When we were in Switzerland, Moran f ollowed us with Moriarty and he tried to kill me in the mountains. When I read in France in the newspapers about Ronald's death, I was certain that Colonel Moran had done it. He had played cards with him and had followed him home from the club. He shot him through the open window. I came over at once but a friend of his saw me and I was sure he would tell Moran about my return. That is why I decided to put the wax figure in my room and watch the street from the empty house. I also warned the police."

"Yes," I said, "but why did he murder Ronald?"

"I think that's not difficult to explain. They played cards and Adair saw that Moran cheated him" so he probably warned him that he would tell everyone about it unless he promised not to come to the club again. This would mean ruin" to Moran who lived by his card gains. Adair returned home and tried to find out how much money he had lost. He locked the door because he did not want anyone to see what he was doinq. It was then that Moran murdered him. Am I right do you think?"

"Certainly you are. Now Colonel Moran will trouble us no more. And his air-gun will be taken to the Scotland Yard Museum."

NOTES:

murder – убийство;

under the most unusual circumstances – при самых необычных обстоятельства;

a governor – губернатор;

to undergo the operation for cataract – перенести операцию катаракты;

had been engaged – был помолвлен;

on the inside – изнутри

a bullet – пуля;

to make out his losses – записать сумму проигрышей;

footmarks – следы;

faint – терять сознание;

succeeded in climbing out of that abyss – удалось выкарабкаться из этой бездны;

career – карьера;

to be about to return – собираться вернуться;

to be lit – быть освещенным;

a perfect reproduction – точная копия;

a figure of wax – восковая фигура;

shadow – тень;

trigger – курок;

blew on a whistle – засвистел;

Three undetected murders in one year won't do. – Три нераскрытых убийства за год – это никуда не годится;

fiend – дьявол;

colonel – полковник;

with that exception – за исключение этого;

an admirable gun – прекрасное ружье;

be charged with – быть обиженным в;

on the margin – на полях;

existence – существование;

warned – предупредил;

cheated him – обманывал его;

this would mean ruin – это было равносильно разорению.

Exercises and Assignments on the Text

Упражнения и Задания по Тексту

Assignment # One – Задание № 1

Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1) Who was Ronald Adair? What was he in the habit of? What happened to him? What was strange about the incident?

_______________________________________________________________________________.

2) Whom did Watson strike against in the street when he was looking at the house at Park Lane? Who did that man turn out to be?

_______________________________________________________________________________.

3) Why was Watson so shocked to see Holmes? What did Holmes tell him about?

_______________________________________________________________________________.

4) Why did Holmes take Watson to an empty house? What did they see in the house opposite?

_______________________________________________________________________________.

5) Who entered the house and what did he do?

_______________________________________________________________________________.

6) What was Colonel Sebastian Moran's story? What was he charged with?

_______________________________________________________________________________.

7) What was the reason for his having killed Ronald Adair?

_______________________________________________________________________________.

Assignment # Two – Задание № 2

Найдите в тексте все Глаголы неправильного спряжения и Заполните таблицу, давая их формы. Перед выполнением Упражнений 5 и 6 Вам необходимо ознакомиться с параграфами 48, 49, 50 и 51 5 Главы «Глагол» 1 Части «Части Речи в Английском языке» Первого тома Единого Грамматического комплекса. Всю необходимую Вам справочную информацию Вы можете найти во Втором томе в Приложениях «Таблица Времен Активного и Пассивного залогов». Проверить употребление форм причастий 1 и 2 (Participles 1 & 2) (вторая, третья и четвертая формы глаголов) можно по Таблицам “Спряжение Неправильных глаголов». Обращаю внимание на то, что таблиц две: в одной дается список неправильных глаголов в алфавитном порядке – ее я рекомендую применять для быстрого поиска необходимого слова, во второй глаголы даны по типам образования формы – на эту таблицу необходимо ориентироваться при заучивании наизусть:

Assignment # Three – Задание № 3

Найдите в тексте все предложения, содержащие Прямую речь (Direct Speech) и переделайте их в Косвенную речь (Indirect Speech). Перед выполнением Упражнения Вам необходимо ознакомиться с параграфами 69, 70 и 71 «Прямая и Косвенная речь» 5 Главы «Глагол» 1 Части «Части Речи в Английском языке» Первого тома Единого Грамматического комплекса. Всю необходимую Вам справочную информацию Вы можете найти во Втором томе в Приложениях.