The rediscovery of the Shang began with the discovery of turtle shells or large cattle bones. They are inscribed with ancient Chinese characters. Inscriptions on it are about events of national significance. Wang Yirong’s family bought the turtle shells to make medicine Wang Yirong, an archaeologist, was the first to build up a collection of oracle bones. Oracles bones were used by Shang fortune tellers to foretold predictions about the future and used it to check whether events would occur. The bones were cleaned and thinned. Then, they applied a hot object until the surface cracked. The cracked shell or bones were presented to the king. The King’s interpretation of the cracks was engraved onto the shell together with the original prediction. The oracle bones are the first written texts and were found in Xiaotun. It also proved that the ancient tales were more than myth.

Reality television, dominating the tube right now, is about the real antics of real people. Most of the shows feature people getting insulted or humiliated. Reality shows are cheap to produce and also gets high rating. These shows erase the boundaries between the public and the private. The voyeuristic appeal is high.Reality shows can genuinely surprise. The real behaviour in real environments often adds up to great storytelling in these shows. It also grabs us in some fundamental place. The great irony about these shows is that they are manifestly unreal. The key moments may not be scripted, but are obviously staged, just like sport. However, Producers of these shows will be forced to add more ideas. If the networks could remember how to make programmes that resonate with the public, longtime viewers will recognize a television menu that is hardly unfamiliar. A lot of different shows appeals to different tastes, therefore, the competition among these television shows are high.

Current approaches to environmentalism do not work because we would not even engage in the Kyoto Protocol to bring carbon emissions under control. The developing world is starting to flood the atmosphere with carbon dioxide. The endless economic growth makes environmentalism harder to take place. If you are rich, you can more afford the catalytic converter for the tailpipe that scrubs the sky above your city. The endless economic growth is built by the use of cheap fossil fuels. The burning of a gallon of gas will release carbon into the atmosphere. Furthermore, the cheapest way to spur economic growth is by burning more fossil fuel. A Harvard economist conceded that carbon dioxide is the one major environmental contaminant. Therefore, it would also help if we consider homes that are closer to the town, where we could use the bus or a bike for daily transportation.

According to legend, a goatherd found his flock frolicking about after munching on coffee cherries. From food and drink for African tribesmen, coffee evolved into a global phenomenon of extravagant proportions. A frost damaged about half of the country’s coffee trees. When another frost had again hit world’s largest coffee grower in Brazil, Brazil suspended all shipments. Pending assessment of damage and uneasy importers, fearing a shortage, went on a buying spree. Farmers have long periods of low prices, short periods of high ones. When highs occur, farmers rush to plant. Overproduction follows, prices fall. Farmers tear their plants and plant more stable crops. A disruption will start the cycle again.Producers and consumers agree that the only solution is to limit output to what the market can absorb and sell at reasonable prices. By imposing a quota system, they can limit the outflow of beans from producing nations in times of oversupply.

Word Count: 150

Lukas family was worried because …

Lukas is missing. They were afraid that the fog would block the sight of the child from seeing the footpath. However, noone would know the whereabouts of Lukas in the forest. There were no tracks in the forest and even if there is, many children are on the Island and there would be many tracks. The elephants have been active in the forest recently and might have notice if they step on Lukas. Martiens, Dawid, Koo, and Elias search in a different direction and called out till the tenth time when they will turn back and move on. The women make a big fire in the middle of the Island. If Lukas sees it, he will return. Koo told the nearest forester about Lukas. By midday, fourteen woodcutters were part of the search. Next morning, constables came to help. As days pass, more men came to help, but Lukas was never seen again.

Word Count: 150 words

Lukas family was worried because Lukas was missing. Anna went to fetch the men as she knows the footpaths and what to do when there are elephants on the way.Malie, Sofie and Elias searched and called out for Lukas until dark. Malie was worried that the same thing would happen to Lukas like her aunt and was also worried that the elephants would stepped on him. Including Mariten himself, Dawid ,Koo and Elias was to search the forest in a specified direction that was instructed .The women make a big fire in the middle of the Island so that if Lukas sees it, he will return. Koo went to tell the nearest forester about Lukas. By midday, fourteen woodcutters were part of the search. Next morning, constables came to help. On the fourth day, twenty-four men .On the fifth day, there were thirty. The sixth day, there were forty. Lukas was never been seen again.

Word Count: 150

The Truth
"No prolonged violent civil war ends quietly. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are squalling like a cat on the losing end of a desperate fight." The armed conflict between the Sinhalese and Tamils in Sri Lanka has troubled Sri Lanka for more than 20 years.

Agilan was a worker in the tea plantation then. In 1948, when Sri Lanka achieved independence from the British, Agilan and many other Indian Tamils became stateless because citizenship were only granted to those born in Sri Lanka and those whose fathers and grandfathers were born there. As Agilan, nor his father or his grandfather were born in Sri Lanka. The Ceylon Citizenship Act was unfair to Agilan. They had lived and contributed significantly to the Sri Lankan economy but were denied basic rights such as voting.

In 1956, the Official Language Act declared Sinhala as the National Language. Tamils in the government service had to learn Sinhala within three years. If they failed to comply, dismissal was imminent. Although Agilan was a worker in the tea plantation, he had plans to find a job with more prospects. The Official Language Act upset Agilan as well as the other Tamil Indians as it was difficult to find jobs or rise up the ladder.
Agilan’s brother, Amalan, was in the government sector. He was furious when Sinhala became the country’s National Language.

“Agilan, it isn’t fair right? We contributed considerably to the Sri Lanka economy and this is how they treat us! Come, come with me, our leader, Chelvanayakam, is leading some of us to do a peaceful demonstration against the Official Language Act in the afternoon,” exclaimed Amalan, fixing his gaze on Agilan.

Agilan did not go with his brother, as he had work in the afternoon. Never did he expect that it was the last time he would have seen his brother.

“Agilan, the peaceful demonstration against the Official Language Act was disrupted by supporters of the Sinhala Language. Over a hundred people were killed, your brother was one of them,” gasped Gunalan, who was Amalan’s colleague.

Agilan was working in the tea plantation when he heard this news. Agilan‘s heart was filled with hatred and anger. He did not resorted to violence, as he did not want to have an ending the same as his brother. In fact, what Agilan could do, was only, to hold grudges against the Sinhalese. Nevertheless, Agilan worked even harder. He wanted to prove to the Sinhalese that no matter how biased they were to the Tamils, it was possible to get a job that held more prospects.

One evening, when Agilan was returning home from work, he saw something on the notice board that shocked him deeply. Agilan was exhausted but the words on the notice board energised him.

It wrote; “With effect from the end of this month, not only the Sinhalese peasants would live in Jaffna and Batticaloa, Buddhist monks and the Sri Lankan Army which comprise mostly of Sinhalese will come to occupy this land.”

Agilan‘s confidence was short-lived. From 1970, there were changes in educational policies. It was compulsory for Tamil students to score higher marks than the Sinhalese to enter the same courses in the universities. Agilan soon gave up hope on entering the university he was eyeing. He felt that no matter how hard he tried, the Sinhalese would get in before him. It was impossible to lead a life that was as carefree as a Sinhalese.

Agilan joined the new political party called the Tamil United Liberation Front. Its aim is to ask for a separate independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Agilan as well as the others believed that only separation from Sri Lanka would ensure their rights. The Sri Lankan government rejected the idea of a separate and independent Tamil state. Agilan as well as some of the others were angry and dissatisfied. They formed a militant group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Agilan and the others resorted to violence. Given a choice, they would chose otherwise. Although Agilan did not want to have an ending the same as his brother, if sacrificing meant the welfare of the future descendants, he would.

Violence did not come only from the Tamils. The Sinhalese also showed their hostility towards the Tamils, sometimes through violence. "No prolonged violent civil war ends quietly. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are squalling like a cat on the losing end of a desperate fight."

Word Count: 746