monthly v shine international january 2014 with interesting stuff inside

JANUARY 2014

International

Printed by Ayesha Printers Published by Najeeb Ahmed HanfiRegistration No. MC-1360

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Assalam-o-AlaikumHope you are doing well. The way we feel about ourselves greatly influences how we live and act. Self-confidence is a way of life which projects our efforts and outcomes.Confidence is not something that can be learned like a set of rules. In fact confidence is a state of mind. We can boost our confidence levels by positive thinking, gaining and practicing knowledge and learning from past mistakes. While low-confidence is the outcome of fear of failures, criticism, being unhappy with personal appearance, feeling unprepared, poor time-management and lack of knowledge. Do what you believe is right, even if others mock or criticise you for it.Self-confidence has many rewards for you such as popularity, success and respect. It also teaches us to get to the root of the problem; focus on it and understand that we need to resolve issues before we move on.There is a need to understand that no one is perfect. Even the most confident people have insecurities. At some point in our lives, we may feel we lack something. Life is full of ups and downs. We must accept this because this is a reality. However, we also know that everyone is good at something, so discover the things at which you excel, then focus on your talents. Remember that perfectionism may keep you from accomplishing your goals. Set and achieve small goals. Celebrate them and get ready for the next phase. This is going to boost your confidence like no other thing in the world.Be thankful to Allah for everything you have. Remember that people who lack self-confidence will find it difficult to become successful.With LoveEditor

Editor-In-ChiefNajeeb Ahmed Hanfi

Director MarketingSaad Shah

EditorNazim Hussain

Sub-EditorUmair Safdar

DesignerSufyan Nasir

IllustratorFurkan Wahab

Educational ConsultantsDr. Iftikhar AhmedDr. Shagufta Naqvi

Training ConsultantM. Farid Hanfi

WebsiteSyed Fahad ShahabM. Abdus Samad KhanM. Wajahat Khan

Administration/CirculationImad Islam

Advertisement & SalesSyed Talal AliUsama Sheikh

Pakistan Office A-1, Shamoonabad, Block-13, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi, Pakistan.Phone: +92.21.34810875 Cell: +92.333.3440293

UK Office 202 North Gower StreetLondon, NW1 2LYTel: 0207 387 2157

KSA+966 503655640

E-mail [email protected]

Website www.vshineworld.com

JANUARY 2014Volume 4, Issue 1www.vshineworld.com

5 A Journey Soaked In Blood

6 Dear Editor

7 Poems

8 Ask Uncle Shine

9 The Giant In City

10 Siblings: Rivals Or Allies?

12 V SHINE Kitchen

13 Hidden In Sight

13 Jokes

14 Senegal

16 All Is Well That Ends Well

17 History At A Glance

18 Firefly

20 V SHINE Lab

21 Mountain Biking

22 New Year Resolution

24 Mixed Bag

26 A Glance At 2013

28 Young Writers

30 Mind Game

31 Word Search

32 An Evil Fairy And I

33 Maze

34 Word Box

We both are the messengers of Allah and wish to invite people to One God,” Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) replied softly.Taaif is a lush green valley, situated 65 kilometres east from Makkah. Umro Bin Ouaf was chief of the tribe. He had three sons Abd-ya-Leil, Masood and Habib.The prophet (peace be upon him) called the people of Taaif towards the one and the only God but they refused and misbehaved with him badly.He was too sad and grieved but he believed in his God so he called Him with true heart and his God never left him alone.Suddenly he felt that a cloud was sheltering him and Angel Gabriel called out loudly from it.“Allah has heard what you prayed. He sent the angel of mountains to you. He will follow whatever wish you have.”The angel of mountains said salam and asked: “If you order me, I’ll press these people between these two mountains Abu Qubees and Queqean that surrounded this valley. They will be destroyed.”But Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent as Rahmatul-Lil Aalameen (merciful to the worlds) for all the races, nations and people. He said: “Not at all, I hope that Allah will raise a generation from these who will believe in one Allah alone with no partners and will worship Him.”

By Humaira Khatoon

He looked too weary and disheartened. Some mischievous lads chased him for

many hours, passing comments and hurling stones on him. He was injured and bleeding badly. The boys hit him so hard with stones that his shoes were filled with blood. Such cruel were the people of Taaif.In his search for a safer place, he found a garden of grapes. He was too tired that he sat leaning with the wall under the shade of a thick climber of grapes. Owners of the garden Utba Bin Rabeea and Sheeba Bin Rabee saw a tired passer-by sitting by the wall. They sent him a bunch of grapes through their slave Adaas. The injured man started eating grapes after reciting “Bismillah”. Adaas had never heard these words “Bismillah” so he asked: “Aye, stranger! What did you say? Where do you come from? People here don’t say these words.”The injured man was none other than Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the last messenger of Allah. When the people of Makkah did not respond positively on the call of Islam and turned against him, the prophet thought he should preach in other tribes so he set off for Taaif. Zaid Bin Haris (may Allah be pleased with him) accompanied him in the journey.Adaas told the holy prophet (peace be upon him) that he was a Christian from Naenwa.“You are from Younus Bin Maata’s nation.

JANUARY 2014 | V SHINE 5

STORY

The article on Allama Iqbal was a great piece of work. Please publish about Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Many thanks for increasing our knowledge and vocabulary. My mom is happy with my habit of book reading and it is greatly helped by V SHINE. Once again thanks. (Abdullah Sheikh, Islamabad, Pakistan)

V SHINE is my favourite magazine. It is a treasure of activities and information. “Iqbal, the poet of east” was amazing. Keep it up! (Laiba Maqbool, Rawalpindi, Pakistan)

I am a regular reader of V SHINE. No magazine can beat it. I would say that you people are doing a great job. (Kamran Mujtaba, Islamabad, Pakistan)

Hey you guys rock. I never saw such a beautiful magazine. I liked all the stories especially “The Raindrop” and “The Bull and Ambulance”. May Allah give you success (amin). ( Jamal Ahmed, Los Angeles, USA)

Congratulations on stepping into the fifth year of success. I have been reading V SHINE from the very first issue. I just love it. Please publish detective stories. I am a big fan of yours. (Yahya Mohsin, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)

I’m writing to you guys for the first time. I liked “The captive lady” and “The Brain” article. “The Bull and Ambulance” was also good and I just love walruses so thank you for the informative article. My cousin Rabia Ghulam Muhammad wrote to you in October issue. May Allah bless you all (amin). Keep rocking. (Bismaa Behlim, Karachi, Pakistan)

Jordan was a very informative article and so was dragonfly. Information on amazing places was awesome. I wish I could write for V SHINE. (Saima Hyder, Toronto, Canada)

Title was nice. I liked the cover story too. Many thanks for publishing such a nice magazine. My friends and I talk about V SHINE everyday. Please publish my letter as I have challenged my friends that you will see it in next magazine. (Sidra Yaqoob, Lahore, Pakistan)

Mixed Bag is my favourite segment. Please add more riddles and tongue twisters. I have translated some jokes from Urdu. Would you publish them in your magazine? (Shahrukh Faisal, Birmingham, UK)

Walrus is an interesting animal. I liked information about it. Please publish about piranha. I look for the jokes first in the magazine. Hidden In Sight is an interesting segment. (Saad Irshad, Dubai, UAE)

Colours of My Life

Rhyming the letter X

The Rose

The colour pinkMakes me sinkIn the beauty of natureAnd the friendship linkAfterwards redReminds of rose bedsAnd the extreme feelingsUnder the bright shadePurple is nextThe colour bestTo show your moodWhen joy is your guestGreen, greenWhat a nice sceneWhen the carpet of grassBy the river could be seenAnd it’s yellowWhen the sun says helloRising aboveBy the tulip fellowsColours in my lifeAre the colours of natureI can see them very brightIn my future.

By Huda Mohsin

X is not easy for us to rhyme,So we’ll not waste much of your timeIn higher math X is hard to find,But Allah’s path is clear even to the blind.

Selected by Ammar Ahmed

One day a wish aroseMy sentiments allowed meFrom deep my heartEvolved the proseIn praise of the queen of flowersThe roseBlessed with heavenly fragranceAmong all the flowersIt has a special eminence.A part of parties in generalOr sad events like funeralTo wipe someone’s tearsTo perfume the airsIt has been used for yearsWith many shapes and huesHolds secrets and cluesAn expression of feelingAid for broken heart healingFor the sake of spiritualityA rose is always prominentThis is reality…

By Sidra Raza


LETTER BOX


POEMS

Bad WordsI have developed a habit of saying bad words

and abuses after I befriended some bad boys in the class. How can I get rid of it? (Ammar Junaid,

Lahore, Pakistan)

Dear Ammar,How beautiful is your name. Would you like if someone calls you with a bad word instead of your name? If you cannot control yourself you will lose your good friends and nobody will like you. It is very good that you realise your fault, now it is easy to get rid of it. Pray and read Qur’an daily with translation. Offer prayers. This will help you develop control over

your tongue. The good words are like pearls and bad words are like fire. Now choice

is yours.

Bullies In ClassI have joined a new school but the

students of my class make fun of me. I try to talk to them but they never listen anything.

Help me please and tell me how to make them my friends. (Hussain Jafri, Karachi, Pakistan)

Dear Hussain,Do not worry. It is only for a few days. They will become your friends soon. Give them a smile and forgive them for their attitude. Try to assist them out wherever they need help. Not all boys are bullies. You will find many good friends who will also help you with your studies. A newcomer

usually experiences problems at new place. Try to keep you cool. Soon they

will be your friends.

Brother TroubleI have three brothers. One of them makes trouble a lot. I treat him very nicely by helping him with his homework and projects. However, when I tell anything important to him, he does not listen to me. When I remind him that I have helped him, he says: “It was only a small work. I could have done it myself.” Please help! (Syeda Maryam Sadia, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)

Dear Maryam,Does he ask you to help him or you do it because he is your brother? Now if he requests you to help him, apologise politely and tell him that you are a little busy. Now see how he responses to this attitude. If you can help him without any complaints and expectations, then carry on. It is a good deed. He thinks he has a right upon you. You need to tell him “no one helps you more than me”. So if he requires your help, he must listen to you.

I t was a pleasant summer day as Sam roamed the streets, wandering from café to café, looking

for something good to eat. Clouds obscured the sun and the breeze tickled his neck, bringing with it the scent that promises rain.“Hmm… Smells like Petrichor - the smell of rain on dry earth.” Being an avid cameraman and explorer, he remembered reading about it during one of his travels.His thoughts revolving around the subject, he suddenly spotted something that got him excited: it was a street vendor selling hot dogs! It had been ages since he had had this delicious snack.As he was paying the vendor, he suddenly lost his balance as the ground rumbled like there was an earthquake. It shook in a rhythm like it was doing so with the footfalls of something heavy.As he looked into the distance, from behind a skyscraper came out a roaring beast. As its voice carried down towards the throngs of people, the panicking began. The crowds started dispersing like sparks from a flame and there was utter chaos everywhere.As screaming pierced his ears, Sam recognised the monster with a shiver running down his spine; it was Godzilla - the gigantic mutant dinosaur.There was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as the mammoth beast wreaked havoc upon the city, squishing everything that came in its path.Initially, he started running in the direction opposite to the destruction; the burning smells and the smoke, just like everyone else. But then something held him back.After some hesitation, he changed tracks and started running towards the beast like a madman. Being so passionate about his work, he carried his camera everywhere and it was this passion that could’ve been the death of him that day.The blood was rushing to his ears and his heart felt like it was about to burst out of his chest. The camera was slipping in his sweaty palms as he looked for the perfect cover, darting between

pieces of debris.The lizard was quite some feet ahead, rising mightily from the ground, its tail swishing around, breaking down high-rise apartments. Its skin was glistening with sharp scales and its cave-like mouth gave a clear view of those piercing yellow teeth, even from that distance.Sam’s dream of becoming the best cameraman in the country was blocking out every sensible thought in his head.He fumbled with the controls on the camera for the perfect view as the lizard drew ever nearer, while trying to avoid coming in the way of falling materials. The camera started filming and Sam was transfixed by the wonder of it all. And then, in the lens of his shaking camera, he saw the beast’s foot lift up… and start bearing down upon him. Frozen with fear, he knew there was no time for him to escape. Shaking like a leaf, with a sob stuck in his throat, he braced himself for the end and closed his eyes.After a few moments, he felt something lift from around him. Peeking through his eyelids, he realised something: he had come in between its claws and avoided being squished to death! It was truly a miracle.

By Kanza Naeem

JANUARY 2014 | V SHINE 8 JANUARY 2014 | V SHINE 9

STORY

When it surfaces up?Sibling rivalry occurs mostly between sibling who are close in age, are of the same gender or if one of them is more intellectually gifted than the other.

Positivity brings prosperityYou should not repress feelings of anger or resentment, but encourage each of your sibling to express it in a more positive manner. For as much as you can, you should try and sort out your issues among yourselves—and ask parents for help, only when you feel the situation has gone out of hand.

We are one in a millionAll the people have peculiar skills, strengths and challenges. Be close to your parents and siblings for it will leave little time for rivalry and jealousy with your sibling.

Be an ally... not a rivalMost of us go through times when a conflict is inevitable. However, if you are an elder sibling you can use the example of your own for strong sibling relationships. Tell them that respect and support for siblings will bring positive results.

Inevitable issueThere are times when the issue of favouritism among siblings just won’t die. No matter your parents efforts to reassure all of their love for you and your uniqueness, the issue won’t go away or diminish.

Comparison cutsHow many times have you said it to your parents? “It’s not fair!” Or “You let her do it. Why won’t you let me?” You should not make comparisons between your siblings. If your parents buy your elder sibling a gadget, do not take it as inequality. It might be possible that your brother needs it for educational purpose.

How much is too much?Brothers and sisters don’t have to be absolute arch enemies to be dealing with sibling rivalry. In fact, bits and pieces of sibling rivalry pop out every day as normal behaviour.

It's normal, so take it easy!Since we’re all individuals, unique and different, we won’t get along with everyone. We especially won’t get along all the time with those closest to us. If we begin with identifying feelings as normal, then we can learn to respond to our feelings in healthy ways.

Time to appreciate your siblings

Choose your sibling’s favourite colour and use that colour paper or use a lot of that colour(s) in the card.

Draw a picture with maybe a little writing on the front cover.

On the inside, write a message saying something like,

Thanks so much for everything!”Give it to your sibling with a

warm hug! Cheers! You have found a new friend!

J ealousy, competition, favoritism, difficulty sharing — To some extent, each of these

branches of the tree of “sibling rivalry” grow in every family.

By Saba Amir Gondal


COVER STORY


How do cats eat spaghetti?The same as everyone else – they put it in their mouths!

Why did your brother wear a wet shirt all day?Because the label said, ‘Wash and Wear’.

Science teacher: Can you tell me one substance that conducts electricity?Amna: Why er......Science teacher: Wire is correct.

Why did the witch go to the psychiatrist?Because she thought everybody loved her.

Father: Why did you put a toad in your sister’s bed?Son: I couldn’t find a spider.

What do snakes write on the bottom of their letters?With love and hisses.

Cookery teacher: Rabia, what are the best things to put in a fruit cake?Rabia: Teeth!

“Talha,” said her teacher. “You can’t bring that lamb into school. What about the smell?”“Oh, that’s all right, Miss,” replied Talha. “It’ll soon get used to it.”

Teacher: Didn’t you know the bell had gone?Silly boy: I didn’t take it, Miss.

Find these items in the big picture

By Tabassum Khalid

Ingredients. Butter: 100 gram, melted, plus a little extra for the tin. Crunchy biscuit: 200 grams. Icing sugar: 100 gram, plus extra to taste. Vanilla extract: 2 teaspoon. Cream cheese: 300 ml pot. Raspberries: 450 gram

Method1. Line the base and sides of a 20cm loose bottomed or spring form tin with butter. Use smudges of butter to help the paper stay in place around the sides.2. Put the biscuits in a plastic bag and crush to crumbs using a rolling pin then mix thoroughly with the melted butter.3. Chill while you prepare the filling.4. Put the soft cheese, icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl5. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.6. Tip in the cream and continue beating until mixture is combined.7. Scatter over 100 grams of raspberries.

Your cake is ready.

Here is a quick recipe of a cheese cake that does not require baking. The cake will be ready in just 20 minutes with thick cream cheese topping and buttery biscuit base.

Hot chocolate (also known as cocoa) is a hot beverage typically consisted of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder.Ingredients. Milk: 2 cups. Malted milk: 2 tablespoons (Horlicks). Corn flour: 2tablespoons . Icing sugar: 3 tablespoons. Cocoa powder: 2 tablespoons

Method1. Pour the milk into a large pan and bring to boil on medium heat.2. Add all the chocolate mix ingredients in it.3. Give it a good whisk and leave to bubble away for a few minutes before serving.

Enjoy your hot drink in chilly winter.

By Saleha Perwez


V SHINE KITCHEN


Senegal sits on Africa’s west coast; its capital, Dakar, is the westernmost city on the continent of Africa, making it a leading centre for European and trans-Atlantic travel.

A Low-lying CountryThe country surrounds Gambia on three sides and is bordered on the north by Mauritania, on the east by Mali, and on the south by Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. Senegal is mainly a low-lying country, with a semi desert area in the north and northeast and forests in the southwest. The largest rivers include the Senegal in the north and the Casamance in the southern tropical climate region.

Muslims against French ColonialismDuring the 18th century, the French began to colonise the nation. Senegalese Muslims took a variety of responses to French colonisation. Especially in the countryside, the Senegalese got united against colonisation.

Sine-Saloum DeltaIt lies in the south of Senegal. It’s a large area of mangrove forests, lagoons, islands and rivers. A highlight for visitors to this region is taking a boat ride up the rivers to spot pelicans and flamingos and enjoy the lovely fishing villages along the way.

Senegambian Stone CirclesThe Senegambian Stone Circles were added to the World Heritage List in 2006. Each circle comprises 10 to 24 stones, some weighing in at almost 10 tonnes!

HistorySenegal has been inhabited for thousands of years. The Arabs arrived in the 11th century and many people converted to Islam. When Europeans first arrived Senegal became a major area for slaves. In 1960 Senegal declared its independence.

The Dakar RallyThe Dakar Rally is an annual off-road race. Most events since the inception in 1978 were from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal. The country hosted the rally from 1979 until 2007.

St LouisThe former capital of French West Africa, St Louis was established in 1673 and house lots of interesting decaying French colonial architecture.

Upset In Football HistorySenegal entered their first World Cup of football in 2002. Their first match (which was also the opening game of the World Cup tournament) shocked the world when Senegal

won against the defending champions France.

FoodFish is very important. Chicken, lamb, pea, eggs, and beef are also used in Senegalese cooking. Yassa is either chicken or fish that is first marinated with spices, and then simmered in a pan with onion, garlic, mustard, and lemon juice.

Goree IslandIt is a small island just off the coast of Dakar. Goree Island is a big tourist attraction because of its history as a major slave-trading centre. You can see the “House of Slaves”, and several other interesting museums.

Fast FactsOfficial name: Republic of SenegalPopulation: Nearly 13.1 million. Muslim 94%, Christian 5%, Others (1%)Capital: DakarCurrency: CFA FrancMajor language: French (official), WolofNatural Resources: fish, phosphates, iron ore

By Umair Safdar


COUNTRY PROFILE


Spread of Buddhism In the 300s BC, one of the great Mauryan kings, Asoka, became a Buddhist, which helped Buddhism to succeed. At first, most Buddhists were in India. But by 500 CE, under the Guptan Empire, travelling Buddhist monks spread Buddhist ideas west to the Sassanian Empire and east to China and other parts of East Asia. Travelling Buddhists also brought other Indian things like sugar with them to China. In China, Buddhism got stronger and stronger. Soon most of the Buddhists were in China and not India.

Islam in America10-30% of the African slaves brought to America were Muslims. Journalist Alexander Russell Webb converted to Islam in 1888. He becomes a well-known speaker and advocate of Islam. Many Muslims migrated to America from Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan, India and other countries in late 19th century. One of the first mosques in America established in Detroit in 1919. The Islamic Circle of North America established in 1968.

Early RussiaBy 500 BC, some of the people living in Russia were called the Scythians. Russian people had some hard times between about 300 and 600 CE, when they were invaded. But the first time that those people united into one country was about 800 CE. About this time, Vikings met the Slavs, who were also moving into Russia, and together they united Russia into a kingdom with its capital at Novgorod. The medieval kingdom of Russia included only the westernmost part of what is now Russia, but it also included most of modern Ukraine.

Applying diacritical points in Qur’anThe Arabic script has numerous diacritics, including i’jam (consonant pointing), tashkil (supplementary diacritics). The latter include the Harakat (vowel marks). Tashkil is optional to represent missing vowels and consonant length. The bulk of Arabic script is written without Harakat. However, they are commonly used in some religious texts that demand strict adherence to pronunciation rules such as Qur’an. Hajjaj bin Yousuf applied diacritical points in Qur’an.A midst the buzzing of the students, the principal

suddenly entered. A sudden quiet descended in the class.“Assalam-o-Alaikum! As you know, the annual session is about to end. Therefore, I’ve decided to arrange a competition between you all. From today onwards, a girl who exhibits the best character until the end of the term will be awarded the prestigious Golden Cup,” she announced.As she left, each and every girl vowed to give her best to win the competition.There was one girl in the class who was almost perfect - Ramla. Most of the class was sure she would win the cup.She had all the qualities of a star student. But, like in most cases, there existed an anti-Ramla as well in the class. She was Kashaf; the one who always envied Ramla’s standing in the school. She had been trying her best to win against Ramla but failed every time.“Aha!” Kashaf thought, as the principal left, “this is going to be the perfect opportunity to put Ramla to shame at last.”It was Tuesday. The competition began. It was Arts

period. Kashaf decided to go through with the first phase of her plan. As Ramla neared her desk, Kashaf sneaked up and pushed the paint bottle

on Ramla’s desk. The bottle toppled over, and scarlet paint drenched Ramla’s attire and stained the spotless tiled floor. All eyes were on Ramla now. Before she could say or do anything, their Arts teacher arrived - and guess what, she scolded Ramla for being clumsy and ordered her to wipe off

the paint.Kashaf continued to pull stunts like these every other day to stain Ramla’s reputation. The teachers were shocked to see Ramla in such a state. Kashaf had destroyed Ramla’s reputation, grinning from ear to ear every time when Ramla got punished.As the end of the term drew near, Kashaf fell sick and could not attend school. She was in a rage. The final touch of her evil plan could no longer work. Meanwhile, at school, every one noticed a different Ramla. She was back to her own disciplined self.Finally, the big day arrived. At the assembly hall, everyone was anxiously waiting for the principal to announce the winner. The Principal, Mrs Maher approached the stage. “Salaam, my dears! Hope you are in a good state of Imaan and health. Before I announce the winner, let me tell you that this Golden Cup is an embodiment of success, ambition and hard work. The cup holder for this session is…. Ramla Raheel!”A great applause echoed down the hallway. Everyone was amazed and happy at the same time, that Ramla was the winner. Ramla, herself was completely elated. Everybody cheered and praised her.Back home, Kashaf heard the odious news through one of her classmates. I should never have acted like this, Ramla truly deserved to win. She thought glumly. She decided to confess to Ramla. The next day, Kashaf told Ramla about what she had been doing with her and asked for her forgiveness.“Don’t worry! I forgive you. Now here...” Ramla ended up pushing a strand of brunette curl from Kashaf’s forehead. Kashaf managed a smile, a sad little smile. “Thank you very much Ramla!”

By Sumaiya Azeem


STORY


In a dark summer night

when you walk with nobody around, you will witness one

of Allah’s strongest and most beautiful creations ie fireflies appearing in thousands and thousands and flashing under the moonlight.

More than 2,000 speciesFireflies belong to the species that are

bioluminescent and produce their own light.

There are more than 2,000 species of fireflies. Only some

species produce adults that glow.

One inch in length

Fireflies are soft bodied-beetles. They are measured one inch in

length.

Short lifeFireflies live for only

two months more than or less. Their lifespan depends usually on how

well they hide from prey.

It’s a beetle, not a fly

Fireflies do not belong to the group of flies like houseflies. They are beetles. They are in the insect class and in the order coleopteran, which includes beetles. They are related to ladybugs.

Amazing facts Firefly larvae sometimes

called glow warms. Japan host firefly festivals

every year. The greatest numbers of fireflies are found in Asia

and South America.

The secret behind blinking

The light in fireflies is produced by a chemical reaction involving a special protein, a pigment called luciferin and oxygen. The protein named luciferase, acts as

enzyme starting the chemical reaction that generate

light.

By Javeria Ashraf

Did you know that…?

In the late evening the firefly will flash a yellowish light to communicate with other fireflies. The males will flash approximately every five seconds and

the females will flash approximately every two

seconds.

A bird and a fireflyFar away in a forest there was a nightingale lonely and upset. It looked

here and there as darkness started encompassing the earth with the setting of the sun.

What made it sad, the loneliness or was it the darkness?Nightingale was crying and worried about how it will reach home. A firefly nearby went up to the nightingale and said: “Worry not, for I am at your service. Although I am a tiny creature but I will help you with my heart and soul and

make sure you reach your home. I have been gifted by Almighty Allah with a light which shines like a lamp. So worry not, oh dear nightingale, I

will lighten up the path for your home.


WILDLIFE


Have you ever rubbed your feet across carpet and then touched a metal door handle?

If so, then you know that you can get shocked! Lightning works in the same way. Make your own lightning and learn how it works.

You will need. A small piece of wool fabric. An aluminium pie pan. Styrofoam plate. A pencil with a new eraser. One thumbtack

Mountain biking is the sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough

terrain, using specially designed mountain bikes. A mountain bike is for those with a nerve for adventure. It is light and hence easy to carry and walk up or down a mountain, on difficult terrains.

Where It Started?The history of this extreme sport goes way back to 1970 in California, USA. It was on Mount Tamalpais that made that mark of being the origin of mountain biking. The first prototype of mountain bikes were all downhill purposed. Meaning they never rode their bikes uphill, they had to transport them up to the starting point and ride them downhill.

Different TypesMountain biking can generally be broken down into multiple categories: cross country (XC), trail riding, all mountain, downhill, freeride, slopestyle, dirt jumping and trials.

Do It All YourselfBecause riders are often far from civilisation, there is a strong ethic of self-reliance in the sport. Riders learn to repair their broken bikes or flat tires to avoid being stranded miles from help. Many riders will carry a backpack containing all the essential tools and equipment for trailside repairs, and many riders also carry emergency supplies in the case of injury miles from outside help.

Mountain Bike OrienteeringIt is an orienteering endurance racing sport on a mountain bike where navigation is done along trails and tracks. It adds the skill of map navigation to mountain biking.

Have These On GoGloves, glasses, shoes, GPS navigation device, pump to inflate flat tires, water bottles, bike tools and extra bike tubes, high-power lights for mountain biking at night.

Wow… That’s Interesting The longest mountain bike race in the world

was a ride from Canada to Mexico with 2700 miles over the continental divide in the Rockies.

Derailleur is the device that changes your gears on a mountain bike. Mountain Bikers use a term of Granny Gear when in the lowest gear on a bike. There’s no

need to tell you why it’s called granny gear! Chris Kovarik is one of the world’s top Downhill Mountain Bikers! Shimano is the world’s largest Mountain Bike component brand. A company “Mountain Cycle” makes the bicycle namely “Shockwave”.

Steps to be taken

1. Turn the aluminium pie pan upside-down and push the thumbtack through the centre.Push the eraser end of the pencil into the thumbtack. The pencil should be standing straight up.2. Put the Styrofoam plate upside-down on a table. Very quickly, rub the bottom of the Styrofoam plate with the wool for a minute or two.Pick up the aluminium pie pan using the pencil as a handle and place it on top of the upside-down Styrofoam plate that you were just rubbing with the wool.3. Touch the aluminium pie pan with your finger. You should feel a shock. If you don’t feel anything, try rubbing the Styrofoam plate again with the wool.4. Once you feel the shock, try turning the lights out before you touch the pan again.

What is Static Electricity?Static electricity is the build-up of an electrical charge on the surface of an object. It’s called “static” because the charges remain in one area for a while rather than moving or “flowing” to another area. We see static electricity every day. It can even build-up on us. For example, when we rub our feet on the carpet and then zap something when we touch it.

When Lighting Happens?Lighting is a powerful and dangerous example of static electricity. Lightning happens when the negative charges, which are called electrons, in the bottom of the cloud (or in this experiment your finger) are attracted to the positive charges, which are called protons, in the ground or in this experiment the aluminium pie pan. The spark that you had seen is like a miniature lightning bolt!

By Daniyal Raza


V SHINE LAB


SPORTS

The early Roman calendar, comprised 10 months, started from March 1st. Numa Pontilius, the Roman king, added the months of January and February. He moved the new year from March to January. But this new year date was not always strictly followed. In 46 BC, Julius Caesar formed a new solar calendar and introduced January 1st as the beginning of the new year officially.

A whole new year is at your step, today! Isn’t it amazing! Think of all new you can do.

New resolutions, gifts, get-togethers… it’s a long list. But have you ever wondered about January 1st, disputes, old celebrated traditions, meaning of January?So, here’s a whole new year’s package for you with something new of your own and old from the history.

January named after Roman god Janus, means door. It’s a god with two faces, one looking backwards and one forward, at the same time. So, January is door to the year.

In 567 CE, the council of Tours abolished January 1st again for it was considered unchristian and set December 25th as the beginning of the new year.In 1582, the Gregorian calendar restored January 1st as new year’s day. Still many Catholic countries did not adopt this calendar. The British adopted Gregorian calendar in 1752. Until then, the British Empire considered March 1st as the new year day. Russians adopted it even late after 1918!Even, nowadays many cultures start their years at different time in the year.

Time to get creative and set your own tradition. New Year is the time for the new hopes and promises and also a time to have a thoughtful review of the previous one. Why not set a tradition. Sit in a quiet corner with a piece of paper. Write whatever good deeds and mistakes you can recall from the last year. Review your list. Which side is weaker or stronger? Are you surprised or happy? If happy, then excellent. If surprised, don’t worry you have a new year at your foot. Get up.

Tradition of making New Year resolutions is almost 4,000 years old.

The most common New Year resolution is to lose weight.

New Year is the oldest of all holidays. The first New Year’s Eve ball was dropped in

Times Square (New York) in 1907 because the fireworks were banned.

Many cultures believe that anything given or taken on New Year, in the shape of a ring is good luck. Rings symbolise “coming full circle”.The Romans began the tradition of exchanging gifts on new year, by giving branches from the scared trees to each other.

New year resolutions are tricky. Every time the list is long but only a few are accomplished. So here’s a simple recipe.

1. Setting goals in partsMotivation is tricky. It melts quickly making it difficult to keep your resolutions all year. So, it’s better to divide the year into three or four parts. It helps you to have deadlines to keep a little pressure or check on us. Set goals for first part. By the end of the each part, review your goals. If all have been achieved-excellent! If not, reset your goals to be accomplished in the next part.

2. Let your light shineSet goals to help the people or environment around you daily or once a week. This not only helps you earn good will of the people but Allah also. Help your mom with the dishes, dad in washing car, grandpa with reading newspaper, teachers with the soft boards, neighbours with carrying heavy grocery, plant a tree, just anything.When you get praised, you feel motivated to achieve other goals.

3. When to start?Tomorrow? Next week? Stop! It’s TODAY. No matter how much we plan the future, we work in the present. Today is our time! You have energy and excitement today. So get to work today.

January 1st Dispute

Meaning of January

January abolished again

Make your own tradition

Fun facts

New Year traditions of oldA recipe for New Year resolutions

By Lead Pencil


Ta, Seen. These are the verses of the Qur’an and a clear Book (1) As guidance and good tidings for the believers (2) Who establish prayer and give zakah, and of the Hereafter they are certain (in faith). (3) Indeed, for those who do not believe in the Hereafter, We have made pleasing to them their deeds, so they wander blindly. (4) (Surah An-Naml)

Do not wish to be like anyone except in two cases. (The first is) a person, whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it righteously; (the second is) the one whom Allah has given wisdom (the Holy Qur’an) and he acts accord-ing to it and teaches it to others. (Related by Bukhari)

1. What can you catch but not throw?2. Where do fish keep their money?3. What walks all day on its head?4. What is round and all the water in the ocean can’t fill it up?5. What goes around and around the wood but never goes into the wood?6. What has four fingers and one thumb, but is not alive?Answers upside down

Iron is not natural to the earth. It did not form on the earth but came down to earth from outer space. This may sound strange but it’s true. Scientists have found that billions of years ago the earth was stuck by meteorites. These meteorites were carrying iron from distant stars which had exploded. The Holy Qur’an says: We sent down iron with its great inherent strength and its many benefits for humankind (57:25). Allah uses the words ‘sent down’ for iron. It is clear from the verse that iron is not an earthly material, but was sent down for the benefit of humanity.

To make one good action succeed another, is the perfection of goodness. (Ali ibn Abi Talib)

My sin burdened me heavily. But when I measured it against Your Grace, O Lord, Your forgiveness came out greater. (Shafii)

Inside beauty beautifies the exter-nal image even if it is not appealing. (Ibnul-Qayyem al-Jawzy)

All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother. (Abraham Lincoln)

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving. (Albert Einstein)

A life spent making mistakes is not only more honourable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing. (George Bernard Shaw)

Quicksand is a mixture of fine granular materials, clay and water. Sometimes the water can be replaced by air and form “dry quicksand”. Quicksand is most likely to occur in riverbanks, beaches, lake shorelines, marshes and near underground springs. It’s true that struggling in quicksand – or just about any quick movement – causes you to sink more. Slow movements are much more effective. By raising your legs slowly and laying on your back, you can-not sink into quicksand.

Pirates terrorised ships on the high seas hundreds of years ago. The Jolly Roger, a white skull and cross-bones on a black background, was the traditional flag of a pirate ship.

Crisp crusts crackle crunchily. The crow flew over the river with a

lump of raw liver. A noisy noise annoys a noisy oyster. We surely shall see the sun shine

soon A proper cup of coffee from a proper

copper coffee pot.

Contrary to popular belief, the white is not the healthiest part of an egg. It’s actually the shell.

The “ice cream” you see in ice cream ads is often mashed potatoes be-cause they will not melt during production.

The tongue is the only muscle that is attached from one end only.

The fastest nerve cells are carrying messages along their axons at an amazing 268 mph.

The coconut is the largest seed in the world.

Minus 40 degrees Celsius is exactly the same as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

The names of all the continents end with the same letter that they start with.

In the name of Allah, the Most Kind, the Most Merciful

Sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

QuotesHow to Escape Quicksand?

What is Jolly Roger?

Tongue Twisters

Amazing FactsRiddles

Iron Not Natural To Earth

Cold, in a riverbank, a nail in a horseshoe, sieve, the bark of a tree, glove


By Maha Ashar

February 12 North Korea conducted its third underground nuclear test, prompting widespread condemnation and tightened economic sanctions from the international community.

April 24An eight-storey commercial building collapsed in Bangladesh, leaving 1,129 dead and 2,500 injured.

August 19The 500th eruption in a year of Mount Sakurajima in Southern Japan covered the major city of Kagoshima in a cloud of ash.

October 10Delegates from some 140 countries and territories signed the Minamata Treaty, a UNEP treaty designed to protect human health and the environment from emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds.

November 8Typhoon Haiyan “Yolanda”, one of the strongest tropical cyclones

on record, hit the Philippines and Vietnam, causing devastation with at least 5,653 dead.

August 21 More than 1,400 people were killed in Syrian chemical weapons attack including at least 426 children.

September7 Tokyo won bid to host 2020 Olympics. The Japanese capital will be the first Asian city to host the Olympics twice, having also hosted the 1964 Games.

February 15 A meteor exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, injuring 1,491 people and damaging over 4,300 buildings. It is the most powerful meteor to strike Earth’s atmosphere in over a century.

July 3Elected President Mohamed Morsi was deposed in a military coup d’état in Egypt.

August 14The massacre in Egypt and Rabia al-Adawiya Square where the anti-coup protests took place. Thousands were martyred and injured.

Let’s have a look at important

events happened last year


In schoolBy Scientist Sadiya Malik, 7th, International Indian School, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia On a hot dayThinking of myself foolAs I mayStanding in cafeteriaIn a long lineWith all those bacteriaI was kind and fineMy hair blowing because of breezeThinking of taking something freezeWith the thought of all my fake friends had goneI suddenly realised I was left alone.

Chao-xingBy Arooj Haider, 6th, Silver Oaks School, Rawalpindi, PakistanOnce upon a time there was a Chinese girl named Chao-xing. One day her father did not return home. The next day there was a phone call. Some people had killed her father. Chao-xang started a karate school. She had a group of students. When that killer team learnt this they came to kill Chao-xing. She was a strong girl. She died in a fight but her one of student Lee had finished Chinese team in this fight.

A beach tripBy Hareem Zehra, Beaconhouse School System, Karachi, PakistanOnce upon a time there lived a girl named Aliza in North America. She lived with her parents and younger sister Saima. One day the family planned a trip to seaside as summer vacations were going on. So the next morning they packed all the necessary stuff that could be taken and set off for the trip. Aliza and Saima asked their parents if they could go a little farther. Their parents allowed them. They were making a mud castle when suddenly a huge gigantic wave came and took both of them into the sea. They started drowning and shouted for help. They were lucky that there were two swimmers in the sea who saved them. Both of them apologised the parents for their mistake.

A tale of teahouseBy Zaina Ahmad, 10th, Beaconhouse School System, Islamabad, PakistanThe fan had been rotatingFor an hour or soIt made creaking noisesWhich would continuously growThe dusty brown tableLooked a hundred years oldThe nails spring outFrom each of its foldFinally came the momentI had been waiting forMy cup of tea arrivedThat I had waited for.

What do I love?By Souson Fahim, Hala International School, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaWhat do I love?Do I live a fancy glove?Do I love a friend in need?Or do I love a fat cat to feed?No, I don’t love any of theseNot even a triangle cheeseShe is everything to meShe is my mother.

The secret of magic mirrorBy Laiba Rashid, 9 Years, Pakistan International School, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaOne day a girl with her family moved to a new house. While exploring her room she found a pink colour closet in her new bedroom. She turned on the light and found a large mirror inside of her closet. She touched the mirror and she felt it was watery. Then with a full force she fell into the other side of the mirror on to the ground. When she stood up, she found herself in a new world of fairies all around. This made her so much happy. Suddenly she realised that now it’s very late and came back through the same mirror. She got the secret of the magic mirror.

I have a cat By Noman Shah, Pakistan International School, English Section, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaHe hunts and walksAbout my house,He is always out,To catch a mouse.I play with him,And keep him cleanA smarter cat,You’ve never seen.

Parrot and red chiliesBy Anousha Khalid, 6th, Karachi Public School, Karachi, PakistanIn a faraway rainforest there lived a family of parrots. The baby parrot of that family was very young and disobedient. It was a sunny morning and the baby parrot was playing with his friends. Suddenly a hunter came wandering over there. His friends flew away instantly while his parents started calling him to the nest. But that silly parrot didn’t listen to them. The hunter hid behind a bush and spied the parrot. Parrot saw some fresh red chilies lying under a tree. He wolfed all the chilies. He felt an instant sleeping sensation coming over him and he fainted. Actually, the hunter medicated those chilies those. When he woke up, he found himself in an airy cage.


K O A W E X P R E S S T R A I N V R G W G D L B S A Y I T N N G O E J P Y G A H A S R R F R J S N O U G W A T R A C K A R O H H F O N F U H F R M S N A O H P M R A C A W A O G R E O P G N I R G W T S L N R O N A X E C G E P L E I E M G M D D I M A M L E D T A O A S E D X E H L O W D H V L S N E G Q E Q E I E E O L R H F G O G I S S A T W G N N O K J N J N D I F I N Q G E O A E V I F E O F G S G T S L N I B P T T N A Y C E M F V E D S G O R E V E A N C A R P E S D C T J I T Q N D P F E S E R O X M A S X A Y

Find these hidden words in a crisscross

HornBogieCab (control room)Express trainGuardJunctionPlatformSignalTrack

K ids! Here is your chance to win lots of prizes. Just answer the following questions and mail us at our postal address or email at [email protected] with your complete name and address by January 31, 2014.All entries with correct answers will be picked for draw to select five winners.Answers mailed twice with the same name and address will not be accepted.

1. Complete the series80 55 39 30 ?

2. Odd one out

4. Write three differences. (Differences are required only in written form so don’t tear out the page)

5. Hidden among the words of this sentence below is a colour. Find it.

I agree not to eat all the cookies

3. Unscramble the anagram to discover a word relating a food.

O A C R A M I N

Winners November 2013Prizes would be delivered by January 31, 20141. Faiza Malik (Birmingham, UK)2. Hassan Sheikh (Florida, USA)3. Akif Ahemd (Karachi, Pakistan)4. Junaid Tariq (Lahore, Pakistan)5. Abdullah Hanif (Duabi, UAE)

Answers November 20131. b2. Helsinki3. Eye of a green and an orange creature, missing red button 4. 605. Badminton

(a) (b) (c)


WORD SEARCH

I t was Monday morning. I was getting ready with my family

for a tour to the Giethoorn, the most beautiful place in Holland, which was enclosed by water everywhere. I went to the steep hills and saw a small cave. I walked past the grass beneath my feet and went into the cave.When I pulled the curtains, I saw the most astounding thing in my life. A beautiful garden filled with flowers. And the most astonishing thing was that I saw many fairies soaring above the sky. Some fairies came to me but suddenly dark clouds appeared directly above my head and thunder buffered down. I asked the fairies about the situation. They told me that long time ago there was a princess who was ruling this whole place but later an evil fairy came and tried to take over the kingdom. But the princess refused, so the fairy took the princess away.The name of the evil fairy is Gylon. I saw her coming towards me. She was holding a staff in her hand. “Stop Gylon,” I warned the evil fairy, “you are not to hurt the fairies.”“How dare you speak to me like that?” thundered Gylon angrily

as she waved her staff in front of me and began to cast a spell. I suddenly grabbed the staff and began to wrench it from her hands. Suddenly I let go of the staff and it flew towards the fairies who promptly picked it up. I grabbed Gylon and asked her to tell me where the princess was.“You will never find her,” said Gylon. I took the staff from the fairies and tried to break it.“No don’t you ever do that,” said Gylon.“Tell me where the princess is,” I said. Gylon was so furious so she cast the spell unpredictably and the princess appeared in front of us. Gylon was going to snatch her staff from me. I rapidly threw it on the ground. The fairies immediately crushed the staff with a boulder. We were so glad that the princess had come back. And she crowned me. I was very glad and thanked her. As I got home I saw my parents packing things for their return. I was sad to leave the house, but since I had a great adventure I kept that as a secret.

By Eraj Javed

Help the ship find a safe passage through the ice.

See how fast you can munch your way through this pile of popcorn.

Find your way to the centre of this maze.


STORY


MAZE

Words Page No. Type Meanings

Eminence 7 Noun The state of being famous, respected, or important

Obscure 9 Verb To prevent something from being seen or heard

Mutant 9 Noun An unpleasant and frightening thing

Havoc 9 Noun Confusion and lack of order, especially causing damage or trouble

Encounter 9 Noun A meeting, especially one that happens by chance

Lagoon 15 NounAn area of sea water separated from the sea by a reef (= a line of

rocks and sand)

Miniature 20 Adjective Describes something that is a very small copy of an object

Orienteering 21 NounAn activity in which you have to find your way to somewhere on foot

as quickly as possible by using a map and a compass

Contrary 25 Noun The opposite

Crackle 25 Verb To make a lot of short, dry, sharp sounds

Coup

(pronounced as

ku)

26 NounA sudden illegal, often violent, taking of government power,

especially by part of an army

Massacre 26 Noun An act of killing a lot of people

Storey 26 Noun A level of a building

Condemn 26 VerbTo criticize something or someone strongly, usually for moral

reasons

Solidarity 27 Noun Support for the members of a group, especially a political group

Set off 28 Verb To start a journey

Wolf 29 Verb To eat a large amount of food very quickly

Airy 29 Adjective With a lot of light and space

On track 31 Idiom Making progress and likely to succeed
