ESSAYS AND PARAGRAPHS
QUESTION NO. 1
(i) Write an essay on the topic "My Favourite Book".
My Favourite Book
Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.
(Francis Bacon)
Reading is the exercise of mind mostly done with books. A book is a volume of many sheets of paper bounded together, containing text, illustrations, photographs, or other kind of information. I have read many books but the Holy Quran is the most important and sacred book to me. Thus it is my favourite book.
The Holy Quran is basically a religious book of Muslims. It was revealed to the last prophet of Allah, Hazrat Muhammad (SAW). The arch-angel Gabriel brought this scripture in the 7th century A.D. in installments. It is in Arabic. It has 30 sections, 114 chapters and 6,666 verses. It is the only infallible book of the world.
The Holy Quran holds a pride of place. Before touching it, ablution is compulsory. Care is taken that it does not come into contact with any unclean substance and it is never to be laid upon the ground. The most eloquent testimony of the place accorded to the Holy Quran is that many Muslims learn it by heart. They are called 'hafiz'.
Recitation of the Holy Quran is the core of religious devotion. It is recited on many different occasions. It is recited in prayers. Ventures and public meetings are started with its recitation. The art of recitation is called 'tajwid' or 'tartil'. Participation in recitation, whether as a reciter or listener, is itself an act of worship.
I get up early in the morning. After offering the morning prayer, I recite a few verses from the Holy Quran and study the Urdu paraphrase of these verses. These inform me about the tenets of Islam. These tell me how to please Allah. These warm me against malignancy. Thus these verses teach me the spiritual, social and legal codes of conduct.
In short, the Holy Quran has more qualities than pens can write or words can describe. It is an encyclopedia of knowledge, wisdom and morality. So we should study it with paraphrase and act upon the golden tidings given in it. It can make us true Muslims and ideal persons for society. Thus I love it very much.
The superiority and preference of the Holy Quran on all other books and
sayings is the same as the superiority of Almighty over His creatures.
(Hazrat Muhammad SAW)
My Ambition
QUESTION NO. 2
(i) Write an essay on the topic "My Hobby".
My Hobby
A hobby a day keeps the doldrums away.
(Phyllis McGinley)
Life without a hobby is like food without salt. A hobby is an activity, interest, enthusiasm, or pastime that is undertaken for pleasure or relaxation, done during one's leisure time. Different people have different hobbies. Some people like cooking, reading or singing while the others like dancing, playing or painting etc. However, my hobby is
gardening because I love Nature.
At the back of my house, there is a small plot of land. I have planted a
flower garden there. The plants include Euphorbia, Star of Bethlehem, Buttercup, Lady's Mantle, Primrose, Prince's Feather, Jasmine, Bachelor's Button, Lily, Marigold, Magnolia, Rose and Sunflower etc. Some of the plants are seasonal while the others are perennial.
I work hard in my garden. I water the plants daily. I till the soil regularly. I trim the plants timely. I sow the seeds seasonally. I manure the soil routinely. I clear the weeds promptly. I mow the grass every Sunday. I protect the plants from adverse weather, hostile pests and harmful diseases. Thus I play the role of a mother for my garden.
The beauty of my garden is a great attraction for everything. Birds, bees and butterflies keep on visiting my garden. The cool and fresh air keeps on blowing here. My friends and relatives often visit my garden to enjoy the company of Nature. Even in the evening, fireflies visit and emit their lights to show their happiness in my garden.
Gardening imparts a good effect on each part of my body. When a bud grows into a flower, it fills my heart with pleasure. The greenery of plants and the colours of flowers are a feast for my eyes. The hues and fragrance of flowers are a tonic for my mind. The cool and fresh air is a blessing for my lungs. Watering, tilling, trimming, sowing and mowing are an exercise for my limbs.
My hobby takes me away from the world of cares, worries, tensions, anxieties, frustrations, pollution and noise. I never feel lonely, sad or bored in the company of plants. My hobby inspires my imagination and gives me noble thoughts. It reveals to me the glory of Allah Almighty. In short, my hobby keeps me physically fit, mentally fresh and psychologically balanced.
The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies.
(Gertrude Jekyll)
My Best Friend
QUESTION NO. 3
(i) Write a paragraph on the topic "Fashions".
Fashions
Life's too short to wear boring clothes.
(Cushnie et Ochs)
It is an innate desire of man to look attractive and imitate others. This has given birth to fashion. Fashion is a popular style especially in clothing, footwear, accessories, makeup, body, furniture and behaviour. In crude terms fashion is a
style of living. No doubt it is an age of fashion. The fascination of fashions is stronger in cities than that of towns and villages. Fashions are more popular with the youth particularly adult and teenage girls. It is said that the chameleon does not change its colour as quickly as a woman wears out a new fashion. Even the frumps and old hags want to look young, smart and beautiful. However, men cannot plead innocence when it comes to this, especially these days where many men care more about fashion than any other thing. Moreover, these are men who are responsible for women's fashions. Fashion craze is influenced by several factors. The garment industry, attractive advertising and films are mainly responsible for this craze. The T.V. commercials and the press have also captured the imagination of the people. Media stars have emerged as leaders of fashions. Shopping plazas and markets have sprung up everywhere. Foreign designs and elegant dressmaking are very much in demand. Every week there are full page colour pictures of fashion-wears, powders, perfumes and cosmetics. Fabrics, footwear, furniture, fast food and video films have become the fashion of the day. Fashions have a tendency to spread like wild fire. Fashions move like windstorms. Fashions have many advantages as well as disadvantages. Fashions create a colourful variety in the daily life and add to the cultural wealth of a country. The economy of a country goes around with fashion industry. On the other hand, fashion craze banishes sobriety. Much money is needed to follow the fashions of the time. The glitter of advertisement makes everything look like gold. We should be on our guard, because all that glitters may not be gold in some cases. Being Muslims, we should follow and adopt the life style of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) which is based on simplicity, modesty and humility.
Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.
(Oscar Wilde)
A River in Flood
As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods.
(William Shakespeare)
Life is precious because it is precarious. Any disease, accident or calamity may damage this fragile life. A flood is a natural calamity that usually occurs during the rainy season. A river in flood is a source of trouble for all. Crops are razed, trees are uprooted and animals are washed away. Many people meet a watery grave. Floods are common in Pakistan and affect Sindh and Punjab the most. Last summer I happened to be in my village, about 20 miles south of Jhang. For over a week the wet spell had been a delightful experience. The rain was driven in sharp bursts by the rushing wind. One morning in the early hours there went up a cry "water, water". The Chenab was in flood. There was water in our courtyard. The low-lying part of the village was under three feet of water. Panic gripped the whole village. There were bushels on almost every head. Most of the folks started moving through the flooded fields towards the nearby high mound. My family also followed these folks. It was a scene of great misery. From the corner of the high mound I had the first glimpse of the river in flood. It seemed we were stranded on a small island. The entire area up to the far-off road bridge and even beyond was just one sheet of muddy water. Logs were seen floating fast. The trees all around, with half of their trunks in water, stood firm like unfolded umbrellas. Far below we saw the floating bodies of horses, cows and buffaloes. All the mud houses were collapsed in the massive flow of water. The flood all around and the floating objects of water filled our hearts with dread. Water seemed to be devouring all. Government declared emergency in the affected areas and launched full scale rescue and relief operations. Pakistan army was called in for evacuation and rescue purposes. From this personal experience to the flood scene, I learnt that floods are very devastating natural calamities. They warn that man's place on this earth is very precarious. All the advancements in knowledge and science cannot overcome this helplessness of man. We may tend to act like supreme beings, but the truth is that;
We are hopelessly frail and defenceless in front of nature.
My Neighbour
A good neighbour increases the value of your property.
(Czech Proverb)
To live alone one must be either a beast or a god. Man is neither a beast nor a god. He is a social being. He lives among his parents, siblings, children, relatives, friends and neighbours. Neighbours are those people who live around our house up to forty houses in all directions. Happy is the man who has good neighbours. Fortunately, I am one of them. Most of my neighbours are very good people. However, I have a close association with my immediate neighbour, Mr. Ashraf Minhas. He is a handsome, middle-aged teacher with a vigorous zest for life. He is always well-dressed. He is fond of reading and buying books. He offers his prayers five times a day. You could not wish to meet a more good-natured and hospitable man. He likes gardening. His garden is full of flowers in spring. He invites his neighbours and entertains them warmly. He delights everybody with fond details of flowers and their blooming patterns. Mr. Minhas is an optimistic by nature and he never worries himself over trifles. He is neither proud nor jealous. He is a gentleman par-excellence. He is the father of a happy family of four children - two sons and two daughters. The eldest son is my class-fellow and best friend, and all our programmes of study and recreation go jointly. His wife is a highly educated, cultured and civilized lady. She is also a close friend of my mother. His aged mother and younger sister also live with him. His mother is a religious minded lady. She is always busy in the worship of Allah Almighty and helping the poor. All the members of his family are well mannered. friendly and sociable. Mr. Minhas's family also comes to visit us on special occasions. Either we are in sorrow or joy, in rain or in sunshine; Mr. Minhas is always by the side of us. In short, my neighbour is a character larger-than-life. All the people in the vicinity like him. I am really lucky to have such a good neighbour. I am proud of my neighbour. He is a great blessing of Allah Almighty. Allah Almighty has rightly chosen Mr. Minhas as my neighbour.
We make our friends; we make our enemies; but God makes our next door neighbour.
(Gilbert K. Chesterton)
(ii) Write a paragraph on the topic "A Road Accident".
A Road Accident
As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods.
(William Shakespeare)
Life is precious because it is precarious. Any disease, calamity or accident may damage this fragile life. An accident is an undesirable event that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in harm, injury or fatality. A road accident is a global tragedy with ever-raising trend. The number of road accidents that are daily reported in press or on television show that roads have become veritable death traps. When we venture to step out of our houses, we are not sure whether we will be able to reach our destination safely or not. Most of the road accidents are caused by negligence of traffic rules, carelessness of drivers, craze for over speeding, excessive use of mobile phones and narrowness of roads. Last year, I witnessed a very dreadful and shocking road accident on
Murree Road. It was a hot noon of June. I was going to Murree with my family in a car. My father was driving the car at a normal speed. Suddenly, a passenger van overtook our car with a great speed. Soon we heard a loud blare of horns and a squeal of brakes. However, the fast moving passenger van had a terrible head-on collision with a truck coming from the opposite side. My father slammed on the brakes, veered to the left and parked the car. The whole traffic on the road stopped immediately. The passenger van had turned turtle and the front of the truck had totaled. Thank God! The van had no fallen in the deep valley beside the road. There was a great hue and cry raised by the passengers. The road was littered with broken glass, iron bars, oil and blood. Almost every passenger was injured. Alas! the front seated passengers and the driver died there and then. We and some other people helped the injured to get out of the damaged van. Soon the help arrived there. The causalities were taken to the nearby hospital. The traffic continued after half an hour and we went ahead. I felt sorry that just for the sake of entertainment, some drivers put the lives of many passengers in danger. I wished that people should have more traffic sense to avoid such accidents and keep it in mind that;
It is better late than never.
QUESTION NO. 5
(i) Write a paragraph on the topic "The Teacher I Like the Best".
The Teacher I Like the Best
I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well.
(Alexander the Great)
The world remained deprived of doctors, engineers, lawyers, businessmen, politicians, scientists or other great persons if there had been no teachers. A teacher is a person who helps others to acquire knowledge, skills and values. He is a lighthouse, custodian and spiritual father. He is a force that is necessary to kindle the spark inside a student. During my school life, I have come across several teachers. I have a great respect for all of them. However, the teacher I like the most is our English teacher - a teacher not only by profession but also by passion. Courtesy requires that I should not call him by his real name. People call him Sir Zeeshan. He is a young man of 35. He is so punctual and dutiful that he never misses his periods. He is always well suited and booted. He has short hair, sparkling eyes and a contagious smile. He is not a giant in his stature but it is very well made up by his intellectual attainments. He is an M.A. in English. He has a full command on his subject. He is a born teacher. He does not teach by rote but attempts to find new invigoration for the course materials on a daily bases. He makes lessons interesting with analogies, jokes and anecdotes. He has a strong, clear and resonant voice. His pronunciation and accent are second to none. He uses body language to build rapport with students, and make them feel safe and supported. He explains each and every thing in simple words. He maintains perfect discipline during lessons. He encourages students to ask questions. It is a pleasure to listen to him when he teaches us English whether it be prose, poetry or grammar. The method he uses to teach is developed by his own. He gives us many assignments. He conducts oral and written tests regularly. For this, he has been a very good coach so far as the examination is concerned. In short, he owns all the qualities of a good teacher. All the students respect, obey and love him. He is, indeed, a great asset to our school and the society. He will remain my favourite school teacher forever.
A good teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.
(Henry Adams)
(ii) Write a paragraph on the topic "A House on Fire".
A House on Fire
Fire, water and government know nothing of mercy.
(Proverb)
Fire is useful when it is under control. It serves man greatly but when it burns uncontrollably, it proves to be a curse. It can destroy worth millions of rupees and life in a matter of few seconds as it is revealed by one of my own experiences. It was a perfectly peaceful night. I was studying in my room. Suddenly there was a loud noise in the street. I came out of my house to know what had happened in the neighourhood. What I saw, I could not stop my scream. A house in my neighbourhood had caught fire. There was a huge cloud of smoke. The flames were rising high up towards the sky. The wind was fanning the flames. A large number of people had already gathered there. Some men were pouring buckets of water to put out the fire. Some were throwing bags of sand to extinguish fire. But the fire was ravaging. The inmates were running hither and thither crying for help. It was a very horrible sight. Someone in the crowd informed the fire brigade. Within half an hour, the fire-brigade reached the spot. The fire fighters began to throw water on the fierce flames by means of their hose pipes. At last the inferno was extinguished after about half an hour. However, it had caused great damage and destruction to the house. Furniture, carpets, clothes, curtains, wooden cupboards and other belongings worth thousands of rupees were burnt to ashes. The kitchen, the dinning room, and the drawing room were badly affected. The whole house presented a dismal picture. Luckily, there was no loss of life. None could say how the fire broke out. Some said that the fire was started by some mischievous people in the colony. Others said that it was due to the carelessness of the servant of the house who left a burning cigarette near some clothes. Later, when investigation was made, it was found that the leakage in the gas pipe had led to the outbreak of the devastating fire. In short, the burning house within a few hours made me realize the futility of human life and ventures. It takes man many years to build his dream house and it takes Nature only a few minutes to completely destroy his dreams. It is rightly said,
Man proposes but God disposes
(Thomas A Kempis)
