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For Today
Introduction — After Alaric the Goth’s assault on Rome was successfully turned back, victory games were held in the Roman Colosseum on January 1st, 404. As usual, they quickly descended into savagery.
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For Today
The Gift of Life
by A. G. Gardiner
Introduction — Asked which event of the Great War had made the deepest impression on him, columnist ‘Alpha of the Plough’ recalled the fate of HMS Formidable, twice torpedoed by a German U-Boat during night-time exercises off the Devon coast on January 1st, 1915. The Captain, 34 officers and 512 crew died; 157 men were picked up from the water or made it ashore in two boats.
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For Today
Introduction — Australia is a partner to be proud of: a sovereign constitutional monarchy with our Queen as Head of State, a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, and a prosperous democracy built on and dedicated to free trade that gave us priceless support in two world wars.
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For Today
Today
January 1
(ns)
New Year’s Day
Introduction — The death of Tennyson’s close friend Arthur Henry Hallam left familiar Christmas Eve customs such as the holly and the music and the dancing full of sad memories for him. He responded positively, however, embracing the deeper message of Christmas Day: a new beginning, a New Year.
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For Today
Today
December 19
(os)
Christmastide
12 Posts
Introduction — In 314, the Roman Empiror Costantine lifted all restrictions on Christianity, but intellectuals still held the philosophy of Plato in awe. Sometimes the Greek view of the Divine – remote, impersonal, unsullied by contact with Creation – tempted Christian clergy to back-peddle on the much more characterful God of Israel, who will dare all for love.
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4 Jun 2025
The Two Shakespeares
by Arthur Clutton-Brock
Introduction — Arthur Clutton-Brock was, for many years, art critic for the Times, and knew something of the artistic temperament. On the tercentenary of the death of William Shakespeare (1564-1616), he deplored the way that Shakespeare had been turned into a National Institution.
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2 Jun 2025
Use each noun below in two sentences, first as the subject, and then as the object of a verb. For example, rain → ‘The rain hasn’t stopped all day’ [subject]; ‘I shook the rain from my umbrella’ [object].
IBattle. IIEar. IIIFairway. IVJudge. VLevel. VIVideo.
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2 Jun 2025
Introduction — On October 21st, 1805, the Royal Navy crushed a French and Spanish fleet at Cape Trafalgar, Spain. This permanently deprived Napoleon Bonaparte, the French Emperor, of sea-power, and ended his hopes of conquering Britain. Though Admiral Nelson died that day, his call to arms remains one of the best-known sentences in the English language. Here, Lieutenant John Pasco recalls how it was made.
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2 Jun 2025
Use the following as adverbial clauses in your own sentences. For example: Before he leaves → ‘I must speak to him [before he leaves]’.
An adverbial clause does the work of an adverb such as ‘immediately’ or ‘urgently’. Unlike these words, however, a clause has a subject and a verb in it, as a sentence does. So ‘immediately’ is an adverb, ‘as soon as possible’ is an adverbial phrase (no verb), but ‘as soon as I can’ is an adverbial clause.
IBefore he leaves. IIWhenever you like. IIIBetter than I do. IVBecause I’m late for a meeting. VSince you’re here. VIIf you see her. VIIUnless it’s raining.
Suggestions
The following sentences could be used with one or more of the adverbial clauses above.
Make sure he’s got his passport. Tell her where I am. Come and visit us. You can help with the washing-up. You know her. I can’t talk for long. We’ll have lunch in the garden.