Introduction
Early in the Great War, Richard Hannay is in Constantinople, in pursuit of a German secret agent named Hilda von Einem. Hilda has duped a dreamy Muslim mystic into believing Germany shares his vision for society, and as Sandy Arbuthnot explains, that could be very bad both for the Arab world and for England.
“TELL me, Dick, what do you think of her?”
“I thought she was about two parts mad, but the third part was uncommon like inspiration.”
“That’s about right,” he said. “She runs the prophet just because she shares his belief. Only what in him is sane and fine, in her is mad and horrible. You see, Germany also wants to simplify life.”
“I know,” I said. “I told her that an hour ago, when I talked more rot to the second than any normal man ever achieved. It will come between me and my sleep for the rest of my days.”
“She wants to destroy and simplify; but it isn’t the simplicity of the ascetic, which is of the spirit, but the simplicity of the madman that grinds down all the contrivances of civilization to a featureless monotony. The prophet wants to save the souls of his people; Germany wants to rule the inanimate corpse of the world. But you can get the same language to cover both.”
Précis
Sandy Arbuthnot asks for Richard Hannay’s opinion of Hilda von Einem, a German spy, and Hannay replies that she is both mad and visionary. Sandy concurs. At first hearing, her goals sound as noble as those of her tame Muslim prophet, but where he preaches the self-denial of the ascetic, she demands servitude to Germany’s new world order. (58 / 60 words)
Sandy Arbuthnot asks for Richard Hannay’s opinion of Hilda von Einem, a German spy, and Hannay replies that she is both mad and visionary. Sandy concurs. At first hearing, her goals sound as noble as those of her tame Muslim prophet, but where he preaches the self-denial of the ascetic, she demands servitude to Germany’s new world order.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, because, just, not, otherwise, since, whereas, whether.
Archive
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, using different words as much as possible. 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 Also. Fine. Simplify.
2 His. She. Simplicity.
3 He. Hour. Third.
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 ()
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