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Reading Skills

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Level 2 The Red-headed League by Arthur Conan Doyle

BEFORE REading

1 Match the pictures with the sentences.

1 And with that he took my hair in both his hands and pulled until I shouted with the pain.

2 Mr Wilson pulled a dirty and wrinkled newspaper from the pocket of his coat.

3 Spaulding came into the office eight weeks ago, with this paper in his hand.

2 Look at the pictures and read the descriptions above. Then read the back cover of the book. in pairs think about the following.

a Why is the newspaper B Why does the man C What is the important? pull Mr Wilson’s hair? Red-Headed League?

WhiLE REading

3 Read to the end of page 34 then answer the following questions.

a Who is Jabez Wilson?

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B What is the Red-headed League?

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C How does Jabez Wilson find out about the Red-headed League?

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d What are the conditions for getting and keeping a place in the League?

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E Why does Jabez Wilson come to see Sherlock Holmes?

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a B C

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4 Read pages 35-38. imagine you are Sherlock holmes. Make notes on what you fi nd out about the following characters.

5 Read pages 41-42. Talk about the following questions.

a Why did Sherlock Holmes want to see the knees of Spaulding’s trousers? B Why did he hit the pavement with his stick?

6 Read pages 44-53. imagine you are Peter Jones of Scotland Yard. Write a report of what happened from when you meet with the others at Sherlock holmes’ house to when you arrest John Clay.

aFTER REading

7 Some years later Jabez Wilson meets John Clay/Vincent Spaulding. in pairs write the dialogue between the two. What questions does Jabez Wilson ask? how does he feel?

8 Write a newspaper article for the Morning Chronicle the day after Clay is arrested. give all details and invent a headline.

9 Sherlock holmes notices things about people. Observe your partner. describe what s/he looks like. What does his/her appearance and clothes tell you about them? Write as much as you can.

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the two. What questions does Jabez

8 Write a newspaper article for the Morning Chronicle the day after Clay is arrested.