Introduction
Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter Day and the start of Holy Week, has been celebrated with willow branches in colder climes, including England, for centuries.
PALM Sunday commemorates the occasion when Jesus entered Jerusalem seated on a donkey, in deliberate fulfilment of the prophet Zechariah’s promise that one day Israel’s king would return to her capital in just that fashion.
His excited followers laid palm fronds in his path, and called him their King, crying “Hosanna to the son of David”.*
They believed he was going to drive out the Romans, and restore Israel to the glories of David’s reign a thousand years before.
Just days later, the cry had changed: “We have no King but Caesar!”** Soon, even as he poured out his life on the cross, there was silence. Only his mother and his friend John were by him in those last hours.
Where palms are plentiful, Christians have long brought them to church each year on this day, but as recently as Victorian times England followed the practice of more northerly countries from Romania to Russia, and the furry catkins of the willow were used instead.
See Matthew 21:9
** See John 19:15
Précis
In fulfilment of an ancient prophecy, shortly before his crucifixion Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, and crowds scattered palm branches in his path. This event is commemorated every year on Palm Sunday, though in colder climates where palms are rare — until quite recently including England — pussy willow has acted as a substitute. (54 / 60 words)
In fulfilment of an ancient prophecy, shortly before his crucifixion Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, and crowds scattered palm branches in his path. This event is commemorated every year on Palm Sunday, though in colder climates where palms are rare — until quite recently including England — pussy willow has acted as a substitute.
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: although, because, besides, despite, just, may, must, who.
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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 Commemorate. Deliberate. Would.
2 Cry. Hour. Late.
3 Go. Last. Plenty.
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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