Baskerville Hound - Bedside English Learning Reader II (Pure English Version)

Author: Conan Doyle
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: Renowned figures and experts in the English-speaking world discuss reading. Dry English is not good; don't always put improving English as the sole purpose of reading. Reading is primarily about absorbing knowledge, and in the process of absorbing knowledge, the language is naturally absorbed. Thinking in English is a goal many English learners aspire to, as it is the foundation for expressing thoughts fluently in English. For Chinese students living in a non-English environment, it is indeed very difficult to think partly or entirely in English, but it is not an unattainable goal. From my own experience learning English, I have found that persistent extensive reading is one of the most effective ways to achieve this goal. For intermediate and advanced English learners, I particularly recommend English easy readers. The material should be easy to understand, with a strong narrative element, and the reading speed should be as fast as possible. The more you read, the better. This is a tried-and-true method for learning English.
On a beautiful morning in September, the brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes received a visit request from a doctor named James Mortimer. At 10:30 a.m., Dr. Mortimer arrived as scheduled, accompanied by a bundle of mysterious manuscripts from the late Charles Baskerville, the Earl of Baskerville. The letter told the story of how Hugo Baskerville, an ancestor of the Baskerville family, had committed misdeeds a hundred years ago and ultimately met his demise at the jaws of the legendary, ferocious Baskerville hound. Since then, the Baskerville family has been shrouded in the shadow of the crimes committed by their ancestor, with successive heirs to the family throne dying in mysterious and terrifying ways. At first, Holmes was not particularly interested in Dr. Mortimer's story, dismissing it as just an interesting legend. However, as Dr. Mortimer gradually explained the doubts surrounding the cause of death of Sir Charles Baskerville, Holmes decided to get involved in the case. He realized that it was not only about uncovering the true cause of death of the late Earl Charles but also about the safety of Henry Baskerville, the next heir to Baskerville Hall.
Under Holmes's clever arrangement, his loyal partner, Dr. Watson, accompanied Sir Henry back to Baskerville Hall. During their time at Baskerville Hall, Watson encountered a series of strange events—such as the heartbreaking cries of a woman at midnight, the suspicious movements of the butler, Mr. Barrymore, at night, and the fragments of a letter that Sir Charles had not completely burned before his death, among others. These mysteries left him perplexed. Just as he was about to delve deeper into the heart of the matter, he unexpectedly encountered Holmes, who had seemingly appeared from nowhere. It turned out that Holmes had deliberately avoided attention to uncover the secrets of the legendary, terrifying hound and the tragedy at Baskerville Hall. He had been hiding alone in the remote marshes, enduring storms, solitude, and the cold. Meanwhile, the cunning criminal could no longer resist and began to surface, eagerly mistaking an escaped convict dressed as Sir Henry for the target and killing him. This further confirmed Holmes's suspicions.
Determined, Holmes used Sir Henry to lure out the real culprit—Stapleton. It turned out that Stapleton was Roger Baskerville, the son of the late Earl Charles's younger brother, who had recently moved to Devonshire two years ago. Many years ago, people had mistakenly believed that the fugitive Roger had died in South America, but in reality, he had not died and had even had a son named Roger—Stapleton. Stapleton knew that if both Charles and Henry were dead, he would inherit the vast wealth of the Baskerville family. Therefore, he ruthlessly used the legend of the Baskerville hound to murder his own relatives. He first used the vicious dog to scare to death the elderly and frail Sir Charles, and then attempted to have the dog attack Sir Henry. However, Holmes ultimately exposed his schemes, and with the help of Watson and the police, they killed the terrifying hound. Stapleton also fled in the dead of night, his fate remaining uncertain.