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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," why doesn't the stepfather want his stepdaughter to get married?

2. In "The Adventures of the Engineer's Thumb," what weapon is used to cut off an appendage of the engineer's?

3. In "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches," what job does Miss Violet Hunter ask Holmes opinion on?

4. In "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches," what animal is kept for security?

5. In "The Adventures of the Engineer's Thumb," who asks the engineer to fix something?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Holmes tell Hunter to do in "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches?"

2. In "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," why does Helen go to see Holmes?

3. In "The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb," what does Holmes deduce the machine is used for?

4. In "The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor," who is the man who accompanies Miss Doran to Holmes' apartment?

5. What is Holder's niece's involvement with the stolen coronet?

6. How is "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches" similar to "The Adventures of the Speckled Band?"

7. In "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle," what does Holmes do with the criminal at the end of the story?

8. In "The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor," Inspector Lestrade shows Holmes a piece of evidence. What part of the note is most interesting to Holmes?

9. In "The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb," before agreeing to work, what does Victor ask Stark?

10. In "The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor", what happens to the couple after their marriage ceremony?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write a literary critique of "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes". What does the author do well? How do the stories fit together as a whole? What do you think of Doyle's writing style? Would you recommend "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" to a friend? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Holmes uses the process of deduction in solving his cases. Contrast this with more traditional detective work using inductive reasoning. What are the similarities and differences between these two types of reasoning?

Essay Topic 3

Do you think Holmes is brilliant or just lucky? Defend your argument with examples from the text.

(see the answer keys)

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