A Sherlock Holmes

Collection

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Te a c h e r ’ s
Material
 C O N T E N T S

To the Teacher ....................................................................................................................... 3

Before Reading...................................................................................................................... 5

After Reading: Extra Challenges .......................................................................................... 6

Worksheet 1: A Scandal in Bohemia ................................................................................... 7

Answers to Worksheet 1....................................................................................................... 8

Worksheet 2: The Speckled Band ....................................................................................... 9

Answers to Worksheet 2..................................................................................................... 10

Worksheet 3: The Five Orange Pips .................................................................................... 11

Answers to Worksheet 3..................................................................................................... 12

Final Test .............................................................................................................................. 13

Answers to Final Test .......................................................................................................... 14

Answers to Questions in the Reader ................................................................................. 15

Before using the following teacher’s material, we recommend that

you read the Burlington Reader Series general information leaflet.

Copyright © 1998 Burlington Books

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 A Sherlock Holmes Collection

TO THE TEACHER

LIST OF MAIN CHARACTERS

Sherlock Holmes: a brilliant private detective. He has amazing powers of observation, reasoning and
deduction and an extraordinary ability to solve mysteries that baffle the police.
Dr John Watson: a doctor of medicine. He is a close friend and admirer of Sherlock Holmes. He
accompanies Holmes on his adventures and writes accounts of his cases.

A Scandal in Bohemia
Wilhelm Gottsreich Sigismond von Ormstein, King of Bohemia: King of the ancient kingdom of Bohemia.
He is engaged to be married and asks for Holmes’ help to obtain love letters and a photograph he once gave
to a woman with whom he used to be in love.
Irene Adler: a beautiful opera singer with whom the King of Bohemia fell in love five years earlier.
Godfrey Norton: a handsome lawyer who marries Irene Adler.

The Speckled Band

Helen Stoner: a 30-year-old woman who believes that her life is in danger.
Dr Grimesby Roylott: Helen Stoner’s stepfather who warns Holmes to stay away from his family.

The Five Orange Pips

John Openshaw: a young man whose uncle and father died in mysterious circumstances. He believes that
he, too, is in danger.

P L O T S U M M A RY
A Scandal in Bohemia
The King of Bohemia is engaged to be married, but he is worried that evidence of a former relationship
with the opera singer Irene Adler will cause his fiancée to call off the wedding. He asks Sherlock Holmes
to find an incriminating photograph and some love letters which he sent to Miss Adler during their
relationship, and to return them to him.
With the help of Dr Watson, Holmes devises a clever plan and locates the papers in Miss Adler’s home.
However, when the opportunity arises to retrieve them, he is too late. She has outwitted the great detective
and left London forever, taking the photograph and letters with her. In their place, she leaves a letter to
Holmes, explaining that she does not want the king to use the papers to destroy her own recent marriage.
Although Holmes does not succeed in returning the papers to the king, his client is satisfied that Miss Adler
is no longer a threat to him.
The Speckled Band
Helen Stoner is a young woman who is engaged to be married and in fear of her life. Her sister, Julia, died
mysteriously in her bed just before her own wedding. Shortly before she died, Julia told Helen of strange
whistling noises she heard at night, and Helen has begun to hear the same noises. She tells Holmes about
her family history, including her cruel stepfather, Dr Roylott. Holmes and Watson go to Helen’s home to
investigate, and by observing many small details in the bedrooms, Holmes deduces that Dr Roylott used a
snake to kill Julia. In the end Dr Roylott is killed by the same snake.
The Five Orange Pips
A young man named John Openshaw shows Sherlock Holmes a letter he has received which contains a
short note and five orange pips. On the envelope are the letters K. K. K. He explains that his uncle and
father received similar letters just before their sudden deaths. Holmes is able to explain that the letter is
from the Ku Klux Klan and agrees that John is in great danger. Unfortunately, his advice comes too late,
and John is found drowned in the River Thames the next morning. The Openshaw murders are avenged,
however, when the ship carrying the murderers hits a storm and sinks in the Atlantic Ocean heading to
America.
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 A Sherlock Holmes Collection

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh in 1859. His father was the artist Charles Doyle. Conan
Doyle was educated in Germany and returned to Edinburgh to study medicine at Edinburgh University. He
began writing while still at school. He sold his first story, The Mystery of Sasassa Valley, to Chambers’s
Journal in 1879. When his father fell ill, Conan Doyle supported the family financially. He worked as a
ship’s doctor and later opened a medical practice in Southsea, England. However, like his character Dr
Watson, he didn’t find his work very absorbing and began writing novels in his spare time. Conan Doyle’s
literary reputation grew rapidly, and eventually he gave up his medical career to write full-time.
In 1885, Conan Doyle married Louise Hawkins and they had two children. Louise became ill and died in
1890. In 1899, Conan Doyle went to South Africa and served as a doctor and unofficial diplomat in the
Boer War. Later, he wrote a definitive account of the war, The Great Boer War. He married Jean Leckie in
1907 and had three more children.
Conan Doyle’s greatest literary achievement was the creation of Sherlock Holmes, a brilliant private
detective. Holmes was modelled on one of Conan Doyle’s professors at Edinburgh University, Dr Joseph
Bell. The methods of deduction used by Sherlock Holmes drew partly on the methods of diagnosis Conan
Doyle studied as a medical student. Holmes possesses amazing deductive powers and an encyclopedic
knowledge of all areas of criminal interest. The adventures of Sherlock Holmes are told through the
accounts of Dr Watson, Holmes’ companion in adventure. The first Sherlock Holmes short story, A Scandal
in Bohemia, was published in the Strand Magazine in 1891. When Conan Doyle grew tired of Holmes, he
decided to kill him off in The Final Problem in 1894. However, public outcry was so great that Conan
Doyle was forced to bring Holmes back to life and continue the detective’s adventures.
In addition to his writing, Conan Doyle campaigned to prove the innocence of individuals who were
wrongly imprisoned. His writing on the topic was instrumental in the introduction of the Court of Criminal
Appeal. Later in his life, Conan Doyle became a convert to spiritualism and wrote a few books on the
subject. He hoped to contact his wife after his death. Conan Doyle died in 1930.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

• Bohemia was an ancient kingdom in central Europe which was divided into German- and Czech-
speaking provinces. In 1919, it became the western part of Czechoslovakia but ceased to exist as a
province of Czechoslovakia in 1949.
• Transport: In the later part of the nineteenth century, members of the wealthy class usually owned a
private horse-drawn carriage. Grooms were employed to take care of the horses, and a carriage driver
drove the carriage. A cart was a two-wheeled carriage with seats back to back, in front and behind. It was
more popular in the country, where the roads were in poor condition and were less suitable for the four-
wheeled carriage. The steam locomotive was invented in 1804, and by the end of the century, trains were
a popular means of long distance travel.
• The bell cord was used in wealthy homes to communicate with the servants’ quarters. It was a cord
mounted on the wall, which was attached to wires leading to the servants’ quarters. When pulled, the bell
would ring in the servants’ quarters, informing them in which room their service was required.
• The Ku Klux Klan is a racist group that favours Protestant white supremacy. It was formed by ex-
Confederate soldiers in the southern states of America after the Civil War (1861-1865). The immediate
cause of the Civil War was the issue of slavery. The plantations of the South were cultivated by Negro
slaves. President Abraham Lincoln wished to abolish slavery throughout the Union. After the Civil War
and the abolition of slavery, the K.K.K.’s power was used for political purposes, mainly to terrorise
Negro voters. Those who opposed its views were also terrorised or murdered. The movement still exists
today, but its power is very limited.

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 A Sherlock Holmes Collection

BEFORE READING
SUGGESTIONS FOR LEAD-IN ACTIVITIES

In pairs, students ask and answer the following questions. Alternatively, you can ask the questions and elicit
the answers from the whole class. (Some suggested answers are provided in italics.)
1. Find out about life in England in the late nineteenth century. Look up the following: transport, clothes,
upper- and middle-class homes.
2. What do you think a private detective does? Write three sentences and compare your answers with a
partner. (investigates crimes, looks for clues, finds missing persons, solves mysteries)
3. How does a detective investigate a murder? (looks for evidence, searches for clues, questions witnesses
and suspects)
4. What difficulties might a private detective encounter? (violent criminals, threats, lies, confusing
information, lack of evidence, missing suspects)

K E Y V O C A B U L A RY

1. Pre-teach the following vocabulary on the life and work of Sherlock Holmes:

case candle crime lamp bell cord clue ventilator mystery cart
carriage groom train lawyer member murderer client witness

2. Have the students list the vocabulary above under the following headings:

Things detectives investigate People Transport Things found in the house

3. Divide the class into small groups and tell them that they have five minutes to write a paragraph using
as many of the words above as they can. The group with the most words correctly used wins.

BEFORE READING ACTIVITIES

The Before Reading activities in the Burlington Reader Series general information leaflet, pages 8-11,
can be applied to A Sherlock Holmes Collection.
In addition to the activities in the general leaflet, students can then answer the following questions after
looking at the front cover and the pictures in the reader.
1. What period in time are the stories set? (the late nineteenth century) What clues are there in the
pictures? (the clothes and the furniture)
2. Look at the pictures on page 9 and page 21. Can you tell which of the men is the great Sherlock
Holmes? Describe Sherlock Holmes as he appears in the pictures. (Holmes is dressed smartly. He
appears to be a serious person and a deep thinker.) What is Sherlock Holmes doing in the pictures?
(In both pictures Holmes’ eyes are closed and he appears to be thinking hard. In the picture on page 9,
he is sitting back in a chair and his hands are pressed together. In the picture on page 21, his hand is
resting on his chin.) Make a list of things that you do to help you think: for example, walking up and
down or scratching your head. Compare your list with a partner.
3. Look at the picture on page 13. What do you think is happening? (Sherlock Holmes is watching a
marriage ceremony and is signing a paper.) Describe the feelings of the people in the picture. (They are
happy.)
4. Read the first three paragraphs on page 6 quickly. What information is given about (a) Dr Watson (He is
a doctor who got married a few months ago. His first name is John and he is Sherlock Holmes’ friend.
He does not see Holmes very often any more.) and (b) Sherlock Holmes? (He is a well-known,
successful detective. He solves mysteries that the police cannot solve. He lives in Baker Street.)

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 A Sherlock Holmes Collection

AFTER READING: EXTRA CHALLENGES

MAKE YOUR STUDENTS THINK

Here are some points that more advanced students can be asked to consider after reading the stories.
1. What qualities do you think make a good detective? Which of these qualities does Sherlock Holmes
have?
2. What is Dr Watson’s role in the investigations?
3. Describe Sherlock Holmes. What habits does he have? Why do you think he is good at what he does?
Give examples from the text.
4. What methods does Sherlock Holmes use to analyse his clients when he first meets them? Give
examples from the text.

DRAMA ACTIVITIES AND PROJECT SUGGESTIONS

You may want to present some of these activities in the students’ own language.
1. Choose one of the stories with a partner. Act out the scene in which the client first comes to Sherlock
Holmes for help. Student A is the client who explains why he / she has come and the events that have
led to his / her seeking help. You also answer Holmes’ questions. Student B is Sherlock Holmes. Ask
your client to tell you the details of the case. Tell your client how you intend to investigate the case
and what you want him / her to do.
2. Draw or write a description of Sherlock Holmes’ living-room. How do you think it reflects his
personality?
3. Describe Dr John Watson. In what ways is he a good friend and how is he useful to Sherlock Holmes?
Give examples from the text.
4. Draw a plan of Helen Stoner’s house. Include the beds, the ventilator and the bell cord. Show the route
that the snake took to reach the bed in Julia Stoner’s room.
5. Work with a partner.
Student A: Imagine you are a newspaper reporter. You hear about the strange death of Dr Roylott.
Interview Dr Watson about the events that led to his death. Write a newspaper article about the case.
Student B: Imagine you are Dr John Watson. A newspaper reporter interviews you about the death of
Dr Roylott. Answer his / her questions about the case.
6. Imagine that Sherlock Holmes saved John Openshaw. Rewrite the ending of the story. This time
Sherlock Holmes gives different instructions to Openshaw and his life is saved.
7. Describe or draw your favourite film detective and describe the methods he / she uses to solve crimes.
Are they similar to or different from the methods Sherlock Holmes uses?
8. Many actors have played Sherlock Holmes. Find out about some of them.
9. Write the letter that Sherlock Holmes wrote to the Savannah police, telling them about the Openshaw
case and identifying the murderers.
10. Read about the American Civil War or the Ku Klux Klan in an encyclopedia or on the Internet. What
changes were made in the United States as a result of the war? Is Conan Doyle’s description of the Ku
Klux Klan accurate?

See the Burlington Reader Series general information leaflet, pages 13-15, for more After Reading
activities.

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 A Sherlock Holmes Collection

T OO R
W T HK ES HT EE EA TC H1 :E RA S c a n d a l i n B o h e m i a

A. Match the words in A with their definitions in B.

A B
1. handsome ...... a. the day, month and year
2. ruined ...... b. answer
3. prevent ...... c. wrote the name, house number and street
4. alone ...... d. the only person in the place
5. reply ...... e. destroyed
6. date ...... f. good-looking
7. addressed ...... g. stop
8. risk ...... h. put in danger

B. Circle the INCORRECT answer.

1. The King of Bohemia 4. Sherlock Holmes
a. wanted to marry Irene Adler. a. drove Irene Adler to the church.
b. wanted to get back a photograph and b. was a witness at her wedding.
some love letters. c. dressed up as a groom.
c. introduced himself to Sherlock Holmes
5. The men in the street started a fight
as Count von Kramm.
a. to help Holmes get into the house.
2. Godfrey Norton b. because they both wanted Miss Adler to
a. is a lawyer. pay them.
b. marries Irene Adler. c. because Sherlock Holmes gave them
c. is Irene Adler’s servant. money.
3. Irene Adler 6. Irene Adler’s letter
a. dressed up as a man. a. was addressed to the king.
b. gave the king the photograph he wanted. b. was behind the picture in the sitting-room.
c. followed Sherlock Holmes to his house. c. was addressed to Sherlock Holmes.

C. Complete the following sentences by choosing the correct form of the verb in brackets.
1. Dr. Watson (isn’t seeing / doesn’t see) Holmes very often.
2. The postman (delivers / delivered) the letter to Holmes yesterday.
3. Sherlock Holmes (is often wearing / often wears) disguises.
4. Miss Adler (wasn’t / weren’t) at home when Holmes arrived.
5. Irene Adler and Godfrey Norton (drive / are driving) to the church now.
6. After Miss Adler drove away, Holmes (hurries / hurried) after her.
7. Miss Adler (will show / shows) Holmes the photograph tomorrow.
8. Before Miss Adler arrived, Holmes (pays / paid) some people to help him.

D. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
1. .............................. the King of Bohemia .............................. (write) the letter that arrived this
morning?
2. The king looked for the photograph but he .............................. (not find) it.
3. Irene and Godfrey .............................. (drive) away; then Holmes followed them.
4. Don’t .............................. (throw) the smoke rocket until I lift my hand.
5. Irene Adler and her husband .............................. (leave) England a few hours ago.
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 Worksheet 1: A Scandal in Bohemia

ANSWERS

A. 1. f
2. e
3. g
4. d
5. b
6. a
7. c
8. h

B. 1. a
2. c
3. b
4. a
5. b
6. a

C. 1. doesn’t see
2. delivered
3. often wears
4. wasn’t
5. are driving
6. hurried
7. will show
8. paid

D. 1. Did ... write

2. didn’t find
3. drove
4. throw
5. left

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 A Sherlock Holmes Collection

T OO R
W T HK ES HT EE EA TC H2 E: RT h e S p e c k l e d B a n d
A. Choose the correct answer.
1. The woman had a ...... over her face. 5. We are going to get married. Please
a. band come to our ...... .
b. veil a. wedding
c. wrist b. reward
c. station
2. She is very frightened. She is trembling
with ...... . 6. He lit the candle with a ...... .
a. fire a. watch
b. danger b. thumb
c. fear c. match
3. We didn’t have any friends. We were very ...... . 7. The house is his. He is the ...... .
a. lonely a. owner
b. terrible b. servant
c. friendly c. driver
4. My aunt is the only ...... I have. 8. We always ...... the door with a key.
a. owner a. bang
b. colleague b. lock
c. relation c. lift

B. Match A to B to form sentences.

A B
1. Julia Stoner ....... a. came through the ventilator.
2. Helen’s mother ....... b. came to repair Julia’s room.
3. Helen and Julia ....... c. died two years ago.
4. Some builders ....... d. was a violent man.
5. Dr Roylott ....... e. to reward his snake.
6. Dr Roylott used a small plate of milk ....... f. with a stick.
7. The snake ....... g. died in a train accident.
8. Holmes hit the snake ....... h. were twins.

C. Complete the passage by choosing the correct form of the verb in brackets.
When Helen and Julia were young, their mother (1. marry / married) Dr Roylott. After the death of
their mother, the girls (2. live / lived) alone with their stepfather. A few years later, Julia (3. fell / fall)
in love. She (4. dies / died) mysteriously before her wedding. Now Helen (5. lives / lived) alone with
her stepfather. Dr Roylott rarely (6. goes / is going) out of the house and he (7. isn’t talking / doesn’t
talk) to people. He is often cruel to Helen. Now Helen (8. wants / is wanting) to get married, but she
is afraid. She (9. is thinking / thinks) that she is in danger. She (10. is asking / asks) the famous
detective Sherlock Holmes to find out why.

D. Fill in the blanks with the correct quantifier: a few, a little, many or much.
Sherlock Holmes is always busy solving cases. He doesn’t have 1. .............................. time to enjoy
himself. 2. .............................. people come to ask him for help. Holmes can usually solve the most
difficult cases in only 3. .............................. days. There are only 4. .............................. cases that
Holmes has trouble solving. Sometimes he needs 5. .............................. help from his friend, Dr Watson.
Holmes meets 6. .............................. interesting people. He enjoys his work very much.
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 W o rA k sS hh ee er tl o 2c :k THh oe l mS ep se cCk ol el lde cBt ai on nd

ANSWERS

A. 1. b
2. c
3. a
4. c
5. a
6. c
7. a
8. b

B. 1. c
2. g
3. h
4. b
5. d
6. e
7. a
8. f

C. 1. married
2. lived
3. fell
4. died
5. lives
6. goes
7. doesn’t talk
8. wants
9. thinks
10. asks

D. 1. much
2. Many
3. a few
4. a few
5. a little
6. many

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 A Sherlock Holmes Collection

T OO R
W T HK ES HT EE EA TC H3 E: RT h e F i v e O r a n g e P i p s
A. Fill in the blanks with the words from the box. There are more words than you need.
hurry tyres witness journey temper clues army sign property

1. My uncle is always shouting. He has a violent .............................. .

2. Now John Openshaw is the owner of the land. It is his .............................. .
3. Elias Openshaw was a soldier in the Confederate .............................. .
4. John’s uncle asked him to .............................. his will.
5. He said to John, “Please .............................. your name at the bottom of the will.”
6. John Openshaw thought, “I must .............................. . I have got very little time.”
7. It was a very long .............................. from India to England.
8. Holmes found two .............................. . They helped him to decide who wrote the letters.

B. Write T (True) or F (False) next to each sentence.

...... 1. After returning to England, Elias Openshaw started to drink a lot of alcohol.
...... 2. John Openshaw’s uncle was very cruel to him.
...... 3. The police believed that Elias Openshaw committed suicide.
...... 4. The letters K. K. K. were on the lid of the metal box.
...... 5. When Joseph Openshaw opened his letter, he wanted to go to the police.
...... 6. John Openshaw received a letter the day before he died.
...... 7. Holmes told John Openshaw to burn the blue paper.
...... 8. Captain Calhoun was a member of the Ku Klux Klan.

C. There are three false sentences in exercise B above. Correct them.

..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................

D. Choose the correct word.

1. This is a very difficult problem. (Must / Can) Sherlock Holmes solve it?
2. Holmes said to the young man, “You (must / can) tell me everything you know.”
3. Openshaw is in danger. He (must / can) be careful.
4. John (must / can) go where he wants in the house.
5. John (mustn’t / can’t) go into the attic. He hasn’t got a key.
6. John’s uncle tells him, “You (mustn’t / can’t) think the letter is a joke.”

E. Complete the sentences using the comparative or superlative form of the adjective in brackets.
1. Yesterday was ................................... (wet) day of the year.
2. This is ................................... (unusual) case Holmes ever had.
3. My uncle was ................................... (happy) before the war than he is now.
4. Elias Openshaw was unhappy in England. He had a ................................... (good) life in America.
5. London is ................................... (close) to France than Dundee.
6. He was ................................... (rich) man in the town.
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 Worksheet 3: The Five Orange Pips

ANSWERS
A. 1. temper
2. property
3. army
4. witness
5. sign
6. hurry
7. journey
8. clues

B. 1. T
2. F
3. T
4. T
5. F
6. T
7. F
8. T

C. 2. John Openshaw’s uncle was very kind to him.

5. When Joseph Openshaw opened his letter, he thought it was a stupid joke.
7. Holmes told John to put the paper inside a metal box on the sundial.

D. 1. Can
2. must
3. must
4. can
5. can’t
6. mustn’t

E. 1. the wettest
2. the most unusual
3. happier
4. better
5. closer
6. the richest

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 A Sherlock Holmes Collection

FINAL TEST

A. Choose the correct answer.

1. Sherlock Holmes knew that the man in the mask was the King of Bohemia because
a. he saw the address on the letter.
b. the king wrote on special expensive paper from Bohemia.
c. the king told him who he was.
2. Holmes found out where the photograph was when
a. he followed Irene Adler.
b. he looked through the sitting-room window.
c. Irene Adler went to save it.
3. Helen Stoner slept in her sister’s room because
a. her own room needed repairs.
b. she wanted to discover what killed her sister.
c. she was lonely.
4. Holmes took a stick into the room that Julia Stoner slept in because
a. he was afraid of Dr Roylott.
b. there was a tiger in the gardens.
c. he wanted to hit the snake.
5. The Ku Klux Klan wanted to kill John Openshaw because he
a. knew that the K.K.K. murdered his uncle and father.
b. had a list of names of K.K.K. murderers.
c. asked Sherlock Holmes for help.
6. Holmes knew that the murderers worked on a ship because
a. the letters came from places that have a port.
b. the leader of the group signed his name, Captain Calhoun, on the letters.
c. all the letters came by ship.
30 points (5 points each)

B. Choose the correct answer.

When the King of Bohemia was a young man, he (1. gave / is giving) some love letters to the
(2. beautiful / more beautiful) opera singer, Irene Adler. Now he (3. is wanting / wants) Sherlock
Holmes to get them back. Holmes has got a clever (4. band / plan) to find out where the letters are.
Miss Adler (5. will show / is showing) him where she keeps them.
Dr Roylott was a very clever man. He knew that doctors (6. mustn’t / can’t) find the poison of a
(7. snake / tiger). But Sherlock Holmes was (8. cleverest / cleverer) than him. He found (9. a little /
a few) important clues and he soon (10. solved / solves) the mystery.
John Openshaw is (11. frightened / fear). He thinks that his life is (12. in pain / in danger). Now
Sherlock Holmes (13. tries / is trying) to help him. But (14. will / must) he find the murderers in time?
Holmes and Watson (15. must / can) hurry before it is too late.
45 points (3 points each)

C. Choose one topic and write a paragraph. Your paragraph should be at least 30 words long.
1. Irene Adler invited Sherlock Holmes into the sitting-room. Explain how Holmes tricked her into
showing him where the photograph was.
2. Sherlock Holmes looked for clues in Dr Roylott’s house. Which clues did he find? Explain how
they helped him discover what killed Julia Stoner.
3. Explain how Holmes discovered where the murderers of the Openshaw family were.
25 points
13
 A S h e r l o c k H o l m e s CF oi nl lael c Tt ei os nt

ANSWERS

A. 1. b
2. c
3. a
4. c
5. b
6. a

B. 1. gave 6. can’t 11. frightened

2. beautiful 7. snake 12. in danger
3. wants 8. cleverer 13. is trying
4. plan 9. a few 14. will
5. will show 10. solved 15. must

C. Accept all logical and grammatically correct answers.

Possible points for inclusion:
1. Before Holmes came into the house, he gave Watson a smoke rocket. Watson stood outside the sitting-
room window. When Holmes was inside the room, he asked for some fresh air. The servant opened the
window. Watson threw the smoke rocket into the room. The room filled with smoke. Miss Adler thought
there was a fire. She hurried to save the photograph. Holmes watched her and found out where it was.
2. Holmes saw a small ventilator that led to Dr Roylott’s room. He also saw a long bell cord next to it that
touched the bed. The bell did not ring, so Holmes realised that it had something to do with the murder.
In Dr Roylott’s room, he saw a small metal safe with a plate of milk on the lid. He knew that the milk
was to feed a small animal which was probably kept in the safe. A snake could crawl through the small
ventilator and down the bell cord, so Holmes concluded that a snake had killed Julia Stoner.
3. Holmes knew that the murderers of the Openshaw family were American and that they were members of
the Ku Klux Klan. He also knew that they worked on a ship because the letters they sent were all from
ports. He looked at the lists of workers on the ships that were in the London dock. He found three
Americans on a ship called the Lone Star. One of them was Captain Calhoun, the leader of the Ku Klux
Klan group. These men were not on the ship at the time that John Openshaw died. He knew they must
be the murderers. He found out that their ship had left the dock and that they were on their way back to
America.

14

T ON STW
A H E RTSE AT CO H QE U
RE S T I O N S I N T H E R E A D E R
These answers relate to the questions on pages 43-45 of the reader itself.
A Scandal in Bohemia
1. Sherlock Holmes is a private detective.
2. Holmes saw scratches on Watson’s left shoe,
and he knew that a careless servant had
cleaned them.
3. Holmes knew that Watson was working as a
doctor again because he smelled of antiseptic.
4. Holmes looked up the letters “Eg” in the
encyclopedia and read that they stand for
“Egria”.
5. The King of Bohemia met the opera singer in
Warsaw.
6. The King of Bohemia wanted Holmes to get
some love letters he sent to Irene Adler and a
photograph of them both.
7. The first time Holmes went to Irene Adler’s
house he was disguised as a groom.
8. Godfrey Norton and Irene Adler went to St
Monica’s church to get married.
9. Holmes had to be a witness to Godfrey
Norton and Irene Adler’s marriage at St
Monica’s church.
10. When Holmes waved to Watson from Irene
Adler’s sitting-room, he wanted him to throw
a smoke rocket into the room.
11. The photograph Holmes wanted to get for the
King of Bohemia was behind a picture on the
wall in Irene Adler’s sitting-room.
12. Holmes saw Irene Adler take the photograph
out when she thought there was a fire.
13. Holmes couldn’t take the photograph because
there were other people in the room.
14. When Holmes arrived at Briony Lodge the
next morning, the servant told him, “The lady
of the house left this morning with her
husband. They left England. She will never
return.”
15. When Holmes took the picture off the wall,
he found a letter addressed to himself and a
photograph of Irene Adler.
16. The young man standing in Baker Street
when Holmes returned home the previous
evening was Irene Adler (in disguise).
15
A Sherlock Holmes Collection
The Speckled Band
1. Sherlock Holmes knew that Helen Stoner
went to the train station in a cart because
there was wet mud on the left arm of her
jacket.
2. The woman went to see Holmes because she
was afraid that her life was in danger. She
wanted Holmes to find out what the danger
was.
3. The young woman lives with her stepfather.
4. The woman and her family lived in India
before going to England.
5. Dr Roylott went to prison in India because he
killed one of his servants.
6. Dr Roylott took Helen and her sister to live at
Stoke Moran after their mother died.
7. The girls always locked the doors of their
rooms at night because they were afraid of the
tiger and monkey that lived in the gardens.
8. Before Julia Stoner died, she shouted to her
sister, “Helen! It was the band! The speckled
band!”
9. Holmes realised that Dr Roylott was a cruel
man because he saw the marks of a man’s
fingers and thumb on Helen Stoner’s wrist.
10. Dr Roylott broke a poker with his hands to
prove how dangerous he was.
11. Dr Roylott didn’t want Helen to get married
because then he had to give her mother’s
money to her.
12. When Holmes entered the middle room, he
first noticed a long bell cord.
13. Dr Roylott kept a snake in the safe.
14. The snake was a swamp adder.
15. Dr Roylott used the small plate of milk to
reward the snake.
 A Sherlock Holmes Collection

The Five Orange Pips

1. Holmes thought that their visitor had a serious
problem because he came out in terrible
weather to ask for help.
2. Uncle Elias wanted his nephew John to
witness his will.
3. Uncle Elias was leaving his money and his
property to John’s father in his will.
4. After receiving a letter from India, Uncle
Elias wrote his will. Then he started to drink
more and more, and he went out alone at
night for many hours. One night, he went for
a walk and did not return. In the morning,
they found him next to the lake with his face
in the water. He was dead.
5. The police thought that the letters were a
joke.
6. Holmes asked John Openshaw to put the
piece of blue paper in the metal box with a
note saying that his uncle burned the other
papers. He told him to put the box on the
sundial.
7. The K.K.K. sent a warning to people before
killing them. The warning was usually the
seeds of a fruit.
8. The K.K.K. killed Elias Openshaw because
he left the group and took with him a list of
names of K.K.K. murderers.
9. John Openshaw drowned in the River
Thames.
10. The police thought that John accidentally fell
into the river, because the path was wet and it
was dark and windy.
11. The murderers of the Openshaw family didn’t
get the letter with the orange pips because
their ship sank in a storm in the Atlantic
Ocean on the way back to America.