Language Tapestry

For questions from 1-15, listen to a speech about the tale of Hades and Persephone, the god and goddess of the Underworld. Fill in the blanks with missing information. Write NO MORE THAN FIVE WORDS taken from the recording for each answer in the space provided.

Audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLAYGZeVTPQ

The ancient Greeks worship Demeter, the goddess of agriculture as she granted them (1)__________ to sustain. Demeter took care of Earth’s fields with her daughter Persephone whom she loved dearly. Persephone inherited her mother’s passion for flowers and trees, and grew into a bright, exuberant young woman. But all the while, a (2)__________ had been watching from below.

One day, Persephone was (3)________ in a meadow with Cyane, a freshwater nymph. While they were gazing at the beauty of a narcissus flower, ground trembling then splitting in halves, revealing a formidable presence. It was Hades, the god of the underworld, the warden of the souls that drifted in the realm of darkness. He clamped a hand on Persephone and dragged her into his (4)________. (5)______ in the meadow had closed by the time Demeter arrived.

Not knowing her daughter’s whereabouts, Demeter rushed to Mount Olympus. Her pleas not met with any help, she searched alone so much in despair that she neglected her usual tasks. Crops (6)_____, and the earth was plunged into a deadly famine where nothing would grow, causing mortals to die. It was so critical that Zeus ordered her to (7)______ and returned to her job, but she refused.

Abducted and taken to the underworld, Persephone was already (8)_________. Against Hades’ will, she (9)__________ and refused food. She longed for her mother’s side and the earth’s warmth, while starving in the cold and loneliness. She then noticed (10)________ that hung heavily on one of the branches in the ghostly garden.

Through Helios, it later dawned on Demeter about Zeus’ deal to grant Hades Persephone’s hand in marriage without her knowledge or consent. Furious, she confronted Zeus, demanding their daughter’s return, not knowing Persephone had succumbed to hunger and eaten a few seeds of the underworld. Though only a (11)_______, it was enough to (12)_____ her in Hades forever.

Demeter didn’t accept it, and threatened to make the fields never fertile again. They compromised, and reached a pact. For (13)______ of the year, Persephone would reunite with her mother in the land of the living, but she had to stay with Hades for the remainder of time. When the mother-daughter met, the fields were nurtured with rain and sunlight. For mortals, the return of Persephone (14)________. When she departed, Demeter mourned, and the Earth grew (15)_________. This marked the turning of the seasons, and the tradition of storing crops starting from the ancient people.

As a preface, I would like to extend a sincere apology to all of you, as I have been absent for quite some time. Partly due to busy work schedules, and partly due to feeling a lack of motivation to continue my path with English. But no worries, I'm back now, and again, I am deeply sorry to all of you guys.

Prior to commencing the contest, I anticipated that the number of participants would be relatively minimal, so, instead of being mandatory as usual, I made 'Section D: Writing' optional. Therefore, candidates will be graded from section A to C only.

I truly appreciate the efforts that you put in your essays, and I hope this Linguathon exam is an opportunity for you to test and hone your writing skills.

Finally, I just want to offer my sincerest apologies as well as express my joy upon the announcement: I'm back.

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