Exercises

Comprehension

1. Answer the questions and prove your opinion with the extracts from the text.

1) When do you think Sherlock Holmes realized that Ryder was the criminal he was searching for?

2) Was the thief a professional? Was it the weakness of nature or the evil intentions that made him commit the crime?

3) Was there anything ingenious about Ryder’s plan with the goose? Was it elaborated or improvised? Why didn’t it work properly?

4) Does Ryder really feel regret about his action or is he just scared?

5) Why did Sherlock Holmes let him go? Was it a wise decision? Is Ryder likely to continue his criminal deeds?

6) Is the end of the story typical of a detective novel? Is justice re-established? Are Holmes’s actions legally right? What kind of justice is important for him?

7) What changes does Arthur Conan Doyle introduce into the genre of detective novel by choosing such a character as Sherlock Holmes?

Vocabulary

2. Note the metaphorical meaning of the word “shrimp”. What other animal definitions of people do you know? Which of them coincide with the Russian language and which are specific for English?

• crab

• lamb

• sheep

• swan

• fox

• guinea pig

3. Continue the list with your own examples.

4. Study the expressions below. Find their meanings in the second column. Do you know the Russian equivalents for them?

Speaking

5. Try to explain why meanings like these exist. What features of different animals do they reflect?

Grammar

6. Study the use of indirect speech in the phrase given. Reconstruct the dialog.

My sister asked me what was the matter, and why I was so pale; but I told her that I had been upset by the jewel robbery at the hotel.

7. Do the opposite procedure by rewriting the sentences and changing the direct speech into indirect.

1) “Get back into your chair!” said Holmes strictly. “It is very well to cringe and crawl now, but you haven’t thought of this poor Horner in the court for a crime of which he knew nothing.”

2) “The game’s up, Ryder,” said Holmes quietly. “Hold up, man, or you’ll be into the fire!”

3) ‘Well,” said I, “you said you’d give me one for Christmas, and I was feeling which was the fattest.”

4) “Here we are!” said Holmes cheerily as we entered the room. “The fire looks very seasonable in this weather. Please take the basket-chair. I will just put on my slippers before we settle this little matter of yours. Now, then! You want to know what became of those geese?”

5) “But was there another goose with a barred tail?’ I asked, ‘the same as the one I chose?”

6) “Think of my father! of my mother! It would break their hearts. I never went wrong before! I never will again. I swear it. I’ll swear it on a Bible. Oh, don’t bring it into court! For Christ’s sake, don’t!” he cried.

Writing

8. Choose one of the following topics for the final written task.

1) The author doesn’t solve all the lines of the plot. Think of the events that are to take place afterwards. How would Holmes return the Countess her gem? Would Peterson get his reward? What would happen to poor Horner? What explanation would Sherlock Holmes give to the police? Suggest your own epilogue to the story.

2) Some later literary research shows that several weak points can be found in Holmes’s argumentation. Try to reveal them and explain. Where could Holmes have made a mistake and what would it lead to?

3) Watch one of the films or episodes of the series. Adapt the story for the screen.

Vocabulary

Список сокращений

a – adjective – прилагательное

adv – adverb – наречие

cj – conjunction – союз

n – noun – существительное

prp – preposition – предлог

v – verb – глагол

A

acquaintance n знакомый

acquire v приобретать, овладевать

affection n привязанность

air n вид

akimbo adv подбоченясь, руки в боки

amid prp среди, посреди

anoint v смазывать

assailant n агрессор, нападающая сторона

astonishment n изумление, потрясение

attempt n попытка

B

bachelor n холостяк

band n лента

bar n прут

bet n спор, пари

battered a изношенный, потрепанный

bitter a горький

bonny a красивый, хорошенький

brand v клеймить

bridge of nose переносица

brims n pl поля (шляпы)

burst n взрыв

C

charcoal n древесный уголь

clap v нахлобучить (о шляпе)

clatter n топот, громыхание, грохот

clue n улика; ключ к разгадке

clutch v схватить, ухватиться

commission n задание, поручение, заказ

commissionaire n посыльный

commit v совершать

commute v смягчать

conceal v прятать, маскировать

confederate n сообщник

consideration n плата, вознаграждение

crackling a потрескивающий

cravat n шарф

crawl v ползать

cringe v съеживаться, сжиматься, пресмыкаться

crop n зоб

crumple v комкать, мять

D

dense a густой

destiny n судьба

devour v поглощать, жадно есть

dismay n смятение, испуг, тревога

disreputable a изношенный

draw v вытягивать, извлекать

dressing-gown n халат

drive at клонить, намекать

E

entry n запись

evidence n свидетельство

examination n осмотр

F

facet n грань

fall upon v наталкиваться

feature n черта, достоинство, компонент; гвоздь программы

fiercely adv свирепо, неистово

flap v хлопать крыльями

flit v упорхнуть, унестись, юркнуть

flock n стая

fluffy adv пушистый, мягкий

flush n внезапный прилив; краска, румянец

forceps n пинцет

forehead n лоб

foresight n предусмотрительность

forgiveness n прощение

fowl n домашняя птица

frequent n завсегдатай

fulfil v исполнить

fuss n суета