Introduction
St Nicholas (d. 343), who became Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor, is known as the patron of seamen, and it is a pity that a sea-faring nation such as Britain should have largely forgotten about him. Here is one of many miracles attributed to him.
INTENDING to visit the Holy Sepulchre, Nicholas boarded an Egyptian ship headed for Jerusalem. One night during his voyage, he dreamt that the ship was caught in a terrible storm, and that Satan had cut the rigging and broken the wheel.
Next day, he told the ship’s captain that should a storm arise, he must not be afraid, because it was the devil’s work and God would help them.
Sure enough, a great storm arose and his fellow-passengers, who were expecting to be drowned at any moment, clustered helplessly around Nicholas. He took to his knees, and soon the raging wind dropped, and the sea grew calm.
But an unlucky sailor who had climbed the mast to mend the sail slipped, and fell to his death on the deck far below.
Rushing to his side, Nicholas called on God once again, and before their astonished eyes the passengers saw him wake as if from a refreshing sleep, and return to work.
Précis
Nicholas was on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem when his ship was struck by a savage storm. At his prayers, the storm subsided, but as repairs were beginning one unlucky sailor was killed in a tragic accident. St Nicholas’s prayers restored him to life, just as if nothing had happened. (49 / 60 words)
Nicholas was on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem when his ship was struck by a savage storm. At his prayers, the storm subsided, but as repairs were beginning one unlucky sailor was killed in a tragic accident. St Nicholas’s prayers restored him to life, just as if nothing had happened.
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, must, not, or, until, whereas, whether, 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 Break. Drown. Rage.
2 Devil. Knee. Refresh.
3 Broken. Have. Wheel.
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. Deck. 2. Saw. 3. See. 4. Break. 5. Board.
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. Break. 2. Catch. 3. Knee. 4. Fall. 5. Sail. 6. Storm. 7. Day. 8. Head. 9. Work.
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.
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
mlts (6+2)
amulets. emulates. malts. melts. militias. omelets.
moults. umlauts.
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