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Practice Reading: Re-order Paragraphs ID: #39121 Cups and Balls
Instructions ›
The text boxes in the left panel have been placed in a random order. Restore the original order by dragging the text boxes from the left panel to the right panel.
* Move & order all paragraphs in the right field

Paragraph list

It is still performed today. Three cups are turned upside down on the table and a ball is placed beneath one of them.
When the cups are taken away, the ball has mysteriously moved from one cup to another, or else a second ball has appeared.
The trick, of course, is to distract the audience's attention while the balls are moved or an extra one is added.
This trick has been puzzling audiences for several thousand years.
One of the tricks most often mentioned in old records is called the Cups and Balls.
In a way, priests of ancient days were conjurors, performing magic in their temples to impress the worshippers. But there were real conjurors, too, in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome.

Your order

Result:

AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.

First sentence: Why this is the first line? This paragraph is the first sentence because it introduces the main topic of conjurors and magic. It gives a broad overview of the subject without going into details. It does not use any pronouns or definite articles that need prior context. Why other lines are not chosen? Paragraph 2 starts with "One of the tricks..." which uses a definite article and refers to a specific trick, so it is not independent. Paragraph 3 starts with "It is still performed..." which uses a pronoun that refers back to a trick, so it is not independent. Paragraph 4 starts with "When the cups..." which is a dependent clause and needs context, so it is not independent. Paragraph 5 starts with "The trick, of course..." which uses a definite article and assumes prior knowledge, so it is not independent. Paragraph 6 starts with "This trick..." which uses a definite article and refers back to the trick mentioned, so it is not independent.

Concluding sentence: Why this is the last line? This paragraph concludes the text by summarizing the impact of the trick. It reflects the overarching theme of the text about the Cups and Balls trick and its history.

Paragraph pairs:

  • Pair 1 (Paragraph 1 → Paragraph 2): There is a logical order here. Paragraph 2 gives a specific example of a trick after introducing the idea of conjurors in Paragraph 1. This follows the Broader to Specific Strategy.
  • Pair 2 (Paragraph 2 → Paragraph 3): Paragraph 3 continues from Paragraph 2 by explaining how the Cups and Balls trick is performed. This shows a logical order of ideas.
  • Pair 3 (Paragraph 3 → Paragraph 4): Paragraph 4 explains what happens after the cups are taken away, which follows the logical order of the performance of the trick.
  • Pair 4 (Paragraph 4 → Paragraph 5): Paragraph 5 explains the trick behind the performance in Paragraph 4. This shows a cause and effect relationship.
  • Pair 5 (Paragraph 5 → Paragraph 6): Paragraph 6 concludes by stating the long-lasting effect of the trick mentioned in Paragraph 5. This shows a logical order from the explanation of the trick to its impact.

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