News Reading Practice #85
(100 Day Challenge)
WATERSPORTS GET IMPETUS POST-FLOODS
Trainers peeved at most youths in Kerala not knowing swimming
JOHN L. PAUL
KOCHI
Frequent floods, landslips, and other disasters
that have been
rocking Kerala of late
and the State’s increasing vulnerability to them have made youths and others enroll for training in swimming and adventure sports,
lest they should be caught
napping.
Watersport enthusiasts, clubs, and academies that impart training in swimming, paddling, kayaking, and other activities have been kept busy,
especially after what was termed as the ‘deluge of
the century’ of 2018.
"The floods were an eye-opener, since the realization dawned that
most deaths due to drowning could have been prevented, had the victims known
swimming," said Wg. Cdr (retd.) Unnikrishnan Palat, a 72-year-old Indian
Air Force veteran who is also a skydiving
enthusiast-cum-trainer. He trained an emergency response team at
Erattupetta following last week’s floods. A similar training session at
Bharananganam is set
to follow suit as
part of the State Government’s efforts to raise Emergency Response Teams in
various panchayats.
"Apart
from its health
benefits, swimming, which can be learned in a day’s time, is a must-know for the people of Kerala, which is surrounded by sea. I train hundreds of people, including IT
professionals, every year in swimming and water-based adventure sports. Most
rivers and beaches in the State have immense
potential for watersports. It is sad that youths are unaware of it," he said.
According to him, Kerala Tourism has failed to sustain the initial momentum of
adventure tourism activities. Parents and schools should take the lead in
helping children shed inhibition for watersports. It is better to train youths in
disaster management, since local interventions can save substantial numbers of lives, well before Government teams
arrive, he added.
The latest to join the league of organizations promoting
watersports/kayaking is Cochin Paddle Club, whose inauguration is slated for Saturday.
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WATERSPORTS:
Activities like swimming, kayaking, and paddling that are performed in or on
water. (ജലത്à´¤ിà´²് നടത്à´¤ുà´¨്à´¨ à´•ാà´¯ിà´• ഇനങ്ങള്)
IMPETUS:
A stimulus or driving force that encourages action or activity. (à´ª്à´°à´šോദനം)
PEEVED AT: Annoyed or irritated by something. (à´…à´²ോസരപ്à´ªെà´Ÿുà´¤്à´¤ുà´•, à´¶ുà´£്à´ ിà´ªിà´Ÿിà´ª്à´ªിà´•്à´•ുà´•.
FLOOD:
An overflow of water onto normally dry land, often causing damage. (à´µെà´³്ളപ്à´ªൊà´•്à´•ം)
LANDSLIP:
A sudden movement of earth or rock down a slope, often triggered by heavy
rainfall. (ഉരുà´³്à´ªൊà´Ÿ്à´Ÿà´²്)
DISASTER:
A sudden and catastrophic event causing significant damage or distress. (à´¦ുà´°à´¨്à´¤ം)
ROCK:
To affect or shake dramatically, often causing change. (à´ªിà´Ÿിà´š്à´šുà´•ുà´²ുà´•്à´•ുà´•)
VULNERABILITY:
The quality of being exposed to the possibility of being harmed or affected
negatively. (à´¦ുà´°്ബലത, à´ªെà´Ÿ്à´Ÿà´¨്à´¨് പരിà´•്à´•േà´²്à´•്à´•ാà´µുà´¨്à´¨)
ENROLL:
To sign up or register for participation in a course or activity. (à´…ംà´—à´®ാà´¯ി à´šേà´°ുà´•)
CAUGHT NAPPING: Being unprepared or inattentive at a crucial moment. (à´œാà´—്രതയിà´²്à´²ാà´¤ിà´°ിà´•്à´•ുà´•, തയ്à´¯ാà´±െà´Ÿുà´•്à´•ാà´¤ിà´°ിà´•്à´•ുà´¨്à´¨)
ENTHUSIAST:
A person who is very interested in and passionate about a particular activity.
(à´’à´°ു à´•ാà´°്യത്à´¤ോà´Ÿ് à´ª്à´°à´¤്à´¯േà´• à´¤ാà´²്പര്à´¯ം à´•ാà´£ിà´•്à´•ുà´¨്à´¨)
IMPART:
To give or communicate information or skills to others. (പകര്à´¨്à´¨ു
à´•ൊà´Ÿുà´•്à´•ുà´•, à´…à´±ിà´µ് പകരുà´•)
PADDLING:
Moving a small boat or canoe using a paddle. (à´¤ുà´´à´¯ുà´•)
KAYAKING:
A water sport involving traveling in a small, narrow boat (a kayak) using a
double-bladed paddle. (à´•à´¯ാà´•്à´•ിംà´™്)
DELUGE: A severe flood or a great amount of something happening at once. (മഹാà´ª്രളയം)
EYE-OPENER:
A surprising or enlightening experience that changes one’s understanding or
perspective. (à´•à´£്à´£ുà´¤ുറപ്à´ªിà´•്à´•ുà´¨്à´¨ à´¸ംà´—à´¤ി)
DAWNED:
Became clear or obvious. (à´¨േà´°ം à´µെà´³ുà´•്à´•ുà´•, à´ª്à´°à´¤്യക്à´·à´®ാà´µുà´•,
à´¤െà´³ിà´¯ുà´•)
VETERAN:
A person with extensive experience in a particular field or activity. (à´…à´¨ുà´à´µà´¸à´®്പത്à´¤ുà´³്à´³)
SKYDIVING:
The sport of jumping from an aircraft and free-falling before opening a
parachute.
CUM:
Used to indicate a combination of roles or titles (e.g., skydiving
enthusiast-cum-trainer). (à´’à´¨്à´¨ിà´¨ോà´Ÿൊà´ª്à´ªം മറ്à´±ൊà´¨്à´¨ുà´•ൂà´Ÿി
à´¸ൂà´šിà´ª്à´ªിà´•്à´•ാà´¨്)
SET TO: Scheduled or planned to happen. (തയ്à´¯ാà´±െà´Ÿുà´•്à´•ുà´•, സജ്ജമാà´µുà´•)
APART
FROM: Besides or excluding. (à´…à´¤ു à´•ൂà´Ÿാà´¤െ)
MUST-KNOW:
Essential knowledge that is necessary to have. (à´¨ിà´°്ബന്ധമാà´¯ും
à´…à´±ിà´ž്à´žിà´°ിà´•്à´•േà´£്à´Ÿ)
SURROUNDED:
Enclosed or encircled by something. (à´šുà´±്റപ്à´ªെà´Ÿ്à´Ÿ)
IMMENSE:
Very large or extensive. (à´…à´¤്യന്à´¤ം, വലിà´¯)
UNAWARE: Not knowing or not conscious of something. (à´…à´±ിà´¯ാà´¤െ)
SUSTAIN:
To maintain or keep going over time. (à´¨ിലനിà´°്à´¤്à´¤ുà´•)
MOMENTUM:
The force or speed gained by a moving object or process. (ആക്à´•ം,
à´Šà´°്à´œ്à´œം)
INHIBITION:
A feeling that prevents one from acting freely or confidently. (മടി,
à´ªിà´¨്à´¨ോà´Ÿ്à´Ÿ് à´¨ിà´²്à´•്à´•à´²്)
SUBSTANTIAL: Considerable in amount, size, or importance. (à´—à´£്യമാà´¯, à´•ാà´°്യമാà´¯)
SLATE:
Plan or schedule to happen at a specific time. (ആസൂà´¤്à´°à´£ം à´šെà´¯്à´¯ുà´•)
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