full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Terry Moore: How to tie your shoes

Unscramble the Blue Letters


I'm used to thinking of the TED audience as a wonderful collection of some of the most effective, intelligent, intellectual, savvy, worldly and inoaitnvve poelpe in the world. And I think that's true. However, I also have reason to believe that many, if not most, of you are actually tying your shoes incorrectly.

(lgueathr)

Now I know that seems ludicrous. I know that seems ludicrous. And believe me, I lived the same sad life until about three years ago. And what hanpeped to me was I bought, what was for me, a very expensive pair of shoes. But those soehs came with round nylon lceas, and I couldn't keep them tied. So I went back to the store and said to the owenr, "I love the shoes, but I hate the laces." He took a look and said, "Oh, you're tying them wrong." Now up until that moment, I would have thought that, by age 50, one of the life skills that I had really nailed was tying my shoes.

Open Cloze


I'm used to thinking of the TED audience as a wonderful collection of some of the most effective, intelligent, intellectual, savvy, worldly and __________ ______ in the world. And I think that's true. However, I also have reason to believe that many, if not most, of you are actually tying your shoes incorrectly.

(________)

Now I know that seems ludicrous. I know that seems ludicrous. And believe me, I lived the same sad life until about three years ago. And what ________ to me was I bought, what was for me, a very expensive pair of shoes. But those _____ came with round nylon _____, and I couldn't keep them tied. So I went back to the store and said to the _____, "I love the shoes, but I hate the laces." He took a look and said, "Oh, you're tying them wrong." Now up until that moment, I would have thought that, by age 50, one of the life skills that I had really nailed was tying my shoes.

Solution


  1. owner
  2. people
  3. laces
  4. laughter
  5. shoes
  6. innovative
  7. happened

Original Text


I'm used to thinking of the TED audience as a wonderful collection of some of the most effective, intelligent, intellectual, savvy, worldly and innovative people in the world. And I think that's true. However, I also have reason to believe that many, if not most, of you are actually tying your shoes incorrectly.

(Laughter)

Now I know that seems ludicrous. I know that seems ludicrous. And believe me, I lived the same sad life until about three years ago. And what happened to me was I bought, what was for me, a very expensive pair of shoes. But those shoes came with round nylon laces, and I couldn't keep them tied. So I went back to the store and said to the owner, "I love the shoes, but I hate the laces." He took a look and said, "Oh, you're tying them wrong." Now up until that moment, I would have thought that, by age 50, one of the life skills that I had really nailed was tying my shoes.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
strong form 3
weak form 3


Important Words


  1. age
  2. audience
  3. bought
  4. collection
  5. effective
  6. expensive
  7. happened
  8. hate
  9. incorrectly
  10. innovative
  11. intellectual
  12. intelligent
  13. laces
  14. laughter
  15. life
  16. lived
  17. love
  18. ludicrous
  19. moment
  20. nailed
  21. nylon
  22. owner
  23. pair
  24. people
  25. reason
  26. sad
  27. savvy
  28. shoes
  29. skills
  30. store
  31. ted
  32. thinking
  33. thought
  34. tied
  35. true
  36. tying
  37. wonderful
  38. world
  39. worldly
  40. wrong
  41. years