Question

theme excerpt from sherlock holmes by arthur conan doyle holmes threw over a sheet of thick, pink - tinted notepaper which had been lying open upon the table. “it came by the last post,” said he. “read it aloud.” the note was undated, and without either signature or address. “there will call upon you to - night, at a quarter to eight o’clock,” it said, “a gentleman who desires to consult you upon a matter of the very deepest moment. your recent services to one of the royal houses of europe have shown that you are one who may safely be trusted with matters which are of an importance which can hardly be exaggerated. this account of you we have from all quarters received. be in your chamber then at that hour, and do not take it amiss if your visitor wear a mask.” “this is indeed a mystery,” i remarked. “what do you imagine that it means?” “i have no data yet. it is a capital mistake to theorizes before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. but the note itself. what theme does holmes address at the end of the excerpt? a people twist facts to better suit their opinions. b making assumptions can ruin your concept of a problem. c you should wait to make judgment once you have all the facts. d theories about people tend to be unfounded. why might the visitor wear a mask? a to hide his or her scars b to appear as someone else c to scare holmes d to hide his or her identity short answer: what text evidence supports the theme?

Explanation:

In the text, Holmes emphasizes the importance of having data before theorizing. He warns against twisting facts to fit theories. The theme is about waiting to make judgments until all facts are in. For the mask - wearing question, since the note is anonymous and the matter is of great importance, the most likely reason for wearing a mask is to hide identity. The text evidence for the theme is "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."

Answer:

1. C. You should wait to make judgment once you have all the facts.
2. D. to hide his or her identity
3. "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."