CSS Précis Past Papers 2015–2026 — Questions & Solutions

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How to use this page. For each year: read the question box, open the full passage in your PDF (location given), write your own précis in 30–35 minutes, then open the content map, title options and model answer to mark yourself. Every model answer was checked: word count within the target range, and no run of four or more words copied from the passage.

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Where the full passages are: 2020–2026 → Downloads/css/english/English <year>.pdf, Q.2 · 2015–2019 → Downloads/css/07 English (P&C) Solved Precis & Methodlogy (2000-2025) Paid.pdf, pages 15–21. The full text is reproduced here only for 2017 and 2019, which come from books published in the 1920s. The other passages are extracts from copyrighted works, so this page gives the opening words and a part-by-part content map instead.

📊 Twelve Years at a Glance

Patterns worth knowing:

• Education has appeared three times (2019, 2023, and a Russell author both times). Expect philosophical education passages again.
• First-person passages (2016, 2019, 2021) test whether you convert I / we / you into the author / the writer / people.
• Passage length swings from 240 to ≈620 words. Always count; never assume ≈100.
• 2026 introduced a fixed word limit (100). Read the instruction line before anything else.
• Name-heavy passages (2015, 2022, 2025) reward grouping: keep only the names the argument needs.

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CSS 2026 — The Rise of the Working Man

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Q.2 (20 marks): "Write a précis (100 words) of the following passage and suggest a suitable title."

Passage: 295 words · Target: 100 fixed (95–105) · Opens: "One of the outstanding features of the century has been…" · Full text: English 2026.pdf, Q.2

• 📄 Original passage (CSS 2026, Q.2): click to open

  One of the outstanding features of the century has been the improvement of living of working man, greater political power, more wealth and leisure, and better facilities for health, security and education. In early civilizations, most communities were sharply divided into two classes, those who labored and those who did not. The small number of rulers - kings, priests, military leaders - lived in great comfort, and did very little work. The vast majority of the population enjoyed very few comforts, did lot of work, and had scarcely any political power. In some societies, there was an even more wretched class, the slaves, who had no rights at all. The Industrial Revolution of Europe led to the production of vast quantities of goods, and workers began to be dissatisfied with their poverty. The factory owners needed skilled workers, and gradually they realized that they must show goodwill to their workforce, in order to stay in business. As in many other reforms, some enlightened slowly spread that workers were entitled to some consideration. Since men were free to work for any master they chose, good master soon had the pick of the workers and old-fashioned employers found themselves with a factory full of lower-grade workforce. Such a situation soon led to an all-round improvement in standards, and good employers tried to raise working conditions still higher. These improvements were speeded up by the increased organization of workers in Trade Union movements, particularly in low-standard factories, where the owner often had to deal with strike action by dissatisfied workers. Now that the working classes are getting better and better working conditions, the need to strike has lessened considerably; and employers and workers alike have come to realise that they depend on each other for their livelihood.

Content map and rough work

Titles: ✗ Labour (topic only) · ✗ Trade Unions (one detail) · ✓ The Rise of the Working Class · ✓ From Toil to Partnership

• ✅ Model précis (open after attempting)

  The Rise of the Working Class

  This century has greatly improved the working man's political power, wealth, leisure, health care, security and schooling. Earlier societies were divided between a small, comfortable ruling class and a toiling, powerless majority, with slaves beneath them. After the Industrial Revolution, workers grew discontented with poverty, and owners, needing skilled labour, learnt that goodwill was essential. Since workers could choose their employers, good employers attracted the best, forcing others to raise standards. Trade unions and strikes hastened reform. With conditions now better, strikes have declined, and both employers and workers recognise their mutual dependence. (Words: 93)

Traps: the limit is fixed, so stay within ±5 and write the count. The paper contains a garbled sentence ("some enlightened slowly spread…"); skip it rather than guess. Do not add modern labour laws or your own view of unions.

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CSS 2025 — Nationalism and Humanism

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Q.2 (20 marks): "Distil the passage into a précis and suggest an apt title." ("Distil" = write a précis.)

Passage: ≈620 words · Target ≈205 (190–220) · Opens: "Homi K. Bhabha, a prominent postcolonial scholar, advances…" · Full text: English 2025.pdf, Q.2

📄 Original passage (CSS 2025, Q.2)

Homi K. Bhabha, a prominent postcolonial scholar, advances a profoundly philosophical yet grounded concept of nationalism, positing that "Nations, like narratives, lose their origins in the myths of time and only fully encounter their horizons in the mind's eye," thereby highlighting the complex interplay between the imagined, the mythical, and the material in the construction of national identity. Nations, like narratives, are constructed through historical contingency, shaped by ethnic obsessions and regional affiliations that often obscure their origins. As a result, national identities can become rigid and exclusionary, antagonizing the notion of humanism envisioned by ancient philosophers like Socrates and Plato. This idea has implications for our understanding of humanism, a cornerstone of intellectual traditions from Goethe and Rousseau's emphasis on the universal human experience to Al-Ghazali and Ibn Rushd's advocacy for reason and compassion as bridges between cultures.Al-Ghazali's "The Alchemy of Happiness" strikes a balance between promoting local identity and warning against provincial, insular nationalism, making him a votary of cultural exchange and understanding. He advocates for an evenhanded approach, balancing love for one's land with justice for all citizens. In "The Revival of Religious Sciences," Al-Ghazali emphasizes balancing universalism and particularism, recognizing that national identity must be tempered by justice and equality. By promoting inclusive citizenship, Al-Ghazali offers an antidote to exclusivist nationalist ideologies. By exploring the intersections between nationalism and humanism, Bhabha's work also encourages us to think critically about how national identities are constructed and imagine new forms of global citizenship prioritizing shared humanity over narrow national interests. However, the rise of nationalism has often led to a narrowing of perspectives, prioritizing regional affiliations over universal values, resulting in a stringent and macho form of patriotism that stifles dissent and creativity. Like a chameleon, nationalism can adapt and change, often blurring the lines between patriotism and xenophobia. Altogether, nationalism is not a bane, its mixed benefits over the last century have been a double-edged sword, yielding a staggering array of positive and negative consequences. On one hand, nations have become increasingly aware of the need to align themselves with pluralism and egalitarian schemes. However, the desire to dominate, as exemplified by the German geographer Friedrich Ratzel's idea of organic borders, continues to have a silent appeal, often manifesting in bizarre and violent forms, such as the recent bloodshed in Palestine and the earlier Bosnian massacre. This scary trail is long and hard to absorb, especially when democracy itself has been exposed as a mere façade, leaving many to blurt out frustrations and disillusionments. As the philosopher Allama Iqbal aptly put it in his famous poem, "The Devil's Parliament," democracy is merely the outer crust, while the essence is imperialist. Iqbal's words ring true, warning us against the uncritical subservience and adoration of nationalism, which can lead to historical myopia, strengthening dictatorial hegemony and incarcerating the human spirit within the narrow confines of love for the land. Perhaps democracy is the safest carrier of the seed of nationalism, transporting it under the guise of economic equality. Still, weaker nations face the political bravado of the powerful leaving the meager nations to be content with mere paeans of love for border and territorial integrity. Imperialism planted the embryo of nationalism, abandoning the wretched children of the earth to fend for themselves, left to navigate the treacherous waters of self-determination. The power of nationalism is a potent form of Volksgeist - a term coined by Johann Gottfried Herder to describe a nation's unique spirit or character - that can be both unifying and divisive, depending on how it is wielded. In this context, a more frugal and nuanced approach to nationalism is needed, one that balances national pride with a commitment to universal values and human rights.

Content map and rough work

Titles: ✗ Nationalism (topic only) · ✗ Bhabha's Theory of the Nation (one thinker) · ✓ Nationalism: Unifying Force or Narrow Prison? · ✓ Nationalism and the Humanist Balance

• ✅ Model précis (open after attempting)

  Nationalism: Unifying Force or Narrow Prison?

  Homi Bhabha argues that nations, like stories, are imagined constructs whose origins are lost in myth. Shaped by historical accident, ethnic preoccupation and regional loyalty, national identity may harden into exclusivity, clashing with the humanist tradition that runs from Socrates to Ibn Rushd. Al-Ghazali reconciled attachment to one's homeland with fairness towards every citizen, and local identity with universal values, offering inclusive citizenship as a remedy for exclusive nationalism; Bhabha similarly urges a global citizenship that places shared humanity above narrow national interest. Nationalism, however, has often narrowed outlooks, producing an aggressive patriotism that suppresses dissent and easily turns into xenophobia. Its record is mixed: it has encouraged pluralism and equality, yet the urge to dominate, reflected in Ratzel's theory of expanding borders, still erupts in violence, as in Bosnia and Palestine. Disillusionment deepens when democracy, as Iqbal warned, appears to be a mask for imperialism, and blind devotion to the nation breeds short-sightedness and dictatorship. Weak nations, overpowered by the strong, are left with little more than patriotic slogans, for imperialism sowed nationalism and then abandoned the colonized to struggle for self-determination alone. Since nationalism can unite or divide depending on its use, national pride should be balanced by respect for universal principles and the rights of all people. (Words: 210)

Traps: the longest passage in the set, so the target is ≈205, not 100. Do not summarise thinker by thinker; group them into two camps (humanist balance vs domination). Skip every quotation, book title and poem title.

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CSS 2024 — Urban Green Spaces

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Q.2 (20 marks): "Write a précis of the following passage and suggest a suitable title."

Passage: 240 words · Target 80 (72–88) · Opens: "In the heart of bustling cities, urban green spaces stand as…" · Full text: English 2024.pdf, Q.2

📄 Original passage (CSS 2024, Q.2)

In the heart of bustling cities, urban green spaces stand as oases of tranquility, providing respite from the hustle and bustle. Parks, adorned with vibrant flora, become havens for relaxation and recreation. The greenery offers a sanctuary for diverse wildlife, creating a delicate balance between urban development and environmental preservation. Beyond their aesthetic appeal, city parks play a crucial role in fostering community bonds. Families gather for picnics, friends engage in sports, and individuals find solace amidst nature's embrace. These communal spaces serve as venues for cultural events, open-air concerts, and art installations, enriching the urban experience. The benefits of urban green spaces extend beyond leisure. They contribute to improved air quality, mitigate the urban heat island effect, and promote overall well-being. Access to nature within city limits becomes a vital aspect of mental health, offering a refuge for introspection and rejuvenation. However, the challenge lies in balancing the increasing urbanization with the preservation of green spaces. Sustainable urban planning becomes imperative to ensure the coexistence of concrete jungles and natural havens. Efforts to create and maintain parks, tree-lined avenues, and green rooftops become integral components of shaping cities that prioritize both human and environmental health. As cities evolve, the preservation and enhancement of urban green spaces become a shared responsibility. The vision is to cultivate urban landscapes that seamlessly integrate nature into the tapestry of city life, fostering a sustainable and harmonious cohabitation between human progress and the environment

Content map and rough work

Titles: ✗ Parks (topic only) · ✗ Oases of Tranquility (copies the passage's decoration) · ✓ Urban Green Spaces: A Shared Responsibility · ✓ Green Spaces: The Lungs of the City

• ✅ Model précis (open after attempting)

  Urban Green Spaces: A Shared Responsibility

  City parks offer residents calm and recreation, shelter wildlife and balance development with conservation. They also strengthen communities by hosting family outings, sport and cultural events. Moreover, they clean the air, cool cities and support physical and mental health. The challenge is to protect them from spreading urbanization through sustainable planning that includes parks, tree-lined streets and green roofs. Preserving such spaces is a collective duty, so that cities can grow in harmony with nature. (Words: 75)

Traps: the passage is decorative (oases of tranquility, nature's embrace, concrete jungles, tapestry of city life). None of that imagery belongs in the précis; keep only the five ideas.

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CSS 2023 — Freedom in Education (Bertrand Russell)

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Q.2 (20 marks): "Write a précis of the following passage and suggest a suitable title."

Passage: 311 words · Target 104 (95–115) · Opens: "On the question of freedom in education there are at present three main schools of thought…" · Full text: English 2023.pdf, Q.2

📄 Original passage (CSS 2023, Q.2)

On the question of freedom in education there are at present three main schools of thought, deriving partly from differences as to ends and partly from differences in psychological theory. There are those who say that children should be completely free, however bad they may be; there are those who say they should be completely subject to authority, however good they may be; and there are those who say they should be free, but in spite of freedom they should be always good. This last party is larger than it has any logical right to be; children, like adults, will not all be virtuous if they are all free. The belief that liberty will ensure moral perfection is a relic of Rousseauism, and would not survive a study of animals and babies. Those who hold this belief think that education should have no positive purpose, but should merely offer an environment suitable for spontaneous development. I cannot agree with this school, which seems to me too individualistic, and unduly indifferent to the importance of knowledge. We live in communities which require co-operation, and it would be utopian to expect all the necessary co-operation to result from spontaneous impulse. The existence of a large population on a limited area is only possible owing to science and technique; education must, therefore, hand on the necessary minimum of these. The educators who allow most freedom are men whose success depends upon a degree of benevolence, self-control, and trained intelligence which can hardly be generated where every impulse is left unchecked; their merits, therefore, are not likely to be perpetuated if their methods are undiluted. Education, viewed from a social standpoint, must be something more positive than a mere opportunity for growth. It must, of course, provide this, but it must also provide a mental and moral equipment which children cannot acquire entirely for themselves.

Content map and rough work

Titles: ✗ Education · ✗ Rousseau's Mistake (one detail) · ✓ Freedom and Discipline in Education · ✓ Education: More Than Freedom to Grow

• ✅ Model précis (open after attempting)

  Freedom and Discipline in Education

  Opinion on freedom in education falls into three camps: complete freedom, complete authority, and freedom in the belief that it will make children good. The last view, inherited from Rousseau, is illogical, since freedom no more guarantees virtue in children than in adults. Its supporters give education no aim beyond natural growth, which the author rejects as too individualistic and careless of knowledge. Society depends on cooperation that impulse alone cannot produce and on science that must be taught; even liberal educators owe their success to disciplined qualities unchecked impulse would never create. Education must therefore provide both freedom to grow and the mental and moral training children cannot acquire alone. (Words: 111)

Traps: "I cannot agree with this school" must become the author rejects. The marks sit in the last two sentences: if your précis ends before the author's own view, it has missed the thesis.

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CSS 2022 — The Oracles of Ancient Greece

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Q.2 (20 marks): "Write a précis of the following and suggest a suitable title."

Passage: 339 words · Target 113 (105–125) · Opens: "The fear of human beings when faced with the mysteries of life…" · Full text: English 2022.pdf, Q.2 (a compartment breakdown is also on the main Précis page)

📄 Original passage (CSS 2022, Q.2)

The fear of human beings when faced with the mysteries of life and their weakness by comparison with the vastness of nature created in them a need to communicate with the divine, with the superior powers which they believed regulated the universe and determined their own fates. Knowledge of wishes of the gods was always a sure guide for human behavior. In ancient Greece, the precise nature of these wishes was ‘decoded’ by the art of giving oracles, practiced by soothsayers who had the gift of understanding the signs or signals sent by the gods. The soothsayers uttered their oracles by interpreting flashes of lightening, rolls of thunder or the flights of certain birds of prey (omens); alternatively, they might observe the direction in which the fire burned when a sacrifice was made, examine the entrails of animals which had just been sacrificed, or base judgments on the sacrificial beast’s willingness to approach the altar. The interpretation of dreams was popular too, and so was palmistry. The most notable soothsayers of ancient Greece were Tiresias, Calchas, Helenus, Amphiaraus and Cassandra. However, there were abundant instances in which the gods did not manifest themselves to the faithful in the forms of signs but spoke directly to an intermediate who for a short time was overcome by a ‘divine mania’ and transcended his own human essence. Here the prophet- or more usually the prophetess- entered a state of ecstasy in which he or she delivered the message from the gods to the suppliants. These practices for foreseeing the future were the basis on which the ancient Greek oracles operated. Each oracle was located within a properly-organized sanctuary and was directly associated with one or other of the gods. Apollo was the archetypal soothsayer for the Greeks, the god who was responsible for conveying to mortals the decisions pronounced by Zeus. The most important of all the oracles, that at the Delphi, delivered the messages with the intervention of Apollo, while the oldest that of Dodona, functioned with the assistance of Zeus.

Content map and rough work

Titles: ✗ Greek Oracles (plain topic) · ✓ Seeking the Will of the Gods: Greek Oracles · ✓ Divine Guidance in Ancient Greece

• ✅ Model précis (open after attempting)

  Seeking the Will of the Gods: Greek Oracles

  Awed by life's mysteries and conscious of their weakness before nature, humans sought contact with the gods they believed governed the world and their fates, since knowing divine wishes guided conduct. In ancient Greece, soothsayers read these wishes in omens such as thunder, lightning and birds in flight, in signs observed during sacrifices, and in dreams and palms. At other times the gods were thought to speak directly through an entranced prophet, usually a woman. These practices underpinned the Greek oracles, each housed in an organized sanctuary dedicated to a particular god. Apollo, who conveyed Zeus's decisions to mortals, inspired the foremost oracle at Delphi, while the oldest, at Dodona, belonged to Zeus himself. (Words: 114)

Traps: descriptive rather than argumentative, so the title must show the subject's significance, not just name it. Do not list all five soothsayers or all eight methods.

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CSS 2021 — Nizar Hassan and My Grandfather's Path

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Q.2 (20 marks): "Write a précis of the following and suggest a suitable title."

Passage: 349 words · Target 116 (105–125) · Opens: "Nizar Hassan was born in 1960 and raised in the village of Mashhad…" · Full text: English 2021.pdf, Q.2

📄 Original passage (CSS 2021, Q.2)

Nizar Hassan was born in 1960 and raised in the village of Mashhad, near Nazareth, where he has lived with his family. He studied anthropology at Haifa University and after graduating worked in TV. Starting in 1990, he turned to cinema. In 1994, he produced Independence, in which he pokes his Palestinian interlocutors about what they think of the bizarre Israeli notion of their “independence”. They have stolen another people’s homeland and call the act “independence”! Hassan dwells on that absurdity. As the world’s attention was captured by the news of Israel planning to “annex” yet a bit more of Palestine and add it to what they have already stolen, I received an email from Nizar Hassan, the pre-eminent Palestinian documentary filmmaker. He wrote to me about his latest film, My Grandfather’s Path, and included a link to the director’s cut. It was a blessing. They say choose your enemies carefully for you would end up like them. The same goes for those opposing Zionist settler colonialists. If you are too incensed and angered by their daily dose of claptrap, the vulgarity of their armed robbery of Palestine, you would soon become like them and forget yourself and what beautiful ideas, ideals, and aspirations once animated your highest dreams. Never fall into that trap. For decades, aspects of Palestinian and world cinema, art, poetry, fiction, and drama have done for me precisely that: saved me from that trap. They have constantly reminded me what all our politics are about – a moment of poetic salvation from it all. Nizar Hassan’s new documentary is one such work – in a moment of dejection over Israel’s encroachment on Palestinian rights and the world’s complicity, it has put Palestine in perspective. The film is mercifully long, beautifully paced and patient, a masterfully crafted work of art – a Palestinian’s epic ode to his homeland. A shorter version of My Grandfather’s Path has been broadcast on Al Jazeera Arabic in three parts, but it must be seen in its entirety, in one go. It is a pilgrimage that must not be interrupted.

Content map and rough work

Titles: ✗ Nizar Hassan (a name) · ✗ Palestine (topic only) · ✓ Art as Refuge from Hatred · ✓ Art: Salvation from the Enemy's Image

• ✅ Model précis (open after attempting)

  Art as Refuge from Hatred

  Nizar Hassan, a Palestinian filmmaker from a village near Nazareth, moved from anthropology and television to cinema; his 1994 film Independence exposed the absurdity of Israel describing its seizure of Palestinian land as independence. While Israel was preparing to annex more territory, the author received Hassan's latest documentary, My Grandfather's Path, and welcomed it. Those who resist an oppressor, he argues, risk becoming like it: consumed by anger, they forget the ideals that once inspired them. For decades, Palestinian and world art has protected the author from that danger by reminding him that politics ultimately serves a higher, poetic purpose. Hassan's long, patient and masterly tribute to his homeland restored that perspective, and deserves to be watched uninterrupted, like a pilgrimage. (Words: 121)

Traps: the passage is in the first person ("I received an email"), so write the author. Report the author's political views as his ("he argues"), without adding your own. The biography is the part to compress hardest; the thesis is in the middle, not at the start.

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CSS 2020 — Manto the Realist

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Q.2 (20 marks): "Write a précis of the following passage and also suggest a suitable title."

Passage: 264 words · Target 88 (80–96) · Opens: "Manto was a victim of some kind of social ambivalence…" · Full text: English 2020.pdf, Q.2

📄 Original passage (CSS 2020, Q.2)

Manto was a victim of some kind of social ambivalence that converged on self-righteousness, hypocrisy, and mental obtuseness. His detractors branded him as vulgar and obscene and implicated him into a long-dawn legal battle questioning the moral validity of his writings. Without being deterred by their negative tactics, he remained firm in his commitment to exploring the stark realities of life offensive to the conservative taste of some self-styled purists. In the line of Freud, he sought to unravel the mysteries of sex not in an abstract, non-earthly manner but in a palpable, fleshy permutation signifying his deep concern for the socially disabled and depressed classes of society, like petty wage-earners, pimps, and prostitutes. For Manto, man is neither an angel nor a devil, but a mix of both. His middle and lower middle class characters think, feel and act like human beings. Without feigning virtuosity, he was able to strike a rapport with his readers on some of the most vital socio-moral issues concerning them. As a realist, he was fully conscious of the yawning gap between appearance and reality; in fact, nothing vexed him more than a demonstrable duality in human behaviour at different levels of the social hierarchy. He had an unjaundiced view of man’s faults and follies. As a literary artist, he treated vulgarity discreetly --- without ever sounding vulgar in the process. Like Joyce, Lawrence, and Caldwell, in Manto’s work too, men and women of the age find their own restlessness accurately mirrored. And like them, Manto was also ‘raised above his own self by his sombre enthusiasm’.

Content map and rough work

Titles: ✗ Manto (a name) · ✗ Obscenity in Literature (misses the praise) · ✓ Manto: A Realist Against Hypocrisy · ✓ Manto: The Unflinching Realist

• ✅ Model précis (open after attempting)

  Manto: A Realist Against Hypocrisy

  Manto suffered at the hands of a self-righteous, hypocritical and narrow-minded society. Condemned as obscene and dragged through prolonged litigation, he nevertheless continued to portray harsh realities that offended conservative moralists. Like Freud, he examined sexuality concretely, out of sympathy for society's outcasts. He saw human beings as a mixture of good and evil, drew characters who behaved like real people, and was most troubled by the gulf between how people seem and what they are. Handling indecency without becoming indecent, he, like the great modern novelists, faithfully mirrored the restlessness of his age. (Words: 94)

Traps: the passage is short (264 words), so the target is under 90. The phrase "appearance and reality" is the easiest phrase to lift unchanged; rephrase it. The closing quotation adds nothing the précis needs.

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CSS 2019 — Affection, Not Rules, in Teaching (Bertrand Russell)

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Q.2 (20 marks): "Write a précis of the following passage and suggest a suitable title."

Passage: 360 words · Target 120 (110–130) · Source: Bertrand Russell, On Education (1926)

• 📄 Original passage (click to open; write your own précis first)

  I think modern educational theorists are inclined to attach too much importance to the negative virtue of not interfering with children, and too little to the positive merit of enjoying their company. If you have the sort of liking for children that many people have for horses or dogs, they will be apt to respond to your suggestions, and to accept prohibitions, perhaps with some good-humored grumbling, but without resentment. It is no use to have the sort of liking that consists in regarding them as a field for valuable social endeavor, or what amounts to the same thing as an outlet for power-impulses. No child will be grateful for an interest in him that springs from the thought that he will have a vote to be secured for your party or a body to be sacrificed to king and country. The desirable sort of interest is that which consists in spontaneous pleasure in the presence of children, without any ulterior purpose. Teachers who have this quality will seldom need to interfere with children's freedom, but will be able to do so, when necessary, without causing psychological damage. Unfortunately, it is utterly impossible for over-worked teachers to preserve an instinctive liking for children; they are bound to come to feel towards them as the proverbial confectioner's apprentice does towards macaroons. I do not think that education ought to be anyone's whole profession: it should be undertaken for at most two hours a day by people whose remaining hours are spent away from children. The society of the young is fatiguing, especially when strict discipline is avoided. Fatigue, in the end, produces irritation, which is likely to express itself somehow, whatever theories the harassed teacher may have taught himself or herself to believe. The necessary friendliness cannot be preserved by self-control alone. But where it exists, it should be unnecessary to have rules in advance as to how "naughty" children are to be treated, since impulse is likely to lead to the right decision, and almost any decision will be right if the child feels that you like him. No rules, however wise, are a substitute for affection and tact.

Content map and rough work

Titles: ✗ Education (topic only) · ✗ Tired Teachers (one detail) · ✓ Affection, Not Rules, in Education · ✓ Affection and Tact in Teaching

• ✅ Model précis (open after attempting)

  Affection, Not Rules, in Education

  Modern educationists overrate the passive good of leaving children alone and underrate the active value of delighting in their company. Children willingly accept guidance and restrictions from adults who genuinely like them, but not from those who treat them as a social project, a means of exercising power, or future voters and soldiers. The right interest is spontaneous delight in children, free of any hidden purpose; teachers who feel it seldom need to restrain children and can do so harmlessly. Such liking cannot survive overwork, which breeds fatigue and irritation that self-control cannot suppress, so teaching should occupy only a few hours a day. Where affection exists, fixed disciplinary rules become unnecessary, for no rule can replace warmth and tact. (Words: 120)

Traps: first person throughout ("I think", "If you have…"), so convert to third person. The most tempting phrases to copy are negative virtue / positive merit and affection and tact; rephrase all of them.

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CSS 2018 — Climate and Human Energy

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Q.2 (20 marks): "Write a précis of the following passage and suggest a suitable title."

Passage: 358 words · Target 119 (108–130) · Opens: "It is in the temperate countries of northern Europe that the beneficial effects of cold are most manifest." · Full text: solved-précis PDF, p. 16

• 📄 Original passage (paste it here from the solved-précis PDF, p. 16)

  Open the PDF, select the 2018 passage, copy, and paste it over this line.

Content map and rough work

Titles: ✗ Cold · ✗ Life in the Tropics (one half only) · ✓ Climate and Human Energy · ✓ The Bracing Effect of Moderate Cold

• ✅ Model précis (open after attempting)

  Climate and Human Energy

  Moderate cold, as in northern Europe, stimulates human energy by presenting a difficulty that can be overcome. An impossible obstacle breeds despair and none at all leaves energy untrained, but a struggle with a reasonable chance of success calls every faculty into action. Hence extreme cold numbs and heat discourages effort, while moderate cold invigorates. In temperate lands people must labour for shelter, warm clothing, fuel and nourishing food; in the tropics, clothing and fire are hardly needed, food is easily obtained, and idleness costs nothing. The same contrast appears in one person across the seasons: summer heat makes people sluggish, whereas winter cold encourages vigorous mental and physical activity. (Words: 110)

Traps: do not skip the obstacle principle (part 2); it is the reason behind the whole argument. Report the author's claim about hot climates neutrally and add no view of your own about tropical peoples.

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CSS 2017 — The Virtue of Doing Nothing (J. B. Priestley)

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Q.2 (20 marks): "Write a précis of the following passage and suggest a suitable title."

Passage: 442 words · Target 147 (135–160) · Source: J. B. Priestley, "On Doing Nothing", in Open House (1927)

• 📄 Original passage (click to open; write your own précis first)

  All the evils in this world are brought about by the persons who are always up and doing, but do not know when they ought to be up nor what they ought to be doing. The devil, I take it, is still the busiest creature in the universe, and I can quite imagine him denouncing laziness and becoming angry at the smallest waste of time. In his kingdom, I will wager, nobody is allowed to do nothing, not even for a single afternoon. The world, we all freely admit, is in a muddle but I for one do not think that it is laziness that has brought it to such a pass. It is not the active virtues that it lacks but the passive ones; it is capable of anything but kindness and a little steady thought. There is still plenty of energy in the world (there never were fussier people about), but most of it is simply misdirected. If, for example, in July 1914, when there was some capital idling weather, everybody, emperors, kings, archdukes, statesmen, generals, journalists, had been suddenly smitten with an intense desire to do nothing, just to hang about in the sunshine and consume tobacco, then we should all have been much better off than we are now. But no, the doctrine of the strenuous life still went unchallenged; there must be no time wasted; something must be done. Again, suppose our statesmen, instead of rushing off to Versailles with a bundle of ill-digested notions and a great deal of energy to dissipate, had all taken a fortnight off, away from all correspondence and interviews and what not, and had simply lounged about on some hillside or other apparently doing nothing for the first time in their energetic lives, then they might have gone to their so-called peace conference and come away again with their reputations still unsoiled and the affairs of the world in good trim. Even at the present time, if half of the politicians in Europe would relinquish the notion that laziness is a crime and go away and do nothing for a little space, we should certainly gain by it. Other examples come crowding into mind. Thus, every now and then, certain religious sects hold conferences; but though there are evils abroad that are mountains high, though the fate of civilization is still doubtful, the members who attend these conferences spend their time condemning the length of ladies' skirts and the noisiness of dance bands. They would all be better employed lying flat on their backs somewhere, staring at the sky and recovering their mental health.

Content map and rough work

Titles: ✗ Laziness (and the author does not praise laziness as such) · ✗ The Devil's Kingdom (one image) · ✓ The Virtue of Doing Nothing · ✓ The Cost of Misdirected Energy

• ✅ Model précis (open after attempting)

  The Virtue of Doing Nothing

  The world's troubles are caused not by idleness but by restless people who act constantly without knowing when or how to act. Evil itself, the author suggests, would condemn laziness and every wasted moment. The present confusion of the world arises not from a lack of energy, of which there is plenty, but from a lack of passive virtues such as kindness and quiet reflection; its energy is simply misdirected. Had the rulers and statesmen of 1914 been content to remain idle, the Great War might have been avoided; had the peacemakers at Versailles rested and reflected before negotiating, they might have produced a sound settlement and kept their reputations. Even now, politicians would serve Europe better if they abandoned the belief that inactivity is a crime. Likewise, religious conferences waste their energy on trivial matters while grave evils threaten civilization; their members would do better to rest and recover their mental balance. (Words: 153)

Traps: the essay is humorous, but the précis must keep its serious point: misdirected activity, not idleness, does the damage. Here the examples are the argument, so compress them rather than skip them. Keep the tone neutral and do not copy the jokes.

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CSS 2016 — A Trip to Cherokee

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Q.2 (20 marks): "Write a précis of the following passage and suggest a suitable title."

Passage: 435 words · Target 145 (135–155) · Opens: "During my vacation last May, I had a hard time choosing a tour." · Full text: solved-précis PDF, p. 19

• 📄 Original passage (paste it here from the solved-précis PDF, p. 19)

  Open the PDF, select the 2016 passage, copy, and paste it over this line.

Content map and rough work

Titles: ✗ My Vacation (first person, vague) · ✗ Bingo Weekends (one detail) · ✓ A Glimpse of Cherokee Life · ✓ Cherokee: Heritage and Livelihood

• ✅ Model précis (open after attempting)

  A Glimpse of Cherokee Life

  Seeking an exotic holiday away from crowded, conventional destinations, the writer accepted a friend's suggestion to visit Cherokee, Oklahoma. At Qualla Boundary, set amid magnificent mountains, a reconstructed Indian village and an outdoor historical pageant recreate the tribe's eighteenth-century crafts and way of life for tourists. Despite language difficulties, local people guided the visitors to souvenir shops selling traditional items. There they met George, an English-speaking shopkeeper who invited them to lunch and explained that, although tourism kept him working long hours in season, it paid better than his earlier struggle as a woodcutter. He added that the tribe does not rely on tourism alone: in the off-season, weekend bingo events draw large crowds and earn substantial income. The visit ended at a museum displaying Cherokee basketry and carvings that express the tribe's beliefs about the world. Returning home, the writer missed Qualla Boundary and looked forward to another exotic journey. (Words: 151)

Traps: a narrative précis keeps the story's order and turns I / we into the writer / the visitors. Every quoted line becomes reported speech. Qualla Boundary is actually in North Carolina, not Oklahoma, but a précis reports the passage and does not correct it.

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CSS 2015 — War and the Breakdown of Civilizations (Arnold J. Toynbee)

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Q.2 (20 marks): "Write a précis of the following passage and suggest a suitable title."

Passage: 550 words · Target 183 (170–195) · Opens: "In studying the breakdowns of civilizations, the writer has subscribed to the conclusion…" · Full text: solved-précis PDF, pp. 20–21

• 📄 Original passage (paste it here from the solved-précis PDF, pp. 20–21)

  Open the PDF, select the 2015 passage, copy, and paste it over this line.

Content map and rough work

Titles: ✗ War (topic only) · ✗ Moloch (copies a metaphor) · ✓ War: The Malignancy That Destroys Civilizations · ✓ War and the Fall of Civilizations

• ✅ Model précis (open after attempting)

  War: The Malignancy That Destroys Civilizations

  Historical study confirms that war has been the immediate cause of the collapse of every civilization whose fall can be established. Like an addiction, it seems bearable until its victims can no longer escape it. In a civilization's early growth, the wealth, power and martial qualities won through war appear to outweigh its suffering, and even defeated states escape lasting harm. Its destructiveness emerges only as society grows more capable of exploiting nature and organizing people; war then consumes an ever-greater share of the fruits of human effort and an ever-heavier toll of lives and well-being. Once a society can devote a deadly proportion of its energy and resources to fighting, war becomes a fatal disease that outgrows the healthy body it feeds on and must be removed. Having recognized this danger, societies have sought to abolish war through individual conscience in one of two ways: personal refusal to take part in any war, which attracts idealistic and self-sacrificing people, or persuading governments to unite against aggression and remove its causes in advance. Though less heroic and more indirect, the second path has proved far more promising. (Words: 187)

Traps: the passage has very long sentences and three metaphors (addiction, Moloch, cancer). Turn each into plain language. The final sentence holds the author's judgement, so a précis that stops at the two remedies without his verdict loses the thesis.

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🧮 Self-Marking (use for every year)