Match the word with the correct meaning.

1. Although publishing our own newspaper at first seemed like an impossible _______________, we discovered the work was far easier and more interesting than we thought it would be.

2. The governess in the story of the copper beeches has _______________ hair, very long and thick.

3. Sherlock Holmes refuses to make a _______________ before he feels comfortable with the facts of a case.

4. It is unwise to _______________ yourself in physical activity when the temperature outside tops 90 degrees; wait until the heat breaks before you try a workout.

5. Holmes is excellent at sorting through facts to see which are _______________ clues and which are unimportant details.

6. No one could understand why the princess preferred the _______________ peasant to the handsome, refined nobleman.

7. After the game the baseball team _______________a dozen packages of hot dogs and two dozen hamburgers.

8. When the old man’s condition began to _______________, his family decided to move him into a nursing home.

9. If you _______________ in the halls, you may be late to class.

10. A _______________ March wind lifted the kite high above the trees.

11. As we picked our way through the debris on the floor of the abandoned house, we were troubled by the _______________ atmosphere and unnatural quiet of the place.

12. If you are _______________ when answering your teacher, you may find yourself in the principal’s office.

13. Holmes never gives up on a case, and his inclination to _______________ certainly pays off; he nearly always solves the mystery.

14. _______________ by his book, Jim didn’t hear the ringing phone.

15. After showing her media badge, the woman was allowed to pass the _______________ and approach the president.

B) Write a word which is the opposite or nearly the opposite of the following:

1. polite, respectful -

2. give up -

3. refined, graceful, classy -

4. irrelevant -

5. skimpy -

6. improve -

8. Questions for discussion:

1. What does the letter from Violet Hunter ask of Holmes?

2. Describe the gentleman with Miss Stoper. How does he react when he sees Miss Hunter?

3. Why does he offer her such a large sum of money?

4. What odd requests does the gentleman say he might make of his new governess? What is her reply?

5. What offer does the letter Miss Hunter receives make? What are the conditions?

6. Describe the family Miss Hunter encounters at her new job. What is the wife like? The child?

7. How does Miss Hunter see out the window while she is sitting in the chair? What does she see?

8. A mastiff is a large dog. What is this dog’s job, and how does the owner ensure that he will do it well?

9. What odd thing does Miss Hunter find locked in her drawer? Where do you think it came from?

10. How does Mr. Rucastle explain the shuttered window of the abandoned wing? Do you believe him? Why or why not?

11. Describe what Miss Hunter sees when she steps into the normally locked hallway.

12. Describe Mr. Rucastle’s reaction when he learns what she has done.

13. What is Holmes’ explanation for the hiring of Miss Hunter?

14. Describe what Holmes and Watson find when they break down the door to the locked room.

15. Explain why Mr. Rucastle locked up his daughter. What has become of her?

Questions for further discussion:

1. From the moment Miss Hunter arrives at the home called the Copper Beeches, the mood is eerie, full of suspense. What details make it so?

2. Now that you know the end of the story, it is easy to see why Mr. Rucastle wanted Miss Hunter to work for him. List all clues that should have told you what his real purpose was.

3. Conan Doyle is well known for creating characters that seem real. What details about Mr. Rucastle make him realistic? What details make Miss Hunter seem real?

4. In order to solve this mystery, Holmes must trespass in another man’s home after instructing his client to lock a servant in the cellar. Are you bothered by these behaviors? Why or why not?

5. Do you feel at all sorry for Mr. Rucastle at the end of the story, or do you feel that he deserves his fate? Explain.

9. Write a literary translation of the abstract:

“I was driven over by my employer … he has little to do with the story.”

10. Write self dictations of the passages:

“To the man who loves art for its own sake … the only notable feature about the thing”

“By eleven o’clock the next day we were well upon our way … the smiling and beautiful countryside.”

Date: 2015-12-18; view: 1725