Sherlock Holmes: “The Speckled Band”
RFQs
Directions: Please answer the following in complete sentences in your reading
composition book. You must provide evidence and the PPL (page, paragraph, and line)
along with your answer.
1. How does the narrator’s relationship to the protagonist affect his perspective?
2. State the observations that Holmes makes to know that Miss Stoner is agitated?
Why does Holmes then offer Miss Stoner coffee?
3. What evidence supports Miss Stoner’s fear that her sister was murdered?
4. Choose the best word to describe Dr. Roylott’s behavior when he came to visit
Sherlock Holmes at 221B Baker Street. And explain why that is the best word to
describe Dr. Roylott.
bullish [boo l-ish] adj. – 1. like a bull to obstinate
furious [fyoo r-ee-uh s] adj. – 1. extremely angry
taciturn [tas-i-turn] adj. – 1. dour, stern to silent in expression
throttle [throt-l] v. – 1. to choke or suffocate in any way 2. to silence
5. Why does Sherlock Holmes obtain a copy of Helen Stoner’s mother’s will?
6. List at least two clues that Holmes and Watson find at Stoke Moran to support
Miss Stoner’s claim, and explain how they help to support Miss Stoner’s claim
that her sister’s death was not accidental.
7. List at least two elements in the story that help to create Suspense as Holmes and
Watson wait to hear the whistle?
8. What is the “Speckled Band,” and how does it resolve the crime?
Sherlock Holmes: Vocabulary & Idioms Lesson 1
“The Speckled Band”
Part I. Match the word with the correct meaning.
1. deduction (n)
2. hereditary (adj)
3. aristocrat (n)
4. pauper (n)
5. writhe (v)
6. notorious (adj)
7. sinister (adj)
8. bland (adj)
9. amiable (adj)
10. gable (n)
11. cunning (adj)
12. occupant (n)
13. homely (adj)
14. subtle (adj)
15. ruthless (adj)
______someone who occupies a house or place; tenant
______without mercy or pity
______not obvious or easy to understand; mysterious
______friendly, kind-hearted, nice
______sly, tricky, clever, crafty
______someone who is very poor
______a pointed part of a roof, forming a triangle
______appearing to be evil; threatening evil
______famous in a bad way; known to be bad or evil
______a guess made from facts or observations
______inherited; passing from parents to their children
______ordinary, plain, not fancy
______without sharp taste; soothing; gentle
______member of the upper class; a noble
______to squirm, especially in pain or discomfort
Clues for Deductive Reasoning:
1. I saw roses on the table, a greeting card with a red heart on it; my deduction was that it
was Valentine’s Day.
2. Both of John’s parents have read hair; therefore his red hair is hereditary.
3. Having a title given to you by king or queen makes you an aristocrat.
4. I am a pauper because I don’t even have a penny in my pocket.
5. If you catch the Stomach Flu, you will fall to the floor and writhe in agony.
6. Scarface was a notorious gangster of the early Twentieth Century.
7. Any time I have had to walk through a graveyard at night, I get a sinister sensation
up my spine.
8. My grandfather does not like spicy food, so dinner at his house tastes quite bland.
9. He is such an amiable fellow, especially during the holiday season; he passes out
candy to the children and money to the adults.
10. I had to climb over the gable to look at the hail damage from the storm.
11. A fox’s cunning is legendary; they elude both man and hound most days by guile
alone.
12. The occupant of the room is responsible for cleaning it, since they made the mess.
13. He was never going to be a model, he was too homely.
14. The change in my appearance was so subtle that it took the students three days to
realize the difference.
15. The soccer team was so ruthless that they would purposefully try to injure any
rival team, just so they could win.
Sherlock Holmes: “The Speckled Band” Vocabulary #1 - Part 2. Fill-in-the-Blank
Directions: use your vocabulary to choose the best word that completes each sentence. You may
write the word in the space, or write the correct word on a piece of loose leaf paper. You only
have twenty minutes to work on this assignment. Turn it in when you are done.
1. During the French Revolution, many _______________, members of the rich
ruling class in France, were imprisoned or executed by the common people who
seized control of the country.
2. The girl didn’t want to wear the dress her mother selected because she thought it
made her look ___________.
3. In one of Conan Doyle’s stories, Holmes is on the track of a _______________
killer who shot a man in cold blood.
4. In the same story, Holmes distracts a room full of people by falling to the floor
and pretending to _______________ in pain.
5. The most _______________ of Holmes’ enemies is probably Professor Moriarty,
for it is he who is supposedly responsible for the detective’s death.
6. The rich man gave all the money in his wallet to the _______________ he saw
begging by the train station.
7. Holmes is excellent at making correct _______________ based on very little
information; this is how he solves his cases.
8. He is indeed a very clever, _______________ detective, able to outwit even the
trickiest criminal.
9. There seemed to be something _______________ about the deserted, creepy old
house with its banging shutters and creaking boards.
10. Although Watson can recognize obvious clues, he is not very good at seeing the
more _______________, hidden ones.
11. The old-fashioned _______________ on that house make it look old, but in fact it
was built just last year.
12. If you are recovering from an illness, it is probably better to eat only
____________ food, for spicy meals might upset your stomach.
13. The friendly, ________________ hostess showed us to our seats.
14. Blue eyes are one of many _______________ traits, passed down from parents to
children.
15. The _______________ of that apartment has recently moved out, but a new
tenant has already signed a lease.