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.

Extracts from Literature

A Perfect Combination of Imperfections

Jane Eyre meets a not very handsome stranger, and likes him all the better for it.

Length: 60 words

Greek History

The Greeks, the Governor and the Potatoes

John Kapodistrias had an instinct for how a long-oppressed people might think.

Length: 60 words

Liberty and Prosperity

Huskisson’s Legacy

Samuel Sidney, a Victorian expert on Australian matters, explained how cutting tax and regulation on Britain’s global trade made everyone better off.

Length: 52 words

Character and Conduct

Bear and Forbear

A sympathetic understanding of the trials of other people is essential for getting along.

Length: 59 words

History of Australia

The Founding of Australia

Within little more than half a century a British penal colony turned into a prosperous, free-trade democracy.

Length: 53 words

Lives of the Saints

St Helen Finds the True Cross

The mother of the Roman Emperor goes to Jerusalem on a quest close to her heart.

Length: 116 words