A NOISY crowd quickly gathered. Those who could not understand what was being said dismissed it all as drunken babble, but dozens of others assured them that those strange flames had turned unlettered Galilaean fishermen into wise and persuasive speakers of every language of the world.
Amid the hubbub, Peter rose to address them. With a smile, he countered that you can’t get that drunk by nine in the morning. No, what they were seeing was the fulfilment of a prophecy. For generations, Jews had longed for the day when God would act to save his people through his Anointed servant. That day, he said, had come.
Jerusalem’s crowds were witnessing the gift of God’s Spirit, promised in Scripture, a gift offered even to them - the same crowds that had so shamefully demanded Jesus’s crucifixion fifty days before - if they would only repent, and be baptised. Some three thousand stepped forward. The wise fishermen were drawing their net around the whole world.
Précis
When people heard the apostles speaking in strange tongues, some thought it was drunken nonsense but others recognized their own languages. Then Peter stood up, and told the crowd that what they were witnessing was the prophesied gift of God’s Spirit, and if they repented of their part in the crucifixion of Jesus, they too could share in it. (59 / 60 words)
When people heard the apostles speaking in strange tongues, some thought it was drunken nonsense but others recognized their own languages. Then Peter stood up, and told the crowd that what they were witnessing was the prophesied gift of God’s Spirit, and if they repented of their part in the crucifixion of Jesus, they too could share in it.
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: although, besides, just, must, not, or, whereas, whether.
Archive
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 Even. Rose. Week.
2 Forward. Gather. Like.
3 Fork. Oddity. Speaker.
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.)
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
mtng (5+1)
mating. meeting. meting. mooting. muting.
emoting.
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