CSS 2001 Solved Precis

• Hold cliffs (Noun Phrase): Likely a typo in the original passage; “bold cliffs” means steep or magnificent rock faces
  • Contextual Explanation: Refers to the towering cliffs of Greece that, though strikingly beautiful, were not subjects of early Greek art because they symbolized difficulty and danger rather than inspiration
• Beetling cliffs (Noun Phrase): Overhanging or jutting cliffs that seem to lean threateningly forward
  • Contextual Explanation: Describes the menacing natural landscapes that early people feared, viewing them as obstacles rather than scenes of beauty
• Tempest (Noun): A violent storm with strong winds and heavy rain
  • Contextual Explanation: Refers to the fierce natural forces, like storms, that made the ancient Greeks wary of nature’s grandeur and power
• Scanty (Adjective): Insufficient or limited in quantity or extent
  • Contextual Explanation: Describes how difficult geography and limited communication made early Greek life isolated and reinforced their lack of appreciation for wild nature
• The unvintagable sea (Noun Phrase): A poetic phrase meaning a sea that cannot be harvested like a vineyard; unproductive or unyielding
  • Contextual Explanation: Refers to how early Greeks viewed the sea as barren and wasteful before realizing its value as the foundation of their trade, wealth, and power

The passage explores the evolving perception of nature among the early Greeks, contrasting their initial fear and disdain for untamed landscapes with a later appreciation for rural beauty. It highlights how social and cultural changes shifted their artistic focus from a struggle against nature to a celebration of its richness and diversity.

Main Idea of the Passage

• Early human societies, exemplified by the Greeks, did not value the beauty of wild landscapes because such environments were associated with hardship and danger. This aesthetic antagonism became a longing for nature’s beauty only when the social environment changed, driven by the intense noise and pressure of life in large imperial cities.

Supporting Ideas Helping the Main Idea

• Early people and the Greeks disliked grand natural features because they were practical hindrances to agriculture and human interaction and served as dangerous homes for wild beasts.
• This initial dislike extended even to the sea, which was viewed as wasteland before its economic value was realized.
• Reflecting this antagonism toward material nature, early Greek art found no place for the representation of wild landscape, using fruitful fields only as an unappreciated background.
• The small, decentralized nature of the Greek republics did not encourage a change in this outlook.
• Only with the rise of imperial urban centres, where life grew noisy and crowded, did people begin longing for rural peace.
• Consequently, writers across all genres began praising and appreciating the aesthetic beauty of nature in their literature.

Confused About Main and Supporting Ideas?

Kindly make sure to revise all five lectures on Precis Writing that I have already delivered. In these sessions, we discussed in detail:

• What a precis is and its purpose.
• What the main idea means and how to extract it effectively.
• What supporting ideas are and how to identify them.
• How to coordinate the main and supporting ideas while writing a concise, coherent precis.

Additionally, go through the 20 examples I shared in the WhatsApp groups. These examples highlight the Dos and Don’ts of Precis Writing, and revising them will help you avoid common mistakes and refine your technique.

Precis 1

Early people, much like the ancient Greeks, did not enjoy wild nature: they did not see it as beautiful because it made farming and travel very difficult. Moreover, forests and cliffs were viewed merely as homes for wild beasts. Even the sea was initially seen as useless wasteland. Because of this practical fear, early Greek art did not show wild scenery; instead, artists only painted productive fields in the background. This dislike continued as long as people lived in small, quiet towns. Nevertheless, a major change happened when people moved into huge, crowded cities after the republics ended. The noise and stress of city life made them wish for the peace of the countryside, and finally, writers started praising nature’s beauty in their works.

• Original Words in the Passage: 419
• Precis Word Count: 124
• Title: From Fear to Appreciation: The Greek View of Nature

Precis 2

Primitive societies, specifically the early Greeks, failed to appreciate the beauty of wild landscapes. This was because mountains and forests were practical obstacles to agriculture and human interaction and were also habitats for dangerous animals. Likewise, the sea was also considered useless before its economic value was realized. Indeed, this resentment was reflected in early art, which excluded wild scenery and focused only on fertile farmland. The attitude persisted throughout the era of small Greek republics; however, a shift in perception occurred after the transition to life in large, noisy imperial cities. Certainly, the pressure of dense urban living created a deep longing for rural tranquility. As a result, later authors and poets began to celebrate the aesthetic qualities of nature in their literature.

• Original Words in the Passage: 419
• Precis Word Count: 124
• Title: The Evolution of Aesthetic Perception

Precis 3

The early Greeks, sharing the mindset of primitive peoples, viewed wild nature not as an aesthetic object but as a utilitarian hindrance: the rocky terrain and the sea were despised as obstacles to agriculture and communication, harbours for danger, or simply considered useless. Consequently, early Greek art excluded untamed landscapes, depicting nature only as a backdrop of cultivated fields. This antagonism persisted until the collapse of the decentralized republics. And the subsequent rise of congested imperial metropolises fundamentally altered this perception when the chaos of urban existence fostered a nostalgia for rural solitude. Driven by this psychological shift, literature began to extol the picturesque qualities of the natural world.

• Original Words in the Passage: 419
• Precis Word Count: 110
• Title: Urbanization and the Romanticization of Nature

Precis 4

Initially, the Greeks perceived wild nature with utilitarian disdain rather than aesthetic admiration. Viewing rugged landscapes and the sea primarily as impediments to agriculture and security or as mere wasteland, they harbored an antagonism that excluded such scenery from their early art. This pragmatic aversion persisted until the dissolution of the small republics. The subsequent concentration of populations into tumultuous imperial cities catalyzed a profound psychological shift. Thus, confronted with urban cacophony, society developed a nostalgic yearning for pastoral tranquility, which consequently prompted later writers to celebrate the natural grandeur in their literature.

• Original Words in the Passage: 419
• Precis Word Count: 93
• Title: The Sociological Roots of Nature Appreciation