The principal reason why pupils fail in their recitations and examinations is that in preparing their lessons, they do not make themselves thoroughly acquainted with the topics that they are studying.  They often go over the lessons hurriedly and carelessly and come to class with confused ideas.  Consequently when the pupils attempt to recite, there is, if anything, an additional confusion of ideas, and the recitation proves a failure.  Carelessness in the preparation of daily recitations, negligence in asking for additional explanations, and inattention to the explanations that are given, inevitably cause failure when tests or examinations are called for.

EXERCISES

1.  Name five subjects about which you know so little that it would be useless to attempt an explanation.

2.  Name five about which you know something, but not enough to give clear explanations of them.

3.  Name four about which you know but little, but concerning which you feel sure that you can obtain information.

4.  Name six that you think you clearly understand.  Report orally on one of them.

+Theme LXXXIV.+—­Write out an explanation of one of the subjects named in number four of the preceding exercise.

(Read your theme and criticise it as to clearness.  In listening to the themes read by other members of the class consider them as to clearness.  Call for further explanation of any part not perfectly clear to you.)

+155.  Selection of Facts—­Unity.+—­After we have been given a subject for explanation or have chosen one for ourselves, we must decide concerning the facts to be presented.  In some kinds of exposition this selection is rather difficult.  Since the purpose is to make our meaning clear to the person addressed, we secure unity by including all that is necessary to that purpose and by omitting all that is not necessary.  It is evident that selection of facts to secure unity depends to some extent upon the audience.  If a child asks us to explain what a trust is, our explanation will differ very much from that which we would give if we were addressing a body of men who were familiar with the term trusts, but do not understand the advantages and disadvantages arising from their existence.

Examine the following as to selection of facts.  For what class of people do you think it was written?  What seems to be the purpose of it?

THE FEUDAL SYSTEM

This connection of king as sovereign, with his princes and great men as vassals, must be attended to and understood, in order that you may comprehend the history which follows.  A great king, or sovereign prince, gave large provinces, or grants of land, to his dukes, earls, and noblemen; and each of these possessed nearly as much power, within his own district, as the king did in the rest of his dominions.  But then the