Listening Comprehension Activity - The illusionist

Eisenheim (Edward Norton) is a stage magician who amazes the audiences of turn-of-the-century Vienna, drawing the attention of Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). When the Prince's intended, Sophie von Teschen (Jessica Biel), assists the magician onstage, Eisenheim and Sophie recognize each other from their childhoods -- and a dormant love affair is rekindled. As the clandestine romance continues, Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) is charged by Leopold to expose Eisenheim, and Eisenheim prepares to execute his greatest illusion yet.




Watch the clip and fill in the blanks

Presenter: Life and death...____________ and ______________...fate and _________________. These are the forces of the universe.
Tonight, ladies and gentlemen...I present to you a man who has ________________ these mysteries. From the furthest ________________ of the world...where the dark arts still _________________ sway...he returns to us to _________________...how nature's laws may be bent. I ___________________ you... Eisenheim.

Eisenheim : Might I ___________________ a handkerchief from someone?
You, madam…Thank you.
Ah, be ________________.
Now, if you please.
I would like to continue with an _______________________ of time.
From the moment we ___________________ this life, we are in the flow of it.
We _______________________ it and we mark it, but we cannot defy it.
We cannot even __________________it up or ____________________ it down.
Or can we?
Have we not each experienced the _____________________...that a beautiful moment seemed to pass too _______________________...and wished that we could make it linger?
Or felt time ____________________on a dull day...and _____________________ that we could…speed things up a bit?
I assure you, they're quite____________________________.
Is it real? Let's see.
And you, madam, where is your _______________________?

Audience : Bravo!
Audience : Very good.
Child : Give us ____________________, please.
Child: Please, give us something. Please.
Eisenheim What's all this?
Child: We're poor.
Eisenheim : Do you think you're __________________?
Children : Yes.
Eisenheim : I want to show you something. You're not poor. You have ____________________that you need ___________________ here.
Children : Thank you.
Eisenheim : And that's yours. And this too.
Child : I've got the magic one!
Eisenheim : Good morning.
Manager: Good morning. Coffee?
Eisenheim : No.
Manager: Strudel? I have two.
Eisenheim : Nothing, thank you.
You look very _____________________ with yourself. How are the receipts?
Manager: Not bad. A three-quarter _____________________.
Eisenheim : Well done.
Manager : But we're going to do better than that. Listen to this.
Listen. "There is no ____________________ that his uncanny displays separate him from
the ranks of garden-variety stage wizards. Some of his effects transcend mere________________...and approach the realm of art. He is very _________________ to be so masterful."
Do you see? We'll pack the house with this review.
We are going to make more money than you ever dreamed of.
Inspector’s Assistant: But if it was _____________________. Maybe he had it wrapped in some kind of bark?
Chief Inspector : Oh, I know, of course I thought of that. It's the __________________ I'm trying to _____________out.
Inspector’s Assistant : Oh, for Pete's sake. __________________ wire.
Chief Inspector: Too obvious. How many men have you detailed for tonight?
Inspector’s Assistant : We have eight men inside, another eight out front.
Perhaps you'll get another look at your butterflies.


Answers and Vocabulary