full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Stefan Al: Why isn't the Netherlands underwater?

Unscramble the Blue Letters


In juaanry of 1953, a taidl sugre shook the North Sea. The titanic waves flooded the Dutch cotnlasie, killing almost 2,000 people. 54 yeras later, a similar storm threatened the region. But this time, the nehldnrates were ready. As the water swelled, state-of-the-art computer sensors activated emergency protocols. Over the next 30 minutes, a pair of 240-meter steel arms swung shut, protecting the channel ahead. Using 680-tonne ball joints, the barrier moved in rhythm with the shifting wind and waves. By mirnnog, the storm had passed with minimal fnodiolg. The first field activation of the Maeslantkering had been a resounding success.

Open Cloze


In _______ of 1953, a _____ _____ shook the North Sea. The titanic waves flooded the Dutch _________, killing almost 2,000 people. 54 _____ later, a similar storm threatened the region. But this time, the ___________ were ready. As the water swelled, state-of-the-art computer sensors activated emergency protocols. Over the next 30 minutes, a pair of 240-meter steel arms swung shut, protecting the channel ahead. Using 680-tonne ball joints, the barrier moved in rhythm with the shifting wind and waves. By _______, the storm had passed with minimal ________. The first field activation of the Maeslantkering had been a resounding success.

Solution


  1. surge
  2. coastline
  3. years
  4. tidal
  5. january
  6. netherlands
  7. morning
  8. flooding

Original Text


In January of 1953, a tidal surge shook the North Sea. The titanic waves flooded the Dutch coastline, killing almost 2,000 people. 54 years later, a similar storm threatened the region. But this time, the Netherlands were ready. As the water swelled, state-of-the-art computer sensors activated emergency protocols. Over the next 30 minutes, a pair of 240-meter steel arms swung shut, protecting the channel ahead. Using 680-tonne ball joints, the barrier moved in rhythm with the shifting wind and waves. By morning, the storm had passed with minimal flooding. The first field activation of the Maeslantkering had been a resounding success.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
water management 3
sea level 2
densely populated 2
delta works 2


Important Words


  1. activated
  2. activation
  3. arms
  4. ball
  5. barrier
  6. channel
  7. coastline
  8. computer
  9. dutch
  10. emergency
  11. field
  12. flooded
  13. flooding
  14. january
  15. joints
  16. killing
  17. maeslantkering
  18. minimal
  19. minutes
  20. morning
  21. moved
  22. netherlands
  23. north
  24. pair
  25. passed
  26. people
  27. protecting
  28. protocols
  29. ready
  30. region
  31. resounding
  32. rhythm
  33. sea
  34. sensors
  35. shifting
  36. shook
  37. shut
  38. similar
  39. steel
  40. storm
  41. success
  42. surge
  43. swelled
  44. swung
  45. threatened
  46. tidal
  47. time
  48. titanic
  49. water
  50. waves
  51. wind
  52. years