pick-words.py

import numpy as np, sys, random, argparse

parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
parser.add_argument('-n', type=int, default=10)
parser.add_argument('-s', type=float, default=1.0)
args = parser.parse_args()

words = [x.strip() for x in sys.stdin]

partials = np.power(1.0 + np.arange(len(words)), -args.s).cumsum()
pick = lambda: words[partials.searchsorted(random.random() * partials[-1])]

print('\n'.join(pick() for i in range(args.n)))