The Elvis Mystery (Big Ideas: Intermediate): Wayzgoose Graded Readers

By John McRae

Elvis Presley was one of the most famous pop musicians of the 20th century. If you check an official biography, you will learn that he was born on January 8, 1935, and died on August 16, 1977. During his life, he wrote and performed many hit songs and record albums, and he starred in 31 movies.

 

Now, everybody agrees that he was born in 1935. But as for his death... well, everybody does not agree about that! Some people believe that he did not die in 1977; and in fact, that he might still be alive! Why do they think that? What is their evidence? What do they think happened instead, and where is Elvis now?

 

This reader for intermediate-level learners of English tells the story of Elvis Presley's incredible life and accomplishments, and explains the mystery around his death—or his disappearance!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wayzgoose Press
• Release date: May 31, 2024
• ISBN: 9798227924711

Book preview

The Elvis Mystery

The Elvis Mystery

BIG IDEAS: INTERMEDIATE

JOHN MCRAE

Wayzgoose Press

Copyright © 2024 by John McRae

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

2nd edition. This title was previously published by Edward Arnold, London, 1990.

Edited by Stella Mulford.

Cover by Getcovers.com

Contents

Before You Read

1. Introduction

2. Early Life

3. Rise to Fame

4. Family

5. Elvis at the Top

6. The Price of Fame

7. The Death (?) of Elvis

8. The Mystery

9. Some Theories

10. In the End

After You Read

About the Author

About the Publisher

Before You Read

Most of Elvis’s story takes place in the United States. The map below shows, in gray, the state of Mississippi, where he was born; the state of Tennessee, where Elvis built and lived in Graceland, his huge home; and the state of California, where he worked in the movie industry as an actor .

VOCABULARY

Death

inherit: to get another person’s belongings, money, and property after they die. After my mother died, I inherited her wedding ring.

heir: the person who inherits another person’s belongings, money, and property after they die. Mr. Smith had three heirs: his wife and his two children.

assets: valuable property and items a person owns. My most valuable assets are my house and my car.

autopsy: An official medical investigation to figure out why someone died. Nobody understood why my uncle died, so his family asked for an autopsy.

will: The document that a person writes before they die to explain who will inherit their property. Ms. Green wrote a will that gave all of her money to the art museum.

In the United States, many people are buried in the ground after they die, in an area that looks a little like a park, called a cemetery. Each body is buried in its own grave. The stone marker on top of a grave is called a gravestone. Before the body is buried, it’s placed in a coffin, a wooden box. However, some very wealthy people have their coffins placed in a crypt, a small room that can be either above or below the ground.

Other useful words

scandal: Something that the public thinks is morally or legally wrong. The president lost his job as a result of the financial scandal. If you are shocked by someone’s behavior, you feel scandalized.