full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Adam Clulow: How one of the most profitable companies in history rose to power

Unscramble the Blue Letters

The Asian market was the largest at the time and spices were in great demand throughout Europe. Nutmeg was among the most pcrioeus. But it was only cultivated on Indonesia’s Banda Islands. If Dutch officials could sieze exclusive control over nutmeg, they'd make their investors rich, ensure the Company’s long-term survival and deprive their adversaries of the same gains. However, their plan hinged on the submission of the Bandanese ppolee. This was something Company oifclfais, like the ruthless Jan Pieterszoon Coen, were willing to go to garet lhegnts to ensure.

Open Cloze

The Asian market was the largest at the time and spices were in great demand throughout Europe. Nutmeg was among the most ________. But it was only cultivated on Indonesia’s Banda Islands. If Dutch officials could _____ exclusive control over nutmeg, they'd make their investors rich, ensure the Company’s long-term survival and deprive their adversaries of the same gains. However, their plan hinged on the submission of the Bandanese ______. This was something Company _________, like the ruthless Jan Pieterszoon Coen, were willing to go to _____ _______ to ensure.

Solution

  1. officials
  2. precious
  3. great
  4. lengths
  5. people
  6. seize

Original Text

The Asian market was the largest at the time and spices were in great demand throughout Europe. Nutmeg was among the most precious. But it was only cultivated on Indonesia’s Banda Islands. If Dutch officials could seize exclusive control over nutmeg, they'd make their investors rich, ensure the Company’s long-term survival and deprive their adversaries of the same gains. However, their plan hinged on the submission of the Bandanese people. This was something Company officials, like the ruthless Jan Pieterszoon Coen, were willing to go to great lengths to ensure.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations

ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
dutch east 6
east india 6
india company 4
bandanese leaders 3
banda islands 2
dutch officials 2
bandanese people 2
jan pieterszoon 2

ngrams of length 3

collocation frequency
dutch east india 6
east india company 4

ngrams of length 4

collocation frequency
dutch east india company 4

Important Words

  1. adversaries
  2. asian
  3. banda
  4. bandanese
  5. coen
  6. company
  7. control
  8. cultivated
  9. demand
  10. deprive
  11. dutch
  12. ensure
  13. europe
  14. exclusive
  15. gains
  16. great
  17. hinged
  18. investors
  19. islands
  20. jan
  21. largest
  22. lengths
  23. market
  24. nutmeg
  25. officials
  26. people
  27. pieterszoon
  28. plan
  29. precious
  30. rich
  31. ruthless
  32. seize
  33. spices
  34. submission
  35. survival
  36. time