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.

Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands

A proudly British group of islands far off in the South Atlantic.

Length: 55 words

Lives of the Saints

The Lessons of History

England’s first and greatest historian explains why history is so important.

Length: 59 words

Sport and Sportsmen

The Ashes of English Cricket

How the cricketing rivalry between England and Australia got its name.

Length: 56 words

Extracts from Literature

First Impressions, Second Thoughts

Elizabeth Bennet began to wonder if being Mr Darcy’s wife might have had its compensations.

Length: 60 words

Discovery and Invention

Penicillin

An improbable chain of coincidences led to one of the great medical revolutions just when it was most needed.

Length: 51 words

Aesop of Samos

The Bald Lover

A man’s mid-life crisis leaves him a little ... exposed.

Length: 60 words