full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Iseult Gillespie: The myth of Hades and Persephone

Unscramble the Blue Letters


Deep below, across the friigd revir Styx, and through the halls of the underworld, Persephone was waging her own protest. Hades eextecpd her to serve as his wife and queen. But Persephone rebuffed the god’s advances and refused food. As she longed for her mother’s company, her friends’ laughter, and the sun’s warmth, Persephone grew colder and llnieoer. And she was srnaivtg. She hnreuged for sansiyitfg grains, crisp vlbaeegets and fresh fruit. Wandering the ghostly gnardes, she contemplated the pomegranates that hung hevaily on their branches...

Meanwhile, Demeter counentid her hunt. She appealed to the all-seeing sun god, Helios, whose rays had long warmed her crops. Indeed, when Helios drew his golden chariot across the sky that fateful day, he saw what happened— and he knew of the deal. Out of respect and sympathy for Demeter, Helios told her of Hades’ demands, Zeus’ betrayal and Persephone’s abduction.

Open Cloze


Deep below, across the ______ _____ Styx, and through the halls of the underworld, Persephone was waging her own protest. Hades ________ her to serve as his wife and queen. But Persephone rebuffed the god’s advances and refused food. As she longed for her mother’s company, her friends’ laughter, and the sun’s warmth, Persephone grew colder and ________. And she was ________. She ________ for __________ grains, crisp __________ and fresh fruit. Wandering the ghostly _______, she contemplated the pomegranates that hung _______ on their branches...

Meanwhile, Demeter _________ her hunt. She appealed to the all-seeing sun god, Helios, whose rays had long warmed her crops. Indeed, when Helios drew his golden chariot across the sky that fateful day, he saw what happened— and he knew of the deal. Out of respect and sympathy for Demeter, Helios told her of Hades’ demands, Zeus’ betrayal and Persephone’s abduction.

Solution


  1. frigid
  2. continued
  3. lonelier
  4. satisfying
  5. hungered
  6. river
  7. expected
  8. vegetables
  9. gardens
  10. heavily
  11. starving

Original Text


Deep below, across the frigid river Styx, and through the halls of the underworld, Persephone was waging her own protest. Hades expected her to serve as his wife and queen. But Persephone rebuffed the god’s advances and refused food. As she longed for her mother’s company, her friends’ laughter, and the sun’s warmth, Persephone grew colder and lonelier. And she was starving. She hungered for satisfying grains, crisp vegetables and fresh fruit. Wandering the ghostly gardens, she contemplated the pomegranates that hung heavily on their branches...

Meanwhile, Demeter continued her hunt. She appealed to the all-seeing sun god, Helios, whose rays had long warmed her crops. Indeed, when Helios drew his golden chariot across the sky that fateful day, he saw what happened— and he knew of the deal. Out of respect and sympathy for Demeter, Helios told her of Hades’ demands, Zeus’ betrayal and Persephone’s abduction.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
demeter sped 2
mount olympus 2


Important Words


  1. abduction
  2. advances
  3. appealed
  4. betrayal
  5. branches
  6. chariot
  7. colder
  8. company
  9. contemplated
  10. continued
  11. crisp
  12. crops
  13. day
  14. deal
  15. deep
  16. demands
  17. demeter
  18. drew
  19. expected
  20. fateful
  21. food
  22. fresh
  23. frigid
  24. fruit
  25. gardens
  26. ghostly
  27. god
  28. golden
  29. grains
  30. grew
  31. hades
  32. halls
  33. heavily
  34. helios
  35. hung
  36. hungered
  37. hunt
  38. knew
  39. laughter
  40. lonelier
  41. long
  42. longed
  43. persephone
  44. pomegranates
  45. protest
  46. queen
  47. rays
  48. rebuffed
  49. refused
  50. respect
  51. river
  52. satisfying
  53. serve
  54. sky
  55. starving
  56. styx
  57. sun
  58. sympathy
  59. told
  60. underworld
  61. vegetables
  62. waging
  63. wandering
  64. warmed
  65. warmth
  66. wife