Main Points-Mr Pengelly

Main Points-Mr Pengelly

By Nick Turner

Multiple Choice

At Thomas’s birthday party, Mr Pengelly, a children’s entertainer, fails to impress with his magic tricks. Mr Pengelly sighed. He’d try once more. During the ‘miser’s dream’ trick, where he supposedly plucked endless coins from thin air, all the children had watched his slow hands far too closely. None of them had been deceived by his ‘sucker trick’, where he pretended to lose a multi-coloured ball in a two compartment box. What is the main point here in A1?

• His magic tricks were unimpressive

• HIs magic tricks were too old

• His magic tricks failed

• He was a rubbish magician

Multiple Choice

A1: ​It seemed to Mr Pengelly that their little faces had tilted knowingly straight to the ball’s true location – his top hat – even before he had shown them the empty box compartments. He wondered who the real ‘sucker’, or idiot, was. Well, this last trick was the one The Magic Circle had taught him he could always depend on when the atmosphere seemed rather flat

What is the main point here?

• The children knew where the ball was

• The children were soon bored

• The children were fascinated by his magic tricks

• The children were confused

Multiple Choice

A1: ‘Here, the birthday boy! You go first, Thomas!’ Mr Pengelly offered the small child the rigid magic wand. Thomas looked around uneasily at his mother and silent friends. His mother nodded encouragingly, so Thomas clambered to his feet, took hold of the wand, and screwed his forehead, perplexed, as it crumpled in his hand. Still A1-What is the main point in this part of the passage?

• Audience reluctance

• Audience confusion

• Audience participation

• The wand failed

Multiple Choice

A1: ‘Aha, Thomas, but when I do it … Look!’ Mr Pengelly took the wand, his smile triumphant as the stick became taut, but wavering as the wand crumpled again. He quickly tried to cover his mistake, but knew he was too late. What is the main point here?

• His magic trick failed again

• He thought it would work

• to cover his mistake

• The stick became taut

Multiple Choice

A1: ‘Mum, can I go on my games console now? It is my birthday! We’ve been nice to Mr Pengelly for a long time now!’ Thomas wailed. His flustered mother quickly ushered the children inside and then turned her flushed, smiling face to Mr Pengelly.

What is the main point here?

• Thomas is upset and complained

• Thomas wants to go inside

• The children were only pretending to like Mr. Pengelly

• They were fed up with his tricks

Multiple Choice

A2: His flustered mother quickly ushered the children inside and then turned her flushed, smiling face to Mr Pengelly. ‘Oh, thank you, Edward. The children so enjoyed it; we all did. Come on in and I’ll get you a drink.’ It seemed to Mr Pengelly that she could not turn her face away from him fast enough. He stumbled after her into the kitchen where, lemonade in hand, he stood looking out of the window.

What is the first main point in this part of the text?

• Exasperated

• Shame

• Pity

• Anger

Multiple Choice

A2: His flustered mother quickly ushered the children inside and then turned her flushed, smiling face to Mr Pengelly. ‘Oh, thank you, Edward. The children so enjoyed it; we all did. Come on in and I’ll get you a drink.’ It seemed to Mr Pengelly that she could not turn her face away from him fast enough. He stumbled after her into the kitchen where, lemonade in hand, he stood looking out of the window.

What is the second main point in this part of the text?

• Embarrassment

• Shame for his failure

• Lying how they enjoyed it

• Getting him a drink

Multiple Choice

A2: His flustered mother quickly ushered the children inside and then turned her flushed, smiling face to Mr Pengelly. ‘Oh, thank you, Edward. The children so enjoyed it; we all did. Come on in and I’ll get you a drink.’ It seemed to Mr Pengelly that she could not turn her face away from him fast enough. He stumbled after her into the kitchen where, lemonade in hand, he stood looking out of the window.

What is the third main point here?

• The mother felt nothing for him

• The mother felt sympathy for him

• The mother could not look at him

• The mother was a foul woman

Multiple Choice

A2;He stumbled after her into the kitchen where, lemonade in hand, he stood looking out of the window.

What is the main point here?

• The magician just wants to be alone

• The magician needed some fresh air

• The magician was disappointed

• The magician wanted to look at the birds in the garden

Multiple Choice

A2: As the children departed through the door, he carefully gathered up the small pieces, wondering where to start. Within a minute, he was smiling. With the re-assembled game controller sitting obediently in his hand, he walked through the door to the children. What is the main point here?

It is implicit think about the whole text before deciding upon your answer; his continued failures and mistakes.

• He fixed the controller

• Relief and surprise at the end of the party

• Happiness the day was over

• Gratitude for his services

Multiple Choice

A3. What is the main point here? No text as this is based on the whole of the text and your understanding of it.

• He is too old

• He is too rusty

• He is thinking about being retrained

• He does not want retraining

Multiple Choice

A3; what is the main point below? No text as this is based on the whole of the text and your understanding of it.

• He is bad with children

• He is good with children

• Children, he has no control over

• They, the children, are all monsters

Multiple Choice

What is the main point below for A3? No text as this is based on the whole of the text and your understanding of it.

• He failed repeatedly with his magic tricks

• He tries too hard with his magic tricks

• He gave up too soon on his magic tricks

• He tries hard and continues with his magic tricks

Multiple Choice

What is the main point below for A3? No text as this is based on the whole of the text and your understanding of it.

• The mother forgave him

• The poor behavior of the children

• The children forgave him

• No one cared and he left

Multiple Choice

The last point in A3 is 'Attitudes to Magic' what detail could go here?

• He needed retraining

• The children enjoyed games console more than his magic

• The magician did not care about magic

• The mother did care about magic, but the children did not