Spellbinder: The Life of Harry Houdini

What did the Houdinis do early in their career to learn showmanship?

• tied Harry up in a straight jacket.
• performed in Dime Museums
• entertained police officers
• wrote their own flyers

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Which of these events occurred first?

• The straightjacket trick flopped.
• Houdini escaped from a jail cell.
• Houdini was the "King of Cards."
• Houdini performed in an animal cage.

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This biography describes the challenges that police officers gave Houdini. What main idea do these details support?

• Houdini pushed himself to prove his talent.
• Houdini tried to discover the real Houdini.
• Houdini never gave up on a good idea.
• Martin beck changed Houdini's life.

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Houdini took off his clothes at the San Francisco police station to

• show the officers how easily he could escape
• make it easier to remove a straightjacket
• prove that he was not hiding a key
• cause the press to write his story

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Houdini's creation of an announcement for theater owners in 1900 shows that he

• wanted as much attention as he could get
• was tired of working for Martin Beck
• promised to invent new tricks
• wanted to become a writer

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The East Indian Needles trick involved

• using needles to unlock handcuffs
• sewing a straightjacket
• threading several needles
• sticking needles into arms

What does devise mean?

• to design
• to display
• to offer
• to outline

to certify is to

• back with evidence
• decide the innocence of
• confirm as true or genuine
• direct questions and comments to

what is an obstacle?

• anything that is dangerous or could possibly cause harm
• any kind of trick that makes things appear other than as they are
• the sense or feeling that magic causes something to happen
• something that stands in the way or prevents progress

to commence is to

• talk with
• discover
• join
• begin