This is the fifth sample article candidates of the ECPE examination (Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English of the University of Michigan) My first post to deal with articles , explains what needs to be present in this type of piece of writing. As stated, examiners are looking for articles that elaborate on ideas and have solid arguments; are well organized; make use of a wide lexical and grammatical range; have an original ring to them (in other words, readers are able to distinguish the author's unique "voice"). Before reading, take a look at the following post if you haven't already done so. It will help you focus on the vital aspects you need to be aware of while reading the article and what you should make sure to use when you write your own. The question appeared in Practice Tests for the ECPE Book 1 (revised 2021 version) and is accompanied by the following three writing prompts:
Etymology
The word "chasm" is derived from the Greek word χάσμα (pronounced "hasma")(point of note: all words transferred into English from the Greek language changed the Greek "χ" to a "ch", as in psychology, chronic, archaeology, etc.) and means abyss, an opening found on the earth's surface which is usually wide and deep.
In Greek, the verb associated with the word is χάσκω (pronounced "hasko") which could best be explained as
a) "with mouth agape" either in a state of surprise, puzzlement or absentmindedness
b) "to present a threatening gap" analogous to a mixture of the words loom and extend, lay or stretch out, as in for example:
"Before Gandalf loomed the bottomless pit beneath the Bridge of Kasad-dûm." This is not a quote from Lord of the Rings, mind you. The actual Tolkien quote is mentioned in the Examples section below.
Meaning
A chasm is a rift, a gap or fissure and in this sense we feel as if the opening is moderately large. It also denotes much greater gaps such as gorges and maintains the original Greek meaning of an abyss.
Metaphorically speaking, this wide gap pertains to a wide difference of opinion or state between two sides. For example, there can be a great chasm between
- two religions or ideologies
- the young and the old
- a mother and her daughter
- the rich and the poor
Examples
- "Suddenly Frodo saw before him a black chasm." J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
- “Every creator painfully experiences the chasm between his inner vision and its ultimate expression. The chasm is never completely bridged."
Mythology
A word often seen linked in a number of mythologies to chasm is chaos due to the fact that the latter referred to a void, emptiness or an abyss from which the world sprang.
In Greek mythology, Chaos is a somewhat versatile entity, at times playing the part of a primordial goddess from which other primordial gods like Gaia, Tartaros and Eros came or who co-existed with other primordial entities such as Erebos, Nyx, Aither and Hemera to begin with. In some texts, it is certain that Erebos and Nyx alone, both deities of darkness, were Chaos's offspring.
Chaos is also likened to a cosmic egg, so to speak, which contained a mixture of basic elements. In any case, it is the void or chasm found above or below the Earth that according to Plato is a shapeless space with a mixture of trace elements while Aristotle refers to it as a void independent of bodies from which creation sprang.
The Romans merely agreed with the idea of the great chasm which is why not much by way of innovation is found on the topic in the brief search I undertook.
In Norse mythology, the chasm where no sun, moon, stars, land or sea existed was named Ginnungagap. It was described as a yawning void or gaping abyss. Into this chasm, the eleven poisonous rivers of Elivagar, emptied, froze and after years of clashes with sheets of fire that came from the land of fire Muspellheim to the south of the chasm, sparks of life materialized.
In sum, ancient civilizations generally agreed upon the notion that a great void or chasm existed from which life sprang either directly or indirectly.
Synonyms
a) abysm, abyss, deep, gorge, canyon, ravine, gulf, ocean
b) cavern, hollow, hole, pit, cavity, crater
c) cleft, crevasse, fissure, rift, schism
d) breadth, expanse, extent
e) black hole, emptiness, nothingness
For more vocabulary words, click on the image below.
