TedTest

From the Ted Talk by Ray Laurence: A glimpse of teenage life in ancient Rome

Unscramble the Blue Letters

It's March the 17th in A.D. 73. We're visiting ancient Rome to watch the Liberalia, an annual fsvaetil that clerbteeas the liberty of Rome's citizens. We're looking in at a 17-year-old named Lucius Popidius Secundus. He's not from a poor family, but he lives in the region known as the sbruua, a poorer nbohgreooihd in Rome, yet close to the cenetr of the city. (Gong) The tenants of these apartments are crammed in, (Grunting) which poses considerable risk. freis are frequent and the smell of ash and somke in the morning is not uncommon. Lucius, who awoke at dawn, has family duties to perform today. (Cheering) His 15-year-old brother is coming of age. Half the children in ancient Rome die before they reach adulthood, so this is a particularly ianmptort milestone. luuics watches his brother stand in his new toga before the household shrine with its pevttrioce deities, as he places his bulla, a protective aumelt, in the shirne with a prayer of thanks. The bulla had worked. It had potetcred him. Unlike many others, he had survived to become an adult. At 17, Lucius has almost completed his education. He has learned to speak well, make pbuilc speeches, and how to read and write both Latin and Greek. His father has taught him the types of things you can't learn in the classroom: how to run, how to swim, and how to fight. Lucius could choose, at 17, to become a military tribune and command seorldis on the edge of the Empire. But in other ways, Lucius is still a child. He's not trusted to arngrae business deals. His father will take care of that until he is 25. And Dad will arrange Lucius' mgaraire to a girl 10 years younger. His dad has his eye on a family with a 7-year-old dehtuagr. Back to the Liberalia. As Lucius leaves with his family, the shops are open as the poltaiopun goes about its business. The streets are full of itinerant traerds selling tretniks and people bntsulig from place to place. lgrae wagons are not allowed in the city until after the ninth hour but the streets are still cweordd. fhertas and uncles take the kids to the Forum Augustus to see statues of Rome's fmoaus warriors like Aeneas, who led Rome's ancestors, the tnraojs, to ialty. And Romulus, Rome's founder. And all the great grnalees of the Republic from more than 100 years earlier. Lovingly, we can imagine fathers and guardians with their now adult children remembering sotires of Rome's glory and re-telling the good deeds and sayings of the great men of the past: lessons on how to live well, and to overcome the follies of youth. There is a snese of history in this pclae, relevant to their present. Romans made an epirme without end in time and space. (Thump) Rome was destined to be ernatel through warfare. Wars were a fact of life, even in A.D. 73. There are campaigns in the north of England and into Scotland, to the north of the revir Danube into raoimna, and on the frontier between Syria and Iraq to the east. It's now the eighth hour — time to head for the baths. Lucius and his family head up the Via Lata, the wide street, to the Campus Martius, and the enormous Baths of Agrippa. The family members leave the clients and freedmen outside, and enter the baths with their peer group. Baths would change from dark, steamy rmoos to light ones. The Romans had perfected window glass. Everyone moves from the cold room to the tepid room and to the very hot room. (Man) Oops! More than an hour later, the bathers leave massaged, olied, (Whistling) and have been scraped down with a siigtrl to remove the remaining dirt. At the ninth hour, seven hours after they left home, the men return for a ceretoablry dinner. Dinner is an intimate affair, with nine people reclining around the low table. Slaves attend to their every need if the diners, through gestures, demand more food and wine. As the day closes, we can hear the rlmube of waongs outside. The clients and freedmen, with a meal of robust — if inferior — food inside them, shuffle off to the now tepid btahs before returning to their apartment blocks. Back at Lucius' house, the dirinkng cninuetos into the nhgit. Lucius and his stepbrother don't look too well. A slave stands by in case either of them needs to vomit. With hindsight, we know Lucius' future. In 20 years' time, the Emperor Vespasian's yegnsout son, Domitian, as emperor, will enact a reign of terror. Will Lucius survive? (Drums)

Open Cloze

It's March the 17th in A.D. 73. We're visiting ancient Rome to watch the Liberalia, an annual ________ that __________ the liberty of Rome's citizens. We're looking in at a 17-year-old named Lucius Popidius Secundus. He's not from a poor family, but he lives in the region known as the ______, a poorer ____________ in Rome, yet close to the ______ of the city. (Gong) The tenants of these apartments are crammed in, (Grunting) which poses considerable risk. _____ are frequent and the smell of ash and _____ in the morning is not uncommon. Lucius, who awoke at dawn, has family duties to perform today. (Cheering) His 15-year-old brother is coming of age. Half the children in ancient Rome die before they reach adulthood, so this is a particularly _________ milestone. ______ watches his brother stand in his new toga before the household shrine with its __________ deities, as he places his bulla, a protective ______, in the ______ with a prayer of thanks. The bulla had worked. It had _________ him. Unlike many others, he had survived to become an adult. At 17, Lucius has almost completed his education. He has learned to speak well, make ______ speeches, and how to read and write both Latin and Greek. His father has taught him the types of things you can't learn in the classroom: how to run, how to swim, and how to fight. Lucius could choose, at 17, to become a military tribune and command ________ on the edge of the Empire. But in other ways, Lucius is still a child. He's not trusted to _______ business deals. His father will take care of that until he is 25. And Dad will arrange Lucius' ________ to a girl 10 years younger. His dad has his eye on a family with a 7-year-old ________. Back to the Liberalia. As Lucius leaves with his family, the shops are open as the __________ goes about its business. The streets are full of itinerant _______ selling ________ and people ________ from place to place. _____ wagons are not allowed in the city until after the ninth hour but the streets are still _______. _______ and uncles take the kids to the Forum Augustus to see statues of Rome's ______ warriors like Aeneas, who led Rome's ancestors, the _______, to _____. And Romulus, Rome's founder. And all the great ________ of the Republic from more than 100 years earlier. Lovingly, we can imagine fathers and guardians with their now adult children remembering _______ of Rome's glory and re-telling the good deeds and sayings of the great men of the past: lessons on how to live well, and to overcome the follies of youth. There is a _____ of history in this _____, relevant to their present. Romans made an ______ without end in time and space. (Thump) Rome was destined to be _______ through warfare. Wars were a fact of life, even in A.D. 73. There are campaigns in the north of England and into Scotland, to the north of the _____ Danube into _______, and on the frontier between Syria and Iraq to the east. It's now the eighth hour — time to head for the baths. Lucius and his family head up the Via Lata, the wide street, to the Campus Martius, and the enormous Baths of Agrippa. The family members leave the clients and freedmen outside, and enter the baths with their peer group. Baths would change from dark, steamy _____ to light ones. The Romans had perfected window glass. Everyone moves from the cold room to the tepid room and to the very hot room. (Man) Oops! More than an hour later, the bathers leave massaged, _____, (Whistling) and have been scraped down with a _______ to remove the remaining dirt. At the ninth hour, seven hours after they left home, the men return for a ___________ dinner. Dinner is an intimate affair, with nine people reclining around the low table. Slaves attend to their every need if the diners, through gestures, demand more food and wine. As the day closes, we can hear the ______ of ______ outside. The clients and freedmen, with a meal of robust — if inferior — food inside them, shuffle off to the now tepid _____ before returning to their apartment blocks. Back at Lucius' house, the ________ _________ into the _____. Lucius and his stepbrother don't look too well. A slave stands by in case either of them needs to vomit. With hindsight, we know Lucius' future. In 20 years' time, the Emperor Vespasian's ________ son, Domitian, as emperor, will enact a reign of terror. Will Lucius survive? (Drums)

Solution

strigil
famous
empire
fires
romania
protective
celebratory
arrange
protected
lucius
italy
sense
stories
celebrates
generals
important
center
public
festival
eternal
wagons
daughter
fathers
rumble
trojans
neighborhood
youngest
oiled
subura
large
amulet
river
night
rooms
population
trinkets
bustling
place
soldiers
marriage
shrine
smoke
traders
drinking
baths
crowded
continues

Original Text

It's March the 17th in A.D. 73. We're visiting ancient Rome to watch the Liberalia, an annual festival that celebrates the liberty of Rome's citizens. We're looking in at a 17-year-old named Lucius Popidius Secundus. He's not from a poor family, but he lives in the region known as the Subura, a poorer neighborhood in Rome, yet close to the center of the city. (Gong) The tenants of these apartments are crammed in, (Grunting) which poses considerable risk. Fires are frequent and the smell of ash and smoke in the morning is not uncommon. Lucius, who awoke at dawn, has family duties to perform today. (Cheering) His 15-year-old brother is coming of age. Half the children in ancient Rome die before they reach adulthood, so this is a particularly important milestone. Lucius watches his brother stand in his new toga before the household shrine with its protective deities, as he places his bulla, a protective amulet, in the shrine with a prayer of thanks. The bulla had worked. It had protected him. Unlike many others, he had survived to become an adult. At 17, Lucius has almost completed his education. He has learned to speak well, make public speeches, and how to read and write both Latin and Greek. His father has taught him the types of things you can't learn in the classroom: how to run, how to swim, and how to fight. Lucius could choose, at 17, to become a military tribune and command soldiers on the edge of the Empire. But in other ways, Lucius is still a child. He's not trusted to arrange business deals. His father will take care of that until he is 25. And Dad will arrange Lucius' marriage to a girl 10 years younger. His dad has his eye on a family with a 7-year-old daughter. Back to the Liberalia. As Lucius leaves with his family, the shops are open as the population goes about its business. The streets are full of itinerant traders selling trinkets and people bustling from place to place. Large wagons are not allowed in the city until after the ninth hour but the streets are still crowded. Fathers and uncles take the kids to the Forum Augustus to see statues of Rome's famous warriors like Aeneas, who led Rome's ancestors, the Trojans, to Italy. And Romulus, Rome's founder. And all the great generals of the Republic from more than 100 years earlier. Lovingly, we can imagine fathers and guardians with their now adult children remembering stories of Rome's glory and re-telling the good deeds and sayings of the great men of the past: lessons on how to live well, and to overcome the follies of youth. There is a sense of history in this place, relevant to their present. Romans made an empire without end in time and space. (Thump) Rome was destined to be eternal through warfare. Wars were a fact of life, even in A.D. 73. There are campaigns in the north of England and into Scotland, to the north of the River Danube into Romania, and on the frontier between Syria and Iraq to the east. It's now the eighth hour — time to head for the baths. Lucius and his family head up the Via Lata, the wide street, to the Campus Martius, and the enormous Baths of Agrippa. The family members leave the clients and freedmen outside, and enter the baths with their peer group. Baths would change from dark, steamy rooms to light ones. The Romans had perfected window glass. Everyone moves from the cold room to the tepid room and to the very hot room. (Man) Oops! More than an hour later, the bathers leave massaged, oiled, (Whistling) and have been scraped down with a strigil to remove the remaining dirt. At the ninth hour, seven hours after they left home, the men return for a celebratory dinner. Dinner is an intimate affair, with nine people reclining around the low table. Slaves attend to their every need if the diners, through gestures, demand more food and wine. As the day closes, we can hear the rumble of wagons outside. The clients and freedmen, with a meal of robust — if inferior — food inside them, shuffle off to the now tepid baths before returning to their apartment blocks. Back at Lucius' house, the drinking continues into the night. Lucius and his stepbrother don't look too well. A slave stands by in case either of them needs to vomit. With hindsight, we know Lucius' future. In 20 years' time, the Emperor Vespasian's youngest son, Domitian, as emperor, will enact a reign of terror. Will Lucius survive? (Drums)

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations

ngrams of length 2

collocation	frequency
ancient rome	2

Important Words

adult
adulthood
aeneas
affair
age
agrippa
allowed
amulet
ancestors
ancient
annual
apartment
apartments
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ash
attend
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blocks
brother
bulla
business
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campaigns
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celebratory
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cheering
child
children
choose
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city
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cold
coming
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completed
considerable
continues
crammed
crowded
dad
danube
dark
daughter
dawn
day
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deeds
deities
demand
destined
die
diners
dinner
dirt
domitian
drinking
drums
duties
earlier
east
edge
education
eighth
emperor
empire
enact
england
enormous
enter
eternal
eye
fact
family
famous
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fathers
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fight
fires
follies
food
forum
founder
freedmen
frequent
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girl
glass
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gong
good
great
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grunting
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hot
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learned
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liberalia
liberty
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light
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lovingly
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marriage
martius
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men
milestone
military
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named
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night
ninth
north
oiled
open
overcome
peer
people
perfected
perform
place
places
poor
poorer
popidius
population
poses
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reach
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relevant
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rome
romulus
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syria
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time
today
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trojans
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wide
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