Listening Skills Exercise: The Dying Detective by Arthur Conan Doyle

Listening - The Dying Detective | by Arthur Conan Doyle | Prose

Listening Exercise

E. Listen to the story and answer the questions given below

1. Where does this story take place?
- a. in a bakery
- b. at the police station
- c. in Ms. Gervis' house
- d. in Ms. Gervis' apartment
2. Near the beginning of the story, “Ms. Gervis’ eyes are full of tears. Her hands are shaking.” How does Ms. Gervis probably feel?
- a. She is upset.
- b. She is tired.
- c. She is hungry.
- d. She is confused.
3. What makes the detective sure that the robber did not come through the windows?
- a. The windows are locked.
- b. The windows face the police station.
- c. The windows have not been used in months.
- d. The windows are too small for a person to fit through.
4. What else was stolen from the apartment?
- a. crystal
- b. jewelry
- c. money
- d. nothing
5. "And the robber definitely did not use the front door." Which is the best way to rewrite this sentence?
- a. "And the robber may not have used the front door."
- b. "And the robber probably did not use the front door."
- c. "And the robber was not able to use the front door."
- d. "And the robber certainly did not use the front door."
6. What does Ms. Gervis do with her cakes?
- a. She eats them.
- b. She sells them.
- c. She hides them.
- d. She gives them away.
7. What does the detective seem to think will happen if he solves the mystery?
- a. Ms. Gervis will start baking cakes again
- b. Ms. Gervis will bake him extra cakes
- c. Ms. Gervis will give him her secret recipe
- d. Ms. Gervis will give him money and jewels
8. Do you like mysteries? What is your favorite kind of story? Explain.

There’s always room for a short story that can transport people to another time and place.

- J.K Rowling

Yes, I like mysteries. My favourite kind of story is a fairy tale. It is a folklore genre. That takes the form of a short story. In a fairy tale, we can read fictional characters like dwarfs, dragons, fairies, giants, mermaids, talking animals, unicorns and witches. These features add colour to the story and triggered the children’s imagination. Fantasies used in fairy tales create interest in the readers. The Walt Disney company has had a significant impact on the evolution of fairy tale film. Fairy tales like Sleeping beauty, Snow White and Seven Dwarfs, Cindrella, Beauty and the Beast are favourite stories for ever. Fairy tales teach children how to deal with certain social situations and help them to find their place in society.

“If you want your children to be more intelligent, make them read more fairy tales”

- Albert Einstein.