Comprehension Test

The Last Sherlock Holmes Story

Michael Dibdin

1 Are 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 didnt 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

2 Put the following events in the story in the right order. Number them 15.
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 Reichenbach Falls.
d Holmes and Watson stopped at a hotel in Switzerland.
e Holmes came towards Watson with a knife.

20 marks

3 Match 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.

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 3 1

 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

4 Fill 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

5 Complete the following sentences.

a Holmes did not like A Study in Scarlet because ...
....................................................................................
b When Lestrade first came to see Holmes, he showed him ...
....................................................................................
c Holmes was interested in Moriarty because ...
....................................................................................
d Although there were hundreds of policemen on the streets, they ...
....................................................................................
e Watson destroyed the papers and jars because he wanted to hide ...
....................................................................................
20 marks

Totalmarks

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 3 2

Multiple-choice Test

The Last Sherlock Holmes Story

Michael Dibdin

Setting

Choose the best answer.

1 Dr Watson left a box to be opened in _____.
a [ ] 1956 b [ ] 1966 c [ ] 1976 d [ ] 1986
2 The box contained _____.
a [ ] a packet of papers b [ ] a map of London
c [ ] a lot of money d [ ] a photo
3 The story happens in _____.
a [ ] 1688 b [ ] 1788 c [ ] 1888 d [ ] 1988
4 The murders are in an area of _____.
a [ ] Liverpool b [ ] Manchester c [ ] Leeds d [ ] London
5 Sherlock 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
7 Sherlock Holmes says that he sees Moriarty in the _____ opposite.
a [ ] shop b [ ] park c [ ] caf d [ ] house
8 When Holmes goes to France he sends Watson a _____ with a hidden message.
a [ ] letter b [ ] box c [ ] picture d [ ] present
9 Holmes and Watson travel through France and Germany and then go to _____.
a [ ] Denmark b [ ] Italy c [ ] Austria d [ ] Switzerland
10 At 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
Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 3 3
 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
13 Sherlock Holmes works as a _____.
a [ ] policeman b [ ] police inspector c [ ] detective d [ ] writer
14 Sherlock 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 Holmess house to talk about the Ripper case.
a [ ] The police doctor b [ ] Professor Moriarty
c [ ] Inspector Lestrade d [ ] Miss Mary Morstan
17 Sherlock 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
19 The 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 wont be too lonely when I go home to my wife.
a [ ] Sherlock Holmes b [ ] Dr Watson
c [ ] Arthur Conan Doyle d [ ] Inspector Lestrade
Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 3 4
 23 I still have my cocaine bottle.
a [ ] Sherlock Holmes b [ ] Arthur Conan Doyle
c [ ] Miss Mary Morstan d [ ] Professor Moriarty
24 We havent 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 havent 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.

31 long pieces of cloth hung up in front of windows; you close these at night
a [ ] doors b [ ] cupboards c [ ] sheets d [ ] curtains
32 when a person knows many things and knows what is right and good
a [ ] weak b [ ] wise c [ ] wealthy d [ ] worried
Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 3 5
 33 to put medicine or drugs into the body with a special needle
a [ ] inject b [ ] injure c [ ] inhale d [ ] inspect
34 a narrow street
a [ ] lawn b [ ] lane c [ ] stream d [ ] stairs
35 when a person is very bad
a [ ] kind b [ ] helpful c [ ] evil d [ ] tired
36 a place where a river falls from a high place to a lower place
a [ ] waterfall b [ ] beach c [ ] cloud d [ ] shower
37 a person who is ill and goes to the doctor for medical help
a [ ] secretary b [ ] professor c [ ] nurse d [ ] patient
38 a pot which is made of glass; you can keep food in it
a [ ] box b [ ] jar c [ ] bin d [ ] bag
39 when a person is ill and not strong
a [ ] wonderful b [ ] wild c [ ] weak d [ ] wet
40 a drawing or plan that explains something
a [ ] note b [ ] letter c [ ] painting d [ ] diagram

20 marks

Plot

Choose the best answer.

41 Dr Watsons 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
43 Sherlock Holmes wants to _____ the murderer.
a [ ] catch b [ ] hurt c [ ] paint d [ ] write to
44 The police try to catch the murderer by dressing in _____.
a [ ] red clothes b [ ] black clothes c [ ] old clothes d [ ] womens clothes
45 Sherlock Holmes says that _____ is the murderer.
a [ ] Professor Moriarty b [ ] Dr Watson
c [ ] Inspector Lestrade d [ ] Jack the Ripper
46 Dr Watson sees Sherlock Holmes _____ a woman called Mary Kelly.
a [ ] killing b [ ] cutting up c [ ] singing with d [ ] eating with
47 Dr Watson goes to the house opposite and finds _____.
a [ ] womens clothes b [ ] womens shoes
Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 3 6
 c [ ] pieces of womens bodies d [ ] pictures of women
48 Dr Watson begins to think that Sherlock Holmes is _____.
a [ ] a very clever man b [ ] a very rich man
c [ ] Mary Morstans lover d [ ] the murderer
49 Dr 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

Totalmarks

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 3 7

The Last Sherlock Holmes Story
1 a T
b F
c T
d F
e F
f T
g F
h T
i T
j F

2 3 a
5 b
2 c
1 d
4 e

3 1 c
2 a
3 e
4 d
5 b

4 detective, bored, easy, stupid, intelligent, cocaine, exciting, police, help, killer

5 a (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 couldnt stop the murders/catch the killer/murderer.
e what/the evil things that Holmes had done/the truth about Holmes.

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 3 8

The Last Sherlock Holmes Story
Setting
1 c
2 a
3 c
4 d
5 c
6 b
7 d
8 a
9 d
10 b

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

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

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 3 9

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

Plot
41 d
42 c
43 a
44 d
45 a
46 b
47 c
48 d
49 b
50 a

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 310