I B Tech I SEM ENGLISH ESSENTIALS : MAN'S PERIL By Bertrand Russell

                          Man's Peril

                                                - Bertrand Russell 

                Bertrand Russell was a prolific writer. He is one of the greatest masters of English Prose. His uniqueness of thought and clarity of expression are evident in the present selection. In this lesson, "Man's Peril", he warns nations and the general public to set aside their conflicting ideologies and save the beautiful earth from total destruction.
                Bertrand Russell appeals to all concerned as a human being, a member of the species man, whose continued existence is in doubt. A war with the hydrogen bombs put an end to the human race.
               In his view, it seems that the 'general public' have not realised the real impact of a war with atomic bombs. A hydrogen bomb is 25,000 times as powerful as that which destroyed Hiroshima. So the stark, dreadful and inescapable problem before us is whether we shall put an end to the human race or if we shall give up wars. He explains in great detail the role of ordinary people in the peace process and requests the ‘general public’ to be more aware and assertive so that the fate of the nations need not be decided by despotic leaders alone.
              On both sides of the Iron Curtain there are political obstacles to emphasize the bad effects of war. Each side of the Iron Curtain resembles duelists. Though they are afraid of their lives, it is cowardice on their part drawing out any compromise formulae. Here, neutrals play an important role to prevent the outbreak of a world war.
              According to geological time, man has so far existed only for a very short period. But he has been doing well for the last 6,000 years. If we remember humanity and forget everything else, the way lies to us to a new paradise. Otherwise, we have to face universal death. Hence, Russell asserts that the role of the ordinary people in the peace process and the only 'wisdom of the ordinary citizen' can ensure progress and prosperity and pave the way for 'Universal Peace'. So we can save our planet from “Universal Death.”

 

·         Prolific :  producing a great number or amount of something

·         Evident : easily seen or understood; obvious

·         Ideology: a theory, or set of beliefs or principles

·         Assertive: describes someone who behaves confidently

·         despot : a person, especially a ruler, who has unlimited power over other people, and often uses it unfairly and cruelly

·         assert : to say that something is certainly true

·         pave the way : it makes the other thing possible

B Tech I SEM : Trailblazers: G R Gopinath

              Gorur Ramaswamy Gopinath is an entrepreneur and founder of the Indian airlines ‘Air Deccan’. He is a retired captain of the Indian army, an author, a politician and a pioneer for low cost air travel within India.  
                G.R.Gopinath was born on 13^th, November 1951 in the village of Gorur in Karnataka. His father was a school teacher and farmer. When he was in fifth standard his school head master informed all the students that an admission test was going to be held in their school for those who wish to join Defence Forces. Unfortunately, Gopinath could not get through the exam as it was in English.
              The headmaster wrote a stern letter to the Ministry of Defence and pointed out how an all India test could only be conducted in English. After few days, Gopinath took the examination in Kannada and passed with flying colours. He learnt an important lesson from his headmaster that a person must be proactive to steer things one’s way, which he would remember for the rest of his life.
              Later, when he was commissioned as a captain in the Indian army, he took part in Bangladesh liberation war in 1971. He left the Indian army and purchased ten acres of barren land. He received the Rolex Laureate award for establishing an ecologically sustained sericulture farm. It was a good example of his grit and confidence. He started Malnad Mobikes, which supplied Enfield motor cycles. He opened a hotel in Hasan. He contributed articles in Kannada for magazines. With his experience in agriculture and farming, he established Water Resource Management Consultancy and started supplying irrigation systems.
             After securing solid reputation, he decided to tackle the world of politics. G.R. Gopinath, A.J.Sam, and Colonel Jayanth Poovaiah together started Deccan Aviation, the low-cost airline carrier in India. His business expanded and under the banner of LCC ,developed into a major player in the air industry. He received the “Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur”, the highest civilian award conferred by the French government.
            In 2007, Air Deccan was merged with Vijay Malaya’s Kingfisher Airlines. Then he started Deccan Charters and Deccan 360, which focus on cargo and the express logistics business.

BTech I SEM -PRINCIPLES OF GOOD WRITING by L H Hill

           PRINCIPLES OF GOOD  WRITING.

                                                                                             L. A. HILL

            L. A. HILL is a famous essayist. He explains graphically the qualities of good writing in the present essay.

           We should be able to think clearly and logically then only we can   write well. We can improve our ability to think clearly and logically by practice  and Wide and careful reading increases our vocabulary and it also improves our power of expression. Good writing is more of hard work than inspiration. It is no good waiting for inspiration. We have to develop a warm and human understanding of people around us.

         News papers provide us with plenty of subjects to write about. They are full of examples of human joy and tragedy. These examples give us ideas for writing articles, essays and so on. We should improve our power of expression . For this, We should read widely and carefully. We have to learn to write interestingly. We have to keep in mind the interests of the readers we are writing for. Most of the people are interested in the present so we should write current issues.

          We have to choose subjects of which we have personal experience. Presentation is very important. The opening paragraph should arrest the reader’s attention. The main body of writing should deal with the ideas presented in the opening paragraph. The reader should feel satisfied with the conclusion.

          We must be interested in what we are writing. Then only we can arouse interest and sympathy of the readers. We should never try to create an impression.The writer should forget about himself. He should think only of the readers. Then only he can write naturally. It is always better to write in a simple language and conversational style. Clear and plain English in the fashion of the day. Decorated style is  out of date. A mixture of styles is also absurd. So the same style should be maintained throughout.

          Once the writing is finished, it must be revised critically. Weak ambiguous words and expressions should be replaced properly.