diff --git a/search.py b/search.py
index c9b6280b4..00ff8a888 100644
--- a/search.py
+++ b/search.py
@@ -544,11 +544,9 @@ def __call__(self, s1):     # as of now s1 is a state rather than a percept
                 self.H[self.s] = min(self.LRTA_cost(self.s, b, self.problem.output(self.s, b),
                                      self.H) for b in self.problem.actions(self.s))
 
-            # costs for action b in problem.actions(s1)
-            costs = [self.LRTA_cost(s1, b, self.problem.output(s1, b), self.H)
-                     for b in self.problem.actions(s1)]
             # an action b in problem.actions(s1) that minimizes costs
-            self.a = list(self.problem.actions(s1))[costs.index(min(costs))]
+            self.a = argmin(self.problem.actions(s1),
+                            key=lambda b:self.LRTA_cost(s1, b, self.problem.output(s1, b), self.H))
 
             self.s = s1
             return self.a
diff --git a/text.py b/text.py
index 991c764d9..ce01e6184 100644
--- a/text.py
+++ b/text.py
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ def add_sequence(self, words):
         n = self.n
         words = self.add_empty(words, n)
 
-        for i in range(len(words) - n):
+        for i in range(len(words) - n + 1):
             self.add(tuple(words[i:i + n]))
 
     def samples(self, nwords):
@@ -318,9 +318,7 @@ def score(self, plaintext):
     def decode(self, ciphertext):
         """Return the shift decoding of text with the best score."""
 
-        list_ = [(self.score(shift), shift)
-                 for shift in all_shifts(ciphertext)]
-        return max(list_, key=lambda elm: elm[0])[1]
+        return argmax(all_shifts(ciphertext), key=lambda shift: self.score(shift))
 
 
 def all_shifts(text):
@@ -380,8 +378,9 @@ def __init__(self, initial=None, goal=None, decoder=None):
 
     def actions(self, state):
         # Find the best
-        p, plainchar = max([(self.decoder.P1[c], c)
-                            for c in alphabet if c not in state])
+                            
+        search_list = [c for c in alphabet if c not in state]
+        plainchar = argmax(search_list, key=lambda c: self.decoder.P1[c])
         succs = [extend(state, plainchar, cipherchar)]  # ???? # noqa
 
     def goal_test(self, state):