Listen&Learn: Harry Houdini

Learn about the famous escape artist.

Pre-listening vocabulary

• escape artist: someone who escapes restraints or locked spaces for entertainment
• stage name: an invented name that a performer uses
• immigrate: to move to a new country
• trapeze: a bar attached to ropes, used by acrobats to swing through the air
• handcuffs: devices used by police to restrain a person’s wrists
• coffin: a box for burying a dead person in
• definitively: certainly, absolutely

Listening activity

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Gapfill exercise

Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-American and escape artist. He was born in Budapest in 1874, originally named Erich Weisz. He invented the stage name “Harry Houdini” using a childhood nickname and the surname of a magician he . Houdini’s family immigrated to the US when he was young. He began his career as a performer by doing trapeze acts in New York City, but he didn’t receive much until he started an act of locking himself in handcuffs and then breaking free. His escape acts quickly became very famous. Throughout his life, Houdini escaped , coffins, police transport cars, and tanks filled with water. He performed until his death in 1926. Some of his tricks still have not been definitively .

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. Harry Houdini was born in
   a. New York City
   b. Budapest
   c. London
   
2. The name “Harry Houdini” was
   a. a stage name
   b. a childhood nickname
   c. the full name of an older trapeze artist
   
3. Houdini began his career by
   a. performing on the trapeze
   b. escaping from handcuffs
   c. holding his breath underwater

Discussion/essay questions

1. Some people like to understand how magic tricks are accomplished. Others feel that this ruins the experience. What’s your opinion? Why do you think people enjoy seeing illusions?

Transcript

Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-American magician and escape artist. He was born in Budapest in 1874, originally named Erich Weisz. He invented the stage name “Harry Houdini” using a childhood nickname and the surname of a magician he respected. Houdini’s family immigrated to the US when he was young. He began his career as a performer by doing trapeze acts in New York City, but he didn’t receive much attention until he started an act of locking himself in handcuffs and then breaking free. His escape acts quickly became very famous. Throughout his life, Houdini escaped prisons, coffins, police transport cars, and tanks filled with water. He performed until his death in 1926. Some of his tricks still have not been definitively explained.

Answers to comprehension questions

1b 2a 3a