The Sign of the Four - eliGreenwich

A2

STAGE 1 STAGE 2 STAGE 3 STAGE 4 STAGE 5

A2 B1.1 B1.2 B2.1 B2.2

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

eliGreenwich KEY PREPARING FOR PRELIMINARY PRELIMINARY PREPARING FOR FIRST FIRST

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

AUDIO MP3 WITH SMARTPHONE OR TABLET • Download the app • Use the ELILINK app • Scan the cover

FLIP BOOK DIGITAL AND INTERACTIVE VERSION OF THE BOOK (LOOK AT THE INSIDE FRONT COVER FLAP)

www.eligreenwich.it www.gruppoeli.it

Born in Edinburgh in 1859, he trained to become a doctor but he loved reading and created the Sherlock Holmes character in his first book, A Study in Scarlet, which he wrote in just three weeks. It was an instant success when it was published in 1887 and he went on to write 60 stories about Sherlock Holmes.

Later in his life, Doyle gave up his medical career to devote his time to writing, and although he wrote many other stories, he was best known for his Sherlock Holmes detective stories.

STAGE 1 A2 KEY FLIP BOOK + AUDIO MP3

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Sign of the Four

eliGreenwich

R OU l. F -4 .r. HE 35 I s F T 33 EL O 36GN -5 SI 8 E 8-8 TH 97

Questo volume sprovvisto del talloncino è da considerarsi CAMPIONE GRATUITO fuori campo IVA (Art. 2, c. 3, I.d, DPR 633/1972 e Art. 4, n.6, DPR 627/1978)

WITH PC OR MAC Download Audio from www.gruppoeli.it

The Sign of the Four

The Sign of the Four is Arthur Conan Doyle’s second novel about Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. The mystery story begins when Miss Morstan arrives at Baker Street to ask for help in finding her father. She shows Holmes and Watson a box of six pearls and a letter and tells her story. Holmes agrees to help solve the mystery and so begins the adventure of finding an Indian treasure chest and a group of murderers.

eliGreenwich

€ 9,80

The Pleasure of Reading

Welcome to The Sign of the Four Information about the author, the story and the historical period.

The text with cultural details, brief summaries and glossary.

Brief descriptions of the main characters.

A wide variety of activities covering Cambridge Exam Certificates, State exams, 21st Century Skills and 2030 Agenda topics.

Pre-reading activities.

A final test to check what you remember.

A transcript of two of the most important scenes from the story to act out together in class.

eliGreenwich

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Sign of the Four

Retold by Claire Moore

Illustrated by Marco Bregolato

Legenda

KEY

Drama

INVALSI

Glossario

Esame di Stato

Agenda 2030

Costituzione e Cittadinanza

21st Century Skills

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Sign of the Four E. Gaskell, K. Chopin, K. Mansfield, V. Woolf, E.Wharton Portraits of Women Robert Louis Stevenson The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Geoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury Tales Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice Series Editors Paola Accattoli, Grazia Ancillani Art Director Daniele Garbuglia Graphic Design Emilia Coari Production Manager Francesco Capitano Photo Credits Shutterstock © 2021 ELi, Gruppo editoriale ELi

Printed in Italy by

Tecnostampa - Pigini Group Printing Division, Loreto - Trevi 21.83.263.0

ISBN

ENG001-01 978-88-536-3335-4

www.gruppoeli.it

Contents

6

Dossier 1 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Early Life

10 Characters 12 Pre-reading Activities 16 Chapter 1 A Lady Arrives 22

Activities

26 Chapter 2 A Meeting 32

Activities

36 Chapter 3 A Terrible Discovery 42

Activities

46 Dossier 2 Victorian Britain 50 Chapter 4 Footprints 56

Activities

60 Chapter 5 Follow the Trail 66

Activities

70 Chapter 6 The Search Continues 76

Activities

80 Dossier 3 India and the Andaman Islands 84 Chapter 7 A River Chase 90

Activities

94 Chapter 8 Lost Treasure 100

Activities

104

Final Test

110

Drama

112

My Book

Dossier

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Early Life

Quick facts Name: Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle AKA (Also Known As): Arthur Conan Doyle Born: in Edinburgh, Scotland on 22nd May, 1859 Died: in Crowborough, England on 7th July, 1930 (aged 71) Education: Medicine at University of Edinburgh Medical School Key works: The Mystery of Sasassa Valley (1879), A Study in Scarlet (1888), The Sign of the Four (1890), The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1928)

A boarding school is a school where you sleep and study.

6

Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on 22nd May, 1859.

The Doyle family was poor and Arthur lived with other members of his family for many years.

He often wrote about his mother, Mary Doyle, who loved books and told many stories.

When he was nine, Arthur went to a boarding school Cricket is a popular British sport.

in England, where he stayed for seven years. It was a difficult experience for him and he was only happy when he wrote to his mother.

He also learnt to play cricket, which he was quite good at, and he often told stories to his schoolfriends.

Conan Doyle played cricket for the team Allahakbarries, founded by J.M. Barrie (the author of Peter Pan).

Doyle played soccer as a goalkeeper for Portsmouth FC while he was setting up his medical practice there.

Edinburgh Medical School.

Medical student After school, Arthur studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh Medical School. While at university, he met a number of future British authors, including James Barrie and Robert Louis Stevenson, and he started writing short stories.

His first short story was The Mystery of Sasassa Valley Valley. It appeared in Chamber’s Edinburgh Journal in September 1879.

Later that year, he published The American Tale and he realised that perhaps he could earn money by writing.

‘It was in this year that I first learned that shillings might be earned in other ways than by filling phials.’

Old English money.

Small containers that hold liquids, often used by doctors.

7

His first novel was lost and he had to write it down again from memory.

Doctor and writer He graduated in 1881 and took a number of different jobs. He divided his time between medicine and writing and in August 1885, he married Louisa Hawkins. Then in 1888, he published the novel A Study in Scarlet and introduced his characters Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. Sherlock Holmes quickly became famous around the world and Doyle wrote 60 stories about Sherlock Holmes.

Conan Doyle’s family in New York.

‘To a great mind, nothing is little.’

In 1889, Conan Doyle had a meeting with an editor of Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine which was a popular American magazine at that time and Oscar Wilde, another famous writer.

The editor asked Conan Doyle to write a short story which became The Sign of the Four.

8

Front cover of Lippincott’s magazine, 1890.

‘Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.’

Sherlock Holmes Museum, 221B Baker Street.

‘It is not Full-time writer and more A short time later, Doyle abandoned his medical that I think career and became a full-time writer. He wrote many or believe, stories and travelled around the world. His work was but that very popular in America. When the Boer War started in 1899, Doyle worked as a military doctor and went I know.’ to Africa. While he was there, he wrote The Great Boer War, a report of the war and its problems.

The politicians On his return to England, he became interested in the British in politics and tried, unsuccessfully, to become Parliament, also known as MPs. a Member of Parliament.

He continued to write many stories too, including The Hound of the Baskervilles in 1901 and The Return of Sherlock Holmes, and in 1928 he published his final twelve stories about Sherlock Holmes. He died in July 1930 but Sherlock Holmes and his Baker Street adventures continue to live today.

Baker Street in London.

9

CharactersCharacters SHERLOCK HOLMES the main character of the story. The famous detective who lives at 221B Baker Street in London. He is very intelligent and solves lots of crimes.

MISS MARY MORSTAN Mary Morstan lives in London and comes to Sherlock Holmes to ask his help to find her father, Captain Morstan.

DR WATSON Sherlock Holmes’ loyal assistant who lives at 221B Baker Street in London and is the narrator of the story.

10

ATHELNEY JONES Athelney Jones is the Scotland Yard detective who often arrests the wrong person.

JONATHAN SMALL Jonathan Small has a wooden leg.

He is one of ‘the four’ men who stole some treasure.

THADDEUS AND BARTHOLOMEW SHOLTO Thaddeus and Bartholomew are brothers. Thaddeus is the eccentric brother who sends Mary Morstan a pearl every year. Bartholomew does not want to give Mary the treasure.

11

PRE-READING ACTIVITIES

Vocabulary – Matching 1

Match the words in the box to the pictures. pearl

treasure chest carriage thorn

wooden leg prison

1

__________________________________________________________________

2

__________________________________________________________________

3

__________________________________________________________________

4

__________________________________________________________________

5

__________________________________________________________________

6

__________________________________________________________________

Crossword 2

Look at the clues and find the words in the wordsearch.

1 2

12

3

Something you receive in the post.

4

The Thames is a __________ .

5

What you use to open a door.

6

The mark your foot makes on the ground.

X K J E J A N L C G X X V R D

L C T J T T E D H T D L E O Q

H P U Z W O W Z J E S V F M E

X F E V O Y S E I R I E L B J

C M O U G L P B I R U S O V M

L D C O Z P A G E K R T Y Y J

Y Q X M T S P S S L P V B J W

F I O W R P E A B Y J H S X V

L E T T E R R Z J Y E N U F R

Q I Q E Q O U I E C S K O F L

U F U P P N Q M N E M D R J U

F J R I G S P I H T Q J Z M U

R I C P E P K L B C Z W A V R

U F U V M N N D Q E B M F J Y

C I G J H G M A P Z Y D C C H

Reading Comprehension – True or False 3

Read the sentences about the characters of the story on pages 10 and 11 and decide if they are true (T) or false (F).

T 1 2 3 4 5 6

F

Sherlock Holmes was a doctor in the army.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson live in the same house.

Miss Morstan is looking for her father.

Bartholomew and Thaddeus Sholto are brothers.

Athelney Jones is a detective.

Miss Morstan lives in India.

Matching – Andaman Islands 4

Where are the Andaman Islands? Use the Internet to help you.

Tick () the correct photo.

A

B

C

13

FINAL TEST PRE-READING ACTIVITIES

Reading for Overall Understanding 5 Read the sentences. Put the sentences in order to make a short summary of the story.

A

Miss Morstan asks Sherlock Holmes to help her find her father.

B

They find Bartholomew Sholto dead.

C

Miss Morstan receives a pearl every year.

D

14

Miss Morsan, Holmes and Watson meet a man outside the Lyceum Theatre.

E

Inspector Jones arrests Thaddeus Sholto.

F

They find the Agra Treasure.

G

Holmes and Watson use a dog to help them.

H

The police arrest a man with a wooden leg.

Writing 6 Sherlock Holmes knew many other writers. Read pages 6 to 9 again and write down their names. Find out what famous books each writer wrote.

_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 7 Choose one of the pictures from Chapter 1 and write 5 sentences to describe what you can see.

1 ______________________________________________________________________

2 ______________________________________________________________________

3 ______________________________________________________________________

4 ______________________________________________________________________

5 ______________________________________________________________________

Listening Comprehension 2-4

8 Listen to Chapter 1. Tick () the sentences you hear.

1

I always solve crimes with Holmes.

2

Lots of people come to Holmes for help to solve crimes, even the police.

3

The housekeeper is at the door with a young woman.

4

The lady has big brown eyes.

5

Holmes’ eyes shine as he listens to Miss Morstan.

6

I don’t understand why she is here.

7

Holmes doesn’t want to help her.

8

Inside there are six beautiful pearls.

9

I will come back at six then.

10

I am happy to help her.

15

Chapter 1

A Lady Arrives 2 Dr Watson introduces himself and his friend Sherlock Holmes.

The term British Army first appeared in 1707.

On a quiet afternoon suddenly someone knocks on the door...

My name is Dr Watson and, as you probably all know, I’m a friend of Sherlock Holmes. Because of this I have had the good fortune of helping him with many of his famous cases. Now I live at 221B Baker Street in London with Sherlock Holmes because I am retired*.

I was a doctor in the British Army but then one day I was injured* and I almost died.

Holmes is probably the most famous private detective in London. Lots of people come to Holmes for help to solve crimes*, even the police. *** One afternoon, I’m in the sitting room with Holmes.

I’m reading a book and he’s standing by the window looking out at the dark, dirty London street. He’s smoking his pipe and looks sad. I ask, ‘What’s wrong with you today, Holmes?’ He turns and says, ‘Come and look at this dark, dismal* street. There are crimes out there. My brain* needs work.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson in the sitting room at 221B Baker Street.

16

retired when you do not work because you are too old injured physically hurt crimes illegal activities dismal sad brain the organ in your head that controls your movement

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Sign of the Four Miss Morstan shows Holmes and Watson the pearls.

Miss Morstan arrives.

She needs help.

Queen Victoria ascends the throne in 1837 and becomes a female fashion model.

In this period women’s clothes become modest and plain*.

18

Suddenly there’s a knock* at the door.

The housekeeper*, Mrs Hudson, is at the door with a young woman.

‘There is a young lady for you, sir,’ she says to Holmes giving him a card.

‘Miss Mary Morstan,’ he read. ‘Hum! I don’t know the name. Ask the young lady to come in, Mrs. Hudson.’ A young blonde lady dressed in a simple light blue dress enters the room. I notice her lovely blue eyes but she looks worried* about something.

‘Please sit down,’ says Holmes, offering her a chair.

‘I am Sherlock Holmes and this is my good friend, Dr Watson.’

She smiles and then says in a trembling* voice, ‘Mr Holmes, I came to see you because you once helped my employer, Mrs Cecil Forrester, to solve a crime. I know that you give people good advice* and I need your help.

Holmes’ eyes shine* as he listens to Miss Morstan.

‘How can I help you?’ he asks her.

I say to them, ‘I’ll leave the room and let you speak in private.’

‘No, please stay,’ says Miss Morstan, looking at me with her blue eyes. ‘You may be of great help to me.

Please listen to my story.’ So, I stay in the room.

‘My father was an officer in the army in India for many years. My mother died so he sent me home to knock to hit something housekeeper a person who cleans another person’s house and makes meals plain without any decoration worried unhappy and thinking about your problems trembling shaking advice suggestions, help shine to give off light

England. I had no relatives* here, so I went to a school in Edinburgh. I stayed there until I was seventeen years old.’

Holmes and I listen carefully. She speaks softly* but clearly. ‘Then in 1878 I received a letter from my father telling me he was in London. He asked me to go to London to meet him at the Langham Hotel.

His message was full of love. When I arrived at the hotel, they told me that my father was staying there but that he wasn’t there at that moment. I waited all day but my father did not return. I spoke to the hotel manager and he told me to speak to the police.’

‘And did the police help you?’ asked Holmes.

‘They advertised for my father in all the newspapers,’ Miss Morstan replies ‘but I never had any news of him. relatives members of your family softly in a quiet way

The Langham Hotel is a five-star hotel in London that first opened in 1865.

Miss Morstan says that her father disappeared when he came to London.

19