Answer Key
The Dying Detective
A) One or two sentence answers
- Who was Mrs. Hudson? Why was she worried?
Mrs. Hudson was Holmes’ landlady. She was worried because Holmes had been seriously ill for three days and refused to see a doctor.
- Why didn’t Holmes let Watson examine him?
Holmes claimed he was suffering from a deadly, contagious disease from Sumatra and insisted Watson was not a specialist.
- Why did Holmes warn Watson against touching his things? What was Watson’s reaction? Holmes said he hated having his belongings touched. Watson felt dejected but obeyed Holmes’ command.
- What did Watson find on the table near the mantlepiece?
Watson found a small black and white ivory box with a sliding lid.
- Who is Mr. Culverton Smith?
Culverton Smith was a planter from Sumatra, visiting London, who had knowledge of Eastern diseases.
- What did Holmes ask Watson to do before leaving his room?
Holmes asked Watson to arrange coins in his pockets, light the gas lamp halfway, place letters and papers within reach, and put the ivory box on the table using tongs.
- What instructions did Holmes give Watson to get Mr. Smith?
Holmes told Watson to persuade Smith to come, say Holmes was dying, and then return before Smith arrived.
- Why did Holmes want Smith to treat him?
Holmes pretended to need Smith’s help in order to trap him into confessing his crime.
- According to Smith how did Holmes get the disease?
Smith said Holmes contracted it from Chinese sailors.
- Who arrested Smith? What were the charges against him?
Inspector Morton arrested Smith on charges of murder.
B) Paragraph answers
- How did Holmes trap Mr. Culverton Smith to confess the murder?
Holmes pretended to be gravely ill with a deadly tropical disease and convinced Watson to fetch Culverton Smith. When Smith arrived, Holmes acted delirious and pleaded for a cure, leading Smith to reveal that the ivory box had infected Holmes and that he had used the same method to kill his nephew Victor Savage. Holmes then dropped the act, proving he was never ill, and Inspector Morton arrested Smith based on his confession.
- How did Watson help his friend to arrest the criminal?
Watson played a crucial role by fetching Culverton Smith as Holmes instructed. He persuaded Smith to visit Holmes by stressing the urgency of his condition. Watson’s obedience and loyalty ensured Smith walked into Holmes’ trap, allowing Holmes to expose Smith’s guilt and enabling Inspector Morton to arrest him.
C) Homophones
- Niteesh bought a new cricket bat.
- The shepherd heard the cry of his sheep.
- Lakshmi completed her baking course successfully.
- Priya has broken her four limbs.
- Leaders of the world must work towards the peace of human race.
D) Commonly confused words & Homophones
| Word 1 | Meaning | Sentence | Word 2 | Meaning | Sentence |
| small bag sewn into clothing | He kept his pen in his shirt pocket. | packet | container for goods | She bought a packet of biscuits. | |
| fond | having affection | Children are fond of chocolates. | found | discovered unexpectedly | I found a coin on the road. |
| lost | unable to find | He lost his wallet yesterday. | last | final in a series | This is the last chapter of the book. |
| paused | stopped briefly | She paused before answering. | passed | went by | The train passed the station quickly. |
| pitcher | container for liquids | The pitcher was full of water. | picture | image or painting | I hung a picture on the wall. |
E) Listening comprehension
- Where does this story take place? – d. in Ms. Gervis’ apartment
- How does Ms. Gervis probably feel? – a. She is upset.
- What makes the detective sure the robber did not come through the windows? – a. The windows are locked.
- What else was stolen from the apartment? – c. money
- Best rewrite of the sentence? – d. “And the robber certainly did not use the front door.”
- What does Ms. Gervis do with her cakes? – b. She sells them.
- What does the detective think will happen if he solves the mystery? – a. Ms. Gervis will start baking cakes again.
- Do you like mysteries? What is your favorite kind of story? Explain. Yes, mysteries are exciting because they keep the reader guessing until the end. Personally, I enjoy detective stories where clever reasoning and hidden clues lead to surprising revelations.
Would you like me to also prepare model answers in polished exam-style format (like how students should write them in tests), or keep them as straightforward notes for study?
#TN_Samacheer_kalvi
#10standard_English
#The_Dying_Detective
#www.engwin.net