Introduction
King Athamas’s first wife was the cloud-goddess Nephele, but she grew restless and left him. His choice of Ino as her successor proved even more disastrous.
INO, second wife of the Bœotian King Athamas, hated her stepchildren, Phrixus and Helle, with an ungovernable passion.
So first she blighted the crops in Bœotia, and then, when the harvest failed, she bribed messengers from the oracle at Delphi to tell Athamas that only the sacrifice of his son Phrixus would avert the plague.
But even as the priest raised his knife, a ram with a golden fleece appeared out of the clouds, and whisked the two children away.
Poor Helle lost her grip and fell into the sea, which was afterwards named Hellespont in her memory.
But Phrixus held on, and going ever further north came at last to Colchis, where King Æetes took pity on him.
In thanksgiving to Zeus, the ram was sacrificed; and in gratitude to the king, Phrixus gave him the golden fleece, which was nailed to a tree in the grove of Mars.
Précis
Ino, wife of King Athamas, persuaded Athamas that to avert a plague he must sacrifice her stepson Phrixus. But a ram with a golden fleece swept down from the skies, and carried Phrixus and his sister away. The ram was sacrificed, and its fleece hung upon a sacred tree. (49 / 60 words)
Ino, wife of King Athamas, persuaded Athamas that to avert a plague he must sacrifice her stepson Phrixus. But a ram with a golden fleece swept down from the skies, and carried Phrixus and his sister away. The ram was sacrificed, and its fleece hung upon a sacred tree.
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: because, despite, if, may, otherwise, ought, unless, whether.
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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 Pity. Second. Thanksgiving.
2 Grove. So. Tell.
3 Going. Knife. Name.
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.)
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. Priest. 2. Fail. 3. Knife. 4. Fall. 5. Nail. 6. Name. 7. Second. 8. North. 9. Crop.
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.
Verb and Noun Find in Think and Speak
Many words can serve as noun or verb depending on context: see if you can prove this with the examples below. Nouns go well with words such as the/a, or his/her; verbs go well after I/you/he etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Fall. 2 Fail. 3 Nail. 4 Hate. 5 Name. 6 Hold. 7 Cloud. 8 Knife.
Variations: 1.if possible, use your noun in the plural, e.g. cat → cats. 2.use your verb in a past form, e.g. go → went. 3.use your noun in a sentence with one of these words: any, enough, fewer, less, no, some.
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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