Introduction
In the 5th century, the spread of Christianity was a growing threat to the pagans’ hold of fear and ignorance over ordinary people. The pagans’ answer was (as always) violence.
EARLY in the 5th century, Christian villagers on the Welsh borders were being harried by pagan Picts and Saxons. And now, just after Easter in the year 429,* the little community learnt that an army was on its way to murder them all.
For help, they turned to a visiting Bishop from Gaul, called Germanus. Taking command, he quickly assembled them in a valley among hills where there was known to be a strange and alarming echo.
When the army of pagan Picts and Saxons came round the corner, the Britons suddenly shouted at the top of their voices, “Alleluia!”. “Praise the Lord!”.
The hills magnified the sound all around, until the startled enemy ran as fast as they could, ‘thinking’ (says the 7th century historian Bede) ‘the very rocks and sky were falling on them’.
And so it was that, quite unexpectedly, the Britons gained the bloodless ‘Alleluia Victory’.
The year is disputed; it may have been 430.
Précis
Back in the early 5th century, Christian villagers on the Welsh borders heard that a pagan army was on its way to kill them. Their bishop gathered them in a high-sided valley, and the echo of their shout of ‘Alleluia!’ frightened the enemy away — all without anyone being killed. (49 / 60 words)
Back in the early 5th century, Christian villagers on the Welsh borders heard that a pagan army was on its way to kill them. Their bishop gathered them in a high-sided valley, and the echo of their shout of ‘Alleluia!’ frightened the enemy away — all without anyone being killed.
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: about, besides, if, may, or, otherwise, ought, 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 Turn. Unexpected. Valley.
2 Among. Bishop. Their.
3 Community. Corner. Fast.
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.)
Opposites Find in Think and Speak
Suggest words or phrases that seem opposite in meaning to each of the words below. We have suggested some possible answers; see if you can find any others.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Variations: 1.instead of opposites, suggest words of similar meaning (synonyms). 2.use a word and its opposite in the same sentence. 3.suggest any 5 opposites formed by adding in-.
Adjectives Find in Think and Speak
For each word below, compose sentences to show that it may be used as an adjective. Adjectives provide extra information about a noun, e.g. a black cat, a round table, the early bird etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Bloodless. 2 Strange. 3 Fast. 4 Known. 5 Helpless. 6 Pagan. 7 Top. 8 Quick. 9 Lesser.
Variations: 1.show whether your adjective can also be used as e.g. a noun, verb or adverb. 2.show whether your adjective can be used in comparisons (e.g. good/better/best). 3.show whether your adjective can be used in attributive position (e.g. a dangerous corner) and also in predicate position (this corner is dangerous).
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?
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