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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. Where does James Ryder hide the stolen object?

2. In "The Adventures of the Engineer's Thumb," what body part of the main character was cut off?

3. What time of year is it at the beginning of "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle?"

4. Who was the object found in the stomach of a goose stolen from?

5. In "The Adventures of the Engineer's Thumb," why does the main character go to see Watson?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet," why does Holder believe his son stole the coronet?

2. Why is "The Adventures of the Speckled Band" more of a favorite than "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches?"

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

4. In "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches," why does Mr. Rucastle hire Miss Violet Hunter?

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

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

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

8. What characteristics of a Holmes mystery does "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" contain?

9. In "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle," what does Holmes deduce about the owner of the hat.

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is different from many current writers of detective fiction and also from many of his contemporaries in that his work typically doesn't have any extreme plot twists. For which stories is this not true? In these stories, describe the plot twists that occur.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the genre of the novel. What qualities make it fit that description? Use examples from the text to support your points.

Essay Topic 3

While it is true that many of these stories involve long monologues of characters recounting the details of past events, there is often taut and sprightly dialogue between Holmes and Watson. Using examples from the text, analyze Doyle's use of dialogue.

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This section contains 950 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample