Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a name that every lover of English literature will always remember and cherish. He is the pen father of the extraordinary detective Sherlock Holmes and a number of detective stories.
Arthur chose to go to medical field and become a surgeon from the University of Edinburgh, and this is the place where Arthur met a person who influenced him to become a writer. It was one of his teachers Dr. Joseph Bell who was master at observation, logic, detection and diagnosis. All these qualities were later found in the character of the celebrated detective Sherlock Holmes.
1888 was a significant year that rocketed Doyle to fame with his novel which was named as ‘A Study in Scarlet’ in which he introduced his two immortal characters一Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. The story ‘The Sign of Four’was instrumental in establishing Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle in literature.
The writer tried to open a practice in Paris but not a single patient came to him, which proved to be a blessing in disguise. It gave him a lot of time to think. And it was here that he met an illustrator named Sydney Paget who created the image of Sherlock Holmes which captured the minds of the readers and made the detective famous all over.
Doyle's next creation was the delightfully violent Professor Challenger. 'The Lost World' which involved Professor Challenger was an immediate success.
Finally, because of his wife's illness, Doyle decided to devote his life to his previous work rather than writing. This was the time when he decided to end the stories of Sherlock Holmes, which he did in "The Final Problem",
The great Arthur Conan Doyle died at the age of 71 in 1930. He has left a legacy（遗产）to last us a lifetime and is still alive through his books and stories.
21.What was Conan Doyle's job in his early years?
A.A writer. B. A doctor. C. A detective. D. A professor.
22.How did Dr. Joseph Bell influence Conan Doyle?
A.By inspiring him to create Holmes.
B.By advising him to go to Paris.
C.By encouraging him to be a surgeon.
D.By teaching him the art of writing.
23.Which book made Conan Doyle a hit overnight?
A.The Lost World. B. The Sign of Four.
C. A Study in Scarlet. D. The Final Problem.
24.Which of the following best explains “a blessing in disguise" underlined in Paragraph 4?
A.Practice makes perfect.
B.Facts speak louder than words.
C.Failure is the mother of success.
D.Behind bad luck comes good luck.
