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儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Hidden Beach CHAPTER 1 Welcome to Camp Coral

时间:2017-08-07 06:19来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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“Are we almost there?” Violet asked eagerly. She was wedged in the front seat between Grandfather and Henry as the rental1 car sped along the Overseas Highway toward Key West, Florida.

“We just passed Key Largo,” Grandfather told her, “so we have another couple of hours to go.”

“And we have a lot more Keys to go,” Jessie piped up from the back seat. “Sugarloaf Key, Eagle Key, Big Pine Key . . . ” She reeled off the names from a map that Soo Lee had spread across her lap.

“I hope we’ll be at Camp Coral in time for dinner,” said Benny, who was six. He loved to eat.

“The names are so pretty,” Soo Lee said. She stared out the window at the turquoise2 water that inched right up to the narrow ribbon of highway. The silvery blue-green Atlantic Ocean was on the left, and the Gulf3 of Mexico was on the right.

“I’m glad you came with us, Soo Lee,” Violet said.

“So am I.” Soo Lee was a seven-year-old Korean girl who had been adopted by Joe and Alice Alden, the Boxcar children’s aunt and uncle. She was looking forward to sharing adventures with her new cousins.

“I think we’ll see a lot of the islands and keys at Camp Coral,” Jessie assured her. “They have fourteen boats, and we’ll be on the water every day.” Jessie, who was twelve, was the most organized of the four Boxcar children, and she had read the camp handbook from cover to cover.

“I’ll be on the water, too,” Grandfather said. “Jake loves to fish and I expect we’ll be out catching4 blue marlin and snapper for dinner.” He had already explained to the children that he would be visiting his friend on Upper Matecumbe Key while they were at camp for a week.

“I bet you’ll have fun, Grandfather,” Violet said, resting her hand on Grandfather’s shoulder. Ten-year-old Violet Alden was a shy, sensitive child, who was very attached to her grandfather. She remembered the days when she and her sister and brothers were orphans5, living in a boxcar, and Grandfather had found them and given them a real home.

It was late afternoon when Henry, who was fourteen, spotted6 a small green sign. “That’s it,” he said excitedly. “Turn here for Camp Coral, Grandfather.” They left the highway and headed down a narrow dirt road bordered by a tropical jungle of mangrove7 trees and palms. A pair of white herons streaked8 across the sky, and a small deer darted9 across the road into a thicket10.

A few minutes later, they arrived at a collection of white stucco buildings nestled at the edge of a dazzling blue ocean. Two giant palms framed a nautical-looking sign: WELCOME TO CAMP CORAL. A piece of fishermen’s net was draped over one corner, and a thick coil of rope formed the words.

“We’re here!” Benny shouted. As soon as Grandfather pulled into the parking lot, Benny scrambled11 out of the car. Jessie and Soo Lee were right behind him.

“It’s just like I pictured it,” Violet said, turning to help unload the luggage from the trunk. A group of campers were paddling kayaks close to the shore, and two young girls walked by in wet suits. They were carrying goggles12 and flippers, and one of them waved to her.

“Why are they dressed like that?” Benny asked curiously13.

“They’re probably going snorkeling,” Grandfather told him. “Or maybe even scuba14 diving. They teach both here at the camp.”

“And we teach a lot of other fun things,” a young woman said, walking up to them. She was wearing cut-off shorts and a red T-shirt with the word STAFF printed on it. “I’m Melanie, the activity director,” she said, sticking out her hand to Grandfather. “And you must be the Aldens.”

Grandfather shook Melanie’s hand and introduced everyone. Then a loud bark made Melanie turn in surprise. “Oops,” she said, reaching down to pat a friendly-looking collie. “I forgot to introduce Bingo. He’s the camp mascot15.”

“We have a dog back home,” Benny said. “His name is Watch.”

Melanie smiled at him. “Then I’ll give you a special assignment, Benny. You can give Bingo his doggie treat every day after dinner. Would you like that?”

“You bet!”

“Now, after you say your good-byes, I’ll take you to your cabins.” She bent16 down to pick up one of the duffel bags lying next to the car.

“Good-bye, children,” Grandfather said, embracing each of the children in a big hug. “Have a wonderful time, and I’ll see you next week.”

“Good-bye, Grandfather,” Jessie said, somewhat sadly.

“We’ll miss you!” Violet added.

Grandfather started the engine and the children waved until the blue car had rounded a turn in the dirt road and was out of sight.

“Ready, everyone?” Melanie asked. “The boys’ cabins are on the right, and the girls’ are straight ahead.” Everyone trooped after her as she headed for a long white building and tapped on the door. A moment later, they stepped into a cheerful room lined with bunk17 beds. A braided rug was on the floor and fresh muslin curtains billowed at the windows. “Nobody’s here at the moment. I guess everyone’s in class or doing an activity.”

“In class?” Benny said, surprised. “I thought this was a camp.”

Melanie laughed. “Sometimes you have to learn things before you can do them.” She helped Henry and Benny unload their backpacks on two empty beds, and then pointed18 to the window. “Take a look outside.”

Violet pushed aside the curtains and saw a young boy wind-surfing over the glittering blue water. He balanced himself confidently on the board, handling the sails smoothly19 as he skimmed along. “Oh, it looks like fun. Can we do that?”

“Yes, you can, but first you have to learn how to do it safely,” Melanie promised. “That’s what I meant by going to class. You begin by practicing on dry land.”

“On dry land?” Benny wrinkled his nose. “I bet you don’t get very far that way.”

“No, that’s true. But if you fall, you only fall a few inches onto the sand.” She reached down to ruffle20 Benny’s hair. “We have a special wind-surfing simulator, Benny, and you feel just like you’re on the water. It’s a great way to practice.”

“With none of the risks,” Henry offered.

“Exactly.” Melanie moved to the door. “Now if you boys want to get settled, I’ll take the girls to their cabin.”

A few minutes later, Soo Lee, Jessie, and Violet were unpacking21 their clothes in a spotless cabin almost identical to the boys’.

Jessie sat down cross-legged on her bed, studying a thick booklet. “Wow, have you seen this activity list? They have classes in everything you can think of — marine22 science, scuba diving, snorkeling, canoeing . . . ”

“Oh, this looks good,” Violet said, peering over her shoulder. “We can sign up to visit the site of an underwater shipwreck23. Maybe we’ll find some sunken treasure.”

“I think that’s for the advanced students who know scuba diving,” Jessie said. “We’ll probably have to start with snorkeling and see how it goes.” She started to say more, but a hearty24 knock at the door interrupted her.

“Hey, have you seen this!” Benny barreled into the room, waving the activity booklet. “Henry and I have already picked out our favorites,” he announced. “Henry wants to learn underwater photography, and I want to learn ichy . . . ichy . . . how do you say this word?” He turned to his brother who was right behind him.

“Ichthyology,” Henry told him.

“The study of fish,” Jessie murmured.

“That’s right,” Benny said, bouncing on her bed. “I want to learn all about sharks.” He thumbed eagerly through the book. “Everything in here looks good. We can swim over a coral reef, we can learn all about dolphins and whales. . . . ” He scrunched25 his forehead in thought. “I don’t know what to do first!”

“I think I can help you with that decision,” Melanie said. The activity director was standing26 in the doorway27, checking her watch. “In just three minutes, the bell is going to ring for dinner. How about if I walk you over to the dining hall?”

“Dinner?” Benny scrambled off the bed so fast he almost tumbled on the floor. “Let’s go!”

Violet and Jessie laughed at the surprised look on Melanie’s face.

“You just named his favorite activity of all,” Jessie explained.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 rental cBezh     
n.租赁,出租,出租业
参考例句:
  • The yearly rental of her house is 2400 yuan.她这房子年租金是2400元。
  • We can organise car rental from Chicago O'Hare Airport.我们可以安排提供从芝加哥奥黑尔机场出发的租车服务。
2 turquoise Uldwx     
n.绿宝石;adj.蓝绿色的
参考例句:
  • She wore a string of turquoise round her neck.她脖子上戴着一串绿宝石。
  • The women have elaborate necklaces of turquoise.那些女人戴着由绿松石制成的精美项链。
3 gulf 1e0xp     
n.海湾;深渊,鸿沟;分歧,隔阂
参考例句:
  • The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
  • There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。
4 catching cwVztY     
adj.易传染的,有魅力的,迷人的,接住
参考例句:
  • There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
  • Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。
5 orphans edf841312acedba480123c467e505b2a     
孤儿( orphan的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The poor orphans were kept on short commons. 贫苦的孤儿们吃不饱饭。
  • Their uncle was declared guardian to the orphans. 这些孤儿的叔父成为他们的监护人。
6 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。
7 mangrove 4oFzc2     
n.(植物)红树,红树林
参考例句:
  • It is the world's largest tidal mangrove forest.它是世界上最大的红树林沼泽地。
  • Many consider this the most beautiful mangrove forest in all Thailand.许多人认为这里是全泰国最美丽的红树林了。
8 streaked d67e6c987d5339547c7938f1950b8295     
adj.有条斑纹的,不安的v.快速移动( streak的过去式和过去分词 );使布满条纹
参考例句:
  • The children streaked off as fast as they could. 孩子们拔脚飞跑 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • His face was pale and streaked with dirt. 他脸色苍白,脸上有一道道的污痕。 来自辞典例句
9 darted d83f9716cd75da6af48046d29f4dd248     
v.投掷,投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 );向前冲,飞奔
参考例句:
  • The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了,瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 thicket So0wm     
n.灌木丛,树林
参考例句:
  • A thicket makes good cover for animals to hide in.丛林是动物的良好隐蔽处。
  • We were now at the margin of the thicket.我们现在已经来到了丛林的边缘。
11 scrambled 2e4a1c533c25a82f8e80e696225a73f2     
v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 );攀登;争夺;(军事飞机)紧急起飞
参考例句:
  • Each scrambled for the football at the football ground. 足球场上你争我夺。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • He scrambled awkwardly to his feet. 他笨拙地爬起身来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 goggles hsJzYP     
n.护目镜
参考例句:
  • Skiers wear goggles to protect their eyes from the sun.滑雪者都戴上护目镜使眼睛不受阳光伤害。
  • My swimming goggles keep steaming up so I can't see.我的护目镜一直有水雾,所以我看不见。
13 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。
14 scuba YjDzRf     
n.水中呼吸器
参考例句:
  • I first got hooked on scuba diving when I was twelve.12岁时我开始迷上了带水中呼吸器潜水。
  • While on honeymoon in Bali,she learned to scuba dive.她在巴厘岛度蜜月时学会了带水肺潜水。
15 mascot E7xzm     
n.福神,吉祥的东西
参考例句:
  • The football team's mascot is a goat.足球队的吉祥物是山羊。
  • We had a panda as our mascot.我们把熊猫作为吉详物。
16 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的
参考例句:
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
17 bunk zWyzS     
n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位;废话
参考例句:
  • He left his bunk and went up on deck again.他离开自己的铺位再次走到甲板上。
  • Most economists think his theories are sheer bunk.大多数经济学家认为他的理论纯属胡说。
18 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。
19 smoothly iiUzLG     
adv.平滑地,顺利地,流利地,流畅地
参考例句:
  • The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作,所以工作进展顺利。
  • Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。
20 ruffle oX9xW     
v.弄皱,弄乱;激怒,扰乱;n.褶裥饰边
参考例句:
  • Don't ruffle my hair.I've just combed it.别把我的头发弄乱了。我刚刚梳好了的。
  • You shouldn't ruffle so easily.你不该那么容易发脾气。
21 unpacking 4cd1f3e1b7db9c6a932889b5839cdd25     
n.取出货物,拆包[箱]v.从(包裹等)中取出(所装的东西),打开行李取出( unpack的现在分词 );拆包;解除…的负担;吐露(心事等)
参考例句:
  • Joe sat on the bed while Martin was unpacking. 马丁打开箱子取东西的时候,乔坐在床上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They are unpacking a trunk. 他们正在打开衣箱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
22 marine 77Izo     
adj.海的;海生的;航海的;海事的;n.水兵
参考例句:
  • Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
  • When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时,他自愿参加了海军陆战队。
23 shipwreck eypwo     
n.船舶失事,海难
参考例句:
  • He walked away from the shipwreck.他船难中平安地脱险了。
  • The shipwreck was a harrowing experience.那次船难是一个惨痛的经历。
24 hearty Od1zn     
adj.热情友好的;衷心的;尽情的,纵情的
参考例句:
  • After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了,他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
  • We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。
25 scrunched c0664d844856bef433bce5850de659f2     
v.发出喀嚓声( scrunch的过去式和过去分词 );蜷缩;压;挤压
参考例句:
  • The snow scrunched underfoot. 雪在脚下发出嘎吱嘎吱的声音。
  • He scrunched up the piece of paper and threw it at me. 他把那张纸揉成一个小团,朝我扔过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
26 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。
27 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。
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