full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Iseult Gillespie: The wicked wit of Jane Austen

Unscramble the Blue Letters


Elements of her circumstances can be found in many of her characters; often intelligent women with wtity, pragmatic personalities, and rich inner lives. These headstrong heroines provide an entertaining anchor for their tumultuous romantic narratives. Like the irreverent Elizabeth bneent of "Pride and Prejudice," whose devotion to her sisters’ love lives blinds her to a csmuly sutior. Or the iron-willed Anne Elliot of "Persuasion," who cheooss to remain unmarried after the disappearance of her first love. And Elinor Dashwood, who fiercely protects her family at the cost of her own desires in "Sense and stiibisnely." These women all encounter difficult choices about romantic, filial, and financial stability, and they roslvee them without sacrificing their values– or their ssene of humor.

Open Cloze


Elements of her circumstances can be found in many of her characters; often intelligent women with _____, pragmatic personalities, and rich inner lives. These headstrong heroines provide an entertaining anchor for their tumultuous romantic narratives. Like the irreverent Elizabeth ______ of "Pride and Prejudice," whose devotion to her sisters’ love lives blinds her to a ______ ______. Or the iron-willed Anne Elliot of "Persuasion," who _______ to remain unmarried after the disappearance of her first love. And Elinor Dashwood, who fiercely protects her family at the cost of her own desires in "Sense and ___________." These women all encounter difficult choices about romantic, filial, and financial stability, and they _______ them without sacrificing their values– or their _____ of humor.

Solution


  1. resolve
  2. clumsy
  3. bennet
  4. chooses
  5. sense
  6. sensibility
  7. suitor
  8. witty

Original Text


Elements of her circumstances can be found in many of her characters; often intelligent women with witty, pragmatic personalities, and rich inner lives. These headstrong heroines provide an entertaining anchor for their tumultuous romantic narratives. Like the irreverent Elizabeth Bennet of "Pride and Prejudice," whose devotion to her sisters’ love lives blinds her to a clumsy suitor. Or the iron-willed Anne Elliot of "Persuasion," who chooses to remain unmarried after the disappearance of her first love. And Elinor Dashwood, who fiercely protects her family at the cost of her own desires in "Sense and Sensibility." These women all encounter difficult choices about romantic, filial, and financial stability, and they resolve them without sacrificing their values– or their sense of humor.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations




Important Words


  1. anchor
  2. anne
  3. bennet
  4. blinds
  5. choices
  6. chooses
  7. circumstances
  8. clumsy
  9. cost
  10. dashwood
  11. desires
  12. devotion
  13. difficult
  14. disappearance
  15. elements
  16. elinor
  17. elizabeth
  18. elliot
  19. encounter
  20. entertaining
  21. family
  22. fiercely
  23. filial
  24. financial
  25. headstrong
  26. heroines
  27. humor
  28. intelligent
  29. irreverent
  30. lives
  31. love
  32. narratives
  33. personalities
  34. pragmatic
  35. prejudice
  36. protects
  37. provide
  38. remain
  39. resolve
  40. rich
  41. romantic
  42. sacrificing
  43. sense
  44. sensibility
  45. stability
  46. suitor
  47. tumultuous
  48. unmarried
  49. witty
  50. women