Discovery The World’s Great Explorers Their Triumphs and
Tragedies Readers Digest Sydney 1978 ISBN 0909486 64 6
This is one of three stories from history that will be posted on this blogspot. Others will be included in a book to be published.
The next reports to be posted will be called Mastery Writing in Biology and Science. Focus will be placed on the scientific style of writing for the benefit of high school students.
On this blog, we have posted about 180 writing exercises. These will provide the missing link in primary and secondary schools of Papua New Guinea. Students who master these exercises conscientiously will find profound changes in their writing skills.
They respond to the poetry of English and are able to accurately sound out correct structures. Many become part of the student’s rhythm memory.
The sentences below flow like poetry and describe steps in a time sequence. The words but, arriving, and settling, realized, decided, setting up, and exchanging, to wait, watched by are code words for what is coming next. All are strong stresses.
He wandered for a year or two but decided to seek
his fortune in the West Indies, arriving in Hispaniola
in 1504 and eventually settling in Cuba.
(4 steps)
Cortez realized this was a rich civilization and
decided to go no further, setting up camp on
the shore and exchanging gifts with the visitors.
Realizing this was a rich civilization, Cortez
decided to go no further but set up camp on the
shore and exchanged gifts with the visitors.
(4 steps)
Cortez arrived in the Aztec city and halted his army
on one of the causeways to wait for Montezuma,
watched by thousands of curious Aztecs.
Arriving in the Aztec city, Cortez halted his army
on one of the causeways to wait for Montezuma,
watched by thousands of curious Aztecs.
(4 steps)
CORTEZ CONQUERS MEXICO
(34 exercises)
Hernando Cortez was born in Spain in 1485.
He was sent to University of Salamanca.
He returned without a degree.
Hernando Cortez was born in Spain in 1485 and was
sent to University of Salamanca but returned without
a degree.
He wandered for a year or two.
He decided to seek his fortune in the West Indies.
He arrived in Hispaniola in 1504.
He eventually settled in Cuba.
He wandered for a year or two but decided to seek
his fortune in the West Indies, arriving in Hispaniola
in 1504 and eventually settling in Cuba.
He worked as a farmer and minor official.
He failed to find the fame and fortune he craved.
This had tempted him to leave Cuba.
He worked as a farmer and minor official but failed to
find the fame and fortune he craved that had tempted
him to leave Cuba.
Cortez was a man of good height and strongly built.
He had pale complexion.
He had a serious expression.
Cortez was a man of good height and strongly built with
a pale complexion and a serious expression.
He was given ships by the Governor of Cuba.
He sailed along Cuba’s south coast.
He recruited many other settlers.
They joined him to seek their fortunes.
He was given ships by the Governor of Cuba and
sailed along Cuba’s south coast recruiting many
other settlers who joined him to seek their
fortunes.
The first fleet reached the Tabasco area.
Here the Indians were not friendly.
The Spaniards had to fight warriors.
They were armed with spears.
They were no match for the Spanish weapons.
The first fleet reached the Tabasco area where the
Indians were not friendly and the Spaniards had to
fight warriors armed with spears who were no match
for the Spanish weapons.
Cortez learned a story from the Indians.
They told of an island city in a great lake.
It was less than 200 miles inland.
It was called Tenochtitlan.
It was the capital of the feared Aztecs.
They were ruled by the god-king Montezuma.
Cortez learned a story from the Indians of an
island city in a great lake less than 200 miles
inland and called Tenochtitlan, the capital of
the feared Aztecs ruled by god-king Montezuma.
Cortez realized this was a rich civilization.
He decided to go no further.
He set up camp on the shore.
He exchanged gifts with the visitors.
Cortez realized this was a rich civilization and
decided to go no further, setting up camp on
the shore and exchanging gifts with the visitors.
Realizing this was a rich civilization, Cortez
decided to go no further but set up camp on the
shore and exchanged gifts with the visitors.
Cortez sent messages to the king.
He received gifts of gold and silver.
These were as large as carriage wheels
The message came that the king was ill.
He could not see him.
Cortez sent messages to the king and received
gifts of gold and silver as large as carriage wheels
but the message came that the king was ill and
could not see him.
Cortez met Indians.
He found that many hated the cruel Aztecs.
They were willing to help the Spaniards
They would help to destroy the Aztecs.
Cortez met Indians and found that many hated the
cruel Aztecs and were willing to help the Spaniards
to destroy them.
Cortez dispatched his largest ship to Spain.
He sent many of Montezuma’s gifts to the King
A request was sent the king.
It was to make Cortez Governor of the colony.
Cortez dispatched his largest ship to Spain and sent
many of Montezuma’s gifts to the King with a request
to make him Governor of the colony.
He learned that Aztec houses were built over water.
The central island was connected by three causeways.
These were equipped with drawbridges.
These could be raised and lowered.
This made the city a major fortification.
He learned that Aztec houses were built over water with
the central island connected by three causeways equipped
with drawbridges that could be raised and lowered, making
the city a major fortification.
Cortez was a strict disciplinarian.
He ordered his men to sleep with boots and armour.
The horses were to be saddled.
They were ready for any surprise attack.
Cortez was a strict disciplinarian who ordered his men
to sleep with boots and armour and horses to be
saddled ready for any surprise attack.
Thousands of warriors massed on the vast plain.
They were armed with spears and shields.
They filled the air with frightening war cries.
Thousands of warriors massed on the vast plain, armed
with spears and shields with frightening war cries that
filled the air.
Cortez fought on.
He slowly eroded the enemy strength.
The fighting went on until the chiefs surrendered.
Thousands of Indians were left dead on the battle field.
Cortez fought on, slowly eroding the enemy strength
with fighting that went on until the chiefs surrendered
leaving thousands of Indians dead on the battle field.
Montezuma thought that Cortez was superhuman.
He sent more gifts.
He offered friendship.
He offered a yearly tribute of gold and silver.
Montezuma thought that Cortez was superhuman,
sending more gifts and offering friendship with a
yearly tribute of gold and silver.
Cortez arrived in the Aztec city.
He halted his army on one of the causeways.
He waited for Montezuma.
He was watched by thousands of curious Aztecs.
Cortez arrived in the Aztec city and halted his army
on one of the causeways to wait for Montezuma,
watched by thousands of curious Aztecs.
A great procession arrived.
Aztec lords approached.
They wore brightly feathered cloaks.
They prepared the way for their god-king Montezuma.
A great procession arrived with Aztec lords approaching
wearing brightly feathered cloaks and preparing the way
for their god-king Montezuma.
The great king was about 40 years old.
He was of good height and light brown skin.
His face was long and cheerful.
The great king was about 40 years old, of good height and
light brown skin with a face that was long and cheerful.
Cortez followed the Spanish custom.
He stepped forward to embrace the king.
He was stopped by two courtiers.
The king was too sacred to be touched.
Cortez followed the Spanish custom and
stepped forward to embrace the king but
was stopped by two courtiers as the king
was too sacred to be touched.
Tenochtitlan had a population of 60,000.
It was a vast and shining city.
It was surrounded by water.
It was criss-crossed by canals.
Tenochtitlan had a population of 60,000, a
vast and shining city surrounded by water
and criss-crossed by canals.
Cortez began to feel uneasy.
Tenochtitlan could be a natural prison.
The king could raise the bridge.
The Spaniards could become trapped.
Cortez began to feel uneasy that
Tenochtitlan could be a natural prison
If the king could raise the bridge and
trap the Spaniards.
News arrived.
One of Montezuma’s chiefs had killed Spanish soldiers.
This made Cortez act quickly.
News arrived that one of Montezuma’s chiefs had killed
Spanish soldiers which made Cortez act quickly.
He went to Montezuma’s palace.
He went with five captains and many soldiers.
He pushed past the palace guards.
He accused the emperor of ordering the attack.
He went to Montezuma’s palace with five captains
and many soldiers, pushed past the palace guards
and accused the emperor of ordering the attack.
Cortez announced that the attack had to be punished.
He said that the emperor would be a prisoner.
The emperor agreed.
Cortez announced that the attack had to be punished
and that the emperor would be a prisoner to which the
emperor agreed.
Cortez was not about to release such a priceless prisoner.
He demanded that the emperor recognize the King of Spain.
He demanded that all gold be handed over.
Cortez was not about to release such a priceless prisoner but
demanded that the emperor recognize the King of Spain and
hand over all gold.
All gold was collected.
It took three days to be sorted out.
All gold was melted down to bullion.
All gold was collected and took three days to
be sorted out before being melted down to bullion.
But the peace was short-lived.
Aztecs attacked the Spaniards
They were put in danger.
They would be trapped in the city.
They would be massacred.
But the peace was short-lived when the Aztecs
attacked the Spaniards putting them in danger
of being trapped in the city and massacred.
The emperor Montezuma was killed.
He tried to settle his people.
He stood in his emperor’s robes.
He called upon them.
But he was hit with rocks.
He died within three days.
The emperor Montezuma was killed
as he tried to settle his people, calling
upon them but he was hit with rocks
and died within three days.
Cortez escaped from the city.
He had 450 Spaniards killed.
He lost most of the horses.
He lost most of the treasure.
Cortez escaped from the city with
450 Spaniards killed, most of the horses
Lost and most of the treasure.
But Cortez was not defeated.
He returned some months later.
He had fresh reinforcements of troops.
He laid siege for several months.
But Cortez was not defeated.
and returned some months later
with fresh reinforcements of troops
to lay siege to the Aztec city.
Many Spaniards were killed.
Some were captured.
They were sacrificed to the sun-god.
They had their hearts cut out.
Many Spaniards were killed with some
captured and sacrificed to the sun-god
by having their hearts cut out.
The Aztec empire was now at an end.
The Spanish occupied the city.
They made it the capital of Mexico.
The Aztec empire was now at an end
with the Spanish occupying the city
and making it the capital of Mexico.
The lake was filled in.
Buildings were constructed on land fill.
This made Mexico an unstable city.
Earthquakes shake and demolish buildings.
The lake was filled in and buildings constructed
on land fill which made Mexico an unstable city
as earthquakes shake and demolish buildings.
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