“Strange sir,” Penelope replied, “that can think me hard-hearted, or proud, or forgetful of what my husband was before he rowed away for Troy; for he was just such a man as you. Yet it shall be as you ask: Eurycleia shall make your bed outside the room. It shall not be a mattress, however” she added, watching his face carefully; “she shall take the whole bed from within the chamber, and bring it forth.”
At this Odysseus snorted. “Strong she must be” he said “to make such a bed! For I myself fashioned that bed from an olive tree, young and vigorous, even where it stood, its roots still fast in the earth beneath!” Round this tree, he reminded her, he had built the royal bedchamber, and the polished trunk had become the bedpost, all inlaid with gold, silver and ivory.
As soon as she heard him, Penelope knew the truth. Her heart melted and her legs shook; but she rose and flung her arms around her King. And so would rosy-fingered dawn have found them, had not Athene stayed the rising of the sun, that the two lovers might not be parted in their joy.
Based on ‘The Odyssey’ Books 18-22 by Homer (8th century BC), as translated by A. T. Murray for the Loeb Classical Library series (1919).
Précis
Penelope’s doubts began to irk Odysseus, and he angrily bade her nurse make up a bed for him outside the royal bedchamber. On an impulse, Penelope proposed bringing the royal bed out instead. Odysseus scorned the suggestion; he knew the bed was immovable, fashioned from a living tree. No impostor could know such intimate details, and all Penelope’s doubts vanished. (60 / 60 words)
Penelope’s doubts began to irk Odysseus, and he angrily bade her nurse make up a bed for him outside the royal bedchamber. On an impulse, Penelope proposed bringing the royal bed out instead. Odysseus scorned the suggestion; he knew the bed was immovable, fashioned from a living tree. No impostor could know such intimate details, and all Penelope’s doubts vanished.
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, just, otherwise, unless, until, whereas.
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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.
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 Fellow. Mark. Reveal.
2 Relax. Vigorous. Wretched.
3 Fit. Old. Proud.
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.)
Adjectives Find in Think and Speak
For each word below, compose sentences to show that it may be used as an adjective. Adjectives provide extra information about a noun, e.g. a black cat, a round table, the early bird etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Least. 2 Whole. 3 Kind. 4 Desperate. 5 Selfish. 6 Stupid. 7 Wide. 8 Longer. 9 Farther.
Variations: 1.show whether your adjective can also be used as e.g. a noun, verb or adverb. 2.show whether your adjective can be used in comparisons (e.g. good/better/best). 3.show whether your adjective can be used in attributive position (e.g. a dangerous corner) and also in predicate position (this corner is dangerous).
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.
ndd (6)
ended. endued. indeed. needed. unaided. undid.
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