Introduction
Armistice Day is an annual commemoration of the end of the First World War in 1918. Public ceremonies are kept on the nearest Sunday, which is now renamed Remembrance Sunday in recognition of other conflicts.
IN 1908, Austria-Hungary attempted to snatch Bosnia from the fading Ottoman Empire, leaving Russia little choice but to leap to Serbia’s defence. Britain and France were already allied to Russia, but Germany weighed in on Austria’s side, and in 1914 the most devastating war in history broke out, spreading across all Europe and beyond.*
The world finally wearied of war in 1918, and on November 11th that year, at eleven o’clock in the morning, the Armistice of Compiègne in France brought a halt to hostilities. Six months later, on 28 June 1919, the Treaty of Versailles formally ended the state of war between Germany and the Allies.
Nine million combatants and seven million civilians had died. In 1919, a two-minute silence was observed in London on the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice, at the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, “a silence” said one newspaper “which was almost pain”. A year later, King George V unveiled the Cenotaph in Whitehall as a lasting memorial to the Fallen.
See also The Outbreak of the Great War and posts tagged .
Précis
After four years of conflict, hostilities in the Great War came to an end with the Armistice of Compiègne, signed at 11 o’clock on November 11th, 1918. The anniversary has been kept ever since, first as Armistice Day and then as Remembrance Day. A memorial to the Fallen, the Cenotaph, now stands in Whitehall. (54 / 60 words)
After four years of conflict, hostilities in the Great War came to an end with the Armistice of Compiègne, signed at 11 o’clock on November 11th, 1918. The anniversary has been kept ever since, first as Armistice Day and then as Remembrance Day. A memorial to the Fallen, the Cenotaph, now stands in Whitehall.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: because, besides, despite, if, just, or, ought, who.
Archive
Word Games
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 Almost. Halt. Which.
2 Million. Much. Year.
3 Hour. Leap. Unveil.
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.)
Statements, Questions and Commands Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in a sentence. Try to include at least one statement, one question and one command among your sentences. Note that some verbs make awkward or meaningless words of command, e.g. need, happen.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Fall. 2 Pain. 3 Spread. 4 Break. 5 Leave. 6 End. 7 Sign. 8 Weigh. 9 Bring.
Variations: 1. use a minimum of seven words for each sentence 2. include negatives, e.g. isn’t, don’t, never 3. use the words ‘must’ to make commands 4. compose a short dialogue containing all three kinds of sentence: one statement, one question and one command
Subject and Object Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in two sentences, first as the subject of a verb, and then as the object of a verb. It doesn’t have to be the same verb: some verbs can’t be paired with an object (e.g. arrive, happen), so watch out for these.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Leave. 2. End. 3. Most. 4. Day. 5. History. 6. Fall. 7. War. 8. Year. 9. Formal.
Variations: 1.use your noun in the plural (e.g. cat → cats), if possible. 2.give one of your sentences a future aspect (e.g. will, going to). 3.write sentences using negatives such as not, neither, nobody and never.
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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