full transcript
From the Ted Talk by Iseult Gillespie: The Japanese folktale of the selfish scholar
Unscramble the Blue Letters
He soon came to a cramped cottage, with a woman crumpled outside. felild with pity, the scholar implored the woman to share her sorrow. She elpineaxd that her mother had just died— but no one would help her with the burial. At that news, his heart sank. Touching the body would defile his spirit, diannrig his life force and leaving him forsaken by the kami. But as he listened to her cries, his smpayhty sraeod. And so, they buried the old wmaon together, to ensure her safe passage into the spirit world.
Open Cloze
He soon came to a cramped cottage, with a woman crumpled outside. ______ with pity, the scholar implored the woman to share her sorrow. She _________ that her mother had just died— but no one would help her with the burial. At that news, his heart sank. Touching the body would defile his spirit, ________ his life force and leaving him forsaken by the kami. But as he listened to her cries, his ________ ______. And so, they buried the old _____ together, to ensure her safe passage into the spirit world.
Solution
- explained
- woman
- sympathy
- draining
- filled
- soared
Original Text
He soon came to a cramped cottage, with a woman crumpled outside. Filled with pity, the scholar implored the woman to share her sorrow. She explained that her mother had just died— but no one would help her with the burial. At that news, his heart sank. Touching the body would defile his spirit, draining his life force and leaving him forsaken by the kami. But as he listened to her cries, his sympathy soared. And so, they buried the old woman together, to ensure her safe passage into the spirit world.
Frequently Occurring Word Combinations
ngrams of length 2
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spirit world |
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Important Words
- body
- burial
- buried
- cottage
- cramped
- cries
- crumpled
- defile
- draining
- ensure
- explained
- filled
- force
- forsaken
- heart
- implored
- kami
- leaving
- life
- listened
- mother
- news
- passage
- pity
- safe
- sank
- scholar
- share
- soared
- sorrow
- spirit
- sympathy
- touching
- woman
- world