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?
8
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.
1 answer
C You should wait to make judgment once you have all the facts.
In the excerpt, Holmes emphasizes the importance of gathering data before forming any theories or conclusions, indicating that making assumptions without sufficient information can lead to misunderstanding the situation.
