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.

Music and Musicians

Dancing in the Dock

The fandango is Spain’s most alluring national dance, and the story goes that even the most solemn clergyman could not resist it.

Length: 119 words

Theophany (Epiphany)

How the Pepyses Kept Twelfth Day

In the family of Samuel Pepys, the Feast of the Epiphany was kept with music, cake and quaint traditions.

Length: 60 words

Character and Conduct

The Great Brassey Keeps his Word

Once railway engineer Thomas Brassey made a promise he kept it — even if he wasn’t aware that he’d made one.

Length: 115 words

Free Speech and Conscience

Who Can Refute a Sneer?

Clever people have realised that it is easier to get people on your side by mockery than by persuasion.

Length: 56 words

Extracts from Literature

Mind Over Matter

John of Gaunt tries to persuade his son Henry that banishment from England isn’t such a bad thing, if you think about in the right way.

Length: 117 words

Extracts from Fiction

Silas Marner Misses his Gold

Silas Marner, the weaver, plans to take a comforting look at his savings while he eats his dinner.

Length: 114 words