Introduction
St Andrew the Apostle came to be the Patron Saint of Scotland through an early 8th century Bishop of Hexham. His feast day is the 30th of November, and he is patron also of Romania and Russia.
ANDREW was the first of the twelve apostles gathered by Jesus Christ. He and his brother Simon Peter were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel.
Andrew’s missionary journeys stretched from Greece to modern-day Georgia and Ukraine.
Christian tradition records that he was martyred at Patras in Greece in AD 62, crucified on an X-shaped cross called a saltire.
Relics of St Andrew were acquired by Acca, a monk from Hexham, during a trip to Rome in 692, and on his return home he became Abbot of a monastery dedicated to the saint.
Acca went to Scotland in 732, taking the relics with him to what is now St Andrews on the east coast.
Their presence gradually led to the Apostle taking over from St Columba as Scotland’s Patron, and it is the saltire of St Andrew which forms the national flag of Scotland.
Précis
Although St Andrew never visited Scotland, he became the Patron saint of the country after a monk from Hexham named Acca took some relics of the Apostle to Scotland in 732. Andrew’s Apostolic authority meant that he was soon preferred to Irish saint Columba. (44 / 60 words)
Although St Andrew never visited Scotland, he became the Patron saint of the country after a monk from Hexham named Acca took some relics of the Apostle to Scotland in 732. Andrew’s Apostolic authority meant that he was soon preferred to Irish saint Columba.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 40 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, because, despite, just, not, or, whereas, 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 Call. Now. Peter.
2 Gather. Martyr. Which.
3 Brother. Crucify. During.
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.)
Homonyms Find in Think and Speak
Each of the words below has more than one possible meaning. Compose your own sentences to show what those different meanings are.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Trip. 2. Lead. 3. Coast. 4. Flag.
Confusables Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that are similar to one another, but not exactly the same. Compose your own sentences to bring out the similarities and differences between them, whether in meaning, grammar or use.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
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 ()
