The last Sherlock Holmes story 13/03/2008

ACTIVITIES While Reading •

Read the Foreword and Introduction. Choose the best question-word for these questions, and then answer them.

1. What did the locked box contain? It contained a packet of papers. They tell a terrible history wrote by Watson. 2. When was the box opened? In 1976. 3. What did some people say about Watson? That he was stick when he wrote the history. 4. Who wanted to write about Sherlock Holmes? Arthur Conan Doyle. 5. What did Sherlock Holmes think of A Study in Scarlet? That it was rubbish. 6. Who fell in love with Mary Morstan? Dr. Watson. •

Read Chapter 1, and then answer these questions.

1. What happened when Holmes was bored? The police called him in order to help them with the case of women ripped in Whitechapel. 2. Why did the inspector Lestrade need Holmes’s help? Because Holmes found this case interesting and the police couldn’t find the killer. 3. How did the police plan to catch Jack the Ripper? They put extra policeman in Whitechapel at night and some of policemen were dressed in women’s clothes. 4. What did Holmes plan to do in Whitechapel? He pretended to disguise as a poor man and told with people who lived there about the murders. 5. What was written on a wall near one of the dead women? “ No time to rip” •

Read Chapter 2, and then rewrite these sentences with de correct information.

1. Watson knew all about Moriarty → Watson didn’t know anything about Moriarty. 2. Holmes thought Moriarty killed because he was mad → Holmes thought Moriarty killed because he was evil. 3. Nobody knew when Jack the Ripper would kill again → Holmes knew when Jack the Ripper would kill again. 4. Holmes had to obey Lestrade’s orders → Lestrade had to obey Holmes’ orders. •

Read Chapter 3, and then answer these questions.

1. What did Holmes do between Monday and the following weekend? He had been keeping Moriarty busy and playing games with him. Moriarty was chased him. 2. How was Moriarty “writing his name” on London? The places where he murdered the women form a letter “M” in the space. 3. Why did Watson decide to follow Holmes secretly, instead of running to the police station? Perhaps Watson was afraid that Holmes couldn’t fight Moriarty on his own. 4. What did Holmes do to the girl which surprised Watson? He kisses her face. 5. Why didn’t Watson see who killed the girl? Because he fell asleep for two hours. 6. What was Holmes doing as he cut up the body? He was singing.

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Read Chapter 4. Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)? Rewrite the false sentences with the correct information. 1. Holmes left England after the death of Mary Kelly. True 2. Holmes sent a second telegram to Watson to say that he was still chasing Moriarty. False, Holmes sent a second telegram to Watson to say that Moriarty was die. 3. Watson hoped that Holmes was not the killer, but he needed to know the truth about him. False, Watson hoped that Holmes was the killer 4. Mary was badly frightened by the Whitechapel murders. False, Mary wasn’t frightened 5. When Holmes came back to London, he wanted to tell Watson all about the death of Moriarty. False, Holmes didn’t want to tell Watson about Moriarty’s death. 6. Watson and Holmes never worked together again. False, they worked together again.

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Before you read Chapter 5 (Death at the Reichenbach Falls) can you guess who will die there, and how?

Sherlock Holmes, because this is the last chapter and the book entitles The last Sherlock Holmes. I deduce that is the last Sherlock Holmes story because he die in this book.

After reading 1. In Chapter 5 we get Dr. Watson’s side of the story. But how did Sherlock Holmes see things? Join these parts of sentences from a passage in Holmes’s diary. APRIL 1891, LONDON 1. I know Moriarty is alive, because he has killed another woman. 2. And he will kill again and again, if I don’t stop him. 3. I tried to explain this to Watson in my hidden message, but the stupid fellow didn’t understand my letter. 4. Never mind. He has agreed to help me in my fight, and together we will follow this evil murderer. 5. It is too dangerous to stay here in Watson’s house as I’m sure that Moriarty and his men are watching it. 6. Yes! I have just seen one of his men in the garden so I must call Watson and we must leave at once! 2. Now complete the last page in Sherlock Holmes diary with these linking words. (You will need to use some more than once.) APRIL 1891, SWITZERLAND I have enjoyed myself since we left England. I knew that something was wrong because I found my bathroom door was locked in Watson’s house. I tried to hit the man who came in, but he jumped away. And then there was the letter to Lastrade, which said that I was the Whitechapel murderer- what rubbish! I took it from the cook’s hand while Watson was calling the cab –which it wasn’t Watson, of curse. No, Moriarty had killed my poor friend and taken his place. I know this man is Moriarty because I have seen him injecting himself with cocaine, when Watson would never, never do that. The end will come today. M has asked me to walk with him to the Reichenbach Falls, which is a wild and lonely place. I know he will try to shoot me there, but he will not succeed

which I have put blanks in his gun. He is clever, but I will destroy him! It will be the last and greatest success of my life!

Summary The story begins when a terrible murderer appears in London, while Holmes was boring (in order to this, he consumed cocaine). Murderer ripped his victims, only women neither young nor beautiful. Inspector Lastrade wanted to see Holmes in order to help the police with the ripper of Whitechapel, who called himself Jack the Ripper. Holmes was very interested in this case. He and his fellow, Dr. Watson, tried to find Jack. Holmes asked Watson that he wanted to stay three days in Whitechapel. The third day, the police asked Watson that was other murder in Whitechapel, but this woman wasn’t rip. He went to the place where the woman was killed and he saw Holmes. Holmes showed to Watson a letters write on a wall “No time to rip”. After three weeks, Holmes saw Jack the Ripper in an empty house opposite his office. Holmes and Watson followed him around London. Finally, they retired and Holmes explained Watson that the murderer was a man called Moriarty, a professor who became evil. Moriarty was intelligent like Holmes. Holmes said that Moriarty wanted a fight to the death with him. Holmes knew when and what day will Moriarty kill again. The police go to this point but nothing happened. Holmes thinked that Moriarty didn’t kill that day because was full of people. Watson and Holmes went to Witechapel the day which Jack the Ripper will kill again. Holmes saw Moriarty. Holmes said to Watson that he will follow Moriarty while Watson will call the police. But Watson, instead of going to the police station, follow Holmes. Holmes entered in a house and changed his suit. After, he met with a woman and both entered in a house. Watson fell asleep under the windows when Holmes and the woman were staying. When Watson got up he saw Holmes was ripping the woman while he singed a song. After this, Holmes left the country. Watson married with his girlfriend because he was worried about her. Watson was frightened to saw Holmes again, because he thinked that Holmes was Jack the Ripper. Holmes sent a telegram to Watson. The letter said that he was following Moriarty. More days later, and other telegram was sent by Holmes. He said that Moriarty was dead. Finally, when he had finished some cases in foreigner coutryes, Holmes returned to London. He didn’t wanted to talk to Watson about Moriarty’s death. After that, Holmes and Watson worked together again for many years. The people didn’t remembered Jack the Ripper. In 1891 other woman was ripped in Whitechapel. Soon after this, Holmes left the country and sent an intelligible message to Watson. Watson remembered the house behind Holmes Office, where Holmes saw Moriarty. Watson entered in the house and found pieces of bodys. When Holmes returned asked that Moriarty was alive and he was following them. Holmes looked mad. Holmes left the country and go to Switzerland with Watson. Watson must injected cocaine to be able to follow Holmes. One day, when they were in Reichenbach Falls, Watson confessed to Holmes that he know everything about he. Watson shot Holmes with a gun, but Holmes took the bullets from the gun and put in blanks. Holmes believed that Watson was Moriarty disguised. Holmes tried to kill Watson with a knife but at the last moment he gave up his fellow and said to him “I shall not let him hurt you”. Then he stepped backwards off the path. Holmes dies. Watson wrote this success in a packed of papers, and he said that this papers mustn’t were opened until fifty years after Watson’s death.