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Приключения Шерлока Холмса / The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (сборник)
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“You see, Watson,” he explained in the early hours of the morning as we sat over a glass of whisky and soda in Baker Street, “it was obvious from the first that the only possible object of this fantastic advertisement of the League, and the copying of the Encyclopaedia must be to get this not very clever pawnbroker out of the way for a number of hours every day. It was a curious way of doing it, but, really, it would be difficult to suggest a better. The method was no doubt suggested to Clay by the colour of his accomplice’s hair. The 4 pounds a week is a big sum, and what was it to them, who were playing for thousands? They put in the advertisement, one of them takes an office, the other makes the man apply for the position, and together they have him away from home every morning in the week. From the time that I heard of the assistant who came for half wages, it was obvious to me that he had some strong motive to get the position.”

“But how did you know what the motive was?”

“The man’s business was small, and there was nothing in his house worth such preparations. It must, then, be something out of the house. What could it be? I thought of the assistant’s interest in photography, and his trick of diving into the cellar. The cellar! I made inquiries about this mysterious assistant and found that he was a well-known criminal in London. He was doing something in the cellar – something which took many hours a day for months. What could it be? I could think of nothing else but that he was digging a tunnel to some other building.

“When we went to visit the scene of action I surprised you by striking on the ground with my stick. I wanted to know whether the cellar stretched out in front or behind. It was not in front. Then I rang the bell, and, as I hoped, the assistant answered it. I hardly looked at his face. His knees were what I wished to see. You must yourself have remarked how worn and dirty they were. They spoke of those hours of digging. I only wished to know what they were digging for. I walked round the corner, saw the City and Suburban Bank next to our client’s house, and felt that I had solved my problem.”

“And how could you tell that they would make their attempt tonight?” I asked.

“Well, when they closed their League offices that showed that they did not need Mr. Jabez Wilson’s absence any longer – in other words, that their tunnel was ready. It was important to use it soon, as it might be discovered, or the money might be taken away. It was Saturday, and it gave them two days for their escape. So I expected them to come tonight.”

“Your ideas are brilliant,” I exclaimed in admiration.

“These little problems help me to escape from boredom of life,” he answered.

Exercises

1. Answer the questions:

1. Whom did Dr. Watson meet when he arrived at Baker Street that night?

2. What did you learn about John Clay?

3. Where did Mr. Merryweather lead them?

4. What surprised Mr. Merryweather in the cellar?

5. What did Sherlock Holmes examine in the cellar?

6. Why were the criminals interested in the bank cellar at that very time?

7. Why did Sherlock Holmes want everybody to be quiet and sit in the dark?

8. What precautions had Sherlock Holmes taken before they came to the bank cellar?

9. Did they catch the criminals in the cellar?

10. How did Sherlock Holmes explain the purpose of Mr. Wilson’s work at the Red-headed League?

11. Why did Sherlock Holmes strike on the ground in front of the pawnbroker’s?

12. Why did Sherlock Holmes think that the criminals would try robbing the bank on that very night?

2. Think and say if these statements are right or wrong. Correct the wrong ones, give your reasons.

1. Sherlock Holmes told the bank director that he was going to have an exciting night because they were after a very dangerous criminal.

2. Sherlock Holmes took Mr. Jones of Scotland Yard with them as he thought he was a good detective and a brave man.

3. The bank cellar was not vulnerable either from above or from below.

4. Interest in photography provided an excuse for John Clay to spend a lot of time in the cellar.

5. It was obvious that the work at the Red-headed League was to take Mr. Wilson away from home.

3. Find the following phrases in the text and reproduce situations from the text with them. Give Russian equivalents.

1. to get smb / smth out of the way

2. to apply for a position / vacancy / job

3. to make inquiries about smth / smb

4. Paraphrase the underlined parts of the sentences so as to use the phrases above.

1. Kevin wrote a letter and asked to be considered for a management position.

2. A detective’s job is to ask questions and collect information about people his clients would like to know about.

3. They had to stop to take the fallen tree away from the road.

4. The company has to get rid of competitors to stay in the market.

5. Complete the sentences with the phrases above in the correct form.

1. If the job suits you, why don’t you… it?

2. Not to wait long at the bus terminal… the bus service in advance.

3. Nick wanted… his younger brothers… So he gave them money and they ran to the shop to buy ice cream.

Vocabulary

Список
сокращений

a – adjective – прилагательное

adv – adverb – наречие

cj – conjunction – союз

n – noun – имя существительное

prp – preposition – предлог

v – verb – глагол

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