《巴斯克维尔猎犬》背景知识、课堂练习

STAGE463ThestoryDrMortimervisitsSherlockHolmesandDoctorWatsonandtellsthemaboutSirHugoBaskerville,whowaskilledbyanenormousblackhoundonenightonthemoorsinDevonin1640.HisdescendantCharlesBaskervillediedrecently,apparentlybecauseofhisweakheart,butDrMortimerfoundtheprintsofahugehoundnearby.NextmorningDrMortimerreturnswithSirHenryBaskerville,whoisnowheadofthefamily.SirHenryhasreceivedanotewarninghimnottogotoBaskervilleHall,soWatsonarrangestoaccompanyhimthere.InthenearbyvillageofGrimpen,WatsonmeetsStapleton,anaturalistwhoknowsthedangerousGrimpenMarshwell.Stapleton’sbeautifulsistermistakesWatsonforSirHenryandsecretlywarnshimtoleave.Later,SirHenryfallsinlovewithher.OnenightSirHenryandWatsonseethebutlersignallingwithalighttosomeoneonthemoor–itishiswife’sbrother,anescapedconvict.WatsonandSirHenryhuntfortheconvict,butheescapes,andtheyhearafrighteninghowl.WatsonlearnsthatwhenSirCharlesdiedhewaswaitingtomeetaladycalledLauraLyons.HolmesarrivesandrevealsthatLauraLyonshopestomarryStapleton,unawarethathis‘sister’isactuallyhiswife.Suddenlytheyheartheawfulhowlagain.Theyfindaman’sdeadbodyontheground,butitisthebodyoftheescapedprisoner.HolmesandWatsonpretendtoleave,butthatnighttheywaitoutsidetheStapletons’house,whereSirHenryisvisiting.WhenSirHenrybeginstowalkhome,ahugeblackdogappearsandrunsafterhim,butHolmesandWatsonshootit.Stapletonfleestoanislandinthemarsh,butinthefogheloseshiswayanddisappears.Stapleton,theydiscover,wasinfactSirHenry’scousin.WithbothSirCharlesandSirHenrydead,hewouldinheritthefortune.Buthiselaborateandwickedplandidnotsucceed.TheHoundoftheBaskervillesSirArthurConanDoyleIntroductionBackgroundtothestorySirArthurConanDoyle(1859–1930)wasborninEdinburghandstudiedmedicineatEdinburghUniversity.In1897,whilepractisingasadoctorinthesouthofEngland,heproducedhisfirstbook,AStudyinScarlet.Thisintroducedtotheworldhisgreatcreation,thesuper-observant,eccentricandgifteddetectiveSherlockHolmes,alongwithhisfriendandcompanion,thegood-naturedifnaïveDoctorWatson,andhisarchenemy,theschemingvillainProfessorMoriarty.Thebookwasagreatsuccess,andHolmesbecamehugelypopular.Heremainssotothisday;ahundredyearsafterhiscreation,touristsstillcomeinthousandsto221BBakerStreetinLondon,Holmes’swell-knownaddress.Thebooksdidmuchtopopularizedetectivestories,andTheHoundoftheBaskervilleshasremainedoneofthemostcelebratedoftheHolmesstories.Withitseeriesetting,theghastlybeastofthetitle,thecomplicatedplotandtherichseamofromanticentanglementanddeception,ithassomethingforeveryone.TheHoundoftheBaskervilleshasalsobeenproducedintheformoffilmsandradioplays.BeforereadingHerearesomewaystohelpyourstudentsapproachthestory:1Givestudentsthetitleofthebookandshowthemthepictureonthecover.Askthemtotryandguesswhatkindofstoryitis.2Givestudentsacopyofthetextonthebackcoverofthebook,andofthestoryintroductiononthefirstpage.Whentheyhavereadthetexts,askthemafewquestionsaboutthestory,orusetheBeforeReadingActivitiesinthebackofeachBookworm.STAGE4Thisungradedsummaryisfortheteacher’suseonlyandshouldnotbegiventostudents.©OXFORDUNIVERSITYPRESSOBW4ActivityWorksheetsMB.indd6320/2/0812:53:52TheHoundoftheBaskervillesTheTrapLookingBack64PHOTOCOPIABLE©OXFORDUNIVERSITYPRESSSTAGE4TheHoundoftheBaskervillesPre-readingactivityAnticipationthroughchaptertitlesTotheteacherAim:Toanticipateplot,speculateaboutcluesanddetailsTime:15–20minutesOrganization:Supplythestudentswiththefollowinglistofchaptertitles,eitherasindividualcopiesoronanoverheadprojector.Checktomakesurethattherearenoproblemswithvocabularyitemsinthelist.Thendividethestudentsintosmallgroupsandaskthemtospeculateaswidelyastheycanaboutthemeaningofthechaptertitles,theirconnectionwithoneanother,andtheirconnectionwiththetitle.Itisnotimportantwhethertheirguessesarecorrectornot;theyshouldsimplybeencouragedtospeculateaboutpossibleconnections.Theymaybeabletocomeupwithanideaofaplotline,butthisisnotessential.Iftheyfinditdifficulttostart,givethemafewquestionstoconsider,e.g.:Chapter1:Whatdoes‘case’tellyouaboutthebook?Whatkindofstoryisit?Chapter3:HowdidSirCharlesdie?Whyisitimportant?Chapter5:WhoisSirHenryBaskerville?IsherelatedtoSirCharles?Ifso,how?Whenstudentshavefinished,alloweachgrouptooutlineitsideasinashortverbalreporttotheclass.Givenoindicationastowhethertheyhaveguessedcorrectly,butletthemlistentoalltheideasanddiscussthemiftheywish.TheEscapedPrisonerTheCaseBeginsTheBaskervillePapersHowSirCharlesDiedTheProblemSirHenryBaskervilleMoreMysteryBaskervilleHallTheStapletonsofPenHouseTheLetterLauraLyonsTheManontheMoorTooLateDeathontheMoorTheSearchfortheMurdererOBW4ActivityWorksheetsMB.indd6420/2/0812:53:5265©OXFORDUNIVERSITYPRESSPHOTOCOPIABLESTAGE4TheHoundoftheBaskervillesWhilereadingactivityQuiz1TheheadoftheBaskervillefamilyin1640.____2Mortimersaidthedog’sfootprintswere_____________.________3Thecitywherethestorybegins.______4Themoorgatewasclosedand___________.______5TheAlleyhastwo________ofyewtrees.______6Thegatewastheonly____________fromtheAlleytothemoor._______7SirHenryhasbeenlivinginthiscountry.___8ThedeadgirlwasthedaughterofSirHugo’s________________._________9DrMortim