Month: August 2018

Reading is the act of getting information from books or any other medium of written text. It is a process through which symbols or letters are decoded to arrive at their actual meaning.

Reading involves identification and understanding of words that lead to the development of comprehension.

There are numerous uses of reading. Some of the major applications include:

• Self Improvement: Reading makes us more aware of the world and helps in our overall growth.
• Development of language skills: Reading ensures that one is exposed to words on various topics. This comes in handy in developing their language skills.
• Reading is a good exercise for the brain.
• Reading satisfies our quest for knowledge.
• Reading is one of the most effective means of communication.
• It enhances our imagination and creative powers.
• Entertainment: Reading is undoubtedly one of the oldest and cheapest modes of entertainment. Books are the primary source of opening our eyes to an entirely new world.

Reading is important as it helps to develop the mind. In fact, reading is one of the most vital skills for functioning normally in today’s world.

Abhishyand Kumar

A computer is an advanced electronic device that has the ability to process both numerical and non-numerical calculations easily and at a very high speed. Basically, the computer is a machine that takes raw data from the user as input, processes it through a set of instructions or programs, and gives the result, also known as output.

Based upon their functionality, computers may be classified as:

• Analog Computer
• Personal Computer
• Supercomputer
• Microcomputer
• Mainframe Computer
• Minicomputer
• Workstation

Uses of Computers

Computers can be used in a variety of fields. Some of their major uses include:

• Computers are being used extensively in classrooms and have revolutionized the entire education system.
• Computers have enabled us to run and manage our businesses efficiently.
• Computers are widely used in the banking sector.
• Computers are used massively in making movies, ads, and videos.
• Computers help us to access the Internet.
• Computers enable us to do our office work from our homes or even while traveling.
• Computers have popularized online examinations. Various examinations around the world like IAS, GMAT, and IELTS are held online nowadays.

Apart from the above uses, computers have found immense use in the medical field. Overall, it would not be wide off the mark to state that computers have become the backbone of modern society.

Abhishyand Kumar

Water conservation refers to all the steps, plans, and strategies that are taken to help reduce wastage or loss of water.

In other words, water conservation is the preservation, control, and effective management of scarce water resources to ensure their availability to future generations. Water scarcity is a grim reality that is proving to be a major source of worry for many countries of the world.

How to conserve water?

There are multiple ways to conserve water efficiently. We are going to enlist some major ways in which water can be conserved for the benefit of our readers:

• Fix the leaks in your toilet: Simple adjustments will ensure that the toilet remains leak-free. Using waterless urinals is also a great way to overcome unnecessary wastage of water.
• Don’t throw the water away: Water left in the glass can be used to water plants or feed your pet.
• Using water-saving appliances at home. Dishwashers, bathtubs are some types of equipment you can use.
• Store water in bottles or a jug. It will help reduce wastage of water due to a running tap.
• Water your garden only when it is needed.
• While doing laundry, fill water to the required levels only.
• Installing covers for your pool is a great idea. It will prevent loss of precious water due to evaporation.
• Use a small container for brushing your teeth.
• Rainwater can be saved and used later for watering plants.
• Ensure that your tap doesn’t keep running all the time.
• Insulating water pipes is also a great way to conserve water.
• Instead of using a water hose, it is better to use a broom for cleaning the gutters.
• Water sensors are a good way to help check wastage of water.
• Using a car wash instead of doing it at home saves a lot of water.
• Do not hesitate to seek out plumbers or water specialists to learn about innovative ways of conserving water.

Water conservation in our home is one of the easiest ways to help prevent the loss and wastage of water. Recycling of wastewater after purifying it at water treatment plants is also a useful way to conserve water.

Educating others about the importance of water conservation and communicating its advantages is one of the strategies that can be employed to help augment water conservation efforts. Directing water conservation efforts at the farmers is also one of the ways to ensure they adopt less wasteful irrigation techniques.

Abhishyand Kumar

Meaning of Travelling

Travelling simply means the act of going from one place to another, especially far away from home.   Travelling to far off places, for work or leisure is commonplace these days. You might have come across scores of individuals whose work take them away to myriad places, sometimes, even to other countries.

Travelling makes us aware of different cultures, traditions, customs, food, and languages, etc. There are individuals who like to be on a journey almost on a daily basis. Travelling takes us to new places and gives us an opportunity to come across and mingle with people of different beliefs and nationalities.

However, not everybody is a travel junky. Some often complain about the toll that constant travelling takes on their body. Today, we would take a look at both the pros and cons of travelling.

Advantages of Travelling:

• Trying out new things: Who doesn’t like to meet new people, taste new foods, and indulge in some adventure?
• Gives us a complete perspective of things: Travelling to places makes us think from the perspective of other people.
• Helping out: Ever heard of volunteers to Africa and middle-east countries?
• Escape from monotony and routine-life.
• An opportunity to see new places.
• Travelling educates us about various things.
• Travelling is a beautiful way to spend one’s free time.
• A chance to learn about different languages.
• Travelling provides an opportunity to expand one’s horizons and become one with nature.
• Souvenirs: Who doesn’t like souvenirs from distances afar?
• Creates wonderful memories that last a lifetime.
• If one is willing to travel, there are opportunities aplenty to make a financial and professional gain.
• Refreshes the mind and helps to recharge our batteries.
• Makes us aware of our inner self.
• The tourism sector which largely depends upon travelling aficionados provides a great boost to a nation’s economy.

Disadvantages of Travelling:

• Language can be a problem.
• Long queues at the railway stations, airports, etc. are no fun.
• Travelling can be expensive.
• Security aspects: Often burglars break open houses that are vacant.
• Home-sickness.
• Nothing can beat time spent at your home with your loved ones.
• Travelling has caused a lot of environmental pollution.
• Not many appreciate a nomadic life.
• Sometimes travelling can be disappointing when you realize that your destination is not as good as you expected it to be.
• Constant travelling can take a toll on your health.
• You could miss out on important things at your home or your workplace while travelling.
• Makes others think that you don’t take your work seriously.
• Lots of overheads involved such as hotels, insurance, etc.
• Travelling gives you only a temporary high and is no substitute for your home.

Travelling is a wonderful experience and can be a great way to rejuvenate your sagging spirits. However, constant travelling should be avoided as it can have an adverse impact on your health.

Abhishyand Kumar

Television owes its origin to two different words, ‘tele’ and ‘vision’. ‘Tele’ in Greek means ‘From far away’ and ‘vision’ is the Latin word for sight. Hence, television may simply be defined as an electronic device or system which is used to transmit moving images in either black and white or in color with sound.

Television sets gained their present popularity from the early 2000s. Since 2010, with the invention of smart TV, Internet TV, etc. owning a high-end TV has become both a matter of both necessity and pride. Television is rightly seen as the most widely viewed and influential medium for advertisement, information, news, and entertainment.

Today, the leading television manufacturers include Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Sony, and TCL, etc. In layman terms, a television is basically a device with a screen that receives electrical signals and converts them into moving images and sound.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Television – Essay 1

As with all the man-made inventions, watching television has its own share of advantages and disadvantages. Let’s look at them separately.

Advantages of Television:

• Kills monotony.
• Powerful messages are shared via programs for benefit of the society.
• One can watch live coverage of sports events, rock shows, political speeches, etc.
• Cooking channels may help learn culinary skills.
• News channels are the biggest source to stay in touch with what’s happening around us.
• Television creates awareness about the economic, social, and political conditions prevailing in our country and also the outer world.
• Many teleshopping channels offer quality products at dirt-cheap prices.
• Television helps us to stay current in terms of the latest trends and fashion through numerous fashion channels and modeling shows.
• Television is a great source of advertisement.
• Many channels shown on television are helpful in keeping track of the stock market through live updates and expert interviews.
• Television may help us feel a little less lonely.
• There are some shows on television that are highly educative for children.
• Television brings together the entire family together.
• There are many shows on yoga and general exercise that are followed by millions of people around the world.
• There are several programs and shows aired on television that are highly motivational and inspire the viewers a lot.

Disadvantages of Television:

• Crime, and violence are on display frequently on television.
• Harmful to health.
• Watching television for long comes in the way of spending quality time with family and friends.
• Most of the channels are repetitive and bland.
• Television makes us lazy.
• Tele-shopping channels lure us to buy things that we don’t really need.
• Wastage of time.
• Children and teenagers can easily get influenced by what is being shown on television.
• Most of the news channels spread propaganda which affects the viewers.
• May cause insomnia.
• Makes a lot of noise.
• Television can have a bad effect on our eyesight.
• Television has become highly commercialized with advertisements replacing real programs.
• Television has overtaken the joy of reading books in the present generation.

Though there are a few disadvantages that may be attributed to television, its role and importance in our household can’t be denied. However, maintaining supervision over what is decent and what is not while watching television is crucial.

Abhishyand Kumar

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Television – Essay 2

Advantages of TV

• It is a healthy source of entertainment that is less destructive than using drugs.
• They inform people about current trends, political issues, and social issues.
• Some TV channels elaborate more on health issues. Therefore, they encourage people to eat healthily and live healthily.
• With a TV in your house, you can learn all about different recipes and how to do them.
• TV helps young people to improve their eloquence and output perfect grammar.
• They serve as advertisement platforms for different companies and their goods.

Disadvantages of the TV

• They waste on time which is an important resource.
• TVs are expensive to purchase and maintain since they are some monthly bills to cater for.
• TVs tend to distract kids are in most cases leads to poor performance in schools.
• Some of the information provided by the media is not real and causes a lot of damage to the country.

Conclusion

TVs are an important part of our lives. They play a major role in informing the public about what is happening in the world. It simply works like a dependable information source that makes sure people are in the date on multiple important matters. From the above discussion, I am very that you are wiser when it comes to the TV. Whether to purchase one or not is now in your hands. Choose wisely.

By Maureen

Updated on May 5, 2020

Plastic bags refer to a bag which is made of a thin plastic material. Some also define plastic bags as bags which are made of a flimsy and flexible plastic material. Plastic bags are also referred to as pouches, poly bags, etc.

A plastic bag is basically a kind of packaging used essentially for containing and transporting goods of all kinds. These plastic bags are mostly heat sealed together. Plastic bags can be made from various kinds of material like Polyethylene, laminates, and co-extrusions. These plastic bags come in various design options with varying degree of strength.

The modern light-weight shopping plastic bags were invented by a Swedish engineer named Sten Gustaf Thulin in the early sixties. The use of plastic bags gained popularity since the mid-eighties. Though highly useful, plastic bags have been blamed to be one of the biggest contributors towards environmental pollution.

In this article, we will take a look at both the advantages and disadvantages of using plastic bags.

Advantages of Plastic bags:

• Plastic bags are cheaper than their paper alternatives.
• They are hugely favored by retailers and customers alike.
• Plastic bags are very easy to use.
• They are more durable than paper bags.
• Plastic bags can be reused and even rinsed for fresh use, unlike their paper counterparts.
• Most plastic bags are biodegradable.
• Used extensively in supermarkets for groceries.
• They are foldable and can be carried in a purse or pocket.
• Require less energy to make.
• Quicker to open, pack, and double up than paper bags.
• Lighter to carry than any other alternative.
• Plastic bags actually generate up to eighty percent less solid waste than paper.
• Stronger than its paper counterpart.
• Preserve products for a longer period.
• They can be used by all industries irrespective of their scale.

Disadvantages of Plastic bags:

• Affects marine life adversely
• They are made of crude oil and natural gas which are non-renewable sources of energy.
• Since only a small percent of plastic bags are recycled, many of them end up entering the waste stream.
• Heavy items often tend to break the handle of plastic bags making them unusable.
• Plastic bags are known to be a hazard for various animal species.
• Major pollution source.
• When burnt, plastic bags release toxic fumes into the air.
• Some plastic bags are made of additives which is another environmental hazard.
• Recycling of plastic bags involves huge wastage of water.
• Dumping plastic bags is also an issue as it causes soil pollution.
• Recycling them is not easy.
• Creates unnecessary clutter at home as well as in the workplace.
• Wastage of petroleum.
• One of the biggest threats to wildlife.

According to some reports, roughly 5 trillion plastic bags are used every year. That’s a lot of plastic indeed! Prudence lies in using them sparingly and replacing them gradually with their paper and cloth counterparts.

Abhishyand Kumar

Junk food is basically food that is easy to cook but low in nutritional value. Junk food can be cooked rather quickly but is generally not good for health. Examples of junk food include potato chips, candy, etc. Junk foods are high in calories, fats, and sugar etc. but with low or negligible essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and proteins.

Many fast food outlets including pizza joints, fried chicken shops etc. are known to be the greatest source of junk foods. Recent studies have indicated that junk foods are the major cause of obesity in people especially children.

Let’s have a look at some major pros as well as cons of eating junk foods.

Advantages of Junk Food:

• Saves a lot of time.
• Easy to prepare.
• Anyone can cook it.
• Cheaper than traditional food items.
• Easy solution for hunger.
• Tastier than most of the usual vegetables.
• Junk foods that are sold at grocery stores are mostly in ready-to-eat state and are really convenient.
• Available in large variety.
• Highly popular with children and even adults.
• Junk foods are easily available anywhere, anytime.
• Ice cream, considered to be a junk food, is a great source of pleasure on sunny days.
• Candy bars, chocolates etc are great choices of gift for various occasions.
• Chinese foods, mostly junk foods, are hugely popular among people of all ages.
• Makes breakfast easy.
• We can exercise precise control over the amount of junk food we eat, for instance, small, regular, and large portions.

Disadvantages of Junk Food:

• A major cause of weight gain.
• Saturated fats present in most junk foods lead to various health issues.
• Sodium found in junk food items may cause several cardiovascular diseases.
• Junk foods lack fiber, as such, they may cause gastrointestinal issues.
• High in cholesterol.
• Reduces family meal time as junk food is quickly consumed.
• It is lower in quality than traditional food items.
• Eating junk food often can be expensive in the long run.
• Most junk foods also contain preservatives which are harmful to health.
• Inculcates bad eating habits in children.
• It encourages overeating.
• Trans-fats present in junk foods can lead to heart diseases and stroke.

Several health campaigns have been conducted to create awareness about the hazards of consuming junk foods on a regular basis. However, it must be said that all the leading fast food joints such as McDonald’s, Subway, KFC, Burger King, etc. continue to thrive as always. Resorting to an active lifestyle and being careful about what goes inside our body can minimize the ills of eating junk food.

Abhishyand Kumar

Meaning of Email

Email is the abbreviated form of “electronic mail”. Email is, perhaps, one of the most widely used features of the internet.

An email is a system of sharing messages from one computer terminal to other using dedicated software. It may also be defined as the system through which a message or document can be shared over the internet. Individuals often use emails for personal as well as work-related messages. The conversion from ARPANET to the Internet in the early 1980s made emails widely popular among everyone.

Email or e-mail is simply sending and receiving of messages electronically over a computer network. Anyone with an email address can send and receive messages to and from anyone irrespective of his or her geographical location. You need to configure an email account with a well-defined email address and password to start using email facility over the internet. Using email facility, multiple messages can be sent to different email addresses by simply including each email address to the “To” field.

Advantages

There are multiple advantages of using an email. Some of them are as follows:

• It’s free.
• Emails can be sent in a matter of seconds.
• You can gain access to the messages anywhere online.
• Automated emails or auto responders can be sent with a certain text.
• Correspondence can be organized very efficiently.
• No wastage of paper as email is sent online.
• Emails are highly convenient and easy to use.
• Emails are an effective medium to promote any product or service.
• Messages can be sent in encrypted form to maintain secrecy.
• We can attach various files and images to an email.
• People don’t have to be present to receive an email.
• Emails are informal and conversational.
• Colored pictures and greetings can be sent through emails.
• A huge chunk of data can be sent by using attachments feature.
• Easier for reference and a great tool for digital marketing.

Disadvantages

However, there are some disadvantages too that are associated with the use of emails. Some of them are:

• Emails are often used to send unwanted advertisements and other messages to the users.
• Emails can be intercepted by hackers.
• There is no personal touch.
• Internet access is required at all times.
• The email inbox can become very crowded over a period.
• There is a chance of emails getting misinterpreted by the receivers.
• Viruses can be sent through emails.
• Email IDs can be hard to remember.
• Important emails might land up in spam or can be ignored.
• Not everyone has an email address.
• You don’t always know whether your message has been read by the receiver or not.
• Email scams are on the rise and one may easily be fooled by them.
• Workers productivity may be decreased if they resort to spending time on sending personal messages to their friends at the workplace.
• Some companies have strict email policies and don’t allow attachments to be received.
• Need to check the inbox regularly to stay updated.

It should be said that the demerits of emails are well outnumbered by the advantages it carries. With the recent technological advancements, use of emails is sure to become even more prevalent than ever.

Abhishyand Kumar

Meaning of Cinema

Cinema refers to the art or technique of making motion pictures. It may also mean a place specifically meant for the display of films. Many of us usually understand cinema as a building where people pay to watch films. The word cinema has been derived from the French word “cinematographe”, a term which was originally coined in the late nineteenth century. Many of us use the word ‘cinema’ to mean either a movie itself or a theater where the movie is being shown.

Some common terminologies that we use to mean cinema are films, pictures, movies, flicks, motion pictures, theatre, picture-house, etc.

In this article, we will try to figure out the various merits and demerits of cinema.

Advantages of Cinema:

• One of the major means of mass communication.
• An easy way to look at history and learn from them
• A movie educates us about the virtues of teamwork.
• Popular media for information and entertainment.
• Helps promote patriotism and mutual harmony among people.
• Helps promote unity and mutual coexistence.
• Movies challenge our imagination and take us beyond the realms of possibility.
• Cinemas can be used to teach us about the varied customs, cultures, and traditions of the world.
• Cinemas are true mirrors of the society.
• Movies inspire us.
• One successful movie can completely change the lives of so many people involved in its making. Many struggling actors have been known to hit it big time with just one hit.
• Provides employment to millions.
• Movies are educative.
• Effective source of advertisements.
• Movie advertising transcends the barriers of language and reaches all kinds of audience.

Disadvantages of Cinema:

• With ever-increasing consumerism, cinema seems to have lost its original purpose.
• Some movies distort true facts and portrays false nations amongst the people under the guise of artistic freedom.
• Not all movies are worth a watch.
• Wastes time.
• Some movies Devoid of logic.
• Some scenes may have negative influence on children and minors.
• Encourages stereotype.
• Lewd dialogues and song lyrics may corrupts the viewer’s mind.
• Some movies are devoid of any social message and relevance.

There are pros and cons to most of the things that we see around us and cinema is not an exception. It basically depends upon the person who is watching it. What can’t be argued though is the fact that cinemas are one of the most potent and popular means of entertainment in today’s world.

Abhishyand Kumar

There was a time when even sending and receiving messages used to take lots of time. Human beings are continuously getting more advanced with finding new technologies to make our life easy. Now, we have the technology to share our views and thoughts nearly within fraction of second with the whole world.

Initially the main purpose of social media was to make our connections with the world and reduce the time to interact with others. But now people are using it more for enjoyment. But people using social media are the one who are more aware about what is happening in the world. There are many benefits and shortcomings of social media.

Advantages:

• It helps in building communities whose members have similar thoughts, views and interests.
• People from any part of the world can connect with anyone.
• Social media can be used for study purpose.
• Social media makes us aware about what is happening around us.
• A person can get help through social media because one can share anything with the world quickly.
• It is a great platform for advertising one’s business and promoting it.
• A person can show his skills to the world using social media easily.
• It gives a good platform of selling and buying goods and services.
• People can help the needy one using social media.
• Police and crime investigations get a lot help from social media.
• Easy availability of information is there.
• It is also a good way of supporting or criticizing an incident or a topic.
• It is a source of income.
• It is entirely free to start and there is a large audience.
• It is a great source of entertainment.

Disadvantages:

• Addiction of using social media is a very big problem for today’s generation. It is affecting their personal life like studying and there is a lot wastage of time.
• Many fraud cases occur on social media. One should be alert and check the details carefully before making payments or getting involved in any activity.
• The excess use of social media affects the human health badly.
• Any kind of false news can spread like fire across the world within minutes.
• There is always a security issue on social media.
• Social media decreases face-to-face communication skills.
• Social media causes distraction. Like distracting a student from studying, distracting a person to complete a project, etc.
• It facilitates laziness by wasting a lot of time doing actually nothing.
• It reduces family closeness.
• Conversations on social media lacks emotion and understanding.
• Since there is no age barrier, children are often exposed to the stuff which should not be known to them.
• People are exposed to trolls which can push them into serious depression.

Of course social media is very important in today’s world, but the disadvantages are more serious than the advantages. It can help a lot in studying, doing projects, jobs, getting news, etc. But it can also deviate people from their study or jobs if they become addicted to social media. If we could use social media smartly, it would be good for us.

Rashmi Kumari