OXFORD BOOKWORMS COMPREHENSION TEST

Stage 2
Sherlock Holmes: Short Stories

1 Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)? 3 Put the following events in A Scandal in
a ___ Sherlock Holmes lived in a flat in Bohemia in the right order. Number them
Oxford Street. 1–5.
b ___ Helen Stoner lived in the city a ___ Watson threw the smoke-stick into the
of London. house.
c ___ The Speckled Band was an b ___ King Wilhelm gave Irene’s photograph
Indian snake. to Sherlock Holmes.
d ___ The King of Bohemia sent his friend to c ___ King Wilhelm visited Sherlock Holmes
see Sherlock Holmes. wearing a mask.
e ___ Irene Adler married King Wilhelm. d ___ Irene Adler and Godfrey Norton were
f ___ Irene Adler gave the photograph to married.
Sherlock Holmes. e ___ Irene and Godfrey left England.
g ___ In The Five Orange Pips the first letter
15 marks
came from Scotland.
h ___ Uncle Elias worked with the K.K.K.
4 Who in The Speckled Band …? Dr
i ___ A policeman found John Openshaw
Roylott, Julia Stoner, Sherlock Holmes,
dead on a boat.
Helen Stoner, Watson.
j ___ The police caught John Openshaw’s
murderers in America. a came to visit Sherlock Holmes’s flat in
London. ...............
20 marks
b killed his servant in India. ...............
c died two years before in the night. ...............
2 Match a number from A with a letter from
d hit the bell-rope very hard. ...............
B to make complete sentences.
e went with Holmes to Dr Roylott’s
A house. ...............
1 ___ The police couldn’t understand why
15 marks
Julia died ...
2 ___ Sherlock Holmes never forgot Irene
5 Choose one of the three stories. Write a
Adler ...
short newspaper report of the story.
3 ___ Uncle Elias lived in America ...
Remember to include all the important
4 ___ John Openshaw died ...
events.
5 ___ Every night Dr Roylott put the snake
through the air-vent ... ………………………………………..………………
………………………………………..………………
B ………………………………………..………………
a until the end of the civil war. ………………………………………..………………
b because she was cleverer than he was. ………………………………………..………………
c after his visit to Sherlock Holmes. ………………………………………..………………
d because there was no poison in her body. ………………………………………..………………
e and it went down the bell-rope onto the bed. ………………………………………..………………
………………………………………..………………
10 marks
………………………………………..………………
………………………………………..………………
40 marks

Total marks

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS COMPREHENSION TEST ANSWERS
Stage 2
Sherlock Holmes: Short Stories

1
a F
b F
c T
d F
e F
f F
g F
h T
i F
j F

2
1 d
2 b
3 a
4 c
5 e

3
a 3
b 5
c 1
d 2
e 4

4
a Helen Stoner
b Dr Roylott
c Julia Stoner
d Sherlock Holmes
e Watson

5
Students’ individual answers.

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST
Stage 2
Sherlock Holmes: Short Stories

SETTING 9 Uncle Elias went to live in _____ when he

was young.
Choose the best answer. a  America
1 Sherlock Holmes lived in _____. b  Australia
a  Baker Road c  Argentina
b  Baker Street d  Germany
c  Bond Street
10 Uncle Elias got a letter with _____ in it.
d  Barker Street
a  poison
2 Sherlock Holmes and Watson were _____. b  apple pips
a  brothers c  orange pips
b  cousins d  a snake
c  friends
20 marks
d  father and son
3 Sherlock Holmes lived in _____.
CHARACTERS
a  a flat
b  a house Choose the best answer.
c  a castle 11 Sherlock Holmes was _____.
d  a hotel a  an artist
4 Helen Stoner was afraid of _____. b  a doctor
a  grey hair c  a detective
b  her sister d  a king
c  death 12 Helen Stoner lived with her _____.
d  her father a  stepbrother
5 Doctor Roylott kept wild animals in b  stepmother
his _____. c  stepsister
a  garden d  stepfather
b  house 13 Helen Stoner’s sister was called _____.
c  bedroom a  Joanna
d  kitchen b  Julia
6 The sisters locked their rooms because they c  June
were afraid of the _____. d  Jeanne
a  snakes 14 Doctor Roylott was _____ man.
b  servants a  an unhappy
c  cats b  a poor
d  wild animals c  a handsome
7 The only woman Sherlock Holmes never d  a violent
forgot was _____. 15 Irene Adler married _____.
a  Helen Stoner a  Sherlock Holmes
b  Joanna Norton b  Doctor Roylott
c  Irene Adler c  Godfrey Norton
d  Ivy Adler d  Watson
8 The king wanted Holmes to get 16 Count von Kramm was king of _____.
his _____ back. a  England
a  photograph b  Bohemia
b  mask c  Spain
c  letters d  France
d  paper

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST
Stage 2
Sherlock Holmes: Short Stories

17 The king wore _____ clothes, and a mask. 24 ‘My business is most important. Before I tell
a  expensive you about it, do you agree to keep it a
b  old secret?’
c  dirty a  Watson
d  new b  Count von Kramm
c  Sherlock Holmes
18 Uncle Elias was a strange, _____ man.
d  Godfrey Norton
a  happy
b  handsome 25 ‘To the church of St Monica, as fast as
c  careful you can!’
d  unhappy a  Godfrey Norton
b  Watson
19 Uncle Elias did not want any friends and he
c  Sherlock Holmes
often _____ a lot.
d  the king
a  drank
b  walked 26 ‘Bring him into the sitting-room.’
c  talked a  the king
d  cried b  Irene Adler
c  Watson
20 John Oppenshaw moved to Uncle Elias’s
d  Sherlock Holmes
house when he was _____.
a  twelve 27 ‘A very, very clever woman.’
b  twenty a  Sherlock Holmes
c  thirteen b  the king
d  ten c  Watson
d  Godfrey Norton
20 marks
28 ‘If he comes on business in this weather,
DIALOGUE it’s important.’
a  Watson
Who said this? b  John Oppenshaw
21 ‘Please help me! I’m not thirty yet and look c  Uncle Elias
at my grey hair!’ d  Sherlock Holmes
a  Watson 29 ‘Everything went well until a year later.’
b  Sherlock Holmes a  Sherlock Holmes
c  Doctor Roylott b  Watson
d  Helen Stoner c  John Oppenshaw
22 ‘Tell me everything about her death.’ d  Uncle Elias
a  Sherlock Holmes 30 ‘He has sent pips to John from London!
b  Watson John’s enemy is in London already!’
c  Helen Stoner a  Watson
d  Doctor Roylott b  Sherlock Holmes
23 ‘But how did you know about the snake, c  Uncle Elias
Holmes?’ d  John Oppenshaw
a  Helen Stoner 20 marks
b  Doctor Roylott
c  Watson
d  Julia Stoner

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST
Stage 2
Sherlock Holmes: Short Stories

VOCABULARY 39 someone who works in another person’s

house
Choose the best answer. a  uncle
31 your mother’s second husband, not your b  captain
real father c  servant
a  stepson d  king
b  stepbrother
40 unkind talk about someone, which is bad for
c  stepfather
that person
d  stepmother
a  scandal
32 a high sound made not by the voice but by b  poison
air through the lips c  hope
a  scandal d  equality
b  shout
20 marks
c  scream
d  whistle
PLOT
33 the most important man in the royal family
a  king Choose the best answer.
b  prince 41 Doctor Roylott needed the girls’ _____.
c  Count a  house
d  captain b  money
34 a person who helps someone with difficult c  cat
business, and keeps their important papers d  snake
a  king 42 The speckled band was _____.
b  Count a  a cat
c  majesty b  a dog
d  lawyer c  poison
35 a long narrow place in a house with doors d  a snake
which open into rooms 43 Helen Stoner heard a _____ in the corridor.
a  kitchen a  snake
b  corridor b  whistle
c  roof c  servant
d  wall d  man
36 you put a letter inside it 44 Sherlock Holmes kept the photograph of the
a  mask woman who was _____.
b  band a  his wife
c  envelope b  cleverer than he was
d  papers c  older than he was
37 somebody who sees something happen d  his sister
a  witness 45 Mrs Norton kept the photograph of the king
b  king in a cupboard in the _____.
c  captain a  sitting-room
d  uncle b  dining-room
38 a small white seed inside fruit like oranges c  bedroom
a  poison d  bathroom
b  pip
c  speckled
d  stone

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST
Stage 2
Sherlock Holmes: Short Stories

46 Uncle Elias left America because he

had _____.
a  enemies
b  friends
c  a family
d  a wife
47 There were _____ pips inside the
envelopes.
a  four apple
b  three orange
c  five orange
d  two apple
48 Uncle Elias was found dead in _____.
a  the house
b  his bed
c  the garden
d  the river
49 John Oppenshaw was found dead in the
river near _____ Station.
a  Victoria
b  Baker Street
c  Westminster
d  Waterloo
50 Sherlock Holmes sent the pips to the
captain of the _____.
a  Snake
b  Sea
c  Star
d  Snow
20 marks

Total marks

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST ANSWERS
Stage 2
Sherlock Holmes: Short Stories

SETTING PLOT
1 b 41 b
2 c 42 d
3 a 43 b
4 c 44 b
5 a 45 a
6 d 46 a
7 c 47 c
8 a 48 d
9 a 49 d
10 c 50 c

CHARACTERS
11 c
12 d
13 b
14 d
15 c
16 b
17 a
18 d
19 a
20 a

DIALOGUE
21 d
22 a
23 c
24 b
25 a
26 b
27 a
28 d
29 c
30 b

VOCABULARY
31 c
32 d
33 a
34 d
35 b
36 c
37 a
38 b
39 c
40 a

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS BOOK ACTIVITY ANSWERS
Stage 2
Sherlock Holmes: Short Stories

BEFORE READING 5 Where . . .? In a cupboard in her sitting-

room.
Activity 1 6 Who . . .? Irene Adler/Norton.
7 Why . . .? Because Irene gave her word not
Open answers. Encourage students to discuss
to show the photograph to anyone.
detective and crime stories in general.
8 What . . .? The photograph of Irene
Activity 2 Adler/Norton.
1 No 4 Yes 6 Yes The Five Orange Pips
For questions 2, 3, and 5 encourage the Chapters 1 and 2
students to speculate and to make 1 John Openshaw
guesses but do not tell them the 2 Elias Openshaw
answers. They will find out as they read 3 The police
that the only ‘yes’ answer is number 2. 4 The K. K. K.
5 John’s father
WHILE READING 6 Sherlock Holmes
7 Elias Openshaw
The Speckled Band 8 John Openshaw
Chapter 1
1 Helen Stoner’s stepfather, Dr Grimesby Roylott Before Reading Chapters 3 and 4
2 Helen’s mother
Encourage open answers and guesswork
3 Helen’s sister, Julia
(correct answers are given below). Do
4 Helen and Julia
not tell students if they are right or
Chapter 2 wrong. They will find out as they read.
1 Dr Roylott needed the girls’ money. 1 Yes. Elias Openshaw wasn’t, but he was in
2 Nothing was wrong with Helen’s bedroom the K. K. K. while he lived in America.
wall. 2 In East London (that’s where the last letter
3 Helen and Julia never used the bell-rope. came from).
4 The air-vent was between the two 3 No. They will attack him in the street.
bedrooms. 4 Yes.
5 No.
6 No.
7 Four, that is, John and the three K. K. K.
Before Reading Chapter 3 men.
The two ‘yes’ answers are numbers 3 and 4, 8 It will be the end of this group of men, but it
but do not tell students if their answers is possible that another group of the K. K. K.
are right or not. Encourage them to is still in America.
discuss possible endings.

A Scandal in Bohemia
Chapters 1 and 2
AFTER READING
1F 2T 3T 4F 5F 6T 7F 8T
Activity 1
Chapters 3 and 4
The Speckled Band:
1 Who . . .? Sherlock Holmes. 4 A Dangerous Room, 7 Death in the
2 Why . . .? Because he tried to help her, and Country,
she thought he was hurt in the fight. 9 An Unexpected Death, 11 Money Matters
3 Why . . .? Because Holmes asked him to.
4 What . . .? People in the street and in the
house began to shout ‘Fire!’

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS BOOK ACTIVITY ANSWERS
Stage 2
Sherlock Holmes: Short Stories

A Scandal in Bohemia: 7 The King: But I must have it, Irene! If

The King’s Photograph, 6 All for Love, Clotilde von Saxe-Meningen ever sees that
8 A Clever Woman, 12 In the Wrong Hands photograph—
10 Irene: Ah! If she sees it, perhaps she will not
The Five Orange Pips: marry you! And there will be a scandal!
Death in an Envelope, 3 Money isn’t 5 The King: Think of my name and my family,
Everything, Irene! There must be no scandal. I loved
5 Finished Business, 10 A Dark Secret from you, yes, I did, but that’s finished now—
the Past 8 Irene: Finished? So, I’m like an old coat that
Activity 2 you don’t want to wear any more! What a
fine friend you are!
Police: Tell me, where were you at midnight
1 The King: Irene, please! You know that I
last night?
cannot marry you. I must marry a woman of
Gipsy: I was outside in the garden, sitting
royal blood.
round a small fire with my wife and child,
6 Irene: Well, if I am not good enough for Your
and some of our friends.
Majesty, no other woman will be. I’ll send the
Police: Did you see anyone moving around in
photograph to Clotilde!
the garden?
9 The King: No! Irene, how much do you want
Gipsy: Yes, I saw two men. They crossed the
for the photograph?
garden and got into the house through
4 Irene: Don’t talk about money! I’m not
Miss Stoner’s bedroom window.
interested in that at all! Leave me alone!
Police: It was dark then. Were they carrying
Leave this room at once!
a light?
Gipsy: No, but there was a light in the room, so Activity 4
they could see where to go. It’s night-time now, and I feel afraid, so I’ve locked
Police: And what happened next? all the doors very carefully. Today I received the
Gipsy: Nothing happened for about three hours. five orange pips from the K. K. K! I’ve been
I waited near the house and listened. Then I safe from them for the last fourteen years,
heard a quiet whistle, and after that a but now I know that it’s the end.
terrible cry from Dr Roylott’s room.
This morning I was at the breakfast table with
Police: Did you see what was happening in his
young John when the servant brought in the
room?
post. There was a letter which came from
Gipsy: Yes, I ran to his window and looked in.
Pondicherry in India. At first, I was surprised,
The two men were there. They were looking
because I don’t know anyone who lives there.
at a metal box. And I saw Dr Roylott sitting
Then I realized that it meant death! The five
dead in a chair, with a yellow speckled band
orange pips were in the envelope, and they fell
round his head. Then I ran away.
on to my plate.
Police: Thank you for your help. You can go
now. Immediately, I hurried upstairs to fetch the K. K.
K. box from the locked room. While John was
Activity 3 watching, I burnt all the papers in the box.
If students need help with this, encourage But it’s no good, I know that they will find me
them to look at links in the language, for and kill me! And if poor John gets my money
example: that photograph in 3 links with one day, he will die too!
keep it in 2; If Clotilde ever sees in 7 links
Activity 5
with If she sees it in 10; and so on.
Encourage discussion of these questions.
3 The King: Irene, I’ve come to ask you for
Students might want to say things like
that photograph.
this:
2 Irene: I think that I want to keep it. Perhaps I’ll
look at it every day, and remember our love.  Sherlock Holmes is very good at noticing
things that other people don’t see (for

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS BOOK ACTIVITY ANSWERS
Stage 2
Sherlock Holmes: Short Stories

example, that Helen Stoner’s bed was

fixed to the floor).
 Holmes doesn’t always succeed. He failed
to get the King’s photograph back from
Irene Adler, and he failed to prevent John
Openshaw’s death. But he is never
baffled; he always has an explanation.
 Dr Watson’s main purpose seems to be to
show how clever Holmes is, though he is
useful for small jobs (such as throwing
smoke-sticks when asked to).

Activity 6
Open answers.

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