Introduction
In 1915, Britain entered the second year of what later proved to have been the most appalling and wasteful war in human history. Joseph Longford, former Consul in Nagasaki and from 1903 the first Professor of Japanese at King’s College in London, contributed an essay to a series on ‘The Spirit of the Allied Nations’ in which he spoke of the Japanese cherry tree as a symbol of sacrifice.
EVERY season in the year has its own flower, fairest of all being the cherry, whose lovely pink and white blossoms spread their fragrance over the whole land in the sunny month of April, and everywhere provide forest bowers of fairy-like beauty, beneath which happy family groups gather in crowds to revel in happiness and good temper amidst a constant flow of cheerful gossip and soft, rippling laughter. The cherry flower is an emblem of life to the Japanese. Its only failing is that it is very shortlived. The first rough wind scatters its petals and covers the ground with a pale-pink carpet and soon all is over. And so should life be. Sunny, bright and beautiful when all goes well, but ever ready for sacrifice when it is required.
Abridged
Précis
The cherry tree is one of Japan’s national symbols, and in the eyes of Joseph Longford an appropriate one. The Japanese live life as the delicate cherry blossom lives: while the sun shines they laugh and are glad, but when the winds blow and the time for sacrifice comes, they accept their lot without complaint. (55 / 60 words)
The cherry tree is one of Japan’s national symbols, and in the eyes of Joseph Longford an appropriate one. The Japanese live life as the delicate cherry blossom lives: while the sun shines they laugh and are glad, but when the winds blow and the time for sacrifice comes, they accept their lot without complaint.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: if, just, may, not, or, ought, until, whether.
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 Month. Revel. Sacrifice.
2 But. Flower. Provide.
3 Like. Own. Well.
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. Temper. 2. Bright. 3. Fair. 4. Season. 5. Own. 6. Ground. 7. Spread. 8. Well. 9. Cheer.
Homophones Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that sound the same, but differ in spelling and also in meaning. Compose your own sentences to bring out the differences between them.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
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.
pts (12+3)
opts. pates. patios. pats. pets. piteous. pities. pits. poets. pots. pouts. puts.
opiates. patois. pitas.
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