that he occupies in society. It helps him to speak and conduct himself with
confidence and dignity which earn him the respect and admiration of others. Thus,
he occupies an important position in society, and people look up to him as their
leader.

Another benefit of education today is that it helps one to secure lucrative

employment. In the world of today, almost every kind of employment requires
some understanding of a few basic principles of science, mathematics, economics,
engineering, accountancy or some other subjects on the part of the worker. Thus,
the better education a person has better prospects he has of securing attractive
positions in the various professions.

Finally, education makes a person sympathetic and considerate towards others. He

is helpful to those who need his advice and guidance, and is not critical of those
who commit offences or mistakes out of ignorance or necessity. Further, he does
not like to hurt the feelings of others. Even if he is extremely provoked, he tries to
express his displeasure or anger in words which give the slightest offence to others
and yet express his outraged feelings adequately.

As a result of all these qualities that a person acquires through education, he

becomes a very pleasant person to associate with. He thus lives a fuller life in
socially.
An interesting story that I have heard is about a deserted house in a remote village
somewhere in India.

The house had not been occupied for several years after the death of its owner. For
some reason no one liked or cared for the owner. Therefore, when he died, he was
not buried. His dead body remained in his bed until it was reduced to its skeleton.
One evening a traveller was passing by this house when it suddenly began to rain
heavily. Looking for shelter , he ran into this house, where, to his surprise and
terror, he saw a human skeleton. But the rain had not stopped and it was rapidly
growing dark. He has therefore no choice but to sit there, in the hope that
somebody like him might come in to keep him company. But no one came. It was
now too dark to see anything outside. He therefore decided to spend the night in
that dark and lonely house. The rain continued to fall unabated. The wind was
strong and there was much lightning. The traveller lay on the floor but he could not
sleep with the skeleton inside the house. After several hours, there was a sudden
very cold crawling over his body. he was now too frightened to move. After a
while, he heard another strange cry. Just at that moment, a lightning flashed across
the sky when he saw a large animal jump out of the house through a window which
had been open. He now began to pray for his safety.

While he was in this position, some robbers happened to take shelter in the
verandah of the house. They began to talk and laugh loudly. Hearing the voices,
the traveller began to ask some questions from inside to make sure that there were
some people outside. But the robbers were now frightened. They thought that it
was the voice of ghost. They ran away as fast as they could. when morning came.
The traveller rushed out of the house and never returned to that part of the country.
Everyone dreams. Some dreams are pleasant and some are not. One of the most
unpleasant dreams that I have had concerns a wild creature which used to visit a
village every night in search of blood and flesh.

It is difficult for me to give a proper description of the creature. It was tall, black
and hairy. Its legs and hands resembled those of a man, but its face was like that of
a leopard. It walked like a man but it could also run like an animal when it wished.
Its home was not on land but in the sea. However, its thirst for blood was
insatiable. Every night when all the people in the village that it used to visit went to
bed, it would come out of the sea and quietly go into the village. It would look for
a man who might be outside. Such was its luck that it found at least one man every
night. Its method of attack was simple. As soon as it saw a man, it would put its
powerful hands round his neck and strangle him. At the same time it would sink its
teeth into the flesh and drink his blood. This unfortunate man would have no time
to shout, for death came swiftly.
In this way, the creature had killed a lot of people, but no one could explain their
disappearance. As the foot prints of the creature were similar to those of a tall and
big man, no one could distinguish between the foot prints of the creature and those
of a man. Then, one night, I happened to be in the village. The creature, however,
did not see me when it came. I was at first frightened. but when I saw it had caught
and killed a man, 1 felt brave. I knew that it would now not bother to kill me. I
therefore decided to follow the creature.

Not suspecting that it was being followed, the creature stopped at a place and
began to eat the man. When it was satisfied, it picked up the remains of the man
and slowly walked back into the sea which was only a short distance from the
village. All the while I moved very cautiously. Then, I ran back to the village and
told the people what had happened. On the next day, the villagers waited near the
sea with all the weapons that they had. The creature came out for its usual meals,
but this was an unfortunate day for the creature. As soon as it was on the land, the
villagers surrounded it and killed it. Its cries of pain and anger before it died were
such that I suddenly woke up to find that I was only dreaming. I felt greatly
relieved.