World of Magic

World of Magic
SUBJECT
Art and Literature
READING SKILL
Finding the stated main idea
TEXT TYPE
Content-based passage
Finding the stated main idea
The main idea is the most important idea in a paragraph; it tells you what the paragraph is
about. It can be found at the start, in the middle or at the end of a paragraph. A main idea that
is written out is called a stated main idea.
Show students a paragraph containing a stated main idea. Have them identify the details in
the paragraph and discuss what the paragraph is about. Then have them read out what they
think is the most important sentence in the paragraph—that is usually the stated main idea.
A good activity is to have each student write their own paragraph on a sheet of paper, stating
the main idea. Then have them pass their papers around for other students to pick out the
stated main idea. Keep passing them around until all students have read them.
Answers for Unit 1 Worksheet (p. 13)
Paragraph 1
Harry Houdini is said to be the world’s greatest magician ever. (end)
Paragraph 2
He was famous for many tricks. (middle)
Paragraph 3
After a spectacular tour of Europe, Houdini returned to the United States in 1904, where he became
a great success. (start)
8
World of Magic
What tricks do magicians do?
Discuss your answers.
Finding the stated main idea
Main ideas can be found at the start, in the middle or at the end of paragraphs. When a main
idea is written out in the paragraph, it is called a stated main idea.
Underline the stated main idea. Then check [�] where in the paragraph it is.
One of the tricks a magician does is called production.
To do this, he produces something from nothing.
Examples include pulling a rabbit out of an empty hat,
filling an empty bucket with coins or even the magician
himself appearing in a puff of smoke.
start
�
middle
end
9
9
2
Read the passage.
It’s
It
’s magi
gic!
c!
Magicians
ans perfor
perfor
rf m magic tricks to show that
something
g impossible
im
has happened. There
are many kinds of magic tricks.
One kind of magic trick is called production.
To do this, a magician produces
es something
so
from nothing. Examples include pulling a
rabbit out of an empty hat, filling an empty
bucket with coins or even the magician
himself appearing in a puff of smoke.
A magician is holding a coin. He mightt snap
sn
his fingers and the coin suddenly
disappears. This trick is an example of the
vanish, which is the opposite of production.
The vanish is a kind of magic trick in which
things disappear. Afte
Af r putting a bird in a
cage and then covering the cage with cloth,
the magician waves his wand and pulls
away the cloth. The bird has vanished.
Perhaps a rope is cut in half with a knife.
if
ife.
The magician does something special and
suddenly the rope is one
e complete
co
piece
again. Or af
after tearing a newspaper into
pieces, the magician rubs the pieces
together
er and the newspaper becomes
whole again. These tricks rest
restore
e things
t
to
the way they were before. Restoration is
another common type of magic trick.
10
10
Answer the questions.
1
rform magic tricks to show something impossible
rf
What do magicians do? Magicians perform
2
What kind of trick makes things appear? Production.
3
What kind of trick makes things disappear? The vanish.
has happened.
Write the stated main idea for each paragraph. Then circle where in the
paragraph it is.
Paragraph 2
One magic trick is called production.
Paragraph 4
Restoration is another common type
pe
of magic trick.
start / middle / end
start / middle / end
Paragraph 3
The vanish is a kind of trick where things
disappear.
ide whether
es you a
a or a detail.
detail.
ou
t the paragraph is
start / middle / end
Look at the highlighted words in the passage. Find out what they mean using
the Mini-dictionary on pages 69–72.
11
11
3
Read the paragraph. Underline the stated main idea. Then circle where in
the paragraph it is.
Teleportation, penetration and levitation are three
diff ent kinds of magic tricks. Teleportation is
differ
moving something from one place to another. The
moving process
ocess is in
invisible, which makes it look
like real magic. Penetration is a kind of trick in
which solid things appear to move through other
solid things, which is normally impossible to do.
Levitation is moving something up into the air
without touching it or holding it in an
any way.
These kinds of magic tricks are important for
good magicians to learn.
Stated main idea: start / midd
ddle / end
4
Listen and write the names of the magic tricks.
Kind of magic trick
k
N
Name
1 Teleportation
The Great Cage Swap
2 Penetration
Through the Card
3 Levitation
Ladyfloat
Make your own magic trick. Then tell the class.
12
12
4
CD script on p. 92.
Unit 1 Worksheet
Name:
Class:
Date:
The Great Houdini
Magician Harry Houdini was born in Hungary in 1874. His family moved to the United States
when he was a young child. His real name was Erich Weiss, but he changed his name to Harry
Houdini when he became a magician. Houdini started off as a regular card magician but later
became a master magician in illusions and escape acts. Many of his tricks are still a mystery to
this day. Houdini is said to be the world’s greatest magician ever.
Houdini escaped from jails, handcuffs, chains, ropes and straitjackets in front of the audience.
He was famous for many tricks. One of his most famous tricks was when he made an elephant
and its trainer disappear from the stage in the London Hippodrome.
After a spectacular tour of Europe, Houdini returned to the United States in 1904, where he
became a great success. In 1912, he performed his most famous act, in which he was upside
down in a glass box full of water. He held his breath for over three minutes.
Houdini’s last performance was in Detroit in October 1926. He died a few days later at the age
of 52.
Write the stated main idea for each paragraph. Then circle where in the
paragraph it is.
Paragraph 1
start / middle / end
Paragraph 2
start / middle / end
Paragraph 3
start / middle / end
Photocopiable
© Pearson Education Asia Limited 2007
Boost! Reading 3
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