Introduction
This is far from the only tale of its kind concerning the ‘Kursk Root’ icon, named after its discovery in the 13th century among the shrubs of a forest near the ruins of Kursk in Russia. The icon, which escaped both the USSR and the Nazis, is kept today in New York, and last visited England in 2012.
IN 1898, Russian anarchists planted a bomb in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Sign in Kursk. It was timed to go off during the evening service for maximum casualties, and designed to destroy the miraculous icon of Mary kept there in a glass case. A shared belief in the icon’s miraculous powers drew peasant and Tsar closer together, which did not suit the anarchists at all.
However, the bomb did not explode until two in the morning, with a shivering bang. The monks of the monastery leapt out of bed and raced into the deserted cathedral, to find the icon’s heavy marble pedestal jolted and cracked. A weighty silver candlestick had been blown off it, right across the church; an iron door beside it had been wrenched off its hinges; the golden canopy above had crashed onto the floor, and window-glass was everywhere underfoot.
Amidst this devastation the icon itself was serene, its glass case — like its reputation for miracles — perfectly intact.
See a picture of the Kursk Root icon without its protective metal cover.
Précis
In 1898, some Russian anarchists tried to blow up a Church containing a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary, fearing the icon’s reputation for the miraculous legitimised the Tsars. No one was killed, but there was extensive damage all around, except to the icon in its glass case, which was quite unharmed. (52 / 60 words)
In 1898, some Russian anarchists tried to blow up a Church containing a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary, fearing the icon’s reputation for the miraculous legitimised the Tsars. No one was killed, but there was extensive damage all around, except to the icon in its glass case, which was quite unharmed.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 45 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, because, despite, if, or, ought, unless, 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.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence. 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 Close. Leap. Which.
2 Draw. Icon. Weighty.
3 Door. Heavy. Our.
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 ()
