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To celebrate 100 year of aviation, SriLankan Airlines under the program "Pathum Piyapath" will take 45 students aged 16-18 to Male. SriLankan is carrying out a competition to select students.

The students have to answer 5 questions based on the article below.

Here is the article.

Aviation is a term that includes all activities involved in building and flying aircraft, especially airplanes. The first successful airplane flights did not take place until 1903.

Yet today, planes affect people almost everywhere. Giant Airliners carry passengers and cargo between the world's major cities in a matter of hours. Planes and helicopters rush medicines and other supplies to the farthest islands and the deepest jungles. Farmers use airplanes to seed fields, count livestock and spray crops. Aviation has also changed the way nations make war. Modern warfare depends on instant striking power of jet fighters and bombers.

The aviation industry began on Dec. 17, 1903, near Kitty Hawk, N.C. That day, Orville and Wilbur Wright - two brothers who operated a bicycle manufacturing shop in Dayton, Ohio made the world's successful airplane flights. They built their airplane after studying the writings of other aviation pioneers and after carrying out experiments of gliders. Within a few years several small factories in Europe and the United States were producing airplanes.

Daredevil fliers brought many of these planes and used them to put on thrilling air shows. The governments of various countries also began to buy airplanes to build small Airforces. The daring stunts of the early fliers and the development of military airplanes greatly encouraged the growth of the aviation industry.

The Wright brothers and other early fliers occasionally took passengers for short plane rides. In 1910 a Wright plane flew 70 pounds (32 Kilograms) of silk from Dayton to Columbus. Ohio - perhaps the first airfreight shipment in history.

The world's first regular airplane passenger service began in the United States in 1914, but it lasted only a few months. On May 15, 1918, The US government started the world's first permanent airmail service. Army pilots flew the mail between New York City, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.

After World War I, thousands of military aircraft became available for civilian use. In 1919, bombers were used to start nearly 20 small passenger airlines in France, Germany, Great Britain and several European countries. One of these airlines, founded by Henri and Maurice Farman, began the world's first regular international airline service.

The company used old Farman bombers to make weekly passenger flights between Paris and Brussels, Belgium. By 1924, passenger airlines were operating in 17 European countries as well in Africa, Australia and South America. Most of the early airlines were founded as private companies, but beginning in the mid 1920s, the governments of many countries started to combine two or more private airlines to form a large national airline. In 1924, Great Britain became the first major power to form a national, government owned airline - Imperial Airways.

Ceylon (the former name for Sri Lanka) was no exception to the big powerful nations in having their own international airlines except in this case the order of events was reversed. By the time independence was achieved the country already had its own new Airline - there reliable twin engine DC-3 Dakotas.

All the preparatory flying climaxed on December 10, 1947 when Air Ceylon began life as an International airline in its own right, in turn giving birth to commercial aviation in the soon to be independent nation.

The inaugural passenger flight took off from Ratmalana Airport, Colombo to Kankesanthurai/Palaly (Jaffna) in northern Sri Lanka and to Madras (now Chennai) in Southern India.

In 1972 Ceylon became a republic. By 1977, it became evident that Sri Lanka's national carrier was ailing, and thus giving way for a new airline service - AirLanka.

Air Lanka's inaugural flight was on September 1, 1979. This was toasted with fruit juice, iced coffee and cola. Then as the Bangkok bound Boeing 707 thundered down the runway at Colombo Airport Katunayake (now known as The Bandaranayake International Airport, Katunayake - Sri Lanka's only international Airport), it was the foundation of a new beginning of aviation in Sri Lanka.

Air Lanka has the honour of being the first Asian airline to introduce the first Airbus A340. Therefore overcoming all hurdles and problems, Air Lanka was finally recognised as an International Airline of repute, possessing the world's finest aircraft. July 13, 1999 was another date to remember when thinking about the aviation industry in Sri Lanka. Subsequent to the purchase of 40% of the shares of Air Lanka by Emirates, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates - Air Lanka was given a new face, a new branding and a new name - SriLankan Airlines.

In the year 2003 as we celebrate 100 years of aviation in the world, we not only salute our National Carrier that has grown from strength to strength and as obtained international recognition in numerous ways, we also remember all those who sacrificed their lives in many ways to make the aviation industry a success.

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