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صفحة: 24
EJThje Detective from B e aker Street The following passage is from a simplified version of one of the many Sherlock Holmes mysteries written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle . Read the passage and find the references that help to create the mysterious setting in the story . The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans In the third week of November , in the year 1895 , a thick yellow fog settled down upon London . From the Monday to Thursday , I doubt whether it was ever possible to see the shape of the houses opposite us from our windows in Baker Street . The first day of the fog Holmes י י had spent in cross-indexing his huge book of references . The second and third had been spent patiently studying a subject which he had recently made his hobby — the music of the Middle Ages . But when , for the fourth time , after pushing back our chairs from breakfast , we saw the greasy , heavy brown wind still drifting past us , dripping oily drops ) upon the window-panes , my companion ' s impatient and active nature could no longer put up with this dull existence . He walked restlessly back and forth in our sitting-room in a fever of bottled-up energy , biting his nails , tapping the furniture , annoyed at the lack of activity . "Nothing of interest in the paper , Watson ? " he asked . I was aware that by anything of interest , Holmes meant anything of criminal interest . There was the news of a revolution , of a possible war , and of an upcoming change of government ; but these did not particularly interest my companion . I could see nothing in the newspapers in the shape of crime which was not routine and a waste ; of time . Holmes groaned and began again with his restless thoughts , wandering from topic to topic . "The London criminal is certainly a dull fellow , " he said in the complaining voice of the sportsman whose game has failed him . "Look out of this window , Watson . See how the figures of people appear > frighteningly , are seen unclearly , and then blend once more into the cloud-bank of fog . A thief or murderer could wander in London on such a day as the tiger does the jungle , unseen until he jumps on his victim and then seen only by him . " "There have , " said I , "been numerous minor cases of thefts . " Holmes snorted his disrespect . "This great and sad stage is set for something more worthy than that , " said he . "It is fortunate for this community that I am not a criminal . " a . What does "The second and third " refer to ? b . What does this description of Holmes ' s behavior tell us about his mood ? c . What news items were in the newspaper ? d . What kind of crime might Holmes be interested in ?
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