Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow : (15) 1. The fact that everybody enjoys a good mystery explains why magicians are such popular entertainers. We all know that a magician does not really depend on ‘magic’ to perform his tricks, but on his ability to act at great speed. However, this does not prevent us from enjoying watching a magician produce rabbits from a hat or swallow countless eggs. Probably, the greatest magician of all time was Harry Houdini who died in 1926. His real name was Ehrich Weiss, but he adopted the name Houdini after reading a book which greatly influenced him. This had been written by a famous magician called Robert-Houdin. Houdini mastered the art of escaping. He could free himself from the most difficult locks in seconds. No one knows how he did this. But there is no doubt that he had made a close study of every type of lock invented. He would carry a small needle-like tool tied to his leg. He used this tool as a substitute for a key.Houdini once asked the Chicago police to lock him in prison. They tied him in chains and locked him up, but he freed himself in a short time. The police accused him of having used a tool and locked him up again. This time, there were chains around his neck, waist, wrist, and legs-but again, he escaped in a few minutes. Houdini had probably hidden his `needle' in a wax-like substance and dropped it on the floor in the passage. As he went past, he stepped on it so that it stuck to the sole of his foot. His most famous escape, however, was altogether surprising. He was tied and enclosed in a wooden box. The lid of the box was nailed. The box was dropped into the sea in the New York harbour. In one minute, Houdini had untied himself and was able to come up to the surface of the sea. When the box was brought up and opened, the chains were found inside. Answer the following questions.
(a) Do as directed (4)
(i) Which word in the passage does mean ‘stop’?
2) What does mean by the word enclosed?
(b) How does the magician perform his tricks?
(2 ½)
(c) Name any two tricks performed by the
magician. (1)
(d) Why did Ehrich Weiss adopt the name
Houdini? (2 ½)
(e) What art did Houdini master? (1)
(f) What was the substitute used by Houdini
(g) What was Houdini’s most surprising trick? (1)
(h) State whether the following statements are
true or false. (2)
(i) Harry Houdini was not a great magician.
(ii) Houdini used needle to open the box.
Answers
Answer:
True or false
- False
- True
Explanation:
Sorry I don't know remaining answer
Answer:
We entertain the idea of being entertained by magicians because we love being entertained with good mysteries. It provides us with the perfect ‘entertainment’ that will keep us ‘occupied’.
Explanation:
Step 1: (i) We entertain the idea of being entertained by magicians because we love being entertained with good mysteries. It provides us with the perfect ‘entertainment’ that will keep us ‘occupied’.
(ii) Stage names provide them with the ‘appropriate’ image of what they represent. The names represent what they will be or who they are, giving them a sense of ‘identity’ away from their real names.
Step 2:(iii) Harry Houdini was able to perform great magic feats, making him one of the greatest magicians of all times. He was able to get out of all ‘chains’ without any tool or help from others.
(iv)The statement in paragraph 3 “[Houdini] would carry a small steel needle-like tool strapped to his leg and he used this in place of a key” shows that there is really no magic in the work of magicians.
Step 3:(v) The phrase “mastered the art of escaping” meant that Houdini had known a great deal about the locks or any chains that he was able to escape unharmed and unscathed from anything that was used on him to
restrict him.
(vi)It shows that Houdini was not only able to escape from the chest without any tool but defeat the odds of being drowned. The chains that were used to constrict him were also found inside the chest which makes his escape all the more astonishing.
Step 4:(vii) With the police, Houdini was able to show that his ‘escapes’ were not just mere acts of fun or ‘set up’. Rather, the involvement of ‘real-people’ shows the level of expertise that he had in escaping even from the scrutinizing eye of the most vigilant people in society.
(viii) The word “adopted” is used here to talk of
Weiss’ change of his name to a stage name that he wanted. This means that “Houdini” is the name that he chooses to be addressed as.
(ix)The ability to perform in great speeds and accurate acts instead of any real ‘magic’ is one quality that makes magicians great.
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