The Legend of Sherlock Holmes

The Legend of Sherlock Holmes Synopsis

A carefully abridged and levelled ELT Reader featuring the world's most famous detective. The Legend of Sherlock Holmes includes three stories: The Adventure of the Speckled Band, The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist and The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb for readers with B1 CEFR level English proficiency.

Collins brings the world's most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, to English language learners.

This reader has been carefully adapted using the Collins COBUILD grading scheme to ensure that the language is at the correct level for an intermediate learner. This book is Level 3 in the Collins ELT Readers series. Level 3 is equivalent to CEF level B1 with a word count of 11,000 - 20,000 words.

This ELT Reader includes:

• Full audio of the book accessed securely via QR code
• Rich supplementary materials: character lists, cultural notes, comprehension exercises, reading discussion questions
• A glossary of the more difficult words
• Free online resources for students and teachers at https://collins.co.uk/ELT

The plot

The Adventure of the Speckled Band

A terrified young woman comes to Holmes early one morning. Her sister died two years ago in a locked room, and her last words were "the speckled band!"

Now the woman must sleep in the same room, and she hears the same strange whistling sound at night that her sister heard before she died.

Holmes and Watson must spend a night in the deadly room to discover the truth. What is the speckled band?

The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist

A young music teacher is being followed by a mysterious man on a bicycle every time she rides home from work. She doesn't know who he is or what he wants.

Strange things are happening around her - her employer is acting oddly, and a man has proposed marriage to her even though they barely know each other.

Holmes investigates, but when he returns to check on her, she has disappeared. Can he find her before it's too late?

The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb

A young engineer arrives at Watson's house in the middle of the night - his thumb has been cut off! He tells an incredible story about a job offer that turned into a nightmare.

He was hired to examine a machine in a remote house, but discovered something criminal was happening. When he tried to escape, someone tried to kill him.

Holmes realizes a dangerous gang is operating nearby. Can he find them before they disappear forever?

About Collins ELT Readers

Collins ELT Readers are divided into 7 levels:

Level 1 - elementary (A2)

Level 2 - pre-intermediate (A2-B1)

Level 3 - intermediate (B1)

Level 4 - upper- intermediate (B2)

Level 5 - upper-intermediate+ (B2+)

Level 6 - advanced (C1)

Level 7 - advanced+ (C2)

Each level is carefully graded to ensure that the learner both enjoys and benefits from their reading experience.