March 16, 2014

10th Class English Comprehension Passage - Death on the Moor

Read the passage given below. Then answer the questions that follow it.
We ran fast, heading in the direction from where the sounds had come. We heard a low moan on our left. A ridge of rocks ended in a sheer cliff which overlooked a rocky slope. As we ran towards it, we saw some dark irregular object. On coming close, we realized that it was the body of a man lying face downwards. The head doubled under him at a horrible angle, the shoulders rounded and the body hunched together as if he were going to somersault. The body was very still as we bent over it. Holmes lit a match and exclaimed in horror-Sir Henry was lying in front of us!

1. Who are the ‘we’ mentioned in the passage?
2. Where were they?
3. Why did they run fast?
4. Why did Holmes think it was Sir Henry’s body?
5. Whose body was it?

Answers:

1. The ‘we’ mentioned in the passage are Dr Watson and Sherlock Holmes.
2. They were outside the stone hut on the moor.
3. They had heard some screams and were running fast to find who was the person who needed help.
4. On seeing the reddish tweed suit, which they had seen Sir Henry wearing, Holmes thought that it was Sir Henry’s body.
5. It was the body of the escaped convict Selden.

Read the passage given below. Then answer the questions that follow it:

We ran fast, heading in the direction from where the sounds had come. We heard a low moan on our left. A ridge of rocks ended in a sheer cliff which overlooked a rocky slope. As we ran towards it, we saw some dark irregular object. On coming close, we realized that it was the body of a man lying face downwards. The head doubled under him at a horrible angle, the shoulders rounded and the body hunched together as if he were going to somersault. The body was very still as we bent over it.

Holmes lit a match and exclaimed in horror-Sir Henry was lying in front of us!

1. Who are the ‘we’ in the passage?
2. What was the irregular object they saw?
3. Who did they think the dead man was?
4. Why did they think so?
5. Who was the man lying dead in front of them?

Answers:

1. The ‘we’ mentioned in the passage are Dr Watson and Sherlock Holmes.
2. The irregular object they saw was the dead body of a the escaped convict, Selden.
3. They thought it to be the body of Sir Henry.
4. Seeing the reddish tweed suit on the body of the dead man, they thought that it was the body of Sir Henry.
5. The man lying dead in front of them was the escaped convict, Selden.

Important questions from the chapter:

1. Why cannot Holmes arrest Stapleton immediately?
(or)
Watson suggested that Stapleton be arrested when he came to the scene of Selden’s murder. Why did Holmes not want to do so?

A. Holmes could not arrest Stapleton immediately because there was no single evidence which Holmes could prove against Stapleton.
Stapleton had not taken any human agent to execute his plan of murder. He used a hound which was a dumb creature, and which would never betray its master. Holmes could not frame the ghostly creature, or produce it as evidence in a court of Law.

2. Why did Holmes disguise himself as the man on the hill?
(or)
Why did Holmes come to Devonshire in disguise?

A: Sherlock Holmes continued his own investigation about the case, employing Cartwright to bring in Watson’ reports and to observe Watson’s movements.

According to Holmes, if he stayed with Watson and Sir Henry in Baskerville Hall, his movements would be known to everybody and it would caution the culprits. Holmes adds that he had remained a stranger even to Watson, in order to gather more facts.

3. Who was the man Dr Watson and Sir Henry saw in the moonlight, standing like a statue on the hill?
A: Sherlock Holmes was the man Watson saw standing like a statue on the hill. He had come to Devonshire to continue his own investigation about the case, employing Cartwright to bring in Watson’ reports and to observe Watson’s movements.

4. Why do Watson and Holmes think that the dead man is Sir Henry? How do they find out who he really is?
A: By the reddish tweed suit worn by the dead man, Watson and Holmes mistook him for Sir Henry.
When he was turned, and Holmes struck a match, the dead man was found to have a beard. So they could identify Selden in the dress of Sir Henry.

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