Before you read: Key words
- serum a liquid medicine that is injected into the body сироватка
- accountable responsible for something that went wrong відповідальний
- reputation what other people think about you репутація
- vial a small glass bottle for liquid medicine флакон / ампула
Match the word to its meaning
Mr Bennett was very worried and asked Holmes to keep things quiet. He was afraid that if the professor’s strange behaviour became known, it could ruin his career and affect his daughter’s reputation. Holmes agreed and said they could try to keep it a secret, now that they had the key to solving the problem.
They found some items in the professor’s box: a used syringe, an empty bottle, a nearly full one, and some strange letters. One of the letters was from Prague, signed by Dr Lowenstein. Holmes read it out loud.
The professor was using a dangerous serum made from the blood of Langur monkeys — powerful animals from the mountains of the Himalayas — to try to make himself younger.
Holmes explained that the professor’s desire to be younger came from his love for a younger woman. Trying to fight nature led him to dangerous actions. The serum was risky, and it was clear that the professor was using it without realising the potential harm. Holmes said he would write to Lowenstein and make him accountable for the dangerous serum.
“Even the best people can end up behaving like animals if they stray from their natural path,” Holmes said, holding the vial of serum. “Once I write to the man behind this and make him accountable for the poison he’s spreading, we won’t have more trouble. But it could happen again. Someone else may try a better way. This is a real danger to humanity.”
“People focused on material, selfish desires would seek to live longer. But those with a higher spiritual call wouldn’t. It could lead to the survival of the unfit. Just think about what could happen to the world.”
“Now, Mr Bennett, we’ve solved the puzzle. The dog, Roy, sensed the change in the professor faster than anyone else, thanks to his keen sense of smell. It was the monkey, not the professor, that Roy attacked, just like it was the monkey that provoked Roy. The monkey’s climbing was just for fun, and I suspect it was just by chance that it reached the young lady’s window.”
Holmes looked at Watson. “There’s a train to London soon, but we have time for tea at the Chequers before we catch it.”
After you read
1. What was in the professor’s wooden box?
A used syringe, an empty bottle, a nearly full bottle of serum, and letters from Dr Lowenstein in Prague.
2. Why was the professor using the serum?
He was in love with a much younger woman and wanted to feel young again. He hoped the serum would make him stronger and younger.
3. Why did the dog Roy attack the professor?
Roy could smell the monkey serum in the professor’s blood. The dog was not attacking his owner — he was attacking the monkey smell. His sense of smell told him something was wrong.
4. Holmes says “survival of the unfit”. What does this mean?
It is a play on Darwin’s “survival of the fittest”. Holmes means that selfish people who cheat nature to live longer would survive, but this is dangerous — because they are not the best or the fittest. It would be bad for humanity.
Past Simple Practice
Fill in the gaps
Write the Past Simple form of the verb in brackets. Press Enter or click Check.
Holmes (read) the letter from Prague out loud. He (explain) that the professor’s desire for youth (come) from his love for a younger woman. Trying to fight nature (lead) him to dangerous actions.
Sentence order
Put the events in the correct order. Click what happened first, then second, and so on.
Answer the questions
Write your short answer in the box, then click See answers to check.
1. What did Holmes find in the professor’s wooden box?
2. Why did the dog Roy attack the professor?
Talk to Holmes
One last conversation with Sherlock Holmes. Answer using Past Simple, just like in the story.
Holmes:
“Watson and I found the letters in the professor’s box and read them carefully. Did you find something unexpected this week: a message, an object, some information?”
Holmes:
“The professor’s desire to feel young led him to dangerous actions. Did you want something so much last year that you took a risk to get it?”
Holmes:
“You read all seven episodes. I explained everything and we solved the case. Did you enjoy the story? What moment stayed with you the most?”
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 want Holmes to keep the case quiet?
- What did Holmes and Watson find in the professor’s box?
- Who sent the letter from Prague?
- What was the professor trying to do with the serum?
- Why did the professor want to be younger?
You just read a story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in English.
- You read 7 episodes
- You learned 28 new words
- You practised Past Simple in real context
- You answered 7 sets of speaking questions
Want to go further?
You’ve just read a Sherlock Holmes story on your own. Imagine what you could do with a teacher by your side. Leave your name and number, we’ll call you and find the right course for you.