full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Jamie Bernthal: How to write the perfect crime, according to Agatha Christie

Unscramble the Blue Letters


Outside crime and clues, there’s one more ingredient in Christie’s formula: the detective. Christie created many suhetls, but her most enuidnrg are Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. Neither this peitt Belgian refugee nor this elderly amateur detective are traditional heroes. But their outsider status is exactly what helps them slip past security and make suspects let their guard down.

As you might have geuessd, Agatha won her sister’s bet. Her eccentric detectives, clever cuels, and simplified suspects form a blueprint that has seutmpd countless readers. And now that you've uncovered her strategies, the only mestryy left is what stories you can tell with these secrets.

Open Cloze


Outside crime and clues, there’s one more ingredient in Christie’s formula: the detective. Christie created many _______, but her most ________ are Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. Neither this _____ Belgian refugee nor this elderly amateur detective are traditional heroes. But their outsider status is exactly what helps them slip past security and make suspects let their guard down.

As you might have _______, Agatha won her sister’s bet. Her eccentric detectives, clever _____, and simplified suspects form a blueprint that has _______ countless readers. And now that you've uncovered her strategies, the only _______ left is what stories you can tell with these secrets.

Solution


  1. petit
  2. sleuths
  3. mystery
  4. stumped
  5. guessed
  6. clues
  7. enduring

Original Text


Outside crime and clues, there’s one more ingredient in Christie’s formula: the detective. Christie created many sleuths, but her most enduring are Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. Neither this petit Belgian refugee nor this elderly amateur detective are traditional heroes. But their outsider status is exactly what helps them slip past security and make suspects let their guard down.

As you might have guessed, Agatha won her sister’s bet. Her eccentric detectives, clever clues, and simplified suspects form a blueprint that has stumped countless readers. And now that you've uncovered her strategies, the only mystery left is what stories you can tell with these secrets.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations




Important Words


  1. agatha
  2. amateur
  3. belgian
  4. bet
  5. blueprint
  6. christie
  7. clever
  8. clues
  9. countless
  10. created
  11. crime
  12. detective
  13. detectives
  14. eccentric
  15. elderly
  16. enduring
  17. form
  18. guard
  19. guessed
  20. helps
  21. hercule
  22. heroes
  23. ingredient
  24. jane
  25. left
  26. marple
  27. mystery
  28. outsider
  29. petit
  30. poirot
  31. readers
  32. refugee
  33. secrets
  34. security
  35. simplified
  36. sleuths
  37. slip
  38. status
  39. stories
  40. strategies
  41. stumped
  42. suspects
  43. traditional
  44. uncovered
  45. won