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儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Orphan Train CHAPTER 5 Spotting a Leopard?

时间:2017-11-21 03:09来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

The children worked on the old desk all morning. After a lunch of grilled1 cheese sandwiches and coleslaw, they took a break to play Frisbee2 and cool off in the pond. It wasn’t long, though, before they were hard at work once more. When Benny stopped to rub his shoulder, Jessie spoke3 up.

“You’d better rest a while, Benny,” she advised, “or you’ll be sore in the morning.”

The youngest Alden didn’t need to be coaxed4. In no time at all, he was sprawled5 out on the floor nearby with a Wizard of Oz coloring book and a jar of crayons.

“Boy, this desk has taken a real beating,” said Henry, shaking his head.

Violet watched as her older brother ran a finger along a deep scratch in the wood. “I see what you mean, Henry,” she said. “I guess it needs a bit of a touch-up. You know, with some paint or stain.”

“Well, if you ask me,” said Jessie, stepping back to admire their work, “it’s looking pretty good.”

Violet went over and stood beside her older sister. “Now that you mention it, the walnut6 does have a nice shine to it,” she said. “I can’t wait to show Kate.”

“I wish we could solve the mystery for her,” said Benny.

“So do I,” agreed Violet. “I really like Kate.”

“Which mystery?” Henry wanted to know. “The mystery of Ethan Cape7 or the mystery of Thane Pace?”

Jessie laughed. “I guess we got more than we bargained for.”

“Two for the price of one,” Henry said, half-joking.

Violet pulled a clean rag from the wicker basket. “Maybe we should concentrate on one mystery at a time.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” said Henry. “How about if we stick with Thane’s rhyme?”

Jessie agreed. “At least we’ll have something to work with.”

Violet wiped away a cobweb from under the desk. “I have a funny feeling there’s more to that rhyme than Kate thinks.”

“You could be right,” said Henry as he rubbed wax into the wood. “It must’ve been hidden away for a reason.”

Benny was deep in thought. “You don’t think …” he said, and then stopped.

“Are you wondering if Thane really did take that money?” Violet asked in a gentle voice. Then she quickly added, “I’ve been wondering about that, too, Benny. But I have a strong hunch8 he didn’t.”

Benny turned to Jessie. “Do you think Thane was a thief?”

Jessie didn’t answer right away. Finally, she said, "No, I don’t.”

Benny looked up at his older brother. “What do you say, Henry?”

“Thane saved Sally’s life,” Henry answered, standing9 up straight. He arched his back and stretched. “I can’t believe somebody that brave could be a thief.”

“I don’t believe it, either,” said Benny, looking relieved.

“The important thing right now,” put in Jessie, “is to figure out that strange rhyme.”

Benny frowned a little. “What did it say again?”

Jessie smiled at her little brother. “Don’t worry, Benny,” she assured him. “I jotted10 it down in my notebook. We can check it out again later.”

Henry and Violet exchanged smiles. They could always count on Jessie to be organized.

Just then, Benny groaned11. “Uh-oh.”

“Oh, Benny, is your shoulder still bothering you?” Jessie asked him, a worried look on her face.

Benny shook his head. “My shoulder’s okay, but … I can’t find a green crayon.”

“Oh,” said Jessie, sounding relieved. “Well, just use another color.”

Benny shook his head again. “It’s the Emerald City, Jessie, and emeralds are green.”

Violet went over to check it out. After digging through the crayons, she said, “You’re right, Benny. No green.”

“Why don’t you call it the Ruby12 City?” Henry suggested, hiding a smile. “Then you can color it red.”

Benny thought about this. “I guess that’ll work.”

“Or …” put in Violet, “you can color it with a yellow crayon and then with a blue crayon.”

“Two colors?”

“Watch what happens, Benny.” Violet colored one of the towers in the Emerald City with a yellow crayon. Then she colored over it with blue.

Benny’s jaw13 dropped. “It turned green!”

“That’s what happens when you mix yellow and blue together, Benny,” Violet explained, smiling at her little brother. “The two colors make one brand new color—green!”

“Cool!” Benny was grinning from ear to ear.

Kate poked14 her head into the room. “Well, just look at that desk!” she said. “It’s amazing what can be done in a short time.”

“We’re almost finished here,” Henry told her.

“Well, I see you’ve added something new,” remarked Josh. He had come into the room behind Kate.

Kate couldn’t help laughing. “Actually, Josh, I’ve added something old,” she told him. “Come and take a look.”

“Well, it sure fits in nicely,” Josh said approvingly. Then he turned to his wife, who was trailing behind. “Don’t you think so, Vanessa?”

Vanessa nodded a little. Then she picked up a magazine and began to flip15 through the glossy16 pages.

“The desk belonged to my great-grandfather,” Kate explained. “I checked all the old photos, and this is exactly where it used to be. Right here in this very spot. And see that painting?” She pointed17 to a framed watercolor of green hills. “That painting always hung on the wall behind the desk.”

“It’s such a lovely landscape,” said Violet, who was very artistic18 and had an eye for beauty. “I’ve been admiring it all day.”

Kate smiled. “‘The Emerald Isle19’ is my favorite painting in the house.”

“The Emerald Isle?” Benny glanced over at the painting curiously20. “Is that like the Emerald City in The Wizard of Oz?”

Henry shook his head. “The Emerald Isle is another name for Ireland, Benny,” he said, putting an arm around his little brother.

“Yes, the artist was from Ireland,” put in Kate. “Margaret O’Malley loved painting the green hills of her home.”

“Oh, I get it!” Benny snapped his fingers. “Ireland has green hills, and an emerald is green!”

Henry gave him the thumbs-up sign.” You catch on fast, Benny.”

“Margaret O’Malley?” Vanessa tossed her magazine aside. “Never heard of her.”

“Oh, she wasn’t famous. No, not at all. Painting was just one of her hobbies,” Kate was quick to explain. “You see, Margaret O’Malley worked for the family when my grandmother was growing up.”

Vanessa was tapping her chin, her eyes fixed21 on the watercolor. “That’s just the right shade of green.”

Josh gave his wife a puzzled look. “The right shade?”

“To go with the chairs in our living room,” Vanessa told him. Then she turned to Kate. “I can write a check for it now.”

The children all looked at one another. They couldn’t help thinking that Lindsay was right. Vanessa seemed to want everything she saw.

“Nothing in this house is for sale,” Kate told Vanessa firmly. “Nothing at all.”

The young woman clicked her tongue, then turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.

Josh apologized for his wife’s behavior. “Vanessa can be pushy22 sometimes. But she has a good heart.”

After Josh left, Kate shook her head. “That man has his hands full, I’m afraid,” she said, keeping her voice low. Then, changing the subject, she reached into her pocket and pulled out some dollar bills. “Let me give you something for all your hard work.”

Jessie spoke up. “Please put your money away, Kate.”

“We like helping,” added Violet. And Henry and Benny nodded.

Kate hesitated for a moment, then tucked the money away again. “Well, then, let me treat you to a night out. After dinner we can catch a performance of The Wizard of Oz. How does that sound?”

It sounded wonderful. It wasn’t long before they were following a line of people into the theater. The children sat wide-eyed throughout the play. They could hardly believe they were right there in Kansas—Dorothy’s home. And when the actors took their bows, they joined Kate in clapping their hands as hard as they could.

It was late by the time they finally got back to Wiggin Place. After getting ready for bed, the Aldens met for a late-night meeting in the room that Violet and Jessie shared.

“Read it again, Jessie,” urged Benny, who was swinging his feet from the edge of the bed.

“Maybe it’ll make sense this time,” added Violet.

Nodding, Jessie opened her little notebook and read aloud. “Where leopards23 get spotted24/ a clue will appear./ Just take a look under/ the little dog’s ear.”

Nobody said anything for a moment. Then Jessie glanced up from her notebook. “Leopards get spotted at the zoo,” she pointed out.

“That’s true,” said Henry.

“Don’t forget about the jungle,” Benny reminded them with a big smile. “I bet you can spot plenty of leopards there.”

This made Violet think. “Wait a minute,” she said, looking over at her brothers and sister. “Where have we heard that before?”

Jessie looked puzzled. So did Henry and Benny.

“Oh!” Benny’s eyes widened as he suddenly caught Violet’s meaning. “That’s what Sally called the woods out back.”

“Exactly!” Violet nodded.

“Do you really think Thane hid a clue in the woods?” Jessie asked doubtfully.

“It’s possible,” said Violet.

“Even so,” Henry pointed out, “I’m not sure it’d still be there after all these years.”

“Maybe not,” admitted Violet. “But it’s worth checking out.”

Jessie and Henry weren’t sure about this. Still, it couldn’t hurt to take a look around the woods in the morning.
 


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 grilled grilled     
adj. 烤的, 炙过的, 有格子的 动词grill的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句:
  • He was grilled for two hours before the police let him go. 他被严厉盘查了两个小时后,警察才放他走。
  • He was grilled until he confessed. 他被严加拷问,直到他承认为止。
2 frisbee pzrz1     
n.飞盘(塑料玩具)
参考例句:
  • We always go to the park on weekends and play Frisbee.我们每个周末都会到公园玩飞盘。
  • The frisbee is a light plastic disc,shaped like a plate.飞盘是一种碟形塑料盘。
3 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
4 coaxed dc0a6eeb597861b0ed72e34e52490cd1     
v.哄,用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 );巧言骗取;哄劝,劝诱
参考例句:
  • She coaxed the horse into coming a little closer. 她哄着那匹马让它再靠近了一点。
  • I coaxed my sister into taking me to the theatre. 我用好话哄姐姐带我去看戏。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
5 sprawled 6cc8223777584147c0ae6b08b9304472     
v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词);蔓延;杂乱无序地拓展;四肢伸展坐着(或躺着)
参考例句:
  • He was sprawled full-length across the bed. 他手脚摊开横躺在床上。
  • He was lying sprawled in an armchair, watching TV. 他四肢伸开正懒散地靠在扶手椅上看电视。
6 walnut wpTyQ     
n.胡桃,胡桃木,胡桃色,茶色
参考例句:
  • Walnut is a local specialty here.核桃是此地的土特产。
  • The stool comes in several sizes in walnut or mahogany.凳子有几种尺寸,材质分胡桃木和红木两种。
7 cape ITEy6     
n.海角,岬;披肩,短披风
参考例句:
  • I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
  • She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。
8 hunch CdVzZ     
n.预感,直觉
参考例句:
  • I have a hunch that he didn't really want to go.我有这么一种感觉,他并不真正想去。
  • I had a hunch that Susan and I would work well together.我有预感和苏珊共事会很融洽。
9 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
10 jotted 501a1ce22e59ebb1f3016af077784ebd     
v.匆忙记下( jot的过去式和过去分词 );草草记下,匆匆记下
参考例句:
  • I jotted down her name. 我匆忙记下了她的名字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The policeman jotted down my address. 警察匆匆地将我的地址记下。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
11 groaned 1a076da0ddbd778a674301b2b29dff71     
v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 );发牢骚;抱怨;受苦
参考例句:
  • He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
  • The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 ruby iXixS     
n.红宝石,红宝石色
参考例句:
  • She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
  • On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。
13 jaw 5xgy9     
n.颚,颌,说教,流言蜚语;v.喋喋不休,教训
参考例句:
  • He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
  • A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。
14 poked 87f534f05a838d18eb50660766da4122     
v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 );戳出;拨弄;与(某人)性交
参考例句:
  • She poked him in the ribs with her elbow. 她用胳膊肘顶他的肋部。
  • His elbow poked out through his torn shirt sleeve. 他的胳膊从衬衫的破袖子中露了出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
15 flip Vjwx6     
vt.快速翻动;轻抛;轻拍;n.轻抛;adj.轻浮的
参考例句:
  • I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书,看来似乎很有趣。
  • Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。
16 glossy nfvxx     
adj.平滑的;有光泽的
参考例句:
  • I like these glossy spots.我喜欢这些闪闪发光的花点。
  • She had glossy black hair.她长着乌黑发亮的头发。
17 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
18 artistic IeWyG     
adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的
参考例句:
  • The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
  • These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。
19 isle fatze     
n.小岛,岛
参考例句:
  • He is from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea.他来自爱尔兰海的马恩岛。
  • The boat left for the paradise isle of Bali.小船驶向天堂一般的巴厘岛。
20 curiously 3v0zIc     
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地
参考例句:
  • He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
  • He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
21 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
22 pushy tSix8     
adj.固执己见的,一意孤行的
参考例句:
  • But she insisted and was very pushy.但她一直坚持,而且很急于求成。
  • He made himself unpopular by being so pushy.他特别喜欢出风头,所以人缘不好。
23 leopards 5b82300b95cf3e47ad28dae49f1824d1     
n.豹( leopard的名词复数 );本性难移
参考例句:
  • Lions, tigers and leopards are all cats. 狮、虎和豹都是猫科动物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • For example, airlines never ship leopards and canaries on the same flight. 例如,飞机上从来不会同时运送豹和金丝雀。 来自英语晨读30分(初三)
24 spotted 7FEyj     
adj.有斑点的,斑纹的,弄污了的
参考例句:
  • The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
  • Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。
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