The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: "A Scandal in Bohemia" — Comprehension Quiz

Multiple Choice

1. Who is the narrator of this story?
A) Sherlock Holmes
B) Dr. Watson
C) Irene Adler
D) Mycroft Holmes

2. What has changed in the narrator's life since he last spent time with Holmes?
A) He has moved to Bohemia
B) He has become a police officer
C) He has gotten married and returned to civil practice
D) He has retired from medicine

3. What does Holmes say is the "most perfect reasoning and observing machine" quality he possesses, and what does he say ruins it?
A) Money; poverty
B) A cold, precise mind; strong emotion
C) Physical strength; illness
D) Good eyesight; darkness

4. How does Holmes deduce that Watson has gotten wet and has a careless servant girl?
A) Watson told him directly
B) He notices scratches on the inside of Watson's shoe from careless mud-scraping
C) He saw Watson walking in the rain
D) He received a letter about it

5. What is the key difference Holmes points out between Watson and himself regarding observation?
A) Watson sees but does not observe; Holmes both sees and observes
B) Watson has poor eyesight; Holmes has excellent eyesight
C) Watson is lazy; Holmes is energetic
D) Watson forgets things; Holmes has a perfect memory

6. How many steps lead up from the hall to Holmes's room, according to Holmes?
A) Twelve
B) Fifteen
C) Seventeen
D) Twenty

7. From the mysterious note, what does Holmes deduce about the writer's nationality?
A) French
B) Russian
C) German
D) English

8. How does Holmes describe the visitor who arrives at Baker Street?
A) A short, thin man in plain clothing
B) A very tall, powerfully built man dressed in rich, almost gaudy clothing and wearing a mask
C) A woman in a veil
D) An elderly gentleman with a cane

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Short Answer

9. Explain Holmes's reasoning process for figuring out that Watson had returned to medical practice. What specific clues did he use?

10. What is Holmes's stated philosophy about theorizing before gathering data? Why does he believe this is important to good detective work?

11. Based on the note and the visitor's appearance, what can you infer about the importance and secrecy of the case Holmes is about to take on?

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Answer Key

1. B
2. C
3. B
4. B
5. A
6. C
7. C
8. B

1. Holmes noticed that Watson smelled of iodoform, had a black mark of nitrate of silver on his right forefinger, and had a bulge on the right side of his top hat where he had hidden his stethoscope—all clues pointing to an active medical practice.

1. Holmes states, "It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts." He believes that forming a theory too early can cause a detective to distort evidence to fit preconceived ideas, rather than following the evidence honestly to the truth.

1. The note requests secrecy, arrives on expensive Bohemian paper, and mentions "matters of the very deepest moment," while the visitor arrives masked in a luxurious carriage and expensive fur-trimmed clothing—all suggesting the case involves someone of high social or political rank who needs their identity protected, and that the situation carries serious, possibly royal, consequences.