IN the spring of 1683 the King of Poland was reported to be suffering from an incurable disease which would prevent him ever taking to the field of battle again at the head of his troops. The Christian nations were at swords’ points. To make matters still more serious, Hungary, suffering from the oppression of Austria, stood ready to furnish fifty thousand of its best troops to assist the Porte* in his operations against Austria, so that a very great army was assembled, and marched triumphantly to the very gates of Vienna.
In the very hour when victory seemed sure, Sobieski suddenly appeared with an army of only seventy thousand men, and struck the Turks like a whirlwind.* The Turks were so dumbfounded and bewildered by his sudden movement that they fled, panic-stricken, so that the proud, exultant foe was scattered to the winds, leaving behind them all of their war materials, and never stopping until they had reached the borders of Hungary. This defeat was so final that it was the very end of the Oriental dream of supremacy in Europe.*
Abridged
The High or Sublime Porte (French for gate) is a handy term for the Government of the Ottoman Empire. Strictly speaking, it is the High Gate of the Sultan’s Palace in Constantinople; the term is used much as we may speak of Downing Street, or Whitehall.
Modern estimates suggest about 150,000 for the Ottoman forces, and something rather short of 90,000 for the combined forces of John Sobieski’s Poles, Germans and Austrians.
Victory at Vienna began the Great Turkish War, which lasted until the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699. It was a defeat for the Ottoman Empire that proved to be the beginning of a gradual decline.
Précis
In 1683, the Ottoman Turks threw everything into a siege of Vienna, believing that King John of Poland was too sickly to mount another resistance. But quite unexpectedly John came, and with a force half the size of theirs he swept the Turks from the battlefield in a defeat so humiliating that the Turks never seriously troubled Western Europe again. (60 / 60 words)
In 1683, the Ottoman Turks threw everything into a siege of Vienna, believing that King John of Poland was too sickly to mount another resistance. But quite unexpectedly John came, and with a force half the size of theirs he swept the Turks from the battlefield in a defeat so humiliating that the Turks never seriously troubled Western Europe again.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, although, because, besides, may, otherwise, ought, whether.
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Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Every. Foe. So.
2 He. March. Movement.
3 Cherish. Exultant. Well.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
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