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儿童英语读物 The Outer Space Mystery CHAPTER 7 A Thief in the Night

时间:2017-09-01 07:08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)

Violet leaned back with a contented1 sigh. Stars lay scattered2 against the velvety3 black like diamonds. She felt like she was part of the soft summer night.

Benny sat up. “I don’t see anything,” he said. “Except outer space.”

“You will,” Randy promised. “Keep your eye on the sky!” Then he added, “By the way, I have the scoop4 on a terrific story.”

Now Jessie sat up, interested. “What’s it about?”

But Randy merely put his forefinger5 to his lips. Then he left to join some other faculty6 members.

“Everybody’s got a secret around here! I wonder what kind of a story he’s writing,” Jessie asked Henry.

“Maybe it has something to do with Eugene’s and Mark’s discoveries,” Henry answered.

“But those are secret,” Jessie said. “Mark and Eugene won’t tell anyone about their discoveries until tomorrow.” The next day was the last day of the conference. The young astronomers7 would present their papers to the scientists.

Benny scooted to the end of his lawn chair. For once he wasn’t interested in the mystery. He wanted to see a meteor! “I haven’t seen one single falling star,” he complained.

“Where are they, anyway?”

“Be patient,” Henry told him. He was wondering if Mark Jacobs would make it tonight after all. He spied Eugene Scott sitting at the end of the front row with some other students.

Just then Mark rushed into the observatory8. He carried a folder9, which he placed on Randy’s desk.

“Ah!” said Dr. Porter. “Our narrator has arrived.”

“Sorry I’m late,” Mark said, clipping a small microphone to his shirt collar. When he spoke10 again, his voice was amplified11 so everyone could hear him. “Welcome to my Perseid meteor shower. Actually, this show appears every year about this time. I can’t really take credit for it.”

The audience laughed.

“While I’m talking,” Mark said, “please direct your attention to the east-southeast portion of the sky.”

“That way,” Henry whispered, pointing for Benny.

Mark continued his speech. “As you know, meteors are sometimes called shooting stars or falling stars. They aren’t really stars, but particles of rock or metal. We see them as a bright streak12 when these particles enter our atmosphere and burn up.”

“But they don’t always burn up,” Eugene put in.

“Right,” said Mark. “Sometimes a fragment can strike the earth. These are called meteorites14. Meteorites are usually small, like pebbles15, but they can be large. Once, a meteorite13 hit a house in Illinois. It went through the roof of the garage, the roof of the car, and was found embedded16 in the front seat.”

Benny had been staring at the sky so hard that his eyes were watering. Suddenly he saw a greenish flash.

“I saw one!” he cried, leaping from his seat.

“The first sighting of the evening goes to Benny Alden,” Mark said in an announcer tone. “Congratulations!”

Benny was pleased. He bounced excitedly in his chair.

“There’s one!” exclaimed Violet. “And another!”

“There’s a whole bunch over there!” Henry cried.

At once, the sky was filled with streaks17 racing18 across the sky in shades of orange, yellow, and emerald green.

“I never knew there’d be so many colors!” said Jessie.

“The Perseid meteors appear to come from the constellation19 Perseus,” Mark explained. “That’s how they were named. They are dust fragments from the tail of a comet. Of all the meteor showers throughout the year, the Perseids are the most spectacular.”

Jessie had to agree. The graceful20 streaks swooping21 across the sky were prettier than fireworks.

“How far away are they?” Henry asked Mark.

“Closer than you think,” Mark replied. “Some are only sixty miles overhead.”

“That’s not so far!” Benny said. “When the next one falls, I’m going to go out and get it!”

Grandfather laughed. “Sixty miles is a long way to walk, Benny. And remember, Mark said most meteors don’t make it to Earth.”

But Benny wasn’t discouraged. A meteorite would be a terrific souvenir to go with his snakeskin.

The show continued for another hour. The children tried to guess which falling star would disappear below the horizon first.

Violet found herself nodding off. It was so comfortable in the lawn chair. . . . Suddenly someone bumped the back of her seat. Whoever it was didn’t apologize for jostling her chair. And it was dark in the observatory. Anyone moving around could easily stumble.

She settled back once more. Through half-closed eyes, she was aware that someone was near the desk. Then the figure melted into the shadows.

When she felt a hand on her arm, she jumped again.

“Sorry to startle you,” Grandfather said soothingly22. “But it’s very late. You children should go to bed before you fall asleep right here.”

“I think I was snoozing,” she confessed, climbing out of the low chair.

Several people were getting to their feet. The meteor shower was nearly over. But a few were staying to look through the telescope.

In the lit hallway, the Aldens waited for Grandfather, who was discussing business with Dr. Porter.

Mark came down the hall, his folder under his arm. “Well, kids, how did you like it?”

“It was great!” Henry said.

“Tomorrow I’m going to go look for one of those meteor-things,” Benny said, yawning hugely. “A whole bunch fell tonight. I ought to be able to find at least one.”

“You just might,” said Mark.

“Did you finish your paper?” Jessie asked.

He tapped his folder. “In the nick of time.”

As Eugene Scott walked toward them, Mark smiled at him. “Well, tomorrow is our big day. Good luck, Eugene.” He stuck out his hand.

Eugene stared at Mark’s outstretched hand. Reluctantly, he shook it. “Same to you,” he said brusquely. He left without saying good night.

“He certainly isn’t very nice,” Jessie remarked.

Mark merely shrugged23. “Some guys are like that. They’re afraid somebody will steal their work or make a bigger discovery. I believe we should all work together for the good of science.”

Henry admired Mark’s attitude. “I think I’d like to be an astronomer,” he said. “When you look through the telescope, you could see something nobody’s ever seen before!”

“That’s right,” Mark agreed. “The possibilities are endless. You’d be good at astronomy, Henry, but it takes a lot of patience.”

“What about me?” asked Benny. “Would I be good at it, too?”

Mark said with a laugh, “You’d be good at anything you set your mind to, Benny Alden!”

Benny puffed24 his chest proudly. “You hear that? I’d be good at anything!”

“Except going to bed,” Grandfather said as he came up behind them, smiling. “I’ve been delayed, so you children go ahead to your rooms.”

“I’ll walk them down the mountain,” Mark offered.

“I’d appreciate it,” said Grandfather. “I’ll see you all in the morning. Bright and early — it’s the last day of the conference. And you all have a job!”

By now the rest of the spectators had left the observatory.

Mark led the way out the door. As he opened it, he dropped his folder. Papers scattered across the floor.

The children bent25 to help pick them up.

“Thanks,” Mark said, stuffing the papers back into the folder. “I’ll sort them out when I’m in my room.”

Henry gave him the last sheet. “This one’s blank,” he said. “I guess it’s an extra piece of paper.”

Mark held the paper into the light, frowning. “I don’t think I put any extra paper in here — just my document.”

Quickly he spread the other sheets on the floor.

“They’re all blank.” Violet gasped26. “What happened to your paper?”

Mark looked thunderstruck. He was speechless.

“Maybe you picked up the wrong folder,” Jessie suggested. “Randy probably has a lot of folders27 on his desk. Let’s go back and look.”

They dashed back into the empty observatory. Mark flicked28 on the light switch.

But Randy’s desk was neat. Only the sign-in logbook was centered on the blotter.

Henry checked around the desk, in case Mark’s folder had slipped behind. He found nothing.

Mark moaned. “My work!”

“Maybe it was an accident,” Violet offered. “There were a lot of people here tonight — someone could have put another folder on the desk and picked up yours by mistake.”

But even as she said the words, she didn’t believe it.

“Somebody must have stolen your paper,” Benny said direly29.

Mark nodded, like someone in a trance. “I’m afraid you’re right, Benny. Someone stole my paper.”

“But why?” asked Jessie. “Who could have done such an awful thing?”

“It could have been anyone,” said Henry. “People were walking in and out all evening.”

“The invitation wasn’t just for the college,” Mark said. “People from the town were here, too.”

Jessie examined the stack of blank sheets in Mark’s folder. “One thing is for sure,” she said. “The crime was planned ahead of time.”

Henry nodded in agreement. “The person was smart enough to bring blank paper to the observatory tonight. So he — or she — could leave it in Mark’s folder as a substitute.”

Mark’s face crumpled30 with despair. “My notes were in that folder, too. My whole discovery is lost!”


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 contented Gvxzof     
adj.满意的,安心的,知足的
参考例句:
  • He won't be contented until he's upset everyone in the office.不把办公室里的每个人弄得心烦意乱他就不会满足。
  • The people are making a good living and are contented,each in his station.人民安居乐业。
2 scattered 7jgzKF     
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的
参考例句:
  • Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来,塞进文件夹里。
3 velvety 5783c9b64c2c5d03bc234867b2d33493     
adj. 像天鹅绒的, 轻软光滑的, 柔软的
参考例句:
  • a velvety red wine 醇厚的红葡萄酒
  • Her skin was admired for its velvety softness. 她的皮肤如天鹅绒般柔软,令人赞叹。
4 scoop QD1zn     
n.铲子,舀取,独家新闻;v.汲取,舀取,抢先登出
参考例句:
  • In the morning he must get his boy to scoop it out.早上一定得叫佣人把它剜出来。
  • Uh,one scoop of coffee and one scoop of chocolate for me.我要一勺咖啡的和一勺巧克力的。
5 forefinger pihxt     
n.食指
参考例句:
  • He pinched the leaf between his thumb and forefinger.他将叶子捏在拇指和食指之间。
  • He held it between the tips of his thumb and forefinger.他用他大拇指和食指尖拿着它。
6 faculty HhkzK     
n.才能;学院,系;(学院或系的)全体教学人员
参考例句:
  • He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。
  • He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。
7 astronomers 569155f16962e086bd7de77deceefcbd     
n.天文学者,天文学家( astronomer的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Astronomers can accurately foretell the date,time,and length of future eclipses. 天文学家能精确地预告未来日食月食的日期、时刻和时长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Astronomers used to ask why only Saturn has rings. 天文学家们过去一直感到奇怪,为什么只有土星有光环。 来自《简明英汉词典》
8 observatory hRgzP     
n.天文台,气象台,瞭望台,观测台
参考例句:
  • Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
  • Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。
9 folder KjixL     
n.纸夹,文件夹
参考例句:
  • Peter returned the plan and charts to their folder.彼得把这份计划和表格放回文件夹中。
  • He draws the document from its folder.他把文件从硬纸夹里抽出来。
10 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。
11 amplified d305c65f3ed83c07379c830f9ade119d     
放大,扩大( amplify的过去式和过去分词 ); 增强; 详述
参考例句:
  • He amplified on his remarks with drawings and figures. 他用图表详细地解释了他的话。
  • He amplified the whole course of the incident. 他详述了事件的全过程。
12 streak UGgzL     
n.条理,斑纹,倾向,少许,痕迹;v.加条纹,变成条纹,奔驰,快速移动
参考例句:
  • The Indians used to streak their faces with paint.印第安人过去常用颜料在脸上涂条纹。
  • Why did you streak the tree?你为什么在树上刻条纹?
13 meteorite 2wNy1     
n.陨石;流星
参考例句:
  • The meteorite in Jilin Exhibition Hall is believed to be the largest in the world.吉林展览馆的陨石被认为是世界上最大的。
  • The famous Murchison meteorite smashed into the Australian ground in 1969.1969年著名的默奇森陨石轰然坠落在澳大利亚。
14 meteorites 12efd1ed528a28fe1f7cb667a7fbc1e0     
n.陨星( meteorite的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Small meteorites have left impact craters all over the planet's surface. 这个行星的表面布满了小块陨石留下的撞击坑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • One theory about the existence of extraterrestrial life rests on the presence of carbon compounds in meteorites. 地球外存在生命的理论是基于陨星上存在碳化合物质这一事实的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
15 pebbles e4aa8eab2296e27a327354cbb0b2c5d2     
[复数]鹅卵石; 沙砾; 卵石,小圆石( pebble的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The pebbles of the drive crunched under his feet. 汽车道上的小石子在他脚底下喀嚓作响。
  • Line the pots with pebbles to ensure good drainage. 在罐子里铺一层鹅卵石,以确保排水良好。
16 embedded lt9ztS     
a.扎牢的
参考例句:
  • an operation to remove glass that was embedded in his leg 取出扎入他腿部玻璃的手术
  • He has embedded his name in the minds of millions of people. 他的名字铭刻在数百万人民心中。
17 streaks a961fa635c402b4952940a0218464c02     
n.(与周围有所不同的)条纹( streak的名词复数 );(通常指不好的)特征(倾向);(不断经历成功或失败的)一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 );使布满条纹
参考例句:
  • streaks of grey in her hair 她头上的绺绺白发
  • Bacon has streaks of fat and streaks of lean. 咸肉中有几层肥的和几层瘦的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
18 racing 1ksz3w     
n.竞赛,赛马;adj.竞赛用的,赛马用的
参考例句:
  • I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
  • The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。
19 constellation CptzI     
n.星座n.灿烂的一群
参考例句:
  • A constellation is a pattern of stars as seen from the earth. 一个星座只是从地球上看到的某些恒星的一种样子。
  • The Big Dipper is not by itself a constellation. 北斗七星本身不是一个星座。
20 graceful deHza     
adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的
参考例句:
  • His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
  • The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。
21 swooping ce659162690c6d11fdc004b1fd814473     
俯冲,猛冲( swoop的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • The wind were swooping down to tease the waves. 大风猛扑到海面上戏弄着浪涛。
  • And she was talking so well-swooping with swift wing this way and that. 而她却是那样健谈--一下子谈到东,一下子谈到西。
22 soothingly soothingly     
adv.抚慰地,安慰地;镇痛地
参考例句:
  • The mother talked soothingly to her child. 母亲对自己的孩子安慰地说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He continued to talk quietly and soothingly to the girl until her frightened grip on his arm was relaxed. 他继续柔声安慰那姑娘,她那因恐惧而紧抓住他的手终于放松了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
23 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》
24 puffed 72b91de7f5a5b3f6bdcac0d30e24f8ca     
adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 );喷着汽(或烟)移动;吹嘘;吹捧
参考例句:
  • He lit a cigarette and puffed at it furiously. 他点燃了一支香烟,狂吸了几口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He felt grown-up, puffed up with self-importance. 他觉得长大了,便自以为了不起。 来自《简明英汉词典》
25 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。
26 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》
27 folders 7cb31435da1bef1e450754ff725b0fdd     
n.文件夹( folder的名词复数 );纸夹;(某些计算机系统中的)文件夹;页面叠
参考例句:
  • Encrypt and compress individual files and folders. The program is compact, efficient and user friendly. 加密和压缩的个人档案和folders.the计划是紧凑,高效和用户友好。 来自互联网
  • By insertion of photocopies,all folders can be maintained complete with little extra effort. 插入它的复制本,不费多大力量就能使所有文件夹保持完整。 来自辞典例句
28 flicked 7c535fef6da8b8c191b1d1548e9e790a     
(尤指用手指或手快速地)轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 ); (用…)轻挥; (快速地)按开关; 向…笑了一下(或瞥了一眼等)
参考例句:
  • She flicked the dust off her collar. 她轻轻弹掉了衣领上的灰尘。
  • I idly picked up a magazine and flicked through it. 我漫不经心地拿起一本杂志翻看着。
29 direly e49ab68e9fd394c95609165aed9d5e91     
可怕的,恐怖的; 悲惨的; 迫切的,极端的
参考例句:
  • living in dire poverty 生活赤贫
  • There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV. 曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
30 crumpled crumpled     
adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句:
  • She crumpled the letter up into a ball and threw it on the fire. 她把那封信揉成一团扔进了火里。
  • She flattened out the crumpled letter on the desk. 她在写字台上把皱巴巴的信展平。
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