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Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.

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553

Westminster Charter of 966, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

Edgar’s Peace by James William Edmund Doyle

Edgar, King of England from 959 to 975, was surnamed ‘The Peaceful’ by a grateful public because of the care he took to defend person and property.

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554

By Adolph von Menzel (1815–1905), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

Tone Deaf by J. R. Sterndale Bennett

Joseph Joachim was regarded by most people in Europe as the greatest violinist ever, but in the home of Sterndale Bennett there was a dissenting voice.

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555

© Хомелка, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.

‘There is No Precedent for Such a Thing!’ by Elbert Green Hubbard

When Elizabeth Fry asked if she could lead prayers for the women inside Newgate gaol, the Governor was momentarily confused.

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556

© Qazwsx777, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

A New Year’s Resolution by Charles Dickens

Toby ‘Trotty’ Veck used to love hearing the church bells ring the New Year in, but now the chimes make him feel guilty, and afraid for the world.

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557

© John Sutton, Geograph. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.

Ranji’s Revenge by W. G. Grace

Cricketing legend W. G. Grace tells a story illustrating how fellow-batsman K. S. Ranjitsinhji set about winning the hearts of English cricketers.

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558

© Pavan Kumar N, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0 Generic.

Snake Eyes by Rudyard Kipling

Rikki-tikki-tavi had never met a cobra before, but when the first thrill of fear had passed he knew what he must do.

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© Nicholas Armitage / Clay Lane, 2025

May 23 NS

May 10 OS

The War of the Spanish Succession : After Louis XIV’s grandson Philip inherited the throne of Spain, the ‘Sun King’ began to entertain dreams of Europe-wide dominion.
Pirate : For each of these words, suggest others that seem to go with it, and use them to bring a scene to life.
Tilting at Windmills : Don Quixote seizes his chance to capture a giant for his lady-love, Dulcinea.
Kim’s Game : Test your memory with this mental agility game from the pages of Rudyard Kipling.
A Mechanical Miracle : The father of computing believed his machine held the key to some of life’s greatest mysteries.
Essential Nouns : Suggest nouns of essence, such as leadership or supremacy.
The Follies of Youth : RL Stevenson was of the opinion that wrongthink was better than groupthink.
Thick and Thin : Express each of these ideas as a single word.
Break : Explain what each of these common expressions means, and give examples.
Blind Guide : William Wirt recalls an overpowering sermon from a blind man in a little wooden chapel.
It’s All in the Delivery : Aeschines paid tribute to the oratory of his greatest rival — whether he meant to or not.
The Road to Ruin : George Berkeley warned that industry, not financial speculation, was the guarantee of a nation’s wealth.
Signs of Command : Suggest publicly-displayed commands, and say how many of them are sentences.
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