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7

Go to the Ant
By The Authorized Version

Solomon recommends taking lessons from one of God’s smallest but most hard-working creatures.

The Book of Proverbs is traditionally ascribed to Solomon, son of King David, and himself King of Israel early in the tenth century BC, though as with the Psalms some of it was compiled from the works of other authors, and some is of later date. The following passage was translated into English for the Authorized Version of 1611, and the result is quite masterly.

Posted February 20

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Jigsaws: Join this group of ideas together to make a single sentence, in as many ways as you can. See if you can include any of the words in square brackets.

The ant works hard. People should copy ants. They should not be lazy. [Example. Instead. Rather.]

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Picture: © Tim Felce, Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 2.0.. Source.

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8

Chariots of Steam
By Erasmus Darwin

Erasmus Darwin imagines how steam power will change the world.

Erasmus Darwin, father of pioneering zoologist Charles Darwin, wrote these lines in his poem The Botanic Garden, published in 1789 but written as many as twenty years earlier, when steam-powered vehicles were still decades away.

Posted February 16

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Picture: By Clément Ader, photo © Roby, Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 2.0.. Source.

9

Music Video

Modest Mussorgsky: Sorochinsky Fair: Gopak

Media not showing? Let me know!

1m 54s

Posted February 16

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10

Fragments
Find in Think and Speak

Develop these short phrases into complete sentences.

Turn these phrases into complete sentences. Each sentence should have at least twice as many words as the original phrase does. Introduce people, objects and actions, and think about where and why.

1 a bedraggled spaniel

2 the largest tree in the neighbourhood

3 the latter

Posted February 15

Tags: Fragments (1) Think and Speak (49)

Picture: By Neoclassicism Enthusiast, Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.. Source.

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11

The Moral Case for Family Farms
By Richard Cobden

Richard Cobden called on Parliament to support small, family-owned farms.

In 1864, Richard Cobden MP published an open letter arguing that small-holdings owned by the farmer, with the absolute right of inheritance, were the best guarantee of public morality and national prosperity. He began with the claim of public morality, arguing that the Government’s policy of super-farms was a step back towards feudalism, and a blow to aspiration.

Posted February 14

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Jigsaws: Join this group of ideas together to make a single sentence, in as many ways as you can. See if you can include any of the words in square brackets.

Some farmers own their land. The number is going down. The is bad for the country. [Consequence. Fewer. Harm.]

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Picture: © Christine Matthews, Geograph. CC BY-SA 2.0.. Source.

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12

Hiawatha Takes a Photograph
By Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll records a suburban photoshoot in the style of Longfellow.

The distinctive rhythm and tricks of speech that Henry Longfellow used in his narrative poem The Song of Hiawatha (1855) were just begging to be parodied. Lewis Carroll could not resist the temptation, nor could he resist descending from the lofty tale of a Native American warrior to suburban photography, in which Carroll was an early pioneer.

Posted February 13

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Jigsaws: Join this group of ideas together to make a single sentence, in as many ways as you can. See if you can include any of the words in square brackets.

Don’t move at all. It spoils the picture. [Again. Slight. Still. ]

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Picture: By Joaquín Sorolla (1863-1923), via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.. Source.

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★ The Persistence of Thomas Clarkson Today, the slave trade is a £150bn global business. Back in the late 18th century, it was making a lot of influential people very rich too, but some in England were determined to stop it.

For Today • March 28 • The birth of Thomas Clarkson

★ The Story of ‘Charlotte Dundas’ The invention of the steamboat was a formidable challenge not just of engineering, but of politics and finance.

For Today • March 28 • William Symington’s ‘Charlotte Dundas’ successfully tested

In This Sign Conquer Bishop Eusebius recalls what Constantine told him about the vision that brought him the crown.

Posted February 26 • The Copy Book

Phrases Use phrases such as ‘to the town’ in sentences, with nouns or with verbs.

Posted February 26

The Marks of a Tyrant Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle explains what it is that defines a tyranny.

Posted February 25 • The Copy Book

Keep It Short Plutarch argues that it when it comes to strong speech, less is always more.

Posted February 24 • The Copy Book

Anagrams Shuffle the letters of each of these words to make new ones. See if you can match the number indicated.

Posted February 23 • Think and Speak

Polyword: Mere Make as many words as you can using the letters of one nine-letter word. Can you beat our score?

Posted February 21 • Think and Speak

Go to the Ant Solomon recommends taking lessons from one of God’s smallest but most hard-working creatures.

Posted February 20 • The Copy Book

Chariots of Steam Erasmus Darwin imagines how steam power will change the world.

Posted February 16 • The Copy Book

Music Video Modest Mussorgsky: Sorochinsky Fair: Gopak

Posted February 16

Fragments Develop these short phrases into complete sentences.

Posted February 15 • Think and Speak

The Moral Case for Family Farms Richard Cobden called on Parliament to support small, family-owned farms.

Posted February 14 • The Copy Book

Hiawatha Takes a Photograph Lewis Carroll records a suburban photoshoot in the style of Longfellow.

Posted February 13 • The Copy Book

Nouns of Number William Cobbett gives his son James some helpful examples of collective nouns.

Posted February 13 • The Copy Book

Hiawatha’s Inspiration Henry Longfellow tells us how his tale of a heroic Native American warrior came to him.

Posted February 12 • The Copy Book

Near Synonyms These words have very similar meaning but they are not the same — can you show the difference?

Posted February 12

Music Video Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Hiawatha: And They Said Farewell Forever

Posted February 12

Music Video Leroy Anderson: Irish Suite: II. The Minstrel Boy

Posted February 11

The Travellers and the Axe Two men find an axe, and then find some trouble, but they aren’t keen on sharing either of them.

Posted February 11 • The Copy Book

Train

Posted February 9 • Think and Speak

The Prophecy of Peter of Pomfret Peter foretold that King John would cease to be England’s sovereign, and he was right, though John still wore his crown.

Posted February 9 • The Copy Book