The Last Sherlock Holmes Story
Comprehension Test
The Last Sherlock Holmes Story
Michael Dibdin
1Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)?
a Holmes did not like A Study in Scarlet.
b Holmes used cocaine when he was ill.
c The murderer killed twice because he didn’t have time to cut up the first body.
d The murders happened in quiet, dark, places.
e Watson followed Holmes secretly because he thought Holmes was the killer.
f Watson moved into a hotel because he was afraid of seeing Holmes again.
g Moriarty was a real person.
h In the glass jars Holmes kept pieces of the bodies he cut up.
i Watson took the cocaine to keep him awake.
j Back in London, Watson told everyone that Holmes was the killer.
20 marks
2Put the following events in the story in the right order. Number them 1–5.
a Watson pulled out a gun and shot Holmes.
b At the last moment Holmes put down the knife and stepped off the path.
c They took a walk to the ReichenbachFalls.
d Holmes and Watson stopped at a hotel in Switzerland.
e Holmes came towards Watson with a knife.
20 marks
3Match a number from A with a letter from B to make complete sentences.
A
1 The box that Dr Watson left in the bank ...
2 After ten years as a detective ...
3 Holmes told Watson to fetch Lestrade ...
4 When Watson woke up ...
5 On the path by the waterfall ...
B
a... Holmes was unhappy and bored.
b... Watson told Holmes that he knew about the murders.
c ... was not opened for fifty years.
d ... he saw Holmes cutting up a body.
e ... but Watson decided to follow him secretly.
20 marks
4Fill in the gaps using these words: cocaine, bored, killer, intelligent, police, detective, easy, help, exciting, stupid.
Sherlock Holmes became a ...... in 1877, but he got ...... because the work was ...... Criminals were ...... , and Holmes was ...... He took ...... to make his life ...... But in 1888 the ...... asked him to ...... them find a ......
20 marks
5Complete the following sentences.
aHolmes did not like A Study in Scarlet because ...
......
bWhen Lestrade first came to see Holmes, he showed him ...
......
cHolmes was interested in Moriarty because ...
......
dAlthough there were hundreds of policemen on the streets, they ...
......
eWatson destroyed the papers and jars because he wanted to hide ...
......
20 marks
Total marks
Multiple-choice Test
The Last Sherlock Holmes Story
Michael Dibdin
Setting
Choose the best answer.
1Dr Watson left a box to be opened in _____.
a [ ] 1956 b [ ] 1966 c [ ] 1976 d [ ] 1986
2The box contained _____.
a [ ] a packet of papers b [ ] a map of London
c [ ] a lot of money d [ ] a photo
3The story happens in _____.
a [ ] 1688 b [ ] 1788 c [ ] 1888 d [ ] 1988
4The murders are in an area of _____.
a [ ] Liverpool b [ ] Manchester c [ ] Leeds d [ ] London
5Sherlock Holmes lives in _____ Street.
a [ ] Butler b [ ] Bath c [ ] Baker d [ ] Brown
6‘Jack the Ripper’ writes a message on a _____.
a [ ] window b [ ] wall c [ ] door d [ ] bed
7Sherlock Holmes says that he sees Moriarty in the _____ opposite.
a [ ] shop b [ ] park c [ ] café d [ ] house
8When Holmes goes to France he sends Watson a _____ with a hidden message.
a [ ] letter b [ ] box c [ ] picture d [ ] present
9Holmes and Watson travel through France and Germany and then go to _____.
a [ ] Denmark b [ ] Italy c [ ] Austria d [ ] Switzerland
10At the end, Holmes and Watson walk to a _____.
a [ ] lake b [ ] waterfall c [ ] pub d [ ] hotel
20 marks
Characters
Choose the best answer.
11_____ usually writes stories about Sherlock Holmes.
a [ ] Inspector Lestrade b [ ] Dr Watson
c [ ] Miss Mary Morstan d [ ] Arthur Conan Doyle
12_____ writes this story.
a [ ] Sherlock Holmes b [ ] Dr Watson
c [ ] Jack the Ripper d [ ] Professor Moriarty
13Sherlock Holmes works as a _____.
a [ ] policeman b [ ] police inspector c [ ] detective d [ ] writer
14Sherlock Holmes starts to _____ again.
a [ ] take cocaine b [ ] drink a lot of wine
c [ ] eat too much d [ ] smoke cigarettes
15_____ is an evil man and an old enemy of Sherlock Holmes.
a [ ] Dr Watson b [ ] Professor Moriarty
c [ ] Inspector Lestrade d [ ] Arthur Conan Doyle
16_____ comes to Sherlock Holmes’s house to talk about the Ripper case.
a [ ] The police doctor b [ ] Professor Moriarty
c [ ] Inspector Lestrade d [ ] Miss Mary Morstan
17Sherlock Holmes thinks that Professor Moriarty is _____ him.
a [ ] forgetting b [ ] following c [ ] working with d [ ] shooting at
18_____ gets married to Miss Mary Morstan.
a [ ] Dr Watson b [ ] Sherlock Holmes
c [ ] Inspector Lestrade d [ ] Professor Moriarty
19The police doctor shows Dr Watson a dead _____.
a [ ] patient b [ ] murderer c [ ] man d [ ] woman
20_____ starts to act very strangely.
a [ ] Sherlock Holmes b [ ] Inspector Lestrade
c [ ] Miss Mary Morstan d [ ] The policeman
20 marks
Dialogue
Who said or wrote this?
21‘But your friend Mr Doyle has shown that he does not understand how important my work is.’
a [ ] Sherlock Holmes b [ ] Dr Watson
c [ ] Miss Mary Morstan d [ ] Inspector Lestrade
22‘I hope you won’t be too lonely when I go home to my wife.’
a [ ] Sherlock Holmes b [ ] Dr Watson
c [ ] Arthur Conan Doyle d [ ] Inspector Lestrade
23‘I still have my cocaine bottle.’
a [ ] Sherlock Holmes b [ ] Arthur Conan Doyle
c [ ] Miss Mary Morstan d [ ] Professor Moriarty
24‘We haven’t arrested anyone yet, but I am very hopeful, Mr Holmes. You see, I have in my pocket a letter from the killer himself.’
a [ ] Jack the Ripper b [ ] Dr Watson
c [ ] Inspector Lestrade d [ ] Professor Moriarty
25‘I know you are a doctor, but I must warn you. You have never seen anything like this before.’
a [ ] Professor Moriarty b [ ] Dr Watson
c [ ] Miss Mary Morstan d [ ] the police doctor
26‘He kills, waits a week, kills again and waits three weeks before the next murder.’
a [ ] Sherlock Holmes b [ ] Dr Watson
c [ ] Miss Mary Morstan d [ ] Mary Kelly
27‘You have failed, Mr Holmes. Your idea was very clever but you made one mistake. You forgot to tell the murderer about it.’
a [ ] Dr Watson b [ ] Jack the Ripper
c [ ] Inspector Lestrade d [ ] Arthur Conan Doyle
28‘It is almost midnight, and you still haven’t told me how Moriarty died!’
a [ ] Sherlock Holmes b [ ] the police doctor
c [ ] Dr Watson d [ ] Miss Mary Morstan
29‘I watched you cut Mary Kelly to pieces. You killed them! Let me hear you say that you did!’
a [ ] Professor Moriarty b [ ] Dr Watson
c [ ] Inspector Lestrade d [ ] Arthur Conan Doyle
30‘Tell me, Moriarty, when did you kill Watson? You are very clever. You look almost like him, but I know who you are.’
a [ ] the police doctor b [ ] Jack the Ripper
c [ ] Inspector Lestrade d [ ] Sherlock Holmes
20 marks
Vocabulary
Choose the best answer.
31long pieces of cloth hung up in front of windows; you close these at night
a [ ] doors b [ ] cupboards c [ ] sheets d [ ] curtains
32when a person knows many things and knows what is right and good
a [ ] weak b [ ] wise c [ ] wealthy d [ ] worried
33to put medicine or drugs into the body with a special needle
a [ ] inject b [ ] injure c [ ] inhale d [ ] inspect
34a narrow street
a [ ] lawn b [ ] lane c [ ] stream d [ ] stairs
35when a person is very bad
a [ ] kind b [ ] helpful c [ ] evil d [ ] tired
36a place where a river falls from a high place to a lower place
a [ ] waterfall b [ ] beach c [ ] cloud d [ ] shower
37a person who is ill and goes to the doctor for medical help
a [ ] secretary b [ ] professor c [ ] nurse d [ ] patient
38a pot which is made of glass; you can keep food in it
a [ ] box b [ ] jar c [ ] bin d [ ] bag
39when a person is ill and not strong
a [ ] wonderful b [ ] wild c [ ] weak d [ ] wet
40a drawing or plan that explains something
a [ ] note b [ ] letter c [ ] painting d [ ] diagram
20 marks
Plot
Choose the best answer.
41Dr Watson’s box lay hidden in a bank for _____ years.
a [ ] five b [ ] fifteen c [ ] twenty-five d [ ] fifty
42‘Jack the Ripper’ is murdering _____ in Whitechapel.
a [ ] children b [ ] men c [ ] women d [ ] old people
43Sherlock Holmes wants to _____ the murderer.
a [ ] catch b [ ] hurt c [ ] paint d [ ] write to
44The police try to catch the murderer by dressing in _____.
a [ ] red clothes b [ ] black clothes c [ ] old clothes d [ ] women’s clothes
45Sherlock Holmes says that _____ is the murderer.
a [ ] Professor Moriarty b [ ] Dr Watson
c [ ] Inspector Lestrade d [ ] Jack the Ripper
46Dr Watson sees Sherlock Holmes _____ a woman called Mary Kelly.
a [ ] killing b [ ] cutting up c [ ] singing with d [ ] eating with
47Dr Watson goes to the house opposite and finds _____.
a [ ] women’s clothes b [ ] women’s shoes
c [ ] pieces of women’s bodies d [ ] pictures of women
48Dr Watson begins to think that Sherlock Holmes is _____.
a [ ] a very clever man b [ ] a very rich man
c [ ] Mary Morstan’s lover d [ ] the murderer
49Dr Watson starts to _____ every day.
a [ ] buy snuff b [ ] take cocaine c [ ] get drunk d [ ] sell drugs
50_____ killed the women in Whitechapel.
a [ ] Sherlock Holmes b [ ] Dr Watson
c [ ] Inspector Lestrade d [ ] Professor Moriarty
20 marks
Total marks
The Last Sherlock Holmes Story
1aT
bF
cT
dF
eF
fT
gF
hT
iT
jF
23a
5b
2c
1d
4e
31c
2a
3e
4d
5b
4detective, bored, easy, stupid, intelligent, cocaine, exciting, police, help, killer
5a… (he thought) it was rubbish/full of lies/mistakes.
b… a letter from Jack the Ripper/the killer.
c… he was very intelligent/as intelligent as Holmes.
d… couldn’t stop the murders/catch the killer/murderer.
e… what/the evil things that Holmes had done/the truth about Holmes.
The Last Sherlock Holmes Story
Setting
1c
2a
3c
4d
5c
6b
7d
8a
9d
10b
Characters
11d
12b
13c
14a
15b
16c
17b
18a
19d
20a
Dialogue
21a
22b
23a
24c
25d
26a
27c
28c
29b
30d
Vocabulary
31d
32b
33a
34b
35c
36a
37d
38b
39c
40d
Plot
41d
42c
43a
44d
45a
46b
47c
48d
49b
50a
Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 31