STUDENTS’ BOOK ANSWER KEY
THE ADVENTURE OF THE SPECKLED BAND UNIT 1
Comprehension
A. 1. Helen Stoner was the step-daughter of Dr. Grimesby Roylott of Stoke Moran. She came to see
Holmes regarding the death of her sister. When she appeared at Holmes’ chambers, her face was
drawn and grey, with restless, frightened eyes. She was shivering.
2. Julia was Helen Stoner’s twin sister. After her death, Helen had become lonely and depressed
because she had lost her only companion. She had also begun to suspect that some foul play may
have been involved in her sister’s death.
3. Holmes found that there was actually no need for repairs in Helen’s own room. Since the repairs
had begun, she had been using her sister’s room and there, Holmes found that the bed was
bolted to the floor. A rope that was meant to ring for the housekeeper was actually a dummy—it
was attached to a ventilator that opened into the next room. Dr Roylott’s room was larger than
the others. Holmes also found a saucer of milk in the doctor’s room.
4. When Holmes and Watson were in Julia’s room, they waited in the dark, in absolute silence. After
a few minutes, they heard a gentle whistling sound and Holmes sprang from the bed, struck a
match and began lashing furiously at the dummy bell-pull with his cane. When he stopped, they
heard a horrible cry from Dr Roylott’s room. They rushed into his room and saw Dr Roylott dead
in a chair, his eyes staring up. There was a deadly swamp adder around his neck. The doctor had
been killed by the weapon he had been trying to use on his step-daughter.
5. In the beginning, after his marriage to their mother, Dr Roylott did not make much of an
impression on the girls. Soon after their mothers’ death, he seemed to become a sort of a
recluse. He seldom came out of his room and argued with anyone he met. He had a fondness
for dangerous animals from India. His greed was obvious in his decision to kill both his step-
daughters. The manner in which he planned to execute the killing—with a snake from India, that
would be unfamiliar in England—tells us that he was very clever and calculative.
B. 1. a. These lines were spoken by Julia just before her death.
b. Before this, Julia had spoken to Helen about a low, clear whistle that she heard in her room at
around three in the morning every day.
c. She was trying to convey that she thought there was someone who was trying to harm her in
some way and that she was scared.
2. a. Holmes means that the fact that repairs were begun in Helen’s room when none were needed
indicate the possibility of foul play.
b. Holmes’ visit to the Doctors’ Commons had given him important information on the state of
Dr Roylott’s finances.
c. Holmes warned Helen not to stay in Julia’s room that night.
3. a. Holmes is referring to how he might be indirectly responsible for Dr. Roylott’s death.
b. Holmes’ indifference stemmed from his deduction that Dr Roylott had murdered his step-
daughter Julia, and tried to kill Helen too.
c. Free response.
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C. 1. Free response
2. Free response
Grammar
A. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
B. 1. The crafty cat crept closer to the unsuspecting sparrow.
2. the girl who lives in the grey house across the bridge
3. My uncle brought home a golden retriever one day.
4. because he was lonely without his family
5. the exquisite ikkat designs which we find in Orissa
6. The ruins of Hampi are now a World Heritage site.
Vocabulary
1. come up with 2. take up 3. turns away 4. look out for 5. takes after 6. get along
Listening
1. b 2. c 3. Holmes – a, c, f Watson – i; iv; v 4. c
Punctuation
thick-skinned; short-tempered; tight-lipped; wide-eyed; sure-footed
Writing
Sample response
SUSPECTED MURDERER KILLED BY PET SNAKE
Stoke Moran, April 10, 2018
Dr. Grimesby Roylott of Stoke Moran was killed late last night in a freak accident—he was bitten by his
pet snake.
Dr Roylott appeared to have been feeding the snake when the reptile attacked him. He gave a loud cry,
and was discovered with the snake wrapped around his head by his step-daughter Helen Stoner, and
Mr Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson of London.
Mr Sherlock Holmes is a well-known detective, and was in Stoke Moran to investigate the death of his
step-daughter, Julia, at the behest of Miss Stoner. He concluded that the snake that bit the doctor was
also what killed Miss Julia Stoner. Mr Holmes and the police have concluded that the victim had trained
the snake to attack his chosen victims. In the incident last night, the snake turned on Dr Roylott when
it was attacked by Mr Holmes, who had taken the place of Miss Stoner, after concerns about her safety
were raised.
The coroner’s report about cause of death is expected tomorrow. The funeral is scheduled for
Wednesday.
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