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PRECIS WRITING

ACTIVITY ONE: MAKE PRECIS AND GIVE SUITABLE TITLE

One night a holy man, Abu Ben Adhem by name, suddenly woke up from a deep dream
of peace and saw in his moonlit room an angel writing something in a book of gold. He
did not feel at all frightened. The peaceful face of the angel made Abu bold and he said to
the angel, “What are you writing?” The angel looked up and replied in a kind and sweet
tone, “I am taking down the names of those who love God.” “And is my name one among
them?” Asked Abu. But the angel replied, ” No, it is not.” “I pray thee then,” said Abu,
“To write me down as one who loves his fellowmen.”
The Angel wrote and vanished. The next night the angel came again with a great light
which awaked Abu Ben Adhem: and he showed Abu the names of those who had been
blessed by the love of God. And behold! the name of Abu was at-he top of the list.
ACTIVITY TWO: MAKE PRECIS AND GIVE SUITABLE TITLE
It is physically impossible for a well-educated, intellectual, or brave man to make money
the chief object of his thoughts just as it is for him to make his dinner the principal object
of them. All healthy people like their dinners, but their dinner is not the main object of
their lives. So all healthy minded people like making money ought to like it and enjoy the
sensation of winning it; it is something better than money. A good soldier, for instance,
mainly wishes to do his fighting well. He is glad of his pay—very properly so and justly
grumbles when you keep him ten years without it—till, his main mission of life is to win
battles, not to be paid for winning them. So of clergymen. The clergyman's object is
essentially baptize and preach not to be paid for preaching. So of doctors. They like fees
no doubt—ought to like them; yet if they are brave and well-educated the entire object to
their lives is not fees. They on the whole, desire to cure the sick; and if they are good
doctors and the choice were fairly to them, would rather cure their patient and lose their
fee than kill him and get it. And so with all the other brave and rightly trained men: their
work is first, their fee second—very important always; but still second.

ACTIVITY THREE
Read the following passage and answer the question given at the end:
A life of action and danger moderates the dread of death. It not only gives us fortitude to
bear pain, but teaches us at every step the precarious tenure on which we hold our present
being. Sedentary and studious men are the most apprehensive on this score. Dr. Johnson
was an instance in point. A few years seemed to him soon over, compared with those
sweeping contemplations on time and infinity with which he had been used to pose
himself. In the still life of a man of letters there was no obvious reason for a change. He
might sit in an arm chair and pour out cups of tea to all eternity would it had been
possible for him to do so. The most rational cure after all for the inordinate fear of death
is to set a just value on life. If we mere wish to continue on the scene to indulge our head-
strong humour and tormenting passions, we had better be gone at once, and if we only
cherish a fondness for existence according to the good we desire from it, the pang we feel
at parting which it will not be very server.
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Questions:
1. Suggest a suitable title for the passage.
2. What type of people are afraid of death and why?
3. How can we get rid of the fear of death?
4. What idea do you form about Dr. Johnson from this passage?
5. Explain the meanings of the words written in bold types.
6. Make a précis of the passage.