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Introduction


 ,      ,  .   ,                 .      ,           ,      .   ,    ,   ,     .         ,           .    . ,    :    , , ,        . Ӡ     ,    ,   .

        ,    ,  ,   , ,     .        ,      .       ,       ,     ,    .      (,   )   ,      .         .

      .        ,     .

?Thebook isnarrated by /   

?Theevents take place in /   

?Themain characters ofthe book are /    

?Thebook istitled /   

?This book isa real page-turner! /   !

?This book isexactly what Ive been looking for! /  ,   !

?This book captured my imagination like nothing before. /    ,    .

?Itkept me intrigued from start toend. /       .

?Thebook isfast-paced. /   .

?Ireally loved anunexpected twist inthe story. /     .

?Thebook isworth reading. /   .

?Theending was atear-jerker. /    .

?Theplot ofthe story issimple. /  .

?informative , ;

?thought-provoking  ;

?breathtaking ;

?easy toread  ;

?amusing ;

?exciting ;

?boring ;

?predictable ;

?hard toread  .

  (brain-teasers)        .

?Motive forthe crime  : Shehas no motive forthe crime. Ӡ   .

?Tocommit acrime  : Ive figured out who committed acrime. ߠ,  .

?Crime scene  : Thepolice arrived atthe crime scene.    .

?Tosolve thecrime  : Wehave half anhour tosolve thecrime. Ӡ  ,   .

?Tohave analibi  : Eachofthem has analibi. Ӡ   .

?Tosearch forclues/evidence  : Isearched far andwide forclues. ߠ  .

?Tointerrogate  , : Detective Williams interrogated thesuspects.     .

?Themain suspect  : Mr. Johnson isour main suspect.     .

?Disinterested party  : Mr. Smith isa disinterested party.    .

?Tobe guilty/innocent  /: Heisguilty. .









Agatha Christie




(September15, 1890 January12, 1976)

Every family has askeleton inthe cupboard, asthe English say. Thisfamous proverb means that everyone has their own secrets, hidden away from view. Theunknown isalways intriguing andbeckoning. Anyway, weare eager toknow thetruth that others want tohide. Thatishow theworld really works. Obviously, thesecret lives oflegendary people seem even more exciting andinteresting. Asfor Agatha Christie, herlife itself looked more like anaction-packed detective story with anunpredictable ending.

Every school kid can tell you who Agatha Christie was, butnot everyone knows her secrets. Infact, herlife was filled with mysteries. Admirers ofChristies talent are still puzzling over her mysterious disappearance that shocked theworld. Justimagine: police are desperately searching fora missing woman who left her daughter with her nanny andvanished insuspicious circumstances. Thenext day, hercar isfound abandoned, about anhours drive from home. Andwhat about themain character? Sheseems tohave vanished into thin air, andnobody knows where tofind her. Meanwhile, themissing woman isenjoying her stay atthe hotel inYorkshire. Doesthis episode ring abell toyou? Itsounds like aplot ofa mystery story, right? Yet, this isthe real-life story ofthe iconic writer Agatha Christie. So, what happened back then? Thischapter tells afascinating story ofa woman who became one ofthe greatest writers ofall time, while also lifting theveil onher extremely private life. Youll find out some lesser-known facts that will probably surpriseyou.

Agatha Christie isthe unsurpassed Queen ofCrime andone ofthe worlds best-selling novelists. Herbooks are outsold only bythe Bible andthe works ofShakespeare. Inher career, Agatha Christie wrote sixty-six mystery novels under her own name andanother six under thepen name Mary Westmacott. Shealso published anumber ofshort story collections, numerous plays, andan autobiography. Among her most famous books are Murder onthe Orient Express, TheMysterious Affair atStyles, TheABC Murders, Death onthe Nile, andmany others. Andits no secret that Agatha created iconic characters Hercule Poirot andMiss Marple.

Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born onSeptember15, 1890, inTorquay, aseaside town insouth-western England. Shewas theyoungest ofthree children born toFrederick andClarissa Miller. Agatha had two older siblings named Margaret andLouis. Curiously, little Agatha never went toschool andwas educated athome. Since early childhood, sheloved books, andby theage offive, shetaught herself toread. Little Agatha had arich imagination. Asa child she invented imaginary friends andbegan writing poems. Whenshe was eleven, herbeloved father died ofa heart attack. Thisterrible misfortune came out ofthe blue. Inaddition tofinancial hardships, Agatha had tobecome asupport forher mom, whogrieved theloss ofher loved one. Theymanaged toovercome all lifes challenges, andover time Agatha took piano andsinging lessons. Shecould have become agreat pianist, buther natural shyness andstage fright prevented her from pursuing acareer inmusic.

It was in1912, when Agatha met her first husband Archibald Christie, amilitary officer inthe Royal Flying Corps. Theygot married two years later, onChristmas Eve 1914. Withtheoutbreak ofthe First World War, themarried couple was forced tolive apart: Agatha remained inher hometown Torquay andworked asa nurse ina Red Cross hospital, while Archie went toFrance. Overtime, Agatha became anassistant pharmacist ina hospital, where she learned much about poisons. Itwas precisely this fact that left animprint onher work: poison isamong fictions most popular murder weapons.

Her first novel TheMysterious Affair atStyles, Agatha wrote in1916 anddedicated it toher mother Clarissa. Itintroduced Hercule Poirot, theeccentric andbrilliant detective. However, thejourney topublishing this book was along one. After being turned down bynumerous publishers, Agatha Christie published her debut novel only in1920.

Asthe years went on, therelationship between Agatha andher husband hit adead end. Shortly after thebirth oftheir daughter Rosalind, thecouple grew significantly apart. Oneday, onreturn from his business trip, herhusband Archie announced that he had fallen inlove with another girl named Nancy Neele. Asit turned out, Nancy, unlike Agatha, shared his passion forgolf. Thisnews was aterrible blow forthe writer. Infact, sheloved her husband all those years andwaited forhim tocome back from thewar. Herwhole world collapsed overnight, andshe felt totally devastated. Fora while, they tried tosave their marriage, especially fortheir daughters sake. However, asthe saying goes, Acracked bell can never sound well. One day, after afierce argument, Archie left their house. Theharsh reality was that he was going todivorce her. Later she would write inher memoirs, Isuppose, with those words, that part ofmy life my happy, successful, confident life ended. Actually, separation isalways apainful andheartbreaking experience, andeveryone reacts differently tobreaking up. Asit turned out, Agatha Christie was vulnerable andsensitive, yetvery strong. So, what do you think happened next? Fiction suddenly became reality: Agatha vanished without atrace.

Themysterious disappearance ofAgatha Christie haunts our minds andimagination tothis very day. Thisintrigue deserves anOscar. So, what happened that night? According toher biographer, before disappearance Agatha Christie wrote aletter toher secretary Carlo Fisher, asking tocancel thehotel reservation inYorkshire. Shealso sent letters toher husband Archie andhis brother Campbell. Naturally, thequestion arises: wasit all made up? Perhaps, theQueen ofCrime was preparing her escape plan. However, lets not get ahead ofourselves! Agatha kissed her little daughter goodnight anddroveoff.

Thenext morning, hercar andpersonal belongings were found abandoned. Agatha Christies disappearance caused agreat public outcry. There was huge speculation over thecauses ofthis mysterious disappearance. Manypredicted theworst-case scenario. Themedia suspected that Agatha Christie had been kidnapped. Somesuggested that her husband Archie was involved inthis disappearance, others suggested that she drowned herself. There was also speculation that Agatha took revenge onher husband. According toanother version, itwas acunning ploy: shestaged theentire disappearance toattract more audience toher new book.

This was one ofthe biggest countrys manhunts: more than athousand police officers, upto15,000 volunteers, andeven her beloved dog searched forthe missing writer. Ontop ofthat, twoother famous writers Sir Arthur Conan Doyle andDorothy Sayers joined inthe search.

Agatha Christie had been missing foreleven days. Shewas found, safe andwell, inHarrogate, Yorkshire. Itturned out that she had checked into thehotel under thesurname ofNeele, thelast name ofArchies lady friend,which complicated thesearch. Agatha Christie didnt comment onwhat had happened, claiming loss ofmemory. Doctors suggested she suffered anervous breakdown. Its still unclear whether her loss ofmemory was staged orcaused bystress. Curiously, shedidnt recognize her husband Archie when he came tovisit her. Agatha Christie never discussed thecircumstances ofher disappearance indetail, even with family orfriends.

Anyway, theinvestigation came toa dead end. Amazingly, themystery still remains unsolved, andwe are left with more questions than answers. Whoknows, maybe Agatha Christie wanted tolet people finish thestory forher.

Agatha andArchie split up. Thedivorce was tough onher. Ittook awhile tocope with painful emotions andmove on. Twoyears after divorcing Archie, Agatha married thearcheologist Max Mallowan andjoined him forregular expeditions toIraq andSyria. Iguess they bonded over thepassion fortraveling. Despite thedifference inage Agatha was fourteen years older than her husband it was ahappy marriage.

Agatha Christie was avery private person. Andthe more famous thewriter became, themore she shunned publicity. Evenso, shewas full oflife! Agatha would say, Ihave sometimes been wildly despairing, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, butthrough it all Istill know quite certainly that just tobe alive isa grand thing. AsI see it, Agatha Christie was atrue adventure seeker. Herwanderlust andspirit ofadventure encouraged Agatha andher husband togo ona round-the-world trip forten months.

Agatha Christie died onJanuary12, 1976, atage 85, butshe will forever remain inthe hearts ofher devoted readers.




Vocabulary


every family has askeleton inthe cupboard [?evr? ?f?m(?)l? h?z ? ?skel?tn ?n ?i? ?k?b?d]      

be eager [bi ?i?g?] ,  ,  - 

action-packed [??k?n p?kt] 

puzzle over [p?zl ???v?]   -

go missing [g?? ?m?s?n]  

missing person [?m?s?n p??sn]  

suspicious [s??sp???s] , 

ring abell [r?n ? bel]  ,  -/- ()

vanish/disappear [?v?n?? ?d?s??p??] 

without atrace [w???a?t ? tre?s] 

lift theveil [l?ft ?i? ve?l]  

unsurpassed [??ns?r?p?st] 

be outsold (by) [bi aut?s?uld bai]   , - 

best-selling novelist [?best?sel?n ?n??v?l?st]  ,   

novelist [?n??v?l?st] , 

novel [?n??vl] 

mystery novel [?m?st?r? ?n??vl] ,  

detective story [d??tekt?v ?st??r?] ,  

play [ple?] , 

autobiography [???t?ba?????r?fi] 

short story collection [???t ?st??r? k??lek?n]   

pen name [pen ne?m]  

maiden name [me?dn ne?m]  

publish [?p?bl??] 

thrilling [??r?l?n] , , 

iconic character [a??k??n?k ?k?r?kt?] ,  

interestingly [??ntrest?nli] , 

curiously [?kj??r??sl?] ,  

obviously [???bvi?sli] , -

misfortune [m?s?f????n] , , 

out ofthe blue [a?t ?v ?i? blu?]  ,    

financial hardship [f???n?n?(?)l ?h??d??p]  

grieve theloss [gri?v ?i? l??s]  

overcome challenges [??v??k?m ???l?n??z]  

stage fright [ste?? fra?t]  

pursue acareer [p??sju? ? k??r??]  

live apart [l?v ??p??t]  

remain [r??me?n] 

poison [?p??zn] 

leave animprint (on) [li?v ?n ?m?pr?nt ??n]  , 

dedicate [?ded?ke?t] , 

hit adead end [h?t ? ded end]  

grow apart [gr?? ??p??t]   

asit turned out [?z ?t t??nd a?t] , 

overnight [???v??na?t] , , 

devastated [?dev?ste?t?d] , 

separation [?sep??re??n] , 

breaking up [?bre?k?n ?p] , 

split up [spl?t ?p] , 

divorce [d??v??s] 

vulnerable [?v?ln?r?bl] , 

kiss goodnight [k?s ???d?na?t]  - ,  

personal belongings [?p??s?nl b??l??n?nz]  

speculation [spekj??le??n] , , 

worst-case scenario [w??st ke?s s??n?ri??]  

kidnap [?k?dn?p] 

take revenge (on) [te?k r??ven? ??n] ,  

cunning ploy [?k?n?n pl??]  

stage [ste??] 

manhunt [?m?nh?nt] , 

cause apublic outcry [k??z ? ?p?bl?k ?a?tkra?]   

nervous breakdown [?n??v?s ?bre?kda?n]  

loss ofmemory [l??s ?v ?mem?r?]  

bond over [b??nd ???v?] ,  

passion fortraveling [p??n f?? ?tr?v?l?n]  

wanderlust [?w??nd?l?st]  

adventure seeker [?d?ven?? ?si?k?]  




Exercises


Exercise 1. Answer thefollowing questions:

1)What does theEnglish proverb Every family has askeleton inthe cupboard mean?

2)When andwhere was Agatha Christie born?

3)What was her maiden name?

4)DidAgatha have any siblings?

5)Howmany books did Agatha Christie write?

6)What famous fictional characters did Agatha Christie create?

7)What kind ofeducation did sheget?

8)Atwhat age did Agatha Christie learn toread?

9)What did she like doing inher free time asa child?

10)What prevented Agatha from pursuing acareer inmusic?

11)What was her first husbands name?

12)What did Agatha Christie do during World WarI?

13)When was her debut novel published? Howmuch time did it take her tofind apublisher?

14)Whodid Agatha Christie dedicate her first bookto?

15)DidAgatha have any children?

16)What caused her mysterious disappearance?

17)Were there any versions ofwhat had happened?

18)Howlong had Agatha been missing before she was found?

19)Where was she found?

20)What name was thereservation under?

21)Didshe give anexplanation ofher disappearance?

22)What did doctors say about her condition?

23)Inyour opinion, what was themain reason forher disappearance?

24)Howlong did it take her toget over adivorce?

25)What was her second husbands name?

26)What was his profession?

27)Inyour opinion, what kind ofperson was Agatha Christie?

28)Have you ever read any books byAgatha Christie? Whatisyour opinion onit?

29)What book have you recently read that really impressedyou?

30)What kind ofbooks do you like toread?

Exercise 2. Findtheequivalents ofthe following words andphrases inthe text:

   ;   ;    ;   ;  ;   ;  ;  ;    ;  ;   ;  ;  ;   ;  ;     ;   ;    ;    ;   ;  ;  ;  ;  

Exercise 3. GivetheRussian equivalents ofthe following words andphrases:

theworlds best-selling novelist; acunning ploy; togo ona round-the-world trip; atrue adventure seeker; toovercome all lifes challenges; over time; tovanish without atrace insuspicious circumstances; anhours ride from home; financial hardships; topursue acareer inmusic; aprivate person; tomove on; siblings; toleave animprint (on); afierce argument; tobe home schooled; tocheck into ahotel; military officer; natural shyness; tohave arich imagination; theworld collapsed overnight; toprepare anescape plan; tocome toa dead end; personal belongings



Exercise 4. Match thewords with their definitions:







Detective Riddle No. 1


Have you ever dreamed ofbecoming adetective? Ifso, lets see ifyou have theability tobe one. Readthestory carefully andcollect all theclues that lead tothe suspect. Findall theinformation needed tosolve themystery.

?Collect theevidence, check out alibis andinterrogate each suspect tosolve thecrime.

?Possible suspects: Mr. Johnson, Ann, Pam, Nick, Cindy.

Ms. Smith, anEnglish teacher, gottoschool afew minutes before thebeginning ofthe lesson. Shecame across her colleague Mr. Johnson, inthe entrance hall, andthey had asmall talk. Sheput her handbag andthe classroom key onthe table andanswered thephone. Three ofher students (Ann, Pam, andNick) were standing nearby. ThenMs. Smith checked her email onher smartphone. There was amessage from her student Cindy with arequest. Thegirl explained her reason fornot attending school. ThenMs. Smith looked ather watch andhurried tothe classroom. Theclass test was scheduled tostart infive minutes.

When Ms. Smith got there, shestarted feeling that something was wrong. Thedoor was locked, andthe students were waiting outside. Annwas helping her classmate with his homework. Shewas astraight Astudent andwas always ready forschool. Pamwas playing games onher mobile. Shewas standing byherself, which was unusual forher. Pamwasnt too nervous because she had prepared forthe test theday before. Nicklooked upset orpuzzled. Hedid poorly atschool andlagged behind his classmates. Yesterday, hismom got aletter from theheadmaster about his poor school attendance.

Asit turned out, thekey was nowhere tobe found. Someone had stolen it. MissMarple entered thecrime scene andimmediately solved thecase. Whowas thethief?









Arthur Conan Doyle




(May22, 1859 July7, 1930)

It isno wonder they say that atalented person istalented ineverything. Thiscatchphrase fully reflects thepersonality ofArthur Conan Doyle, thelegendary writer, poet, physician, sportsman, andspiritualist. Thislist goes onindefinitely. Well, Ihappen tothink that Arthur Conan Doyle was anall-rounder, successful inanything he did. Hewas aman ofgreat intelligence andboundless energy. However, atthe same time, hislife was full ofcontradictions andparadoxes. After all, judge foryourself: howcould askilled physician believe inthe existence offairies andghosts? Could it be that, somewhere deep inhis heart, hewas still achild? Hewas sodesperate forthe supernatural that strange things started tohappen inhis life. Didyou know that his first book was mysteriously lost inthe post? Canit really be true that we attract what we believe? Lets look foranswers tothese andother questions andtrace theremarkable life ofthe greatest writer ofall time Arthur Conan Doyle.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle isthe literary father ofSherlock Holmes, themost popular fictional character inthe history ofliterature. Thelegendary writer was born onMay22, 1859, inEdinburgh, into aprosperous family. Hismother, Mary, wasalively andwell-educated woman who had apassion forbooks. Arthur would often say that he inherited his storytelling talent from her. Doyles father, Charles, wasanillustrator anda watercolorist; amember ofa well-respected artistic family. However, alot ofhis talent was wasted because ofhis health issues. Charles always felt he could do more. AsIsee it, hewas constantly haunted byfears, doubts, andunfulfilled dreams ofbecoming aprominent artist. Among other things, Charles became more andmore depressed andfrustrated because he was unable toprovide forhis family. Unfortunately, hespent his later years inasylums andnursing homes. Certainly, thedifficult situation inthe family couldnt but leave atrace onthe character ofthe legendary writer.

TheDoyle family struggled financially. Everything rested onthe shoulders ofArthurs mother: running thehousehold, bringing up children, andtaking care ofthe family. Shestruggled tocreate acalm home and peaceful atmosphere andtold her children tales ofbrave knights. AsIsee it, this circumstance greatly affected thelegendary writers personality andworldview: Arthur Conan Doyle was guided byhigh moral principles all his life. Whenlittle Arthur turned nine, hiswealthy relatives offered topay forhis studies. Thefamily council decided tosend him toa boarding school. Honestly, itwas anunpleasant experience forhim ascorporal punishment was very common inmost boarding schools inEngland.

Did you know that Arthur Conan Doyle was akeen sportsman? Since his school days, hehad been interested insports andalso succeeded inthis field. Hewas thefirst goalkeeper inthe history ofPortsmouth. Whatmay come asa surprise isthat Arthur Conan Doyle played under thepseudonym A. C. Smith rather than under his own name. Apart from football, thelegendary writer also played cricket, golf, andrugby. Andthat was not all. Arthur competed inthe amateur billiards championship andwas afan ofboxing. Interestingly, Arthur Conan Doyle was afrequent visitor toSwitzerland andhelped popularize skiing among theEnglish. Iguess that, like many creative people, hefound inspiration innature. Manymay agree that theres nothing more exciting than watching breathlessly assnow-white clouds, resembling giant mythical creatures, disappear behind amountaintop.

Our life depends onthe decisions we make. So, choosing acareer isvery important. AsIsee it, Arthur Conan Doyle made theright decision that changed his life forever. Contrary tothe family tradition, Doyle didnt follow inhis fathers footsteps. Hedecided topursue acareer inmedicine. While being amedical student, hemet his future teacher Dr. Joseph Bell, wholater had astrong impact onhis works. Arthur was really inspired byhis remarkable observation anddeductive skills. Dr. Bellwas able todetermine theoccupation ofa random stranger just bylooking atthem. Thismeeting was significant andlife-changing forArthur Conan Doyle. Ithink that atthat point his career asa writer really started.

Atthe age oftwenty-three, Arthur Conan Doyle wrote his first book andsent it toa publisher. Apparently, hehad high hopes, butdestiny had its own plans: themanuscript ofConan Doyles first novel mysteriously was lost inthe post. Later, Arthur Conan Doyle would write, I must admit that my shock atits disappearance would be asnothing tomy horror ifit were suddenly toappear again inprint. Honestly, Icant even imagine what he must have felt when he realized themisfortune. Inmy opinion, anyone else inhis place would have lost heart, butnot him. Arthur Conan Doyle attempted torewrite thestory. Formany years, themanuscript was unlisted inhis archives. Thenovel called TheNarrative ofJohn Smith was published posthumously in2011 bythe British Library. Anyway, Arthur Conan Doyle never got discouraged, whatever happened tohim. While studying, hetried his hand atwriting short stories toearn some extra money.

Upon receiving his Bachelor ofMedicine andMaster ofSurgery degrees, heworked fora time asa naval surgeon. Ina while, Conan Doyle opened his first practice inPortsmouth. Hisbusiness wasnt blooming, andhe was finally able todevote more time towriting books.

InAugust of1885, hemarried abeautiful young girl Louisa Hawkins, whowas his patients sister. AsIsee it, they were atight-knit andtruly happy family. Their two children, MaryandKingsley, were raised inthe environment oflove, kindness, andharmony.

Asthe years went by, Doyle devoted himself towriting abook which introduced Sherlock Holmes andDr. Watson. Thestory first appeared inthe British paperback magazine in1887 anda year later was republished asa single volume. Hisdebut novel was called AStudy inScarlet. Curiously, Doyle sold therights tothe story for25 pounds.

Let us now examine some intriguing facts. According tothe Guinness Book ofWorld Records, Sherlock Holmes still remains themost portrayed literary human character infilm andTV. Theres no one inthe world who has never heard ofSherlock Holmes, theiconic fictional detective. Sherlock has long become ahousehold name todescribe someone who solves andinvestigates crimes. Whatimage pops up inyour mind when you hear his name? Well, Iimmediately think ofa detective who iswearing along coat anda legendary cap. Mostly, Ithink ofa person who has exceptional observation anddeductive skills. Curiously, fewknow that Sherlock Holmes character was inspired bythe real person Dr. Joseph Bell, whoshared many qualities with thelegendary detective. Someeven say that Sherlocks character was based onhis creator, Arthur Conan Doyle. However, its all just guesswork. Thisissue isstill open fordiscussion. Curiously, Sherlock never said, Elementary, mydear Watson. Theline didnt appear inDoyles books. Itwas later poluparized inSherlock Homes filmes andbecame acatchphrase. Didyou know why Doyle decided tokill off his most iconic character? Hejust became bored ofhim andwanted towrite more serious books. However, this plot twist provoked outrage among his readers, andDoyle had toresurrect thegreat detective ten years later. Could it be that Doyle didnt want tolive inthe shadow ofSherlock? Isuppose there issome truth tothis. Manypeople know more about Sherlock than they do about his creator.

So, back tothe writers life. Astime went on, things changed drastically forArthur Conan Doyle. Asit turned out, hisbeloved wife was seriously ill: shewas expected just afew months tolive atthe most. However, thegreat writer didnt seem toagree andwas determined toextend her life. Andhe did it. Hislove, care, andproper treatment made amiracle. Louisa felt much better andlived another thirteen years. Whenshe passed away, Arthur was deeply affected bythe loss.

In1907, Arthur Conan Doyle married Jean Leckie. Thehappy couple had alavish wedding with two hundred andfifty guests. Arthur andJean had three children. Thewriter shared many ofhis wifes activities andlived ameasured, quiet life.

Unfortunately, Conan Doyle endured terrible misfortune: helost many loved ones, including his father, wife, son, brother, andothers. Itmight have been thereason why he showed aninterest inspiritualism[1 - Spiritualism isa movement based onthe belief that souls ofthe dead can communicate with theliving through amedium.]. Thismay come asa surprise, buthe also believed inthe existence ofmagical beings. Haveyou ever heard ofthe Cottingley Fairies? Thisisa curious story about two girls named Elsie andFrances, whosupposedly managed totake aseries ofphotos ofdancing creatures. Tobe more precise, itisone ofthe greatest hoaxes ofall time. Itmay seem incredible, butthose photos, which showed tiny figures with transparent wings, came toConan Doyles attention. Callit coincidence orprovidence, butatthat time Arthur Conan Doyle was working onthe article about fairies forthe Strand Magazine. Whentheexperts unofficially verified theauthenticity ofthe photos, thewriter was sothrilled that he asked Elsie andFrances touse those images ofmythical creatures inhis publication. Thegirls family was confused bythe attention ofthe legendary writer but quickly agreed. Public opinion was mixed: some believed that themagical beings were real, while others thought they were fake. Later Arthur Conan Doyle wrote abook onthe topic under thetitle TheComing ofthe Fairies. Onlyyears later, after thewriters death, thecousins finally confessed that those photos were ahoax, andthe wizard creatures were made from paper cut-outs andhat pins. Asit turned out, itwas Elsie who drew theimages andhad thewings added tothem. Wheneverything was ready, both girls arranged atheme photo shoot. Later Elsie andFrances admitted that they were too embarrassed totell thetruth after fooling theliterary genius.

Thecreator ofSherlock Holmes was once tasked tosolve areal-life crime. Hehelped thewrongly convicted man go free. Doyou remember that Doyle also participated inthe search forAgatha Christie? Hetook one ofher gloves toa spirit medium tofind her location. Thevisionary supposedly said that Agatha Christie was still alive but was inthe twilight state, andthat shed show up next Wednesday. Believe it ornot, butshe was found aweek later, safe andalive, claiming memory loss. After that, howcan one not believe inmiracles?

Apart from detective novels andscience fiction, Arthur Conan Doyle also wrote poems, plays, andhistorical novels. Among his most well-known books are TheAdventures ofSherlock Holmes, AStudy inScarlet, TheHound ofthe Baskervilles, TheLost World, andmany others.

Thegenius writer lived arich life filled with many ups anddowns. Hedied in1930, surrounded byhis family. SirArthur Conan Doyle will always be remembered asone ofthe greatest writers ofall time.




Vocabulary


all-rounder [???l?ra?nd?]  ,  

boundless energy [?ba?ndl?s ?en???] ,  

contradiction [?k??ntr??d?k?n] 

fairy [?fe?ri] , 

ghost [g??st] , 

thesupernatural [?i? ?su?p??n?t?r?l] 

fictional character [?f?k??nl ?k?r?kt?]  

prosperous family [?pr??sp?r?s ?f?m?l?] ,  

well-respected [wel r??spekt?d] , 

have apassion (for) [h?v ? ?p??n f??] ,   -,   -

inherit [?n?her?t] , 

health issues [hel? ???u?z]  

frustrated [?fr?stre?t?d] , 

provide for [pr??va?d f??]  

asylum [??sa?l?m] 

nursing home [?n??s?n h??m]  

boarding school [?b??d?n sku?l] -, 

corporal punishment [?k?:p(?)r?l ?p?n??m?nt]  

compete [k?m?pi?t] , 

follow inones footsteps [?f??l?? ?n w?nz ?f?tsteps]   -

bachelors/masters degree [?b?t??l?z ?m?st?z d??ri?]  /

have animpact (on) [h?v ?n ??mp?kt ??n]    ()

be inspired (by) [bi? ?n?spa??d bai] 

observation skills [??bz??ve???n sk?lz] 

deductive skills [d??d?kt?v sk?lz]  

destiny [?dest?n?] 

manuscript [?m?nj?skr?pt] 

lose heart [lu?z h??t] ,  ,  

attempt [??tempt] 

posthumously [?p?stj?m?sli] 

get discouraged [get d?s?k??r?d?d]  

try ones hand (at) [tra? w?nz h?nd ?t]    -

earn extra money [??n ?ekstr? ?m?n?] ,    

devote time (to) [d??v??t ta?m tu: ]  

business isblooming [?b?zn?s ?z ?blu?m?n]   ,  

surgeon [?s????n] 

surgery [?s????r?] ,  

patient [?pe??nt] 

tight-knit family [?ta?t ?n?t ?f?m?l?] ,  

raise / bring up children [re?z br?n ?p???ldr?n] ,  

become ahousehold name [b??k?m ? ?ha?sh??ld ne?m]   

catchphrase [?k??fre?z] ,  

plot twist [pl?t tw?st]  

provoke public outrage [pr??v??k ?p?bl?k ?a?tre??]   

resurrect [?rez??rekt] 

proper treatment [?pr?p? ?tri?tm?nt] ,  

make amiracle [me?k ??m?r?kl]  

measured life [?me??d la?f]  

supposedly [s??p??z?dl?] , 

hoax [h??ks] , , 

transparent [tr?n?sp?r?nt] 

mythical creature [?m???kl ?kri???]  

be confused [bi k?n?fju?zd] , 

confess [k?n?fes] , 

be embarrassed [bi? ?m?b?r?st] , 

wrongly convicted [?r??nli k?n?v?kt?d]  

spirit medium [?sp?r?t ?mi?d??m] ; ,   

twilight state [?twa?la?t ste?t]  [2 -  堖 ,        .]

show up [??? ?p] 

ups anddowns [?ps ?n da?nz]  ,  




Exercises


Exercise 1. Answer thefollowing questions:

1)When andwhere was Arthur Conan Doyle born?

2)What kind offamily was Arthur Conan Doyle born into?

3)What was his mother passionate about?

4)What was his fathers occupation?

5)What was Doyles personality like?

6)DidArthur like going toa boarding school?

7)DidDoyle follow inhis fathers footsteps?

8)What sports was Doyle goodat?

9)Whowas Dr. Bell? Andhow would you describe his personality?

10)Howold was Arthur Conan Doyle when he wrote his first book? Whenwas it published?

11)Howmany times did Arthur Conan Doyle get married? Howmany children did he have?

12)Howdid Arthur Conan Doyle meet his first wife?

13)What happened tohis first wife, Louisa?

14)What was his reaction when he realized how serious her conditionwas?

15)Whydid he become interested inspiritualism?

16)When was his first novel published? Andwhat was it called?

17)WasSherlock Holmes character inspired bya real person?

18)What image pops up inyour mind when you hear thename Sherlock?

19)What kind ofstories did Arthur Conan Doyle write?

20)Were theCottingley Fairies real offake?

21)What are Doyles greatest books ofall time?

22)Inyour opinion, what are thebest mystery novels ofall time?

23)What are your favorite mystery novels?

24)Whoare your favorite writers andwhy?

25)What book genres do you love?

26)Didsomeone read toyou when you were achild?

27)Arethere any genres you dislike?

Exercise 2. Findtheequivalents ofthe following words andphrases inthe text:

 ;  ;   ;   ;     ;   ;     ;   ;  ;   ;  ;  ;   ;   ;  ;  ;  ;   

Exercise 3. GivetheRussian equivalents ofthe following words andphrases:

tobe born into aprosperous family; tohave astrong impact (on); tobe surrounded byfamily; toearn some extra money; tobe raised inthe environment oflove; todevote time (to); toextend life; tolive ameasured, quiet life; ascience fiction novel; tobe inspired (by); tobe common; exceptional skills; totry ones hand (at); life filled with ups anddowns; tolive another thirteen years; things changed drastically; toshow aninterest (in)



Exercise 4. Match each word with its synonym:







Detective Riddle No. 2


Do you like solving mysteries? Ifso, putyour detective hat onand have fun! Readthestory carefully andcollect all theclues that lead tothe suspect. Findall theinformation needed tosolve themystery.

?Collect theevidence, check out alibis, andinterrogate each suspect tosolve thecrime.

?Possible suspects: Jessica, Linda, Grace, Jane, Jeremy.

Thenight before thewedding, Marywas having some close friends over: Jessica, Linda, andGrace. Theywere watching romantic comedies, singing songs, andgossiping. Marywas soexcited andhappy because her dream was about tocome true. Shehad been dating Mark since high school, andhe finally proposed toher.

Everyone was laughing, cheering, andclapping their hands when Mary showed her elegant wedding dress tothem. Shelooked like aqueen init. Shesaid that it was apresent from her mom Jane. Asa parent, Janewanted only thebest forher daughter. Hereyes were filled with tears ofhappiness, andshe was proud ofMary. Janewas ongood terms with Mark andhoped they would make aloving couple. Everyone seemed tobe having fun. Actually, allofthem had their own secrets.

Jessica was secretly inlove with Mark but kept her feelings hidden. Marklived inher neighborhood andsometimes gave her aride home. Theyhad much incommon: they had exactly thesame taste inmusic, films, sports, etc. Jessica hoped that one day he andMary would split up. Shewas not going togiveup.

Linda disliked Mark, andshe had her own deeply personal reasons aswell. First, Lindas brother Jeremy was inlove with Mary. Second, Markpretended tobe something he wasnt. Hewas agambler andconstantly lost large sums ofmoney. Linda had discussed it with Mary, butshe didnt want tobelieve her. So, Linda made peace with Marys choice. Shehoped that Mark would change after marriage.

Grace had asecret aswell. Shesaw Mark with another girl last week, butshe didnt tell Mary about it. Shedidnt want toupset her best friend ordestroy other peoples relationship.

When theparty ended andall theguests left, Maryimmediately went tobed. Shewoke up about five hours after her alarm was supposed togo off. Shefelt dizzy andsick. Whenshe went into thedining room, shehad astrange feeling that something really bad might have happened. Whenshe looked ather watch, Maryrealized that she overslept andwas late forher own wedding. Shealso discovered that her wedding dress had been ruined. Maryfelt even worse andcalled anambulance. Thedoctors found it was anattempted poisoning andcalled Sherlock Holmes. Whenthedetective came tothe crime scene, heimmediately got aclue. Theoffender endangered Marys life andsecretly put sleeping pills into her cocktail. Whowas thecriminal?









Edgar Allan Poe




(January19, 1809 October7, 1849)

Some people are born under alucky star, while others are forced toresist theheavy blows offate all their life. Thats how theworld really works. However, weall must realize that hardships are apart ofthe precious gift called life. Theymake us stronger andwiser. Theypurify our souls. Asthe saying goes, When life gives you ahundred reasons tocry, show life that you have athousand reasons tosmile. Unfortunately, thelife ofEdgar Allan Poe was filled with losses, trials, andsadness andended in horrible tragedy. Hedied very young, buthe managed toleave asignificant mark onthe world ofliterature. Poes contribution tothe development ofdetective fiction was sogreat that, according tomany, without him, wewouldnt even have Sherlock Homes. Years later, SirArthur Conan Doyle would say that Edgar Poe was amodel forall time. Thelegendary writers last moments were thebiggest mystery covered indarkness. Thecauses ofEdgar Poes mysterious death are still unknown, though they have been thetopic ofpersistent speculation over theyears. Manytheories exist, including serious illness andeven murder. However, thecircumstances ofthe incident andthe sequence ofevents remain unclear. AsIsee it, theundisputed father ofthe detective story left behind him amystery sopuzzling that even themost illustrious detective Auguste Dupin, afictional character created byEdgar Allan Poe, wouldnt be able tosolve it. Lets together touch theenigmatic life ofthe greatest writer ofall time andthe man ofextraordinary fate.

Edgar Allan Poe, anAmerican writer, poet, literary critic, andthe inventor ofthe detective novel, wasborn inBoston, onJanuary19, 1809, into thefamily oftraveling actors Elizabeth andDavid Poe. Since childhood his life was full oftragic events. Thelegendary writer never really knew his parents. Justayear after Edgar Poes birth, hisfather abandoned their family andnever returned. Noone knows exactly about his fate, butreportedly he died thesame year thewriters mother did. Bythe age ofthree, little Edgar was orphaned. Hewas unofficially adopted byJohn Allan andhis wife Frances, awell-to-do childless couple. Hisolder brother Henry andyounger sister Rosalie went tolive with other families.

Poe was never reunited with his siblings asa family. Sadly, things werent easy forRosalie andHenry, asif fortune turned back onthem. Formany years, Henry sailed around theworld. Onreturning toBaltimore, hestarted writing short stories andpoems. Oneofhis works called ThePirate described thefirst relationship between Edgar Poe andhis adolescent sweetheart Sarah Elmira Royster. Unfortunately, Henry died very young, when he was just twenty-four years old. Interestingly, hissisters life was also covered inmystery andmisfortunes. Evenher exact date ofbirth was unknown. There was speculation that Rosalie was not thetrue child ofeither David orEliza Poe, andthat her real father was supposedly theprominent actor John Howard Payne. EvenEdgar Poe added fuel tothe fire when he once said that Rosalie was actually his older sister. Rumors persist that when Rosalie was still achild, awealthy resident ofRichmond left her anenormous fortune. Shewas thesole heiress inhis will, which gave rise tomany curious speculations, rumors, andlegends. Asfor her foster family, noone knows exactly whether she was treated like afamily member ormerely award. Unfortunately, Rosalies adult life was also afailure. Shewas said towalk thestreets trying tosell postcards ofher famous brother. AsIsee it, shewas devastated andscared. Being unemployed, itwas theonly possible way toearn her living. Shehad no one torely onand was left alone tosurvive inthis world. Eventually, shelost heart. Rosalie spent her last days ina charity home.

Lets go back tothe childhood ofEdgar Poe. Taking pity onthe baby, JohnandFrances Allan became his foster family, butthey never adopted him officially. Poeseemed tohave astrong bond with his foster mother, buthe couldnt find acommon language with his foster father. Infact, JohnAllan was awealthy merchant andwanted Edgar tofollow inhis footsteps. Hedidnt approve ofhis passion forliterature. Edgar, inturn, hadno interest intaking up thefamily business. Its not surprising that they didnt get along well with each other. Though its commonly believed that opposites attract, inreality, thereverse istrue. AsIsee it, Edgar Poe lived forhis ideas and, like most writers, needed inspiration andprivacy. Poewas adreamer who lived inhis little world, while his foster father was more down-to-earth andfocused onmaterial goods. Money had always been atouchy subject forJohn Allan, andhe often accused Edgar ofbeing ungrateful. Nomatter how complicated therelationship between Edgar andhis foster father was, hegot education atexpensive boarding schools. Frances Allan was thecomplete opposite ofher husband. Shealways gave Edgar care andattention andeven encouraged his desire tobecome apoet.

Inhis teens, Poefell inlove with his neighbor Sarah Elmira Royster. Theywere secretly engaged toget married soon. Unfortunately, their plans were not destined tocome true. Atthe time, they were too young: Sarah was fifteen andEdgar was sixteen. Besides, Sarahs father was against their relationship anddisapproved ofhis daughters choice. Later, Mr. Royster would confess that his disapproval was only because oftheir young age. Personally, Ibelieve that Edgar was seen asan unsuitable match forhis daughter because he was anorphan. So, when Poe went tothe University ofVirginia, hesent love letters tohis sweetheart but got no answer. Asit turned out later, Mr. Royster intercepted anddestroyed his letters, andSarah thought that Edgar had forgotten her. Heartbroken, shemarried Alexander Shelton, amerchant from awell-to-do family. Nobody knows how thelife ofEdgar andSarah would have turned out ifMr. Royster hadnt interfered with their relationship. However, its definitely clear that those events changed thecourse ofPoes life forever. Whatmay come asa surprise isthat fate brought them together anyway, butthat was many years later.

In1827, after ayear ofstudying atthe University ofVirginia, Poedropped out. Itissaid that money was not enough forEdgar topay forclasses, textbooks, anda room. Mr. Allan gave him about athird ofwhat he needed forhis studies. Itcould have been one ofthe reasons why he started gambling andgot into debt. Thesecond most probable reason could have been longing forhis lost love. Anyway, Edgar abandoned his studies anddecided not toreturn toRichmond. Youmight have guessed why. Hisfiance married another man, andthat was aterrible blow forhim. Heheaded back tohis birthplace city Boston. Iwonder why our hearts leap when we return tothe place where we were born orgrew up. AsIsee it, Edgar returned tohis hearth andhome toreflect onhis family andto find spiritual harmony. Besides, heseemingly decided toburn his bridges with his foster father. Having started his life afresh, Edgar worked atany job that would allow him some income. Yet, money was tight, andthings went wrong atwork. Whenhe realized that he had no means oflivelihood, Poeenlisted inthe army, hiding his real name andage. Itwas 1827, andhe was just eighteen. While serving inthe army, Edgar Allan Poe devoted his time towriting. Hisfirst literary work, ashort collection ofpoems called Tamerlane andOther Poems, waspublished anonymously (theauthor was listed asA Bostonian). Today, its believed that only twelve ofapproximately fifty copies ofthe collection still exist. Unfortunately, this work wasnt animmediate success.

He served fortwo years andeven became asergeant major ofartillery. However, like acaged bird who dreams offlying inthe sky, thelegendary writer was also dreaming offreedom. Hedidnt want toserve inthe army anymore. Whenhe revealed his true age andname, hiscommanding officer agreed torelease him onone condition: Poewas toget intouch with his foster father, butit was not that easy. Shortly after, itturned out that Frances Allan was seriously ill, andEdgar was unable even tosee her onher last journey. Herpassing away was abig loss forboth Edgar andMr. Allan. Thewriter felt he had towork things out with his foster father. Theywere able toreconcile but not forlong. Theywould have frequent fights anddisputes. Atthe end ofhis life path, JohnAllan didnt even mention Edgar inhis will.

In1829, Edgar Poe entered theU.S. Military Academy atWest Point but soon realized that it wasnt forhim. Whatdo you think happened next? Hewas expelled from theAcademy fordisciplinary reasons. AsIsee it, itwas away torebel against his foster father, teachers, orsociety. Hewas trying tofind himself, thepurpose oflife, andhis true calling bybreaking rules. Thatsame year, Edgar Poe headed toNewYork, where he planned tofocus onwriting stories. Nosooner had he settled ina new place than he received terrible news: itturned out that his older brother Henry was seriously ill. Edgar left everything andwent toBaltimore. Asthe saying goes, Every cloud has asilver lining. Fora short while he reunited with his relatives: hisolder brother, aunt Maria Clemm, andgrandparents. Unfortunately, shortly after, Henry died. Poehad ahard time, butall hardships, defeats, andsetbacks seemingly built his character.

His personal life was also clouded inmystery. Thegenius writer married his cousin Virginia Clemm, whowas many years younger than him, butthenature oftheir relationship was controversial. Somebiographers speculate that Poe treated his wife like asister, andhis mother-in-law, Maria Clemm, like amother. Onething isfor sure: theiconic writer finally found afamily. Virginia admired her husband. Shefilled his life with joy andmeaning. Shewould often follow him onwalks orsing songs forhim sitting bythe fireplace. Thelegendary writer taught her French andencouraged her totake singing andpiano lessons. Poes friends mentioned that he flourished after getting married. Thefamily was poor but happy, indeed.

Do you know that Edgar Poe had his muse? Hisinspirer was atortoiseshell cat named Cattarina. Poereally enjoyed Cattarinas company andwould let her sit onhis shoulder while he was writing. Whenhis wife Virginia became seriously ill, thecat would curl up inthe bed beside her. Historians believe that Cattarina became apart ofPoes family. In1847, Edgar suffered another terrible blow: Virginia died oftuberculosis. Hewas devastated andcouldnt cope with thepain oflosing his beloved wife fora long time.

After much suffering, fortune seemed tosmile onEdgar. Hebegan seeing his adolescent sweetheart Sarah Royster Shelton, whohad been widowed bythen. Itturned out that she had cherished thememory ofher childhood love forall those years. Poebecame engaged toher again, buttheir dreams werent destined tocome true thewriter died under suspicious circumstances. Notlong before he was tobe married, Edgar Allan Poe disappeared, andno one knew where he had been fornearly aweek. OnSeptember27, 1849, heleft his home inRichmond andhad togo first toPhiladelphia onbusiness andthen toNewYork toescort his aunt back toRichmond forhis upcoming wedding. Asit turned out, henever made it toeither. OnOctober7, Poewas found semi-conscious wandering outside alocal pub inBaltimore. Howhe could get there isstill unknown. Poenever gave any explanation about what had happened tohim, leaving crucial questions unanswered. Thelegendary writer was delirious andwearing someone elses cheap clothes: aspotted worn-out coat, apair ofold shoes, anda straw hat. Theman who found Edgar Poe recognized thewell-known writer andoffered his help. ThenPoewas taken tohospital where he spent his last four days. Thecause ofhis death remains amystery, asall medical records, including his death certificate, have been lost. Its known that Poe was kept ina windowless room, andthe only one who interacted with him was Dr. JohnMoran. However, thequestion about theaccuracy ofthe information provided byhim remains controversial. Poeissaid tocall out thename Reynolds, butits still unclear towhom he referred. There was much speculation about thecause ofhis death including rabies, murder, alcohol, andillness. Oneofthe most popular theories was that Poe was avictim ofcooping acommon pre-election tactic bywhich people were kidnapped onthe streets andforced tovote fora certain candidate against their will. Thistheory was supported bythe fact that Poe was found onElection Day. There were rumors that Poe drank himself todeath. However, thetruth was that, according tomany historians, Poecouldnt handle alcohol. Ithad been documented that after aglass ofwine he got drunk very quickly. Besides, aphysician who tested Edgar Poes hair samples claimed that he had been avoiding alcohol fora few months. Asfor therabies theory, some suggest that he could contract it from his cat Cattarina, whowent toher eternal rest within weeks after his death. Infact, atthe time there were no vaccines forpets. Another theory suggests that Poe could dieof theflu complications pneumonia. Afew days before his departure from Richmond, hevisited aphysician complaining ofillness. Surprisingly, hisfiance, Sarah, confirmed this theory, claiming that Edgar had afever anda weak pulse. There were also rumors that Poe was likely murdered bySarahs brothers, whowere against their marriage andmight have threatened Edgar. Thelegendary writer like his fictional characters may have disguised himself anddisappeared fora week, butwas eventually found andbeaten. However, none ofthese theories explain themysterious death ofthe greatest writer.




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notes








1


Spiritualism isa movement based onthe belief that souls ofthe dead can communicate with theliving through amedium.




2


 堖 ,        .


