Before you read: Key words
- Slavic relating to countries like Czech Republic, Poland, Russia, Ukraine слов’янський
- insane mentally ill; not thinking clearly божевільний
- patience the ability to wait calmly терпіння
- telegram a short message sent quickly over a long distance (used before phones) телеграма
Match the word to its meaning
Holmes and I left the professor’s house. Holmes found the situation funny.
“Our friend is very nervous,” Holmes said. “We weren’t very polite, but we got the information we needed. Still, Watson, I think someone is following us.”
We heard footsteps behind us. It wasn’t the professor. It was Mr Bennett, the professor’s assistant.
“I’m sorry, Mr Holmes. I want to apologise,” Mr Bennett said.
“No problem,” Holmes replied. “It’s part of the job.”
Mr Bennett continued, “I’ve never seen him so angry. He’s becoming more dangerous. His daughter and I are scared. His mind is still clear, but his behaviour is strange.”
“By the way, before we leave, can we see Miss Presbury’s window?”
Mr Bennett took us to the window. It was hard to reach, but there was a water pipe that someone could use to climb up.
“I couldn’t climb it,” Mr Bennett said. Holmes nodded.
“The professor is writing to someone in London,” Mr Bennett said. “I’ve got the address.”
Mr Bennett handed Holmes the address. “Dorak… sounds like a Slavic name. It’s important. We’ll head back to London this afternoon. There’s no crime to charge the professor with, and we can’t prove he’s insane. We need more time.”
“What should we do?” Mr Bennett asked.
“Patience,” Holmes said. “Next Tuesday might be the turning point. Let Miss Presbury stay with us for now. If the professor is in a good mood, everything will be fine.”
Holmes said, “The professor isn’t stupid. He’ll figure out that we’re here to investigate.”
On our way to the hotel, Holmes stopped at a post office to send a telegram. Later, we received an answer from Mr Mercer:
“I visited Dorak. He’s an old Bohemian man who has a large shop.”
Holmes explained, “Mercer handles routine investigations. Knowing about Dorak is important since the professor is secretly writing to him. It’s also connected to the professor’s trip to Prague.”
“But we have a lot of confusing events that don’t seem to connect. For example, what does a dog’s anger have to do with a visit to Prague? And what does that have to do with a man crawling down a hallway?”
After you read
1. Why did Mr Bennett follow Holmes and Watson out of the professor’s house?
He wanted to apologise for the professor’s angry behaviour. He was worried and said the professor was becoming more dangerous.
2. Who is Dorak and why is he important?
Dorak is an old Bohemian man with a large shop in London. The professor is secretly writing letters to him. Holmes thinks this is connected to the professor’s trip to Prague.
3. Holmes has several strange clues that don’t connect yet. Can you name them?
1) The dog attacks its own owner. 2) The professor secretly writes to someone in London called Dorak. 3) The professor was crawling on the floor at night. 4) He appeared at his daughter’s window with no ladder. Holmes doesn’t know how these connect yet.
Past Simple Practice
Fill in the gaps
Write the Past Simple form of the verb in brackets. Press Enter or click Check.
Holmes and Watson (leave) the professor’s house. Mr Bennett (follow) them outside and (hand) Holmes an important address. Holmes (nod) and said it was part of the job.
Fill in the gaps
Write the Past Simple form of the verb in brackets.
Holmes (stop) at a post office to send a telegram. Later, they (receive) an answer: Mercer had (visit) Dorak — an old Bohemian man. Holmes (explain) the connection to Prague.
Sentence order
Put the events in the correct order. Click what happened first, then second, and so on.
Talk to Watson
Dr Watson wants to ask you a few questions. Answer using Past Simple, just like in the story.
Watson:
“Holmes stopped at a post office to send a telegram. Did you stop somewhere unexpected today: a shop, a café, anywhere?”
Watson:
“Holmes received a reply and explained the connection between the clues. Did you explain something to someone today: at work, at school, at home?”
Watson:
“Holmes found the professor’s strange behaviour curious, not scary. Did you find something funny or surprising this week?”
Listening Practice
Listen to the audio above. Then fill in the missing words in the text and check your answers.
Speaking Practice
Record your answers
Press record and answer the questions out loud, just like in a real conversation. Watch it back to hear your own progress. No pressure, no grades. Just you and your English.
- Why did Mr Bennett follow Holmes and Watson outside?
- Was Holmes angry when the professor shouted?
- What did Holmes want to see before leaving Cambridge?
- Why couldn’t Holmes arrest the professor?
- Who is Dorak and where does he live?
- What did Mr Mercer find out about Dorak?