Minis
Mini Copy Book

Each post in this section is a short précis (summary) of a passage in The Copy Book. All of them are in modern English. They are intended for students of English as a Foreign Language at Elementary Level.

Tudor Era

The Ridolfi Plot

The Pope and the King of Spain decide that the time has come to rid England of her troublesome Queen, Elizabeth I.

Length: 110 words

Discovery and Invention

Not for Sale

Sir Humphry Davy pleads with Britain’s scientists not to be bought by Napoleon’s gold.

Length: 59 words

The Second World War

‘Please Respect our Traditions’

Archbishop Damaskinos of Athens took his wartime protest straight to the top.

Length: 112 words

Character and Conduct

The Absent Minded Conquerors

Sir John Seeley urged us to cherish our close ties to India and other nations beyond Europe.

Length: 60 words

Indian History

Srinivasa Ramanujan

A maths prodigy from Madras became so wrapped up in his sums that he forgot to pass his examinations.

Length: 108 words

Indian History

An Avoidable Tragedy

Adam Smith argued that the Bengal Famine of 1769 would have been much less of a tragedy under a free trade policy.

Length: 52 words