๐จ The Theft of the Mona Lisa
๐ฎ Before Reading
1️⃣ Look at the picture and title. What do you think happened to the Mona Lisa? (Predict with a partner.)
2️⃣ Key vocabulary preview: Drag the words to match the definitions (interactive).
๐ While Reading
On August 21, 1911, an Italian handyman named Vincenzo Peruggia stole Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, the Mona Lisa, from the Louvre Museum in Paris. Peruggia hid inside the museum overnight. The next morning, he removed the painting from its protective glass case and walked out with it under his coat. No one stopped him.
The museum staff discovered the theft 24 hours later. The police searched everywhere but did not find the painting. For two years, the Mona Lisa remained hidden. During this time, the empty wall attracted more visitors than before!
Finally, in 1913, Peruggia tried to sell the painting to an art dealer in Florence. The dealer alerted the authorities, and the police arrested Peruggia. Italy returned the Mona Lisa to the Louvre, where it hangs today behind bulletproof glass.
✅ Quick comprehension check
✍️ After Reading – Active → Passive
๐ Rule discovery: In passive voice, the object becomes the subject. We use be + past participle.
Active: Vincenzo Peruggia stole the Mona Lisa. → Passive: The Mona Lisa was stolen by Vincenzo Peruggia.
๐ก Click each button to check your transformations.
๐ Transform these sentences (Mona Lisa theft)
1. Vincenzo Peruggia stole the Mona Lisa from the Louvre.
2. The thief hid the painting under his coat.
3. The police did not find the painting for two years.
4. The art dealer alerted the authorities.
On August 21, 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre by Vincenzo Peruggia. The painting was hidden under his coat and was carried out of the museum. The theft was discovered 24 hours later. The painting was searched for by the police, but it was not found for two years.
Finally, in 1913, the Mona Lisa was offered for sale in Florence. The dealer was alerted, and Peruggia was arrested. The painting was returned to the Louvre, where it is now protected behind bulletproof glass.
๐ค Speak & Record (Passive voice practice)
Listen to passive sentences about the Mona Lisa, then record yourself telling the story in passive voice.
Your speech:
๐ Creative challenge: What if?
Write 3 sentences in passive voice describing what could have happened if the Mona Lisa had never been recovered.
