News Letter-12

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In Focus

Summer – Time to Rejuvenate and Revitalize

Come summer holidays and the world opens up for us. A time we start waiting for as soon as it ends. The scorching heat outside and the cool interiors of the house. The world rushing all around outside and the serene peaceful relaxed time at hand.

A time to rejuvenate and revitalize. A time when we can do and explore what the heart desires. A time to visit our hobby station and to may be discover new ones. A time to organize and plan the coming year, turn creative and productive and indulge in the sense of achievement of having utilized the time well.

As the summer heat scorches the world outside, experience a feeling of satisfaction when you see a bird drink water from the bowl of water you have kept for them or when the leaves of a heat scorched plants firm up after you have watered it.

It's time to spruce up the room, organize it and decorate it amicably. An inner peace prevails with the clean, cool feel of the room and home. Sit with a book in your hand, paint and draw to your hearts content, challenge yourself with some puzzles, be creative with clay and pebbles, indulge in the world of the smart machines and learn to master a new tool or just explore and learn about topics of your interest.

Let's say bye to boredom, enjoy the fun time of Summer holidays and participate in some activities we have planned for you. Summer Camp activities Let's Explore - It's FREE.

In Story

The Wind and The Sun

It was an autumn day. The wind and the sun had an argument.

The wind boasted "I am stronger than you."

The sun mildly said, "No. you are not".

Just then, they saw a traveler wrapped in a blanket passing by. The wind said, "Whoever separates the blanket from traveler is the stronger. Do you agree?"

The sun replied, "OK. First, you try."

The wind started blowing. The traveler wrapped his blanket around him. The wind blew harder. The traveler held his blanket firmer. The wind blew still harder. The traveler held his blanket still tighter. The harder the wind blew the tighter and firmer did the traveler held on to his blanket. The wind failed.

It was the Sun's turn. The sun smiled gently at the traveler. The traveler loosened his grip on the blanket. As the sun smiled more warmly the traveler felt the warmth and took off the blanket.

Thus, the warmth of the sun was declared a winner over the force of the wind.

MORAL: Gentle smile can achieve what brutal force can't.

Source: http://www.english-for-students.com/The-Wind-and-The-Sun.html

UNSUNG HEROES

KOLLAKKAYIL DEVAKI AMMA

Have you ever wondered how global warming has affected the lives of the people on earth and might even destroy more lives in the future? Well this exceptionally talented and thoughtful lady surely did, she knew her small efforts can bring a change. They say "Every drop counts", she believed plantation can bring a change in her life as well the area she surrounds.

For generations, Devaki Amma’s family and in-laws have been working in the agricultural industry and have predominantly handled the paddy cultivation.

The process of creating a forest by 85 year old Kollakkayil Devaki Amma in the backyard of her home started 40 years back by planting one sapling in the backyard of her private property in Onattukara region in Alappuzha district of Kerala. In no time a beautiful green forest covering an area of five acres had been created. After building the forest, care of the water problems was taken by starting Rain Harvesting in the forest.

Devaki Amma's forest now forms a complete ecosystem with a couple of private ponds, wetland, and animals such as cows, buffalos; Shrubs, creepers, medicinal and exotic plants supplying fruits, flowers and vegetables and the presence of exotic and migratory birds in the forest.

For her fascinating contribution towards green revolution, India's President Ram Nath Kovind recently felicitated her with the Nari Shakti Puruskar. She has won several awards from the State Government including Vanamitra Award and Harita Vyakti Puraskar beside the Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra award by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India.

INTER ACTIVITY

WORD POWER

Match the words given on the right to the currect pictures and complete the crossword. Then the secret message.

ball
beach bag
bucket
camping
crab
deckchair
flippers
inflatable ring
kite
life guard
sand castle

shells
snorkelling
starfish
sunbathing
sun cream
sunglasses
sunshade
swimming
surfing
towel

The secret message is ________ ______ _______ _______.

ILLUSION

How many figures can you see in the image?

BRAIN TEASERS

In Formation

HIDDEN GEMS OF INDIA

Sainj Valley - Himachal Pradesh

Carved out of The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) the Sainj Valley is located in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, India, in the far western Himalaya. The beautiful and ecstatic V-shaped Sainj Valley, located in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, upsurge from the lower range of the Himalayas and paints its way to the east of Kullu. The Sainj River flows towards southwest and join the River Beas. The valley covers an area of 90 sq. kms, and is located around 35 kms away from Kullu district headquarters. The villages namely Shakti and Maror are encircled around the sanctuary. The valley is native to one of the most beautiful temples in Himachal. The most famous village that is surrounded by the valley and is required to be visited is the Shangarh Village.

The Great Himalayan National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 23rd June 2014. It is home to four globally threatened mammals (snow leopard, serow, himalyan tahr, musk deer) and three globally threatened birds (Western tragopan, koklas, cheer pheasants).

The park is a part of Conservation International’s 34 biodiversity hotspots. The rocks found in the park are known to have existed 19 to 21 million years ago. The park is native to 34 out of 47 medicinal plants which currently exist in the state of Himachal Pradesh.

FRUIT

BAEL ( Wood Apple )

Indian Name- Bael

Latin Name- Aegle Marmelos

Bael commonly known as Bengal quince, golden apple, Japanese bitter orange, stone apple or wood apple, is a species of tree native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.The Bael tree grows wild in dry forests on hills and plains of central and southern India and Burma, Pakistan and Bangladesh,and is a subtropical species. The fruit is round, pyriform, oval, or oblong and typically has a diameter of between 5 and 12 cm. It has a thin, hard, woody shell or a more or less soft rind, gray-green until the fruit is fully ripe, when it turns yellowish.

Bael is a medicinal plant of Indian origin, having tremendous therapeutic potential which is not fully utilised. Its various medical benefits include enhancing digestive effects, helping cure tuberculosis, hepatitis, dysentery, constipation, peptic ulcer, piles, gynecological and many stomach related problems. It also is beneficial in diabetes and fever prevention.

Bael drink and squashes are especially made in summer leaving a refreshing feeling in the body. It is a very good summer drink as the pulp increases tolerance of sunlight and helps in maintaining normal skin colour.

RECIPE

Bel Sharbat

Preparation Time: 30 Minutes

INGRIDIENTS:

1 small to medium bael fruit
1 to 1.5 cups chilled water
4 tablespoons jaggery (Gud) / Sugar
Cardamom powder (choti elaichi powder)
Roasted cumin powder (bhuna jeera powder)
Pinche of black salt

PREPARATION:

Step 1:-Hold the Bael fruit and hit it with a rolling pin to crack the outer shell.

Step 2:-Scoop out the soft pulp with a spoon.

Step 3:-Transfer the pulp in a bowl and add 1 cup water to it.

Step 4:-Let the mixture soak for 20 minutes.

Step 5:-After 20 minutes, mash the pulp with a veggie masher, mix it well and strain the pulp with a strainer.

Step 6:-To the pulp add jaggery or sugar in it along with water to a drinkable consistency.

Step 7:-Add roasted cumin powder, cardamom powder and black salt to taste.

Step 8:-Mix it well and pour the mixture in glasses and serve it chilled.

IN ENGLISH

Vocabulary

English can be confusing sometimes. We have listed a few words that need special attention due to their mixed set of meaning and usage.

Let's pick 2 sets of three words with some confusion and some part common:

Afforestation, Reforestation, Deforestation:

Afforestation:It is the process of plantation in an area where there has never been used to grow a crop of trees.
Reforestation: It is the process of re-plantation in an area where the forest has been lost or degraded.
Deforestation: It refers to the process of destruction of the forests in order to consume the land for other uses.

Flammable, Inflammable, and Non-flammable

Flammable and Inflammable have the same meaning, both of them represent those products that burn and catch fire easily.
Non-flammable or just not flammable represents those objects which are incapable of catching fire instantly.

According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, in the 1920s, the National Fire Protection Association urged people to start using the word "flammable" instead of "inflammable" (which is the original word) because they were concerned some people might think inflammable meant not-flammable. Actually, the in- in inflammable was derived from the Latin preposition meaning en- (like enflamed), not the Latin prefix meaning -un. It's not like everyone knew the derivation of the word, so the change probably made sense.

ANSWERS

WORD POWER

Sunshade
Bucket
Camping
Swimming
Shells
Crab
Deckchair
Towel
Ball
Flippers
Sand Castle

Sun cream
Surfing
Beach Bag
Snorkeling
Lifeguard
Sunglasses
Starfish
Kite
Inflatable Ring
Sunbathing

The Secret message is SUMMER HOLIDAYS ARE GREAT

ILLUSION

BRAIN TEASERS

Ayush:

No! It's 12

Savvy:

How?

Ayush:

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