History Of FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 when it was not held because of the Second World War. The current champions are Spain, who won the 2010 tournament.

The current format of the tournament involves 32 teams competing for the title at venues within the host nation(s) over a period of about a month; this phase is often called the World Cup Finals. A qualification phase, which currently takes place over the preceding three years, is used to determine which teams qualify for the tournament together with the host nation(s).

The 19 World Cup tournaments have been won by eight different national teams. Brazil have won five times, and they are the only team to have played in every tournament. The other World Cup winners are Italy, with four titles; Germany, with three titles; Argentina and inaugural winners Uruguay, with two titles each; and England, France, and Spain, with one title each.

The World Cup is the world's most widely viewed sporting event; an estimated 715.1 million people watched the final match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup held in Germany.[1]

The next three World Cups will be hosted by Brazil in 2014, Russia in 2018, and Qatar in 2022.

The world's first international football match was a challenge match played in Glasgow in 1872 between Scotland and England,[2] which ended in a 0–0 draw. The first international tournament, the inaugural edition of the British Home Championship, took place in 1884.[3] As football grew in popularity in other parts of the world at the turn of the 20th century, it was held as a demonstration sport with no medals awarded at the 1900 and 1904 Summer Olympics (however, the IOC has retroactively upgraded their status to official events), and at the 1906 Intercalated Games.[4]

After FIFA was founded in 1904, it tried to arrange an international football tournament between nations outside the Olympic framework in Switzerland in 1906. These were very early days for international football, and the official history of FIFA describes the competition as having been a failure.[5]

At the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, football became an official competition. Planned by The Football Association (FA), England's football governing body, the event was for amateur players only and was regarded suspiciously as a show rather than a competition. Great Britain (represented by the England national amateur football team) won the gold medals. They repeated the feat in 1912 in Stockholm.

With the Olympic event continuing to be contested only between amateur teams, Sir Thomas Lipton organised the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy tournament in Turin in 1909. The Lipton tournament was a championship between individual clubs (not national teams) from different nations, each one of which represented an entire nation. The competition is sometimes described as The First World Cup,[6] and featured the most prestigious professional club sides from Italy, Germany and Switzerland, but the FA of England refused to be associated with the competition and declined the offer to send a professional team. Lipton invited West Auckland, an amateur side from County Durham, to represent England instead. West Auckland won the tournament and returned in 1911 to successfully defend their title.

In 1914, FIFA agreed to recognise the Olympic tournament as a "world football championship for amateurs", and took responsibility for managing the event.[7] This paved the way for the world's first intercontinental football competition, at the 1920 Summer Olympics, contested by Egypt and thirteen European teams, and won by Belgium.[8] Uruguay won the next two Olympic football tournaments in 1924 and 1928. Those were also the first two open world championships, as 1924 was the start of FIFA's professional era.

Estadio Centenario, the location of the first World Cup final in 1930 in Montevideo, Uruguay

Due to the success of the Olympic football tournaments, FIFA, with President Jules Rimet the driving force, again started looking at staging its own international tournament outside of the Olympics. On 28 May 1928, the FIFA Congress in Amsterdam decided to stage a world championship itself.[9] With Uruguay now two-time official football world champions and to celebrate their centenary of independence in 1930, FIFA named Uruguay as the host country of the inaugural World Cup tournament.

The national associations of selected nations were invited to send a team, but the choice of Uruguay as a venue for the competition meant a long and costly trip across the Atlantic Ocean for European sides. Indeed, no European country pledged to send a team until two months before the start of the competition. Rimet eventually persuaded teams from Belgium, France, Romania, and Yugoslavia to make the trip. In total thirteen nations took part: seven from South America, four from Europe and two from North America.

The first two World Cup matches took place simultaneously on 13 July 1930, and were won by France and USA, who defeated Mexico 4–1 and Belgium 3–0 respectively. The first goal in World Cup history was scored by Lucien Laurent of France.[10] In the final, Uruguay defeated Argentina 4–2 in front of a crowd of 93,000 people in Montevideo, and in doing so became the first nation to win the World Cup.[11]

After the creation of the World Cup, the 1932 Summer Olympics, held in Los Angeles, did not plan to include football as part of the schedule due to the low popularity of the sport in the United States, as American football had been growing in popularity. FIFA and the IOC also disagreed over the status of amateur players, and so football was dropped from the Games.[12] Olympic football returned at the 1936 Summer Olympics, but was now overshadowed by the more prestigious World Cup.

The issues facing the early World Cup tournaments were the difficulties of intercontinental travel, and war. Few South American teams were willing to travel to Europe for the 1934 and 1938 tournaments, with Brazil the only South American team to compete in both. The 1942 and 1946 competitions, which Nazi Germany and Brazil sought to host,[13] were cancelled due to World War II and its aftermath.

In the tournaments between 1934 and 1978, 16 teams competed in each tournament, except in 1938, when Austria was absorbed into Germany after qualifying, leaving the tournament with 15 teams, and in 1950, when India, Scotland and Turkey withdrew, leaving the tournament with 13 teams.[16] Most of the participating nations were from Europe and South America, with a small minority from North America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. These teams were usually defeated easily by the European and South American teams. Until 1982, the only teams from outside Europe and South America to advance out of the first round were: USA, semi-finalists in 1930; Cuba, quarter-finalists in 1938; Korea DPR, quarter-finalists in 1966; and Mexico, quarter-finalists in 1970

Expansion to 32 teams

The tournament was expanded to 24 teams in 1982,[17] and then to 32 in 1998,[18] also allowing more teams from Africa, Asia and North America to take part. Since then, teams from these regions have enjoyed more success, with several having reached the quarter-finals: Mexico, quarter-finalists in 1986; Cameroon, quarter-finalists in 1990; Korea Republic, finishing in fourth place in 2002; Senegal, along with USA, both quarter-finalists in 2002; and Ghana as quarter-finalists in 2010. Nevertheless, European and South American teams continue to dominate, e.g., the quarter-finalists in 1994, 1998 and 2006 were all from Europe or South America.

Two hundred teams entered the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds; 198 nations attempted to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, while a record 204 countries entered qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[19]

An equivalent tournament for women's football, the FIFA Women's World Cup, was first held in 1991 in the People's Republic of China.[20] The women's tournament is smaller in scale and profile than the men's, but is growing; the number of entrants for the 2007 tournament was 120, more than double that of 1991.

Football has been included in every Summer Olympic Games except 1896 and 1932. Unlike many other sports, the men's football tournament at the Olympics is not a top-level tournament, and since 1992, an under-23 tournament with each team allowed three over-age players.[21] Women's football made its Olympic debut in 1996, and is contested between full national sides with no age restrictions.

The FIFA Confederations Cup is a tournament held one year before the World Cup at the World Cup host nation(s) as a dress-rehearsal for the upcoming World Cup. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships, along with the FIFA World Cup champion and the host country.[22]

FIFA also organises international tournaments for youth football (FIFA U-20 World Cup, FIFA U-17 World Cup, FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup), club football (FIFA Club World Cup), and football variants such as futsal (FIFA Futsal World Cup) and beach soccer (FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup).

Source : Wikipedia

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French Revolution History

The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution, Second French Revolution or Trois Glorieuses in French, saw the overthrow of King Charles X, the French Bourbon monarch, and the ascent of his cousin Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, who himself, after 18 precarious years on the throne, would in turn be overthrown. It marked the shift from one constitutional monarchy, the Bourbon Restoration, to another, the July Monarchy; the transition of power from the House of Bourbon to its cadet branch, the House of Orléans; and the substitution of the principle of popular sovereignty for hereditary right. Supporters of the Bourbon would be called Legitimists, and supporters of Louis Philippe Orléanists.

On 16 September 1824, Charles X ascended to the throne of France. He was the younger brother of Louis XVIII, who, upon the defeat of Napoleon I, and by agreement of the Allied powers, had been installed as King of France. The fact that both Louis and Charles ruled by hereditary right rather than popular consent was the first of two triggers for Les Trois Glorieuses, the "Three Glorious Days" of the July Revolution.

Upon the abdication of Napoleon in 1814, continental Europe, and France in particular, was in a state of disarray. The Congress of Vienna met to redraw the continent's political map. Although there were many European countries attending the congress, there were four major powers that controlled the decision making: United Kingdom, represented by her foreign secretary Viscount Castlereagh; Austria, represented by the chief minister (and chairman of the congress) Klemens, Fürst von Metternich; Russia, represented by Emperor Alexander I; and Prussia, represented by King Frederick William III. Another very influential person at the Congress was Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, a French diplomat under Napoleon. Although France was considered an enemy state, Talleyrand was allowed to attend the Congress because he claimed that he had only cooperated with Napoleon under duress.

Talleyrand proposed that Europe be restored to its "legitimate" (i.e. pre-Napoleon) borders and governments; a plan that, with some changes, was accepted by members of the Congress. France returned to its 1789 borders and the House of Bourbon, deposed by the Revolution, was restored to the throne. In the eyes of the Congress, the political situation in France and Europe was now back to normal. However, the new king, Louis XVIII, knew that ideas of nationalism and democracy still lingered in his country; hence the establishment and signing of the Charte constitutionnelle française, the French Constitution otherwise known as La Charte. A document both liberal and monarchical, La Charte was the second trigger of the July Revolution.

On September 16, 1824, after a lingering illness of several months, the 69-year-old Louis XVIII died childless. Therefore his younger brother, Charles, aged 66, inherited the throne of France. On 27 September Charles X as he was now known, made his state entry into Paris to popular acclaim. During the ceremony, while presenting the King the keys to the city, the comte de Chabrol, Prefect of the Seine, declared: "Proud to possess its new king, Paris can aspire to become the queen of cities by its magnificence, as its people aspire to be foremost in its fidelity, its devotion, and its love."[1]

But eight months later, the mood of the capital had sharply worsened in its opinion of the new king. The causes of this dramatic shift in public opinion were many, but the main two were:

The imposition of the death penalty for anyone profaning the Host of the Catholic Church (see Anti-Sacrilege Act).

The provisions for financial indemnities for properties confiscated by the 1789 Revolution and the First Empire of Napoleon. These indemnities to be paid to any one, whether noble or non-noble, who had been declared "enemies of the Revolution".

Critics of the first accused the king and his new ministry of pandering to the Catholic Church, and by so doing violating guarantees of equality of religious belief as specified in La Charte.

The second matter, that of financial indemnities, was far more opportunistic than the first. This was because since the restoration of the monarchy, there had been demands from all groups to settle matters of property ownership; to reduce, if not eliminate, the uncertainties in the real estate market[2] both in Paris and in France. But liberal opponents, many of whom were frustrated Bonapartists, began a whispering campaign that Charles X was only proposing this in order to shame those who had not emigrated. Both measures, they claimed, were nothing more than clever subterfuge meant to bring about the destruction of La Charte.

Up to this time, thanks to the popularity of the Charte constitutionnelle and the Chamber of Deputies with the people of Paris, the king's relationship with the élite – both of the right and left – had remained solid. This, too, was about to change. On 12 April, propelled by both genuine conviction and the spirit of independence, the Chamber of Deputies roundly rejected the government's proposal to change the inheritance laws. The popular leftist newspaper Le Constitutionnel pronounced this refusal "a victory over the forces of counter-revolutionaries and reactionism"[3]

The popularity of both the Chamber of Peers and the Chamber of Deputies skyrocketed, and the popularity of the king and his ministry dropped. This became unmistakable when on 16 April 1827, while reviewing the Garde Royale in the Champ de Mars, the king was greeted with icy silence, many of the spectators refusing even to remove their hats. Charles X "later told [his cousin] Orléans that, 'although most people present were not too hostile, some looked at times with terrible expressions'."[4]

Because of what it perceived to be growing, relentless, and increasingly vitriolic criticism of both the government and the Church, the government of Charles X introduced into the Chamber of Deputies a proposal for a law tightening censorship, especially in regard to the newspapers. The Chamber, for its part, objected so violently that the humiliated government had no choice but to withdraw its proposals.

On 18 March 1830, the liberal majority in the Chamber of Deputies made the Address of the 221 (motion of no confidence) against the king and Polignac's ministry. The following day, Charles dissolved parliament, and then alarmed Liberals by delaying elections for two months. During this time, the liberals championed the '221' as popular heroes, whilst the government struggled to gain support across the country as prefects were shuffled around the departments of France. The elections that followed return an overwhelming Liberal majority, thus defeating the government. This came after another event: on the grounds that it had behaved in an offensive manner towards the crown, on 30 April the king abruptly dissolved the National Guard of Paris, a voluntary group of citizens and an ever reliable conduit between the monarchy and the people. Cooler heads were appalled: "[I] would rather have my head cut off", wrote a noble from the Rhineland upon hearing the news, "than have counseled such an act: the only further measure needed to cause a revolution is censorship."

That came in July 1830 when, on Sunday, 25 July Charles X signed the July Ordinances, also known as "The Ordinances of Saint-Cloud". On Monday 26 July, they were published in the leading conservative newspaper in Paris, Le Moniteur. On Tuesday 27 July, the revolution began in earnest Les trois journées de juillet, and the end of the Bourbon monarchy.

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Nilai Kehidupan

Alkisah, ada seorang pemuda yang hidup sebatang kara. Pendidikan rendah, hidup dari bekerja sebagai buruh tani milik tuan tanah yang kaya raya. Walapun hidupnya sederhana tetapi sesungguhnya dia bisa melewati kesehariannya dengan baik.

Pada suatu ketika, si pemuda merasa jenuh dengan kehidupannya. Dia tidak mengerti, untuk apa sebenarnya hidup di dunia ini. Setiap hari bekerja di ladang orang demi sesuap nasi. Hanya sekadar melewati hari untuk menunggu kapan akan mati. Pemuda itu merasa hampa, putus asa, dan tidak memiliki arti.

“Daripada tidak tahu hidup untuk apa dan hanya menunggu mati, lebih baik aku mengakhiri saja kehidupan ini,” katanya dalam hati. Disiapkannya seutas tali dan dia berniat menggantung diri di sebatang pohon.

Pohon yang dituju, saat melihat gelagat seperti itu, tiba-tiba menyela lembut. “Anak muda yang tampan dan baik hati, tolong jangan menggantung diri di dahanku yang telah berumur ini. Sayang, bila dia patah. Padahal setiap pagi ada banyak burung yang hinggap di situ, bernyanyi riang untuk menghibur siapapun yang berada di sekitar sini.”

Dengan bersungut-sungut, si pemuda pergi melanjutkan memilih pohon yang lain, tidak jauh dari situ. Saat bersiap-siap, kembali terdengar suara lirih si pohon, “Hai anak muda. Kamu lihat di atas sini, ada sarang tawon yang sedang dikerjakan oleh begitu banyak lebah dengan tekun dan rajin. Jika kamu mau bunuh diri, silakan pindah ke tempat lain. Kasihanilah lebah dan manusia yang telah bekerja keras tetapi tidak dapat menikmati hasilnya.”

Sekali lagi, tanpa menjawab sepatah kata pun, si pemuda berjalan mencari pohon yang lain. Kata yang didengarpun tidak jauh berbeda, “Anak muda, karena rindangnya daunku, banyak dimanfaatkan oleh manusia dan hewan untuk sekadar beristirahat atau berteduh di bawah dedaunanku. Tolong jangan mati di sini.”

Setelah pohon yang ketiga kalinya, si pemuda termenung dan berpikir, “Bahkan sebatang pohonpun begitu menghargai kehidupan ini. Mereka menyayangi dirinya sendiri agar tidak patah, tidak terusik, dan tetap rindang untuk bisa melindungi alam dan bermanfaat bagi makhluk lain”.

Segera timbul kesadaran baru. “Aku manusia; masih muda, kuat, dan sehat. Tidak pantas aku melenyapkan kehidupanku sendiri. Mulai sekarang, aku harus punya cita-cita dan akan bekerja dengan baik untuk bisa pula bermanfaat bagi makhluk lain”.

Si pemuda pun pulang ke rumahnya dengan penuh semangat dan perasaan lega.

Kalau kita mengisi kehidupan ini dengan menggerutu, mengeluh, dan pesimis, tentu kita menjalani hidup ini (dengan) terasa terbeban dan saat tidak mampu lagi menahan akan memungkinkan kita mengambil jalan pintas yaitu bunuh diri.

Sebaliknya, kalau kita mampu menyadari sebenarnya kehidupan ini begitu indah dan menggairahkan, tentu kita akan menghargai kehidupan ini. Kita akan mengisi kehidupan kita, setiap hari penuh dengan optimisme, penuh harapan dan cita-cita yang diperjuangkan, serta mampu bergaul dengan manusia-manusia lainnya.

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Si Pitung

Pada jaman penjajahan belanda dahulu, di daerah Jakarta (dahulu Batavia) hiduplah seorang pria gagah yang bernama si Pitung. Dia lahir dari pasangan suami istri yang bernama pak Piun dan bu Pinah. Pekerjaan pak Piun sehari-hari adalah bertani.

Setiap hari si Pitung membantu bapaknya menanam padi, memetik kelapa dan mencari rumput untuk pakan ternaknya. Si Pitung juga tak segan untuk membantu tetangganya yang memerlukan bantuan. Tiap hari si Pitung juga sangat rajin menunaikan sholat dan puasa, bapaknya juga selalu mengajarkan si Pitung untuk bertutur kata yang santun, dan patuh kepada orang tua.

Si Pitung dan keluarganya tinggal di kampung Rawabelong, daerah kebayoran. Daerah itu adalah bagian dari daerah kekuasaan tuan tanah yang bernama babah Liem Tjeng Soen,oleh karena itu semua warga yang tinggal di situ wajib membayar pajak kepada babah Liem. Hasil pajak tanah tersebut nantinya akan disetorkan kepada Belanda.

Dalam memungut pajak, babah Liem dibantu oleh anak buahnya yang berasal dari kalangan pribumi. Anak buah yang diangkat babah Liem adalah kaum pribumi yang pandai bersilat dan memainkan senjata. Tujuannya adalah supaya para penduduk tidak berani melawan dan membantah pada saat dipungut pajak.

Hingga pada suatu hari, saat si Pitung membantu bapaknya mengumpulkan hasil panen dari sawah. Sesampainya di rumah, betapa terkejutnya si Pitung melihat anak buah babah Liem sedang marah-marah kepada bapaknya. Si Pitung lalu menghampiri bapaknya, dan bertanya kepada anak buah babah Liem, “Hey, apa salah bapak saya?” “Tanya saja sama bapakmu ini!!”, jawab anak buah babah Liem.

Anak buah babah Liem lalu pergi dengan membawa semua hasil panen yang telah dikumpulakan si Pitung dan bapaknya. Dengan nada geram, si Pitung berbicara dalam hatinya, “Nantikan pembalasanku!!”

Hingga keesokan harinya saat si Pitung berjalan menyusuri kampung, dia melihat kesewenang-wenangan anak buah babah Liem lagi. Mereka merampas ayam, kambing, kelapa, dan padi dari penduduk, tanpa rasa iba.

Sebagai warga yang merasa bertanggung jawab atas keamanan, maka si Pitung tidak tinggal diam. Si Pitung lalu menghampiri anak buah babah Liem, lalu berteriak “Hentikan pengecut!! Kenapa kalian merampas harta orang lain?!”

Para anak buah babah Liem kemudian menoleh kearah si Pitung. “Siapa kamu ini, berani-beraninya mencegah kami? Kamu tidak tahu siapa kami ini?”,teriak anak buah babah Liem.

“Saya tidak peduli siapa kalian, tapi perbuatan kalian itu sangatlah kejam dan tidak berperi kemanusiaan!”, jawab si Pitung.

Mendengar perkataan si Pitung, pemimpin anak buah babah Liem menjadi geram. Ia lalu menghampiri si Pitung, dan menyerang sekenanya saja. Ia mengira bahwa Pitung akan mudah dirobohkan. Namun, di luar dugaannya, Pitung malah mencekal lengannya dan membantingnya ke tanah hingga pingsan. Anak buah babah Liem yang lain menghentikan kesibukan mereka dan mengepung Pitung. Dengan sigap Pitung menyerang lebih dulu. Ada lima orang yang mengeroyoknya. Satu demi satu ia hajar pelipis atau tulang kering mereka hingga mereka mengaduh kesakitan. Lalu mereka menggotong pimpinan centeng yang masih pingsan dan melarikan diri.

Sebelum pergi, mereka mengancam: “Awas, nanti kami laporkan Demang.”

Beberapa hari setelah peristiwa itu, nama Pitung menjadi pembicaraan di seluruh Kebayoran. Namun, Pitung tak gentar dan tetap bersikap tenang. Ia bahkan tidak menghindar kalau ada orang yang bertanya kepadanya tentang kejadian itu.

Suatu hari, Pak Piun menyuruh si Pitung menjual kambing ke Pasar Tanah Abang. Pak Piun sedang membutuhkan uang untuk memenuhi kebutuhan keluarga. Si Pitung pun pergi ke tanah abang untuk menjual dua kambingnya itu. Tanpa sepengetahuan si Pitung, ternyata ada satu orang anak buah babah Liem yang membuntutinya sejak berangkat dari rumah tadi. Hingga pada saat si Pitung mandi di sungai dan berwudhu, anak buah babah Liem tadi mencuri uang hasil penjualan kambing dari saku bajunya yang diletakkakn di pinggir sungai.

Sesampainya di rumah, si Pitung sangatlah kaget. Karena uang hasil penjualan kambing tidak ada di sakunya lagi. Dengan geram ia kembali ke Pasar Tanah Abang dan mencari orang yang telah mencuri uangnya. Setelah melakukan penyelidikan, ia menemukan orang itu. Orang itu sedang berkumpul di sebuah kedai kopi.

Si Pitung mendatanginya dan menghardik, “Kembalikan uangku!”

Salah seorang berkata sambil tertawa, “Kamu boleh ambil uang ini, tapi kamu harus menjadi anggota kami.”

“Tak sudi aku jadi anggota kalian,” jawab si Pitung.

Para anak buah babah Liem itu marah mendengar jawaban si Pitung. Serentak mereka menyerbu Pitung. Namun, yang mereka hadapi adalah Si Pitung dari Kampung Rawabelong yang pernah menghajar enam orang centeng Babah Liem sendirian. Akibatnya, satu demi satu mereka kena pukulan Si Pitung.

Sejak hari itu, Si Pitung memutuskan untuk membela orang-orang yang lemah. Ia tak tahan lagi melihat penderitaan rakyat jelata, yang ditindas tuan tanah dan dihisap oleh penjajah Belanda. Beberapa anak buah babah Liem yang pernah dihajarnya ada yang insyaf dan ia mengajak mereka untuk membentuk suatu kelompok. Bersama kelompoknya, ia merampoki rumah-rumah orang kaya dan membagi-bagikan harta rampasannya kepada orang-orang miskin dan lemah.

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The Legend of Korra

The Legend of Korra is an American television series set in the Avatar universe as a spin-off of Avatar: The Last Airbender. The premiere aired on Nickelodeon on April 14, 2012. However, the first two episodes were first released online on March 24–25, 2012[6] and were available in high-definition for free on iTunes. The series is currently under production and is expected to run for two seasons and a total of twenty-six episodes,[5] with options for more.[7] The co-creators of the original series, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, will personally write all of the episodes to allow for a tighter storyline.

The new series takes place seventy years after the end of the Avatar: The Last Airbender story arc with new characters and settings.[5] The protagonist of the new series, Korra, the Avatar after Aang, is a hot-headed and rebellious young woman from the Southern Water Tribe who is "ready to take on the world".[8] The series will follow Korra as she faces an Anti-bending Revolution while mastering the art of airbending from Aang and Katara's son, Tenzin.

After the conclusion of the Hundred Year War, Aang and Zuko brought people from the four nations together and founded the United Republic of Nations, with its capital being Republic City, a large "metropolis powered by steampunk-type technology" such as cars and motorcycles.[9] Aang and Katara had three children, the youngest of which was Tenzin, the only airbender of the three siblings. Meanwhile, Toph Beifong traveled extensively to teach metalbending. After Aang's death in 153 ASC, the next Avatar, Korra, was born in the Southern Water Tribe.

At present time, seventy years after the end of the Hundred Year War, Korra, a rebellious seventeen year-old girl is set to complete her training and fulfill her role as the Avatar.[5][8] She has already mastered waterbending, earthbending, and firebending by then. At the beginning of the series, Korra travels to Republic City and starts her airbending training with Tenzin.[9][10] Tenzin himself is married to Pema. He has two daughters, Jinora, a "bookworm", and Ikki, a "motor-mouth", while Meelo, his first son, was his only son leading up to Episde 10, "Turning the Tides" , until Pema gave birth to another boy named Rohan .[11]

A view of Republic City, the main setting of the show.

However, Republic City is not what Korra imagined it to be. Anti-benders called "Equalists", who oppose the arts of bending, utilize techniques such as chi blocking to further their goals of revolution, led by Amon.[9] Korra must fight rampant crime and the Anti-bending Revolution, assisted by two brothers, Mako, a firebender, and Bolin, an earthbender. She is also joined by her animal guide, Naga, and the metalbending police force of Republic City, who are led by Toph's daughter, Lin Beifong.

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LUTUNG KASARUNG

Prabu Tapa Agung had led a kingdom in West Java for a long time. He was getting old and therefore wanted to choose a successor. But unfortunately, he had no son. He thought of choosing one of his daughters, Purbararang and Purbasari. But it wasn’t an easy choice. They were both very pretty and smart. The only difference was their temperament. Purbararang was rude and dishonest, while Purbasari was kind and caring. With those considerations, Prabu Tapa Agung finally chose Purbasari to be his successor.

Purbararang didn’t agree with her father’s decision. “It’s supposed to be me, Father. I’m the eldest daughter!” Purbararang said. Prabu Tapa Agung smiled. “Purbararang, to be a queen takes more than age. There are many other qualities that one must possess,” explained Prabu Tapa Agung wisely. “What does Purbasari have that I don’t?” Purbararang pouted. “You’ll find out when Purbasari has replaced me,” Prabu Tapa Agung answered.

After the discussion, Purbararang went back to her room. “Is there something wrong?” asked Indrajaya. Indrajaya is Purbararang’s future husband. “I’m upset! Father chose Purbasari as his successor and not me! I have to do something!” Purbararang said. Driven mad by her anger, she came to a witch and asked her to send rash all over Purbasari’s body. Before going to bed, Purbasari started to feel itch all over her body. She tried applying powder to her body, but it’s no use. Instead, the itching grew even worse. She didn’t want to scratch it, but she just couldn’t help it. In the next morning, there were scratch mark all over Purbasari’s body. “What happened to you?” asked Purbararang, pretending to be concerned. “I don’t know, sis. Last night, my body suddenly felt very itchy. I scratched and scratched, and this is what happened,” Purbasari answered. Purbararang shook her head. “You must have done something really awful. You’ve been punished by the gods!”

That day, the whole kingdom was scandalized. “What have you done, Purbasari?” demanded Prabu Tapa Agung. Purbasari shook her head. “I didn’t do anything that would upset the gods, Father,” she answered. “Then how can you explain what happened to your body?” Prabu Tapa Agung asked again. “If you don’t confess, I’ll banish you to the woods.” Purbasari took a deep breath. “Like I said before, I didn’t do anything wrong. And I’d rather be thrown into the woods than to confess to a deed I didn’t commit.”

After a short discussion with his advisor, Prabu Tapa Agung ordered Purbasari to be moved to the woods. Purbasari was very sad, but she couldn’t do anything to defy her father’s order. She was accompanied to the woods by a messenger. He built a simple hut for Purbasari. After the messenger left, suddenly a black monkey came to Purbasari’s hut. He carried a bunch of bananas. From behind him, some animals looked on. “Are the bananas for me?’ Purbasari asked. The black monkey nodded, as if he understood what Purbasari said. Purbasari took the bananas with pleasure. She also said thanks. The other animals that were looking on also seemed to smile. “Are you willing to be my friend?” Purbasari asked them. All the animals nodded happily. Although she was living by herself in the woods, Purbasari never lacked of supplies. Everyday, there were always animals bringing her fruits and fish to eat.

A long time had passed since Purbasari was banished to the woods, but her body still itched. At some places, her skin was even ulcerating. What am I supposed to do?” Purbasari sighed. The monkey who was sitting next to her stayed still, there were tears in his eyes. He hoped Purbasari would remain patient and strong.

One night, on a full moon, the monkey took Purbasari to a valley. There is a pond with hot spring water. The monkey suddenly spoke, “The water of this pond will heal your skin,” he said. Purbasari was surprised, ”You can talk? Who are you?” she asked. “You’ll find out, in time,” the monkey said. Purbasari didn’t want to force the monkey. She then walked to the pond. She bathed there. After a few hours, Purbasari walked out of the pond. She was shocked to see her face reflected on the clear pond water. Her face was beautiful again, with smooth and clean skin. Purbasari observed her entire body. There were no traces of any skin ailments. “I’m cured! I’m cured!” Purbasari shouted in joy. She quickly offered thanks to the gods and also to the monkey.

The news of Purbasari’s condition quickly spread to the kingdom, irritating Purbararang. She then accompanied by Indrajaya go to the woods to see Purbasari. Purbasari asked if she would be allowed to go home. Purbararang said she would let Purbasari return to the palace if Purbasari’s hair were longer than hers. Purbararang then let her hair down. It was so long, it almost touched the ground. But it turned out that Purbasari’s hair was twice longer than Purbararang’s hair.

“Fine, so your hair is longer than mine.” Purbararang admitted. “But there is one more condition you must fulfill, do you have a future husband who is handsomer than mine?” said Purbararang as she walked toward Indrajaya. Purbasari felt miserable. She didn’t have a future husband yet. So, without much thought, she pulled the black monkey beside her.

Purbararang and Indrajaya burst out, but their laughter didn’t last long. The monkey meditates and suddenly transformed into a very handsome young man, a lot more handsome than Indrajaya. “I’m a prince from a kingdom far away. I was cursed to be a monkey because of a mistake I committed. I could regain my true form only if there’s a girl who would be willing to be my wife,” said the young man.

Finally, Purbararang gave up. She accepted Purbasari as the queen, and also confessed everything she had done. “Please forgive me. Please don’t punish me,” Purbararang said, asking for forgiveness. Instead of being angry, Purbasari smiled. “I forgive you, sis,” she said. Soon after, Purbasari become queen. Beside her was the handsome prince, the former monkey known as Lutung Kasarung.

Source:

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EXERCISE

EXERCISE:

Fill in the blanks with when, while, because, since, if, unless, before, after, wherever, although, so that, or as if.

1.   When Edison invented a lamp which conducted electricity, gas had been the chief means of lighting home and streets.

2.      I saw an old friend of mine while I was entering the building.

3.      Though his car was much too small, he decided to sell it.

4.      He won’t pass the examination unless he study harder.

5.      Wherever he went, he was warmly received.

6.      The executive acts, as if he owns the company.

7.      If I get the money on time, I can go on vacation.

8.      Although she spends a lot of money on clothes, they never seem to suit her.

9.      I have a lot of extra work to do because my assistant is on vacation.

10.  Since they moved into an expensive apartment, they have become very snobbish.

11.  When someone broke into her house and stole her jewelry, she was next door chatting with her neighbour.

12.  It’s because warm today so that I’m going to the beach.

13.  Though my uncle has worked hard all his life, he could never save up enough money to go on a long vacation.

14.  We will go to the theatre with you tonight if  we can get a baby-sitter.

15.  Don’t give this package to him before he sign a receipt for it.

16.  We’re as pleased with these new towels so that we’re going to buy some more.

17.  After Hitler believed that Germans were the master race, he set out to conquer all of Europe.

18.  When I was in South Africa last year, I learned to speak Spanish.

19.  He looks as if he hasn’t ever changed his clothes.

20.  Repairs will be made if they are necessary.

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