8/10/2019 Magic Reading and Listening Solutions
1/2
MAGIC
Can you fly like a bird by saying certain words? Or change
ordinary metals into gold with a potion?
Or cause a rainstorm by dancing in a special way? Of course
notthat would be magic!
MAGIC A "#$IGIO
$ong ago% before science de&eloped% most people belie&ed
in magic' (hey thought supernaturalforces connected different parts
of the world' (hey belie&ed some people% called sorcerers and
witches%
had magical powers' (hey could use special chants% spells% or
charms to call on supernatural forces and
make wonderfulor terriblethings happen'In those days% magic and
religion blended together' )or many people% spells and
rituals*special
ceremonies+ were a part of their religious beliefs' (hey
belie&ed that if certain spells or rituals were
performed the right way% the gods or spirits would grant their
wishes'
(he first priests were religious magicians called shamans'
Ancient hunting and gathering peoplelooked to shamans to help them
sur&i&e' (hey belie&ed shamans had the power to heal
the sick'
,hamans were thought to communicate with the spiritual world'
(hey led rituals to make hunting
e-peditions successful% keep crops growing% and pre&ent
disasters' As ci&ili.ation ad&anced% such ideas
were left behind'
MAGIC )O" )/)ew people belie&e in magic anymore' 0et many
still en1oy magic shows' ,tage magicians are
popular entertainers' Magicians appear to do the impossible%
such as make ob1ects disappear or float in
the air' Audiences know the magic isn2t real% but e&en so%
they en1oy being baffled' 3ow do magiciansdo it?
Most magic tricks depend on a practice called misdirection'
Misdirection happens when a
magician fools the audience into looking the wrong way at key
moments' Magicians also use sleight of
hand' (his means they mo&e their hands too 4uickly for
people to see' )inally% magicians use speciale4uipment' (hat is why
people sometimes say magic is done with 5smoke and mirrors'6
MAGICIA, O) (3# 7A,(#&en as entertainment% magic has a long
history' A magician named edi li&ed and worked in
#gypt around 89:: ;C' 3is most famous trick in&ol&ed
cutting the heads off two chickens and an o-' 3e
then appeared to restore the animals2 heads and bring them back
to life'In
