Where could Holmes have made a mistake and what would it lead to?ģ) Watch one of the films or episodes of the series. 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.Ģ) Some later literary research shows that several weak points can be found in Holmes’s argumentation. Think of the events that are to take place afterwards. WritingĨ. Choose one of the following topics for the final written task.ġ) The author doesn’t solve all the lines of the plot. Oh, don’t bring it into court! For Christ’s sake, don’t!” he cried. I never went wrong before! I never will again. Now, then! You want to know what became of those geese?”ĥ) “But was there another goose with a barred tail?’ I asked, ‘the same as the one I chose?”Ħ) “Think of my father! of my mother! It would break their hearts. I will just put on my slippers before we settle this little matter of yours. “The fire looks very seasonable in this weather. “Hold up, man, or you’ll be into the fire!”ģ) ‘Well,” said I, “you said you’d give me one for Christmas, and I was feeling which was the fattest.”Ĥ) “Here we are!” said Holmes cheerily as we entered the room. “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.”Ģ) “The game’s up, Ryder,” said Holmes quietly. Do you know the Russian equivalents for them?ġ) “Get back into your chair!” said Holmes strictly. Find their meanings in the second column. What other animal definitions of people do you know? Which of them coincide with the Russian language and which are specific for English?ģ. Continue the list with your own examples.Ĥ. Study the expressions below. 1. Answer the questions and prove your opinion with the extracts from the text.ġ) When do you think Sherlock Holmes realized that Ryder was the criminal he was searching for?Ģ) Was the thief a professional? Was it the weakness of nature or the evil intentions that made him commit the crime?ģ) Was there anything ingenious about Ryder’s plan with the goose? Was it elaborated or improvised? Why didn’t it work properly?Ĥ) Does Ryder really feel regret about his action or is he just scared?ĥ) Why did Sherlock Holmes let him go? Was it a wise decision? Is Ryder likely to continue his criminal deeds?Ħ) 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?ħ) What changes does Arthur Conan Doyle introduce into the genre of detective novel by choosing such a character as Sherlock Holmes? VocabularyĢ. Note the metaphorical meaning of the word “shrimp”.