That man, I think, has had a liberal education who has been so trained in youth that his body is the ready servant of his will, and does with ease and pleasure all the work that, as a mechanism, it is capable of; whose intellect is a clear, cold, logic engine, with all its parts of equal strength, and in smooth working order; ready, like a steam engine, to be turned to any kind of work, and spin the gossamers as well as forge the anchors of the mind; whose mind is stored with a knowledge of the great and fundamental truths of Nature and of the laws of her operations; one who, no stunted ascetic, is full of life and fire, but whose passions are trained to come to heel by a vigorous will, the servant of a tender conscience;* who has learned to love all beauty, whether of Nature or of art, to hate all vileness, and to respect others as himself.
From ‘A Liberal Education: and Where to Find It — An Address to the South London Working Men’s College’ in ‘Science and Education: Essays’ (1897), by T. H. Huxley (1825-1895). The lecture was delivered in 1868.
* See also Edmund Burke There is No Liberty without Self-Control, and Edmond Holmes on being Free to Grow.
Précis
Huxley went on to say that a truly ‘liberal’ education would train students to make appropriate use of their physical abilities, to be creative whether on a grand scale or in fine details, and use common sense to live a full, warm and active life without losing self-control, going against good conscience, or showing disrespect for other people. (58 / 60 words)
Huxley went on to say that a truly ‘liberal’ education would train students to make appropriate use of their physical abilities, to be creative whether on a grand scale or in fine details, and use common sense to live a full, warm and active life without losing self-control, going against good conscience, or showing disrespect for other people.
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, because, besides, must, otherwise, since, until, who.
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Word Games
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 Find. Her. Spin.
2 His. Neither. Tender.
3 Object. Seize. Steam.
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?
Your Words ()
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