MODULE 1 1 Extension The words below appear in the text in Exercise 2. Write the words in your own language. You can use a dictionary. 1. fictional 2 Name: 2. bring back to life 3. even though Read the text about Sherlock Holmes. THE MODERN SHERLOCK The character of the London detective Sherlock Holmes was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887 and he is one of the best-known fictional characters in the world. Conan Doyle wrote many stories about Sherlock, but in 1893, he decided to “kill” the detective in the story The Final Problem. Conan Doyle didn’t like writing Sherlock Holmes stories any more, but his readers weren’t happy with the decision. So Conan Doyle wrote another story, The Hound of the Baskervilles, about Sherlock’s earlier life. Then he brought Sherlock back to life and continued writing stories until 1927. Even though most of the Sherlock Holmes stories were written over 100 years ago, people still read the original books today. There are also modern TV programmes, films and video games about Sherlock Holmes. One of the most popular TV adaptations is the British series Sherlock. The first episode of Sherlock was shown on TV in Britain in 2010 and over seven million viewers 3 watched it. In this programme, Sherlock is played by Benedict Cumberbatch. Sherlock and his friend, Dr John Watson, help police solve crimes in modern-day London. But how is the story of Sherlock Holmes brought into the 21st century? For example, Sherlock often sends text messages on his phone and surfs the Internet for information to help him solve mysteries. In addition, Dr Watson doesn’t keep a diary, he writes a blog. Elementary, the US adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes stories, is also very popular. It was first shown on TV in 2012. The series is set in New York, but probably the biggest difference is the character of Dr Watson. In Elementary, Watson is a woman played by the actress Lucy Liu. Sherlock Holmes is a detective from a different era, but these modern adaptations make the stories relevant to our lives today. Complete the sentences using the verbs in brackets and the Past Simple, Past Continuous or Past Simple Passive. Then tick (✓) T (true) or F (false) and correct the false sentences. T 1. Sherlock Holmes (write) The Hound of the Baskervilles. 2. The Sherlock stories games. (make) into TV programmes, films and video 3. Over seven million viewers (begin). (watch) TV when the series Sherlock 4. In the original stories, Sherlock 5. Elementary F (use) the Internet to solve crimes. (show) on TV before the British series Sherlock. Advanced Think Ahead 3 Photocopiable © Burlington Books 1 MODULE 1 Extension 4 Answer the questions. 1. What did Sir Arthur Conan Doyle do to make his readers happy? 2. When was Conan Doyle’s last story about Sherlock Holmes written? 3. In the British series Sherlock, how does Sherlock Holmes use modern technology? 4. How is the US series Elementary different from the British Sherlock? 5. What is the advantage of the modern versions of the Sherlock Holmes stories? 5 Imagine you are a detective like Sherlock Holmes. Write a blog entry about a crime you solved. Include the following information: • What the crime was • Where the crime took place • How you solved the crime • How you felt Advanced Think Ahead 3 Photocopiable © Burlington Books 2