Thursday, July 10, 2014

Car wash reflection

We had a car wash this year to raise money for our job week. We were supposed to be asking our teachers to support us by letting us wag their cars. However, most of that work was done by our scout leaders. I feel that we should be more initiative and participative when it comes to such activities as it is our job week and not our leaders'.

Before we started the car wash, we were briefed to not pour the water over to car to get rid of the soap. Instead we were told to rinse our rags and then wash off the soap. Unfortunately, this rule was broken by many of my fellow scouts as they were playing with the water. When we carried out this activity, we were in the middle of a dry spell and the need to conserve water was extremely high. I feel that we should be more responsible in conserving water, a precious resource, and not waste it as Singapore has limited resources and there could be a day when we might have a lack of water.

Many of us were playing as we washed the cars and were not serious in our work. In my opinion this is a very selfish behaviour. This shows that we do not care for things that do not belong to us. If we put ourselves in the shoes of the car owners, we too would not wish for others to damage our precious belongings.

I also learnt the power of teamwork through this activity. When we worked together, we were able to get the job done quicker than working in separate individuals in order to simultaneously wash the cars at the same time.
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Sunday, July 6, 2014

HK scouts exchange programme

My thoughts about the programme:

First of all when we arrived at Telok Ayerand went to the temple. Un fortunately, our facilitators were unfamiliar withe route and we got separated with the first half of the group and got lost. Furthermore, it did not seem that they were sure of their end destination. The movement of the scouts was very disorganized and had to conastantly stop for various reasons.

The transport was also not ideal. I know it was requested by the Hong Kong scouts to take the MRT, however, it was very troublesome - the HK scouts had to buy their cards everytime we rode the train. Adding on to the inconvenience of taking the public transport, when we stopped at a hawker centre, wasting a few hours there and missing out on a few activities. If we had taken a coach, it would be able to pick us up regardless of the weather and we would not have to cancel the activities. Even if we did not take a coach, I suggest that the HK scouts make use of the extra time and plan for what they wanted to cook for the cooking competition later instead of just sitting down there and then not knowing what to buy inside the NTUC, thus wasting time and overcrowding the NTUC.

I also feeel that the waiting time between activties was too long.

In my group, the Singapore scouts and the HK scouts were separated and the interactions between us was little. I suggest that we had a few icebreaking games on the first day to help us know each other better and increase the chances of interaction between us.
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Friday, April 4, 2014

Camp reflection

The best part I liked was the archery. I feared that the string might hit me or snap and so I restrained in pulling it back. However, after a few times, I regained my confidence and started pulling back all the way.

A lot of people disliked the food. But I think that we should not complain about the quality of the food as there are many more starving children and people out there who do not even have food to complain about. We should be grateful that we at least still have food to eat.

Then we played some team bonding games. One of our team members was extremely uncooperative and just wouldn’t listen to commands. My group really needs to work on our team spirit.

Planning the gang show was the worst. Like I said, my team had ZERO bonding and when it came to planning things everything just fell apart.

The first hurdle we had to cross was to decide what we exactly wanted to do. Some of them wanted to do one thing and the rest of them wanted something else so there was a lot of commotion. In the end, we carried out a vote to decide.

The second difficulty we faced was practicing. You see, many of our leaders were inexperienced and newly appointed, as a result, they were not able to successfully control and teach what they have in mind.

I find that we REALLY need to improve on our co-operation otherwise we will turn out like that and just as expected, the gang show was badly performed. 



  
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Sixers Council


11-04-13
Today the sixers gathered to plan for the games. We had been reusing some of the old games as we had run out of ideas. But even without having to think of a new game for the cub scouts to play, it was still extremely difficult for us to decide on a game as all of us were over enthusiastic. True, we should take pride an interest in whatever we do, however we should not let that enthusiasm come in the way of showing respect to one another. We should take turns to speak in order to make everyone feel important and give them the respect they deserve. Furthermore, by not taking turns, we are decimating the number of ideas we have for the games and as such, making it boring for the cub scouts.

09-05-13
One of the sixers was quite excited today. In fact most of the time, he is very enthusiastic in scouting. However, he lacks the ability to communicate with his friends – he thinks that by shouting, he will get the attention and respect of the scouts. In my opinion, he is being silly. Nobody likes to be bossed around and when you yell at others, not only will they not listen to you, but they will also dislike you. Shouting drains your energy and affects your voice and after all of this you don’t get what you want! So as a sixer, we must come out with innovative ways to get things done. For example, Serpent taught us a few hand signals that we could use to signal to the cub scouts what we want instead of yelling at them.

Despite all of this, I still want to help this sixer become a better person so I try to understand things from his point of view. Maybe around him people have been raising their voices at him due to his behavior and he thinks that this is the only way to lead others and so he picks it up. Maybe I myself have been too harsh on him I shall change and try to be nicer around him instead of always blowing my top once my limit of tolerance has reached.

28-03-14
Jethro, our Senior Sixer has come up with over 100 scout games to play. He has shown a great amount of effort and passion in leading and scouting. He commitment has inspired me to push my self even further and has shown me that it is indeed possible to juggle between my CCA and school work. I hope my fellow sixers can also learn from Jethro’s actions.
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Writer

Continuous Writing

            I burrowed deep into the sand just as the sky brightened. It bled red as the sun crept over the horizon, like as silent murderer. The cool night breeze took its final breath of life just before the burning heat of day took over.

            Snuggling into the warm moist pits of the sand, I prepared to hit the hay, or sand in this case, after a long and exhausting night of scavenging for morsels of food. Unfortunately, my lucky stars were not shining that day.

            My consciousness was ebbing away and with each clash of the salty waters and sandy shores, which was music to my ears, I stranded further into slumber land. A harsh screech of tyres that reverberated through the beach dragged me from my groggy state. Opening my eyes a slit, I peered out from the safety of the sand and what I saw did not please me even in the slightest. A school bus full of children appeared before me and I instantly knew that my plans to recharge had gone down the drain.

            I sighed as the pestering kids alighted from the bus. Some of them seemed excited while others looked like the walking dead. But one thing they all had in common, there was no such thing as “consideration” in their dictionary. All of them talked at the top of their voices, eradicating any last hopes I had left for sleep.

            I felt completely helpless, like an empty paper bag, drifting only where the winds brought me. What could I possibly do? I was just a creature of lesser creation in the eyes of a human. As dangerous as my pincers were, the humans outsized me a hundred to one. I had no choice but to wait out.

            So I began to wait, attentively scrutinizing the movements of the humans, just in case I had to take aggressive measures. A tall authoritative-looking figure convened the children before him and started to give instructions, I presumed, for I could only see his mouth moving. Then the children jumped into action.

            The only thing I felt for these humans was annoyance, but now fear was mounting up. The humans had armed themselves with humongous plastic bags and “metal pincers”! Are they here to catch me just like the ones that took the lives of my brothers and sisters? Once that thought had entered my mind, there was no leaving.

            Fear, like a python with a prehensile tail, throttled me, leaving me breathless. My heart palpitated heavily against my shell, and the drumming of my heart ringed in my ears. After the shock, I had only one desperate thought left – hide. Using my two last legs, I burrowed frantically, determined to stay out of even the peripheral view of the humans.

            A boy wearing a cap walked towards me, he wore a notorious grin on his face. “Finally, a pathetic animal to bully…” was all that I heard before the boy pulled me by my glorious gleaming claw, which must not have been buried, out from my peaceful home.
            Anger fuelled me. These so-called “advanced-life forms” dare disrupt my sleep, try to catch me and now treat me like a play thing! That was the last straw. I clamped my claw tightly around his little pink finger. I guest the humans have no outer protection as the boy ululated out loud as affliction grew in his little pinky. He tried to shake me off but I clamped tighter. Some compassionate humans looked at him with concern but others guffawed at the boy’s misfortune.

            The tall figure who was talking rushed to him and tried to prise me off. I held on for a few seconds longer before deciding that I was satisfied with my sweet vengeance and made my way to the sea. Luckily, the humans fixed their attention on the boy. As the blessed waves washed over me, I smiled with satification.


An Accident
           
My birthday. It is the day where you are supposed to rejoice being brought into the world. It is the day where you receive presents from your close friends and families. However, it is a day where all those painful, painful memories come back to me. No matter how hard I try or my father reassures me, I just cannot let it go. How could I? After all the blame weighed on me.

            A year ago, on my birthday …

            The sun was shining brightly in the azure blue sky, which was dotted with white puffy clouds. I was impatiently waiting for my mother outside a shop in a shopping mall. I was staring at the dolls – their long blonde golden hair and their big blue eyes, in the display window, just yearning for my parents to get me one as a present. “Where is she?” I thought irritatingly, my mother’s snail-like pace was like an itch I could not reach. I fished out my phone and thumbed a message to my mother, rushing her to reach me.

            After another ten minutes or so of adoring the dolls, I heard a deafening screech of tyres that reverberated throughout the street. I swiveled round and instantly, my world froze … no, it shattered. My world shattered into a million pieces which could never ever be put back together. The cars on the road came to an abrupt halt, blocked by a black Mercedes, blood staining its hood. A few metres away, my… my mother who was clutching a plastic bag, lay motionless on the ground.

            I could not breathe, I tried to scream but all that came out was a squeak. I felt like I was on water, the pain, the shock and the fear pulling me down, dragging me to my watery grave, I could not live without my mother. Only the thought that maybe, just maybe, my mother was not dead would pull me out of the water.

            I made my way towards my mother. Every step I took, I kept praying my mother would be alright. My mother loved me and she was the one that I had always turned to in times of both happiness and sadness. She had taken care of me from young and we had a special affinity. At night, when I had bad dreams it was she who comforted me. She could not be dead.

            My eyes must have deceived me. I could feel my doubt increasing ever so rapidly, but I ran faster, determined to prove myself to myself that my mother was not the person lying downwards.

            Once I inched nearer, I could see the dark red liquid that ran in rivulets around the body, seeping into the road. Squatting down, I saw familiar-looking face, the kind eyes that always contained love for me were now staring lifelessly into space. There were deep bruises and dents all over her body.

            “No! Mum!” I shouted as I picked up my mother’s lifeless body, hugging it close to my chest.

            I tried to stem the blood from her wounds with my hands, hoping against hope that she could still be alive. However, her body was limp like a rag doll. I kept touching her face and screaming out for her but for the first time in my life, she did not respond to my cries. Blood stained my pristine shirt as I continued wailing.
            Eventually, the police prised me from my mother’s body. It was only then did I notice the plastic bag. What could have been so important that my mother gave up her life? A flattened birthday cake greeted me. A wave of realisation struck me. The message. My mother must have been late buying the cake and after she saw my message, she rushed and the Mercedes … and … and … I felt as though I had been stabbed in the heart, the pain was unbearable. Tears poured down my cheeks.

            And now, I feel horrible, horrible about myself, horrible about my impatience, horrible about typing THAT message. A little waiting would not have killed me, but a little hurrying killed my mother. I would never be able to forgive myself.

            Every year on my birthday, I would pay my respect to my mother. The accident was indeed a terrible one for me, however, it taught me how to treasure the time I have with people around me and learn to spend more quality time with my remaining kins, my father and my sister.

Continuous Writing
           
The afternoon was hot and humid. It was one of those days when being outside under the scorching sun was sheer torture, sending one running to seek refuge within the cool confines of any air-conditioned enclave. I had just been dismissed from school on one such afternoon when a short walk to my block left me streaming in perspiration.

            I trudged across the dry, solid cement floor, protected from the sun’s rays by the shelter of the void deck, my elephantine bag slowing me down. Even though the temperature was just as high, it was infinitely much better than being under the direct wrath of the cruel sun. The sound of muffled sobbing snapped me from my ruminations about school and all of my thoughts were replaced with one – where was the sound coming from? Curios, I explored my surroundings like a detective until I reached the source of the sounds. I was utterly stupefied when I saw my classmate Jane with her head down on the stone table, her hair worse than Medusa’s – totally disheveled, and her whole body shaking with heavy sobs.

            Should I leave her alone? Or should I ask her what was wrong? I pondered over the questions and sat on the fence for a while before I decided to approach her.

            In a low and gentle tone, I asked,” Jane, are you alright? What is wrong? Is there anything I can do to help?”

            Jane lifted her head and my heart instantly went out to her. Her eyes were filled with sorrow and tears streamed down her cheeks like Niagara Falls. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. I patted her back and gave her some time to calm down. After a while, she told me through sobs and tears which I had difficulty making out, “I … found out this morning that … that my mother has cancer. I’m just shocked as Mother has always been healthy and now she has …” Then, she broke down again, this time howling out her pain like a werewolf.

            I was dumbstruck by the shocking new. I did not know what to do but put my arms around her shoulder to offer some comfort. I felt tears brimming in my eyes too, waiting to be dropped like bombs. I had never felt so helpless in my life. Jane’s gradually crying and for ten minutes, we sat in pin-drop silence.                  Eventually, I broke the silence and told her, “Jane, I’m sure the doctors will do their very best to treat your mother. You have to stay strong.” That was all I could think of to make her feel better. I wished I could do more to comfort her.

            “Jane? Jane! Where are you? I need to take you to the hospital to see your mother,” came Jane’s father’s voice in deep extreme sorrow,” for the last time.”
            I could see her tears coming back as she stood up to follow her father. She mouthed the words “Thank You” to me and left. I realised my simple act of kindness might actually come a long way to helping Jane get across this traumatic obstacle. She will know that there will always be someone by her side and she will not be alone.


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Wildlife In danger

Wildlife in Danger

1) Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus indicus)         Condition: Endangered                                     

Habitat:

Asian Elephants inhabit grasslands, tropical evergreen forests, semi-evergreen forests, moist deciduous forests, dry deciduous forests and dry thorn forests.

3 sub species:
- Sri Lankan Elephant lives in Sri Lanka
- The Indian Elephant lives in mainland Asia: India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Malay Peninsular, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and China
- The Sumatran elephant lives in Sumatran and Borne

Threats:

Competition for living space has resulted in the reduction of Asian elephant numbers to between 25 600 and 32750animals in the wild

Habitat Loss and Fragmentation

The Asian Elephants’ habitats are shrinking fast and wild elephant populations are mostly small, isolated and unable to mingle as ancient migratory routes are cut off by human settlements.

Large development projects (such as dams, roads, mines and industrial complexes), plantations and spreading human settlements have fragmented what was once contiguous elephant habitats into small fragments.

Illegal Hunting and Trade

Selective removal of tusks for their ivory and poaching elephants for their meat causes a decrease in the number of Asian elephants.




2) Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis)       Condition: Critically Endangered

 

                           


Habitat:

Black Rhinos are mainly found in grassland-forest transition zones, but are present in habitats ranging from desert in South-western Africa to Montane forests in Kenya

The species is usually restricted to areas within about 25km of water sources.

Threats:

Poaching of black rhinos for their horns escalated from 1970s and remains the greatest threat to black rhinos.

3) Hawksbill turtle ( Eretmocheys imbricata ) Condition : Critically endangered


Habitat: Priamrily found in coral reefs

Threats: They are much sought after throughout the tropics for their beautiful brown and yellow carapace plates.
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Saturday, March 8, 2014

Sportsmanship

Community youth sports programs serve kids from preschool through teens. Games that were once played with few spectators now draw dozens of parents, grandparents and friends to the sidelines, cheering and chanting. Unfortunately, we find much too often, berating of officials, coaches and even players. Competition can be intense and coaches feeling the pressure to produce victories, may find themselves behaving in ways they later regret.

Today the concept of good sportsmanship has been lost. Sportsmanship is a manifestation of our own ethics in real life. Sportsmanship like ethics reflects both the character and the actions of a coach. The image a coach projects on the field is usually a product of his or her character.

The following are good sportsmanship rules:
· Apply the golden rule - do unto others as you would have them do unto you
· Have an understanding and an appreciation of the rules
· Enjoy yourself and encourage enjoyment of others
· Take responsibility for your actions
· Exhibit respect for the officials - umpires are impartial arbitrators who perform to the best of their ability to make sure the game is played fair and within the rules; mistakes made by all those involved are part of the game and must be accepted.
· Do not tolerate bad behavior from your teammates.
· Shake hands with the opponent before and after the game, regardless of the outcome.
· Cheer in a positive manner
· Accept all decisions [of judgment] by officials without question.
· Applaud good plays by both teammates and opponents.
· Applaud at the end of the contest for the performance of all participants.
· Encourage all surrounding people (fans included) to display a sportsmanlike behavior.
· Show concern for an injured player, regardless of the team.
· Win with class, lose with dignity.

The following are examples of unacceptable (unsportsmanlike) behavior:
· Use of disrespectful or derogatory comments, cheers or gestures.
· Referral to any opponent by name, team name or position. “Pitcher choked”
· Criticize officials in any way – or displays of temper over an official’s call.
· Display of temper when you or a teammate is not successful.
· Refuse to shake hands or recognize good play.
· Laugh or name call to distract an opponent.
· Criticize other players or coaches for the loss of a game.
· Use profanity or display anger.
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Camper

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Community Help

I helped to plant a tree in Canberra during one of my camps
Trees contribute to their environment by providing oxygen, improving air quality, climate amelioration, conserving water, preserving soil, and supporting wildlife. During the process of photosynthesis, trees take in carbon dioxide and produce the oxygen we breathe. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, "One acre of forest absorbs six tons of carbon dioxide and puts out four tons of oxygen. This is enough to meet the annual needs of 18 people." Trees, shrubs and turf also filter air by removing dust and absorbing other pollutants like carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. After trees intercept unhealthy particles, rain washes them to the ground.
Trees control climate by moderating the effects of the sun, rain and wind. Leaves absorb and filter the sun's radiant energy, keeping things cool in summer. Trees also preserve warmth by providing a screen from harsh wind. In addition to influencing wind speed and direction, they shield us from the downfall of rain, sleet and hail. Trees also lower the air temperature and reduce the heat intensity of the greenhouse effect by maintaining low levels of carbon dioxide.

Both above and below ground, trees are essential to the eco-systems in which they reside. Far reaching roots hold soil in place and fight erosion. Trees absorb and store rainwater which reduce runoff and sediment deposit after storms. This helps the ground water supply recharge, prevents the transport of chemicals into streams and prevents flooding. Fallen leaves make excellent compost that enriches soil.
Many animals, including elephants, koalas and giraffes eat leaves for nourishment. Flowers are eaten by monkeys, and nectar is a favorite of birds, bats and many insects. Animals also eat much of the same fruit that we enjoy This process helps disperse seeds over great distances. Of course, hundreds of living creatures call trees their home. Leaf-covered branches keep many animals, such as birds and squirrels, out of the reach of predators. As Such they are very important in our community.
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Camp Reflection

Learning Objectives

  • Never underestimate your impact on the main picture. Everyone in the team has a role to play that will ultimately affect the end result.
  • Something impossible on your own can be done by many people.
  • You may not understand the big picture but others (your leaders) will, so when they give you a command or a job don’t question them, instead just do whatever you are told to do.
  • A team is made out of people who are imperfect. Everyone has a weakness.
  • However, these weaknesses can be covered by the other team members strengths.
The part that I enjoyed the most was the Laser Tag. The strategy as demonstrated by the Service scouts is to go in a group. that way you increase the percentage of taking down an opponent. One thing I am not pleased with about this activity is that some of the cubscouts cheat in a sense that they hide the laser dector. I find that this is very un sportsman like of them to resort to such matters in order to win.  
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STC Reflection

There are three main styles of leading: autocratic, democratic and laissez-fair.

Autocratic
Authoritarian leaders, also known as autocratic leaders, provide clear expectations for what needs to be done, when it should be done, and how it should be done. There is also a clear division between the leader and the followers. Authoritarian leaders make decisions independently with little or no input from the rest of the group.Abuse of this style is usually viewed as controlling, bossy, and dictatorial.
Authoritarian leadership is best applied to situations where there is little time for group decision-making or where the leader is the most knowledgeable member of the group.
Democratic

Participative leadership, also known as democratic leadership, is generally the most effective leadership style. Democratic leaders offer guidance to group members, but they also participate in the group and allow input from other group members. In Lewin’s study, children in this group were less productive than the members of the authoritarian group, but their contributions were of a much higher quality.
Participative leaders encourage group members to participate, but retain the final say over the decision-making process. Group members feel engaged in the process and are more motivated and creative.

Delegative (Laissez-Faire) Leadership

 

People under delegative leadership, also known as laissez-fair leadership, were the least productive of all three groups. The people in this group also made more demands on the leader, showed little cooperation and were unable to work independently.
Delegative leaders offer little or no guidance to group members and leave decision-making up to group members. While this style can be effective in situations where group members are highly qualified in an area of expertise, it often leads to poorly defined roles and a lack of motivation.

Communication

 

Communication is important when leading as it allows us to give our commands clearly and for our audience to clearly understand what we are saying.

 

When giving a command, make sure that what you say is clear and distinct so that your audience can follow the command with ease. If you are giving directions, give them specifically( like turn left ), and not just things like “Over there”

 

Calm Down

 

 We must keep a cool head when we are leading. If we are angry, we will let our emotions influence us and cause us to make the wrong decision. Furthermore, when we are at our burting point, unpleasant things will appear, so we must calm down when leading.

 

Ways to Calm Down

 

1)      Take a time out. Just take a few minutes to yourself to calm down. Get away from the thing or person that is making you mad.

2)      Breathe in and out. Take a few deep breaths and think of clam waters or something along that line.

3)      Walk away. Walk away from the thing or person. Being around them will not help.

4)      Avoid your first impulse. As mentioned earlier on, anger will cause you to make the wrong decicion , so do not do whatever first comes to your mind when you are mad. It will most proabably worsen the situation.

 

Gang Show

 

My group was quite unco-operative when it came to the planning of the gameshow. I am not sure whether it was whether the group leaders were leading the wrong way by shouting a lot and not listening to the rest of us. Or is it that the rest of us were just overly impatient and made a lot of noise thus creating a need for the leaders to shout and as no one liked being bossed around, no one listened to the orders given.
The leaders in this case were autocratic.

Outdoor cooking

We cooked our meal using a natural fuel. The hardest part was lighting up the fuel. The service scouts used matches to light it which had two flaws. 1) The flame of the match was weak 2) The wind kept blowing so the matches kept going out. They should have used a lighter but we have to work with what we were given despite the fact that it was just wasting the matches.

Once the water was boiling, you added the instant noodles into the water and allow it to cook. Once the noodles has softened, you added the seasoning and wait until the flame goes out. Then you can enjoy your bowl of instant noodles.




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Friday, March 7, 2014

Shelter Building


Basha

A basha tent is a tent made from a single piece of rectangle plastic material, usually groundsheets, but ponchos also work fine. This type of tent is good due to its minimum weight and the multi-function capacity of the plastic sheet.

Part 1 of 3: Setting up the groundsheet
1
Lay out the groundsheet, unfolded. This will allow you to determine the correct placement of the poles.
2
Spread out the basha where you intend to pitch it up. You would want to position the groundsheet such that the length of the groundsheet is the length of your tent (as shown in picture).
Part 2 of 3: Placing the poles and string
1
Once you have done that, set up the two gadget poles and tie a string across. To set up the two gadget poles, you could either mallet them down and/or secure them to pegs pulling in opposite directions. You could set the string across higher up or lower down depending on how waterproof you want you tent to be and how easy easy it will be to move in and out of it.
    • It is better to set up the basha between two trees, as they tend to be more secure than gadget poles.

Part 3 of 3: Putting up the tent
1
Pull the opposite corners first.
2
Spread the groundsheet over the middle line. Tie the four corners to the string and peg in the four corners. Pull the guy-lines tight.
3
Pull on diagonally opposite sides together for best tension (as shown in picture). Having the guy lines go away from the basha at around 45 degrees is best.
4
Adjust the corners till the tent is taut and well spread.
5
Adjust all four corners one at a time until the groundsheet is taut and evenly spread out.
6
Put a groundsheet in the middle and your shelter is complete.
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Astronomer























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Athlete

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Book Reader

 Book list

1)      Life Of PI
2)      The Hunger Games
3)      The Hunger Games : Catching Fire
4)      The Hunger Games : Mocking Jay
5)      Heroes of Olympus : The Son of Neptune
6)      Horrible Science : Killer Energy

Book Review

Book no. 2
The Hunger Games takes place in a nation known as Panem, established in North America after the destruction of the continent's civilization by an unknown apocalyptic event. The nation consists of the wealthy Capitol and twelve surrounding, poorer districts united under the Capitol's control. District 12, where the book begins, is located in the coal-rich region that was formerly known as Appalachia.[5]
As punishment for a past rebellion against the Capitol, in which a 13th district was destroyed, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are selected by an annual lottery to participate in the Hunger Games, an event in which the participants (or "tributes") must fight to the death in an outdoor arena controlled by the Capitol, until only one individual remains. The story is narrated by 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, a girl from District 12 who volunteers for the 74th annual Hunger Games in place of her younger sister, Primrose. The male tribute chosen from District 12 is Peeta Mellark, a former schoolmate of Katniss who once gave her bread from his family's bakery when her family was starving.
Katniss and Peeta are taken to the Capitol, where their drunken mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, victor of the 50th Hunger Games, instructs them to watch and determine the strengths and weaknesses of the other tributes. "Stylists" are employed to make each tribute look his or her best; Katniss's stylist, Cinna, is the only person at the Capitol with whom she feels a degree of understanding. The tributes are publicly displayed to the Capitol audience in an interview with television host Caesar Flickerman, and have to attempt to appeal to the television audience in order to obtain "sponsors". During this time, Peeta reveals on-air his longtime unrequited love for Katniss. Katniss believes this to be a ploy to gain sponsors, who can be critical to survival because of their ability to send gifts such as food, medicine, and tools to favored tributes during the Games.
While nearly half the tributes are killed in the first day of the Games, Katniss relies on her well-practiced hunting and survival skills to remain unharmed and concealed from the other tributes. A few days into the Games, Katniss develops an alliance with Rue, a 12-year-old girl from the agricultural District 11 who reminds Katniss of her own sister. In the meantime, Peeta appears to have joined forces with the tributes from the richer districts. However, when he has the opportunity to kill Katniss, he instead saves her from the others. Katniss's alliance with Rue is brought to an abrupt end when Rue is killed by another tribute, whom Katniss then kills in self-defence with an arrow. Katniss sings to Rue until she dies, and spreads flowers over her body as a sign of respect for Rue and disgust towards the Capitol.
Apparently because of Katniss and Peeta's image in the minds of the audience as "star-crossed lovers", a rule change is announced midway through the Games, allowing two tributes from the same district to win the Hunger Games as a couple. Upon hearing this, Katniss begins searching for Peeta. She eventually finds him, wounded and in hiding. As she nurses him back to health, she acts the part of a young girl falling in love to gain more favor with the audience and, consequently, gifts from her sponsors. When the couple remains as the last two surviving tributes, the Gamemakers reverse the rule change in an attempt to force them into a dramatic finale, in which one must kill the other to win. Katniss, knowing that the Gamemakers would rather have two victors than none, retrieves highly poisonous berries known as "nightlock" from her pouch and offers some to Peeta. Realizing that Katniss and Peeta intend to commit suicide, the Gamemakers announce that both will be the victors of the 74th Hunger Games.
Although she survives the ordeal in the arena and is treated to a hero's welcome in the Capitol, Katniss is warned by Haymitch that she has now become a political target after defying her society's authoritarian leaders so publicly. Afterwards, Peeta is heartbroken when he learns that Katniss's actions in the arena were part of a calculated ploy to earn sympathy from the audience. However, Katniss is unsure of her own feelings and realizes that she is dreading the moment when she and Peeta will go their separate ways.
.
Book no. 3
After winning the 74th Hunger Games in the previous novel, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark return home to District 12, the poorest sector in the country of Panem. On the day that Katniss and Peeta are to start a "Victory Tour" of the country, President Snow visits unexpectedly and tells Katniss that he is angry with her for breaking the rules at the end of the last Hunger Games, which permitted both Peeta and Katniss to win. Snow tells Katniss that when she defied the Capitol, she inspired rebellion in the districts.
The first stop on the Victory Tour is District 11, the home of Katniss's deceased friend and ally in the Hunger Games, Rue. During the ceremony, Katniss delivers a brief speech, thanking the people of District 11 for their participants in the Games. When she finishes, an old man whistles the tune that Katniss used in the arena to tell Rue that she was safe. The song acts as a signal and everyone salutes Katniss, using the same gesture that she used to say farewell to Rue. To the horror of Katniss, the old man and two others are executed.
Katniss and Peeta travel to the rest of the twelve districts and the Capitol. Hoping to placate the growing rebellion and settle the dispute between Katniss and President Snow, Peeta proposes to Katniss during an interview. Despite this, Katniss learns that their attempt to avert revolt in the districts has failed.
Shortly after returning to District 12, Katniss encounters two runaways, Bonnie and Twill from District 8. They explain their theory which contradicts what the other districts have been led to believe: District 13 was not wiped out by the Capitol, and that its residents survive in underground shelters. Later, it is announced that, for the 75th Hunger Games, 24 victors from previous years will be forced to compete once again. This is the third occurrence of the "Quarter Quell": an event that occurs every 25th year of the Games and allows the Capitol to introduce a twist. Knowing that she and Peeta will both be competing in the Games a second time, Katniss decides that she will devote herself to ensuring that Peeta becomes the Quarter Quell's victor. Likewise, Peeta is devoted to protecting her.
During the Games, set in a jungle with a saltwater lake, Katniss and Peeta join up with two other previous victors: Finnick Odair, a 24-year-old man who survived the Games at the age of 14, and Mags, Finnick's 80-year-old mentor, both from District 4. The party encounters poisonous fog in which Peeta comes into contact with the gas and cannot walk. Mags sacrifices herself in order to save Peeta and dies in the poisonous fog. After Mags's death, Katniss, Peeta and Finnick join forces with Johanna Mason, a sarcastic and often cruel victor from District 7, and Beetee and Wiress, an older couple from District 3 who are said to be "exceptionally smart". Wiress soon proves her genius by revealing to Katniss that the arena is arranged like a clock, with all of the arena's disasters occurring on a timed chart. After Wiress is killed, Katniss learns of Beetee's plan to harness lightning in order to electrocute Brutus and Enobaria, the two remaining Careers Tributes from District 2. In the final chapters, Katniss instead directs the lightning at the force field that contains the arena, thereby destroying the arena and resulting in her temporary paralysis.
When Katniss wakes up, she is being transported to District 13, joined by Finnick, Beetee, and her mentor, Haymitch Abernathy. She learns that Peeta, Enobaria, and Johanna have been captured by the Capitol, and is informed that there had been a plan among half of the contestants to break out of the arena— Beetee had been attempting to destroy the force field in the same way that she did. The book ends when Katniss's best friend, Gale, comes to visit her and informs her that, though he got her family out in time, District 12 has been bombed and destroyed.
Book no. 6

Brings together science themes - heat and cold, nuclear power, recycling and how the human body powers itself. This book provides details, such as why going to the loo in space can freeze your pee and which liquid chemical is used to preserve pets, as well as you can find out how your body turns stodgy school dinners into energy.

How to care for books

1)     Once you buy a new book or pick it out of your library, make sure you hold it backwards, from the side you open the book and not from the side you hold while reading.
2)      Open your book gently and avoid opening it more than 100 geometrical degrees.
3)      Don't use a highlighter or any kind or pens for bookmarking. Instead of that, use a simple bookmark.
4)      Eat or drink after reading your book. Or take a break eat and drink then wash your hands. This doesn't mean you can't eat before reading, just remember to wash your hands before even touching your book.
5)      The best way to keep the book better in its shape is in sleeping position on a horizontal surface. Standing position seems more practical and logical to you. In fact by time if your book was in standing position, the glue on your book will be tiered and its papers will come off. Only if your book is squeezed in the library your glue can last for a longer time. Remember sleeping position can keep the book the way it was forever.
6)      Make sure the library, the room or the place you put your book isn't humid. Or else your book will we wavy.
7)      Wait until you come out if your bathroom or toilet to continue reading it. Reading on the toilet can cause serious bottom problems and the bathrooms are usually humid.

How To Use A Dictionary

  1. Familiarize yourself with your dictionary. Dictionaries vary in approach. The best way to learn how to use your particular dictionary effectively is to read its introductory section where you'll find out how the entries are arranged. The introductory section of your dictionary will explain important information such as the abbreviations and pronunciation symbols used throughout the entries. There may also be information on pronunciation of words with similar spellings; this can be helpful if you have only heard a word and you're not sure of its spelling. For example, if you hear "not", it might also be "knot" but the "k" is silent, and this list can help you with suggestions.
Know how to look up a word. When you come across a word you don't recognize or know the meaning of, keep a note of it. When you get around to looking it up, here is the sequence to follow:
    • Proceed to the letter of the alphabet that your word begins with. For example, "dog" begins with "d". Don't forget the possible spellings for trickier words, such as "gnome" begins with a "g", or "psychology" begins with a "p", or "knock" begins with a "k", etc.
    • Check for the guide words. These are located in the upper corner of each page and give you an indication of how close you are to locating your word, speeding up the process of going through the pages.
    • Once close, use the second letter of your word to run down the page and locate your word. For example, if you were looking for the word "futile", "u" is the second letter. Perhaps you will see "furrow/futtock" in the upper left corner of the left page and "futtock plate/gaberlunzie" in the upper right corner of the right page. Now you know that "futile" is going to be located on one of these two pages.
    • Scan down the list of entry words moving past "Furry" and "Fuse" and "Fuss". Since the example word begins with "Fut", go past all the "Fur" and all the "Fus" words alphabetically until you reach the "FUT" area of the page. In this example, move right down through "Fut" and "Futhark" and this is at last, where you will find "futile"
Know how to make the most of your find. Once you've located the word, there are several useful elements that you can discover about the word from the dictionary entry. Read the information given about this entry, and depending on your dictionary, you might find many things:
    • A definition of the word.
    • One or more pronunciations. Look for a pronunciation key near the beginning of the dictionary to help you interpret the written pronunciation. Learn how to use the stress marks, as these will aid your pronunciation. The stress mark ' is place just prior to the syllable where the stress is placed.[2]
    • Capitalization, where relevant.
    • Prepositions, such as "in", "on", etc. and their use with the word in question.
    • Irregular endings for verbs.
    • Synonyms and antonyms. You can use these in your writing, or as further clues towards the word's meaning.
    • An etymology, derivation, or history of the word. Even if you don't know Latin or Ancient Greek, you may find that this information helps you to remember or understand the word.
    • Examples or citations of how the word is used. Use these to add context to the meaning of the word.
    • Derived terms and inflections (I am, you are, etc).
    • Phrases or idioms associated with the word, and slang usage. In addition, the dictionary may explain whether a word is formal or informal.
    • Plurals of nouns.
    • Near neighbor words that might be related, such as "futility".
    • Spellings in other English (US English, British English, Australian English, etc.)
Think about how the information you've found relates to the word as you encountered it. If there are multiple definitions, decide which one matches your source or context for the word and notice how the different definitions are related to one another. In an English dictionary, the most common meaning is usually placed first where there are multiple meanings.
    • Try using your new word in a sentence. If it's difficult to spell, write it a few times to help yourself remember it.
Use your dictionary for other purposes than looking up a word. Many dictionaries come with an array of other useful information. Some of the information that you might find in your dictionary includes:
    • Standard letters for jobs, RSVPs, filing complaints, official writing, etc.
    • Maps and geographical information.
    • Statistics on population.
    • Weights, volume and measurements.
    • Lists of countries, cities, capitals, etc.
    • Flags of countries, states, provinces, regions, etc.
    • Lists of famous or historical people.
    • Lists of facts.
Learn how to use an online dictionary. Online dictionaries are easy. Choose a suitable free online dictionary, or a subscription one if your place of work or study subscribes, and simply type in the word you're looking for. The search engine will return the word to you and the definition section should contain most of the elements discussed above. Note that free services may not be as comprehensive as a subscription or book dictionary, so keep this in mind when you're not sure that you've found the right answer.
    • Make use of the audio content provided with online dictionaries. This can help considerably when you're unsure how to pronounce the word.
    • To use Google to find online definitions, type: "define: futile". The search engine will only look for definitions.

How to Use an Atlas

1) Choose an atlas that has the information you need. If you need current maps, an historical atlas is not the best choice.
2) Make sure the copyright is current, if you use an atlas for driving directions. Road map atlases become dated within a matter of years.
3) Determine the layout of the atlas. Look at the introductory material. Note the basic geographical definitions you are given. This helps you interpret the maps.
4) Study the key or legend to the maps. Each publisher uses different symbols, so it's important to know what you are looking at on the maps.
5) Use the table of contents to find maps for your research. You can find entire groups of maps you can use here.
6)Reference the index or gazetteer too. This is normally found in the back of the atlas, although some publishers place it in the introductory section. The index or gazetteer gives the page numbers of the maps you are looking for. Along with the pronunciation of the place name, it gives you longitude and latitude coordinates as well.

How to use an encyclopedia
1) Decide if you need a general encyclopedia or a specialized one. Most general encyclopedias are multivolume sets and follow a similar format.
2) Examine the directions for the specific encyclopedia you are using. Most encyclopedias are set up in alphabetical format, but not all are. Some encyclopedias require that you know the key word or subject heading in order to find the correct information scattered throughout a variety of volumes. Other encyclopedias devote different volumes to different subjects.
3) Locate the index. Depending on the encyclopedia, the index is usually in the last series of volumes and is in alphabetical order. It gives you page numbers and volume numbers to locate the article you are researching.
4) Read the article. As you do research, you can find other cross-references that can broaden your topic and provide new insight into your research. Also, pay attention to maps, graphs and pictures in the article.
5) Study the outline provided for longer articles. This is a helpful reference tool when organizing your writing.
6) Cite authors correctly. Each encyclopedia has different methods of listing authors. This information is either in the introductory material or in the index.
Library books
Fiction
Some libraries have them divided by genre (ie. mystery, western, romance, sci-fi). Then they are shelved alphabetically according to the author's last name.
Non-fiction
  • 000 Generalities
  • 010 Bibliographies
  • 020 Library & information sciences
  • 030 Encyclopedias & books of facts
  • 040 Unassigned (formerly Biographies)
  • 050 Magazines, journals & serials
  • 060 Associations, organizations & museums
  • 070 Journalism, and newspapers
  • 080 General collections
  • 090 Manuscripts & rare books

Class 100 – Philosophy and psychology

Class 200 – Religion[edit]

Class 300 – Social sciences

Class 400 – Language

Class 500 – Science

Class 600 – Technology

Class 700 – Arts & recreation

Class 800 – Literature

Class 900 – History & geography

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