Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
Dr. Wood, the capable general practitioner, has been requested to solve this case. He gathers information about the murder from the inmates or the house. The information is presented in two parts.
Parts A: Background story by Arthur Conan Doyle
Parts B: Conversation between Dr. Wood and Cecil Barker
Part A
Background Story
The village of Birlstone is a small and very ancient cluster of half-timbered cottages on the northern border of the county of Sussex. For centuries it had remained unchanged but its picturesque appearance has attracted well-to-do residents. A number of small shops have come into being to meet the wants of the increased population.
About half a mile from the town, standing in an old park famous for its huge beech trees, was the ancient Manor House, with its many gables and its small diamond paned windows. The only approach to the house was over a drawbridge, the chains and windlass of which had been rusted and broken. The family consisted of only two individuals - John Douglas and his wife. Douglas was cheery and genial to all and had acquired great popularity among the villagers. He appeared to have plenty of money. Thus, it came about that John Douglas had, within five years, won himself quite a reputation in Birlstone. His wife was a beautiful woman, tall, dark and slender, younger than her husband; a disparity which seemed in no way to mar the contentment of their family life. It was remarked sometimes, that the confidence between the two did not appear to be complete. There were signs sometimes of some nerve strain upon the part of Mrs. Douglas.
Cecil Barker, was a frequent and welcome visitor at Manor House, Barker was an easy going, free handed gentleman.
It was on Jan 6th at 11:45 that the alarm reached the small local police station that John Douglas had been murdered. Dr. Wood seemed to be unnerved and troubled.
Part B
Conversation between Dr. Wood and Cecil Barker
Dr. Wood : We will touch nothing until my superiors arrive. {He spoke in a hushed voice, stating at the dreadful head)
C.Barker : Nothing has been touched untilnow.
Dr. Wood : When did this happen?
C.Barker : It was just half-past eleven. I was sitting by the fire in my bedroom when I heard the gun shot. In thirty seconds I was in the room.
Dr. Wood : Wasthedooropen?
C.Barker : Yes, it was open. Poor Douglas was lying as you see him.
Dr. Wood : Did you see anyone?
C. Barker : No, I heard Mrs. Douglas coming down the stains behind me, and I rushed out 1 to prevent her from seeing this dreadful sight.
Dr. Wood : But I have heard that the drawbridge is kept up all night.
C. Barker : Yee,it was up until l lowered it.
Dr. Wood : Then how could any murderer have got away? It ls out of question! Mr Douglas must have shot himself.
C. Barker : That was our first idea. But see! The diamond paned window is open to its full extent.
Dr. Wood : I think someone stood there while trying to get out.
C. Barker : You mean that someone waded across the moat?
Dr. Wood : Exactly!
C. Barker : I agree with you.
Dr. Wood : But what I ask you ls, how did he even get into the house at all if the bridge was up?
C. Barker : Ah, that's the question.
Dr. Wood : At what time was the bridge raised?
C. Barker : It was nearly 6 O'clock.
Dr. Wood : Then it comes to this, if anyone came from outside -if they did-they must have got in across the bridge before six and had been in hiding ever since. The man was waiting. He shot him, when he got the chance.
Advertisements
Solution
Part A
Background Story
The background story gives a picturisation of the location of the story. This also gives an account of how Mr. Douglas became popular in Birlstone.
Part B is a discussion between Dr. Wood, and Mr. Barker at the crime scene. Certain things raise suspicion in Dr. Wood’s mind. The drawbridge was open in the night. The door was open and the window pane was broken. Mr. Douglas was in another room.
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
Answer these question in a few words or a couple of sentence.
Where was Margie’s school? Did she have any classmates?
Answer of these question in a short paragraph (about 30 words).
Why was Margie doing badly in geography? What did the County Inspector do to help
her?
Pick out word from the text that mean the same as the following word or expression. (Look in the paragraph indicated.)
based on reason; sensible; reasonable : _________
The next man looking 'cross the way
Saw one not of his church
And Couldn't bring himself to give
The fire his stick of birch.
The third one sat in tattered clothes.
He gave his coat a hitch.
Why should his log be put to use
To warm the idle rich?
The rich man just sat back and thought
of the wealth he had in store
And how to keep what he had earned
From the lazy shiftless poor.
Read the lines given above and answer the question that follow.
Explain with reference to context
It was my business to cross the bridge, explore the bridge head 3 beyond and find out to what point the enemy had advanced. I did this and returned over the bridge. There were not so many carts now and very few people on foot, but the old man was still there.’’Where do you come from?” I asked him.
“From San Carlos,” he said, and smiled.
That was his native town and so it gave him pleasure to mention it and he smiled.
“I was taking care of animals,” he explained.
“Oh,” I said, not quite understanding.
“Yes,” he said, “I stayed, you see, taking care of animals. I was the last one to leave the town of San Carlos.”
He did not look like a shepherd nor a herdsman and I looked at his black dusty clothes and his gray dusty face and his steel rimmed spectacles and said, “What animals were they?”
“Various animals,” he said, and shook his head. “I had to leave them.”
Read the extract given below and answer the question that follow.
Why did the old man leave his hometown? Why did he leave it reluctantly?
Describe the professional rivalry and professional friendship of Owens and Long.
How, according to Portia, can the Duke of Saxony’s nephew be made to choose the wrong casket? What do these suitors ultimately decide? Why?
Imagine you are the king. Narrate the incident of your meeting the hermit. Begin like this: The wise men answered my questions, but I was not satisfied with their answers. One day I decided to go and meet the hermit.
Describe the hermit in one or two sentences.
What made Ray think the visitor was not really a shopper?
How did the old clock give a timeless message through Ray?
Narrate the story of the reptiles as told by Zai Whitaker in not more than 80 words.
Who have tea parties under the trees?
Watch a tree or a plant, or walk across a field or park at the same time everyday for a week. Keep a diary of what you see and hear. At the end of the week, write a short paragraph or a poem about your experiences. Put your writing up on the class bulletin board.
Word in the box given below indicates a large number of… For example, ‘a herd of cows’ refers to many cows.
Complete the following phrase with a suitable word from the box.
a _________________ of ships
Sit in a circle so that you can see each other. Each one must talk to complete the following sentence in his own way. “What makes me very angry is …”. Remember to listen with respect and without comment to each person as he/she speaks.
Teasing is the poet’s way of ______ with the squirrel.
Write appropriate question words in the blank spaces in the following dialogue.
Neha: ______ did you get this book?
Sheela: Yesterday morning.
Neha: ______ is your sister crying?
Sheela : Because she has lost her doll.
Neha: ______ room is this, yours or hers?
Sheela: It’s ours
Neha: ______ do you go to school?
Sheela: We walk to the school. It is nearby.
Study the following phrases and their meanings. Use them appropriately to complete the sentences that follow.
Nitin has always ……………. his uncle, who is a self-made man.
Complete the following sentence by providing a reason:
In the poem, The Darkling Thrush, the poet thinks the bird had some awareness which the poet did not because ______.
