full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Cynthia Schneider: The surprising spread of Idol TV

Unscramble the Blue Letters


Now you'd think that "American Idol" would introduce a measure of Americanization. But actually, just the opposite is happening. By using this engaging popular fromat for traditional, local culture, it actually, in the Gulf, is peacniirtptig a revival of interest in Nabati poetry, also in traditional dsres and dance and music. And for aanfgthisan, where the Taliban banned muisc for many yeras, it is reintroducing their traditional music. They don't sing pop songs, they sing Afghan music. And they also have learned how to lose gracefully, without avenging the winner. (Laughter) No small thing.

Open Cloze


Now you'd think that "American Idol" would introduce a measure of Americanization. But actually, just the opposite is happening. By using this engaging popular ______ for traditional, local culture, it actually, in the Gulf, is _____________ a revival of interest in Nabati poetry, also in traditional _____ and dance and music. And for ___________, where the Taliban banned _____ for many _____, it is reintroducing their traditional music. They don't sing pop songs, they sing Afghan music. And they also have learned how to lose gracefully, without avenging the winner. (Laughter) No small thing.

Solution


  1. years
  2. afghanistan
  3. music
  4. format
  5. dress
  6. precipitating

Original Text


Now you'd think that "American Idol" would introduce a measure of Americanization. But actually, just the opposite is happening. By using this engaging popular format for traditional, local culture, it actually, in the Gulf, is precipitating a revival of interest in Nabati poetry, also in traditional dress and dance and music. And for Afghanistan, where the Taliban banned music for many years, it is reintroducing their traditional music. They don't sing pop songs, they sing Afghan music. And they also have learned how to lose gracefully, without avenging the winner. (Laughter) No small thing.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
aydah al 2
arab world 2
changing tribal 2
young women 2


Important Words


  1. afghan
  2. afghanistan
  3. americanization
  4. avenging
  5. banned
  6. culture
  7. dance
  8. dress
  9. engaging
  10. format
  11. gracefully
  12. gulf
  13. happening
  14. interest
  15. introduce
  16. laughter
  17. learned
  18. local
  19. lose
  20. measure
  21. music
  22. nabati
  23. poetry
  24. pop
  25. popular
  26. precipitating
  27. reintroducing
  28. revival
  29. sing
  30. small
  31. songs
  32. taliban
  33. traditional
  34. winner
  35. years