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儿童英语读物 The Gymnastics Mystery CHAPTER 1 The Girl from Russia

时间:2017-09-22 02:33来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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Six-year-old Benny Alden held up a sign with KATYA LUDSKAYA written on it. He watched anxiously as passengers walked through the airport doorway1.

“What if we miss her?” he said to his sister Jessie.

“We won’t,” Jessie replied. At twelve, she was the most organized of the Alden children. She had made the sign. “We know Katya is on this plane.”

“But we don’t know what she looks like,” Benny said. “And she doesn’t know what we look like.”

“That’s why Jessie made the sign,” said Henry, the oldest at fourteen. “Her coach told us Katya reads and speaks English. She’ll see the card and come over to us.”

Violet Alden leaned over Benny’s shoulder. The Russian girl they were waiting for was ten years old, exactly her age. She was as excited as her little brother to see their houseguest.

“The crowd is thinning out,” Jessie observed. “Katya was probably sitting in the back of the plane.”

“This was a long journey,” Grandfather said. “Katya flew from Russia to New York, then changed planes for this flight to Hartford. And we still have to drive home.”

In just a few days, their hometown of Greenfield, Connecticut, was hosting a gymnastics competition in the new Greenfield Sports Arena2. James Alden had offered to sponsor one of the foreign gymnasts. Many athletes relied on people like Grandfather to let them stay in their homes. Otherwise, they couldn’t afford to compete in other countries.

“That must be her!” Benny cried, spying a small blond girl. She wore a blue warm-up suit and carried a red sports bag.

The girl scanned the waiting area with worried blue eyes. Then she saw Benny holding the sign with her name on it and smiled with relief.

The Aldens hurried forward.

“Hi!” Benny said. “Are you Katya?”

“Yes, I am Katya Ludskaya,” the girl replied. “And you are Benny, yes?” She pronounced Benny’s name Bennee.

Grandfather held out his hand. “I’m James Alden, Katya. Welcome to the United States.”

“Thank you so much,” Katya said shyly. “This is my first time in your country.”

“Well, let’s get your luggage and drive home,” said Grandfather. “Then you can see more of America than the inside of an airport.”

Violet was surprised that Katya was only a little taller than Benny. She was enchanted3 by the Russian girl’s accent and her beautiful smile.

“I’m Violet Alden,” she said. “Can I carry your bag?”

Katya gave her the red sports bag. “Thank you, Violet.”

“I’m Jessie,” Jessie said as they rode the escalator down to the baggage claim area. “And this is Henry.”

“We’re glad you’re staying with us,” added Henry.

“I am so happy you are having me stay,” Katya said.

Benny half turned on the moving stairs to look back. “Mrs. McGregor is cooking a special dinner tonight for you. Hamburgers and french fries and pie!”

Katya seemed pleased and a little less shy. “Real American food! How wonderful.”

Downstairs, they walked over to the carousel4, where suitcases, boxes, and bags from Katya’s flight were going around on a conveyor belt.

“I hope I have not missed mine,” Katya said, concerned.

“Don’t worry,” said Henry. “It’ll take a while to unload all the luggage from the plane. What does your suitcase look like?”

“It is black,” Katya replied. “With squashy sides. I don’t know what you call it—”

“Is it like that one?” Jessie pointed5 to a green duffel bag.

“Yes, only black.” Then Katya cried, “There it is!”

But as she reached for the black duffel, a man with black hair and a yellow cap pushed past her and grabbed it.

“Hey!” Benny cried, but the man had already left.

Grandfather pointed to the carousel. “That bag belonged to that man. There are lots of black duffels, Katya. We’ll have to check them all.”

“This one is mine,” said Katya when another black duffel came around. “I am sure of it.”

Relieved that they’d finally found the right bag, Henry grabbed it quickly before it passed. “Got it.”

“Now we can go home,” Benny told Katya. “I hope you like our house. We have a dog named Watch, but he’s real friendly—”

“Benny,” Jessie said, laughing. “Katya will be with us all week.”

“That’s okay, Benny,” said Katya. “I want to hear about Watch and anything else you would like to tell me.”

Henry shifted Katya’s bag to his other hand. “We want to hear about your family, too.”

“What is your house like?” asked Violet.

Instead of answering, Katya said, “What kind of pie are we having for dinner?”

“Apple,” Jessie replied as they passed pay phones and lockers6 built into the wall.

She noticed the man in the yellow cap. He was hanging up the handset of a pay phone, the duffel on the floor by his feet.

Nearby a scruffy7-looking younger man with light hair slouched with a dog at his side. He looked as if he were waiting for the phone the older man had just finished using. The young man crouched8 down to pet his dog. “You hungry, Ralphie?” he said softly. “Don’t worry, boy, I’ll get you some dinner. Promise.”

Weird9, thought Jessie. There were at least a dozen unoccupied telephones. The scruffy young man was obviously making the older man nervous by standing10 too close. As the older man hung up the handset and stepped away from the phone, he backed into the Alden children and Katya.

“Sorry,” he apologized. Then, as his glance took in Katya, his eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost. As he quickly snatched up his bag and hurried out the door to the taxi line, a small key fell from his hand to the floor.

Grandfather was leading Katya out the same door.

Henry dropped back to speak to the others. “Did that guy seem weird or what?”

“Definitely weird,” confirmed Violet. “I wonder why he was staring at us that way.”

Jessie shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen him before.”

While his brother and sisters were discussing the stranger’s odd behavior, Benny picked up the tiny silver key he had seen the stranger drop. It had a small number 17 stamped on it.

Before Benny could mention his find, the young man with the dog rushed by them and out the door.

“Everybody’s certainly in a hurry,” said Violet. “I guess he’s afraid his mysterious friend will leave him.”

“Who knows?” Henry shrugged11. “We’d better hurry ourselves. Grandfather and Katya will be at the car by now. Come on, Benny.”

Benny slipped the key in his pocket and promptly12 forgot about it. He planned to sit beside Katya in Grandfather’s big station wagon13 and show her the sights.

Within minutes, the Aldens and their houseguest had left the airport behind and were heading toward Greenfield.

“The United States is so big,” commented Katya, looking at everything with interest. “And so pretty.”

“Russia is much bigger,” Grandfather said. “What part do you come from?”

“Oh, a little town near St. Petersburg,” Katya replied vaguely14. “The towns here are like pictures in a book. I can spell Connecticut!” And she did, proudly.

Benny was impressed. “Boy, I can’t even spell Connecticut, and I live here!”

Everyone laughed. Then Jessie and Henry taught Katya “Michael, Row the Boat Ashore,” and they sang the rest of the way to Greenfield.

As Grandfather pulled the station wagon into the driveway, the large white house came into view.

“Is this your house?” said Katya. “For just the five of you?”

“And Mrs. McGregor,” said Jessie, swinging open the car door.

“And Watch,” Benny added.

At that moment, the dog bounded out the front door, barking in greeting. Katya giggled15 when Watch eagerly licked her hand.

“He likes me!” she said, delighted.

Mrs. McGregor came out to welcome their guest.

“I hope your visit will be comfortable,” the housekeeper16 said, opening the door wide.

Katya smiled shyly again. “I am sure it will be.”

Upstairs, she stopped when she saw the guest room.

“Is this for me?” she asked in amazement17.

The room, which overlooked the backyard, was furnished with a canopied18 four-poster bed. A quilt sewn in pink and green blocks made the bed even more inviting19. Mrs. McGregor had arranged dried cattails in a green pottery20 vase.

“The bed belonged to Grandfather’s mother,” said Henry, putting Katya’s bag on the floor by the dresser. “It’s old.”

“But it won’t fall down or anything,” Benny put in, making them all laugh again.

Katya went over to the large window and drew back the lace curtain. “What is that?” she inquired. “It looks like a train car!”

“It is,” said Violet. “We’ll tell you about it at dinner. I’m sure you want to wash up and rest a little.”

Then the children left and went downstairs to help Mrs. McGregor with dinner.

In addition to hamburgers and french fries, the housekeeper fixed21 baked beans, hot dogs, and coleslaw. Two fragrant22 apple pies cooled on the countertop.

When it was time to eat, everyone filed into the dining room.

“Sit by me,” Benny begged Katya.

“All right,” said Katya, unfolding her napkin in her lap. “Everything smells so good!”

“Dig in,” said Grandfather, passing the plate of meat to the guest. “Mrs. McGregor outdid herself.”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” said Mrs. McGregor. “Just hamburgers and hot dogs.”

Katya speared a hot dog from the plate. “Where I come from, we never have two kinds of meat at the same time. Americans are so lucky! You are all rich!”

“Not all Americans are rich,” Grandfather said gently.

“And we didn’t always have a lot of food,” Henry broke in.

“And we didn’t always live in this house. In fact, we didn’t have a home at all for a while.”

Katya stared at him. “That is not so!”

“Yes, it is,” said Jessie. “You see, our parents died suddenly and we didn’t have anyplace to go. We didn’t know about Grandfather then.”

Violet took up the story. “So we found this boxcar in the woods and lived in that. Henry earned money for food.”

“Then Grandfather found us,” said Benny. “He had been looking for us, and we thought he was mean. But he isn’t and he took us to live here.”

Katya looked confused. “I do not understand.”

“My grandchildren heard things about me that weren’t true,” explained James Alden. “They hid in that boxcar. But then I found them and brought them here to live with me. We’ve been happy ever since.”

“And we’ve solved a lot of mysteries,” said Benny.

Grandfather laughed. “Benny is right. These four are quite good detectives.”

“What an amazing family!” Katya declared.

When dinner was over, the Aldens took her outside to show her the boxcar.

It was getting dark when they went back in the house.

“Katya, you must be exhausted,” said Mrs. McGregor. “Jessie and Violet will help you get settled in.”

Jessie led the way upstairs to the guest room.

Katya picked up her duffel bag and placed it on the bed. She unzipped the top, then gasped23.

“What is it?” Violet asked, concerned.

Katya pulled out a man’s tie. “This bag! It is not mine!”


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 doorway 2s0xK     
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径
参考例句:
  • They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
  • Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。
2 arena Yv4zd     
n.竞技场,运动场所;竞争场所,舞台
参考例句:
  • She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
  • He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。
3 enchanted enchanted     
adj. 被施魔法的,陶醉的,入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • She was enchanted by the flowers you sent her. 她非常喜欢你送给她的花。
  • He was enchanted by the idea. 他为这个主意而欣喜若狂。
4 carousel 6wKzzp     
n.旋转式行李输送带
参考例句:
  • Riding on a carousel makes you feel dizzy.乘旋转木马使你头晕。
  • We looked like a bunch of awkward kids riding a slow-moving carousel.我们看起来就像一群骑在旋转木马上的笨拙的孩子。
5 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。
6 lockers ae9a7637cc6cf1061eb77c2c9199ae73     
n.寄物柜( locker的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • I care about more lockers for the teachers. 我关心教师要有更多的储物柜。 来自辞典例句
  • Passengers are requested to stow their hand-baggage in the lockers above the seats. 旅客须将随身携带的行李放入座位上方的贮藏柜里。 来自辞典例句
7 scruffy YsWyG     
adj.肮脏的,不洁的
参考例句:
  • Despite her scruffy clothes,there was an air of sophistication about her.尽管她衣衫褴褛,但神态老练世故。
  • His scruffy appearance does not reflect his character.他邋遢的外表并不反映他的性格。
8 crouched 62634c7e8c15b8a61068e36aaed563ab     
v.屈膝,蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He crouched down beside her. 他在她的旁边蹲了下来。
  • The lion crouched ready to pounce. 狮子蹲下身,准备猛扑。
9 weird bghw8     
adj.古怪的,离奇的;怪诞的,神秘而可怕的
参考例句:
  • From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来,他好像有点怪。
  • His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。
10 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。
11 shrugged 497904474a48f991a3d1961b0476ebce     
vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀,什么也没说。
  • She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩,装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 promptly LRMxm     
adv.及时地,敏捷地
参考例句:
  • He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
  • She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。
13 wagon XhUwP     
n.四轮马车,手推车,面包车;无盖运货列车
参考例句:
  • We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
  • The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。
14 vaguely BfuzOy     
adv.含糊地,暖昧地
参考例句:
  • He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
  • He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面,对一切都视而不见。
15 giggled 72ecd6e6dbf913b285d28ec3ba1edb12     
v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The girls giggled at the joke. 女孩子们让这笑话逗得咯咯笑。
  • The children giggled hysterically. 孩子们歇斯底里地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
16 housekeeper 6q2zxl     
n.管理家务的主妇,女管家
参考例句:
  • A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
  • She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家,一家人吃得很省。
17 amazement 7zlzBK     
n.惊奇,惊讶
参考例句:
  • All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
  • He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。
18 canopied canopied     
adj. 遮有天篷的
参考例句:
  • Mist canopied the city. 薄雾笼罩着城市。
  • The centrepiece was a magnificent canopied bed belonged to Talleyrand, the great 19th-century French diplomat. 展位中心是一架华丽的四柱床,它的故主是19世纪法国著名外交家塔列郎。
19 inviting CqIzNp     
adj.诱人的,引人注目的
参考例句:
  • An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
  • The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人,使人感到亲切温馨。
20 pottery OPFxi     
n.陶器,陶器场
参考例句:
  • My sister likes to learn art pottery in her spare time.我妹妹喜欢在空余时间学习陶艺。
  • The pottery was left to bake in the hot sun.陶器放在外面让炎热的太阳烘晒焙干。
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 fragrant z6Yym     
adj.芬香的,馥郁的,愉快的
参考例句:
  • The Fragrant Hills are exceptionally beautiful in late autumn.深秋的香山格外美丽。
  • The air was fragrant with lavender.空气中弥漫薰衣草香。
23 gasped e6af294d8a7477229d6749fa9e8f5b80     
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要
参考例句:
  • She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
  • People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
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