Introduction
This tale is not as far-fetched as it may sound. The hills about and the ground beneath the chapel of St John are riddled with spectacular caves and passages leading away from the church.
BACK in the days of the Byzantine Empire, the people of Paros heard that pirates were yet again patrolling the coast of their island.
As it was the Feast of St John the Evangelist, they ran to a remote monastery dedicated to the saint, shut themselves in, and offered fervent prayers.
Presently, the frightened townspeople noticed a ram in the church, with a curious light between its horns.
The ram trotted over to a hole in the wall, just above the ground, and little more than two feet square, and disappeared.
Torn between hope and doubt, for the opening appeared to lead into the ground, the faithful crawled in after the ram one by one, only to find themselves safe and sound in a clearing some distance from the monastery.
The hole in the wall can still be seen today, in the tiny cave-church of St John.
Précis
The people of the Greek island of Paros hid in a church to escape marauding pirates. Suddenly a ram with a light between its horns appeared, and immediately left through a hole that led into the ground. The people reluctantly followed, and emerged some distance away, safe from the pirates. (50 / 60 words)
The people of the Greek island of Paros hid in a church to escape marauding pirates. Suddenly a ram with a light between its horns appeared, and immediately left through a hole that led into the ground. The people reluctantly followed, and emerged some distance away, safe from the pirates.
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: although, besides, if, may, not, otherwise, whereas, 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 Church. Monastery. One.
2 Day. Lead. Tear.
3 Coast. People. Sound.
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.)
Verb and Noun Find in Think and Speak
Many words can serve as noun or verb depending on context: see if you can prove this with the examples below. Nouns go well with words such as the/a, or his/her; verbs go well after I/you/he etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Distance. 2 Still. 3 Run. 4 Light. 5 Hope. 6 People. 7 Tear. 8 Sound. 9 Back.
Variations: 1.if possible, use your noun in the plural, e.g. cat → cats. 2.use your verb in a past form, e.g. go → went. 3.use your noun in a sentence with one of these words: any, enough, fewer, less, no, some.
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. Found. 2. Coast. 3. Still. 4. Horn. 5. Square. 6. Notice. 7. See. 8. Just. 9. Light.
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 ()
