Question

name. in his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex. it was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for irene adler. all emotions, and that one particularly, were abhorrent to his cold, precise but admirably balanced mind. he was, i take it, the most perfect reasoning and observing machine that the world has seen, but as a lover he would have placed himself in a false position. he never spoke of the softer passions, save with a gibe and a sneer. they were admirable things for the observer-excellent for drawing the veil from mens motives and actions. but for the trained reasoner to admit such intrusions into his own delicate and finely adjusted temperament was to introduce a distracting factor which might throw a doubt upon all his mental results. grit in a sensitive instrument, or a crack in one of his own high-power lenses, would not be more disturbing than a strong emotion in a nature such as his. and yet there was but one woman to him, and that woman was the late irene adler, of dubious and questionable memory.

the narrator describes sherlock holmes as a man who:

• would never sneer about love.
• is an admirer of many women.
• prefers passion over reason.
• has a cold, precise, balanced mind.

Explanation:

1. The text states Holmes "spoke of the softer passions, save with a gibe and a sneer", so the first option is incorrect.
2. The text clarifies "there was but one woman to him", so the second option is incorrect.
3. The text explains emotions would "throw a doubt upon all his mental results", showing he prioritizes reason over passion, so the third option is incorrect.
4. The text directly describes Holmes as having a "cold, precise but admirably balanced mind", which matches the final option.

Answer:

has a cold, precise, balanced mind.