full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Mollie Godfrey: One of the most banned books of all time

Unscramble the Blue Letters


In 1998, a Maryland school district removed one of American literature’s most acclaimed works from its curriculum. prteans pushing for the ban said the book was both “sexually explicit” and “anti-white.” Following an outcry from other parents and teachers, the dseioicn was eventually reversed. But this was neither the first nor the last attack on Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why The Caged Bird sgins.”

Few books have been challenged more often than Angelou's memoir. And while book banning docneiiss typically aren’t made at the state or national level, most of the schools and libraries that have banned Angelou’s book have given similar reasons. Most commonly, they aruge that the memoir’s account of sexual assault and the vnloiece of US raicsm are inappropriate for young readers. But these ceocnrns miss the point of Angelou’s stroy, which uses these very themes to explore the danger of censorship and silence in the lives of young people.

Open Cloze


In 1998, a Maryland school district removed one of American literature’s most acclaimed works from its curriculum. _______ pushing for the ban said the book was both “sexually explicit” and “anti-white.” Following an outcry from other parents and teachers, the ________ was eventually reversed. But this was neither the first nor the last attack on Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why The Caged Bird _____.”

Few books have been challenged more often than Angelou's memoir. And while book banning _________ typically aren’t made at the state or national level, most of the schools and libraries that have banned Angelou’s book have given similar reasons. Most commonly, they _____ that the memoir’s account of sexual assault and the ________ of US ______ are inappropriate for young readers. But these ________ miss the point of Angelou’s _____, which uses these very themes to explore the danger of censorship and silence in the lives of young people.

Solution


  1. parents
  2. concerns
  3. decision
  4. argue
  5. sings
  6. violence
  7. decisions
  8. racism
  9. story

Original Text


In 1998, a Maryland school district removed one of American literature’s most acclaimed works from its curriculum. Parents pushing for the ban said the book was both “sexually explicit” and “anti-white.” Following an outcry from other parents and teachers, the decision was eventually reversed. But this was neither the first nor the last attack on Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.”

Few books have been challenged more often than Angelou's memoir. And while book banning decisions typically aren’t made at the state or national level, most of the schools and libraries that have banned Angelou’s book have given similar reasons. Most commonly, they argue that the memoir’s account of sexual assault and the violence of US racism are inappropriate for young readers. But these concerns miss the point of Angelou’s story, which uses these very themes to explore the danger of censorship and silence in the lives of young people.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
caged bird 3


Important Words


  1. acclaimed
  2. account
  3. american
  4. argue
  5. assault
  6. attack
  7. ban
  8. banned
  9. banning
  10. bird
  11. book
  12. books
  13. caged
  14. censorship
  15. challenged
  16. commonly
  17. concerns
  18. curriculum
  19. danger
  20. decision
  21. decisions
  22. district
  23. eventually
  24. explore
  25. inappropriate
  26. level
  27. libraries
  28. lives
  29. maryland
  30. maya
  31. memoir
  32. national
  33. outcry
  34. parents
  35. people
  36. point
  37. pushing
  38. racism
  39. readers
  40. reasons
  41. removed
  42. reversed
  43. school
  44. schools
  45. sexual
  46. silence
  47. similar
  48. sings
  49. state
  50. story
  51. teachers
  52. themes
  53. typically
  54. violence
  55. works
  56. young