英语 英语 日语 日语 韩语 韩语 法语 法语 德语 德语 西班牙语 西班牙语 意大利语 意大利语 阿拉伯语 阿拉伯语 葡萄牙语 葡萄牙语 越南语 越南语 俄语 俄语 芬兰语 芬兰语 泰语 泰语 泰语 丹麦语 泰语 对外汉语

儿童英语读物 The Outer Space Mystery CHAPTER 9 The Old Cabin’s Secret

时间:2017-09-01 07:09来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
特别声明:本栏目内容均从网络收集或者网友提供,供仅参考试用,我们无法保证内容完整和正确。如果资料损害了您的权益,请与站长联系,我们将及时删除并致以歉意。
    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

At first Rachel looked startled when she saw the children. Then her whole body slumped1.

“I knew you’d come sooner or later,” she said quietly. “You’re smart kids. It didn’t take you long to figure out where I was.”

“We stumbled on this cabin a few days ago,” Henry said. “It sure is hard to find.”

“The cabin belongs to my grandparents. It’s been in my family for generations. But when the land was bought by the college, my grandparents moved. They made the trail off-limits because it was too overgrown. They thought people might get lost. Hardly anybody knows it’s here now.” Rachel smiled. “You might as well come on in.”

Jessie glanced around. Rachel’s familiar pink sweater hung from a wooden peg2. Paper plates overflowed3 the trash can. She could smell sausage from the smuggled4 breakfast Eugene Scott had brought.

On the table in the center of the room stood a typewriter.

“Dr. Porter said you were at your grandparents’ house,” Jessie said to Rachel. “But you’ve been here all along.”

Rachel nodded. “I was there for one night but then I came here. Maybe the search teams covered this area when I was at my grandparents’ house.”

“Why are you hiding?” Henry demanded.

Rachel sank into an old rocker. “Make yourselves comfortable,” she said. “It’s a long story.”

Benny and Violet settled on the hooked rug in front of the fireplace. Jessie and Henry perched on the edge of the quilt-draped bunk5.

“I don’t know where to start,” Rachel said, spreading her hands helplessly.

Henry pointed6 to the project on the table. “Why don’t you tell us what you’re doing. Are you writing a book?”

She shook her head. “That’s Mark Jacob’s science paper. Eugene and I are redoing it so it looks like Eugene wrote it.”

The children were so shocked they could not say anything.

Then Jessie spoke7. “There’s a word for what you’re doing.”

“I know. Plagiarism,” Rachel said, looking defeated. “It’s just as bad as cheating.”

“You’re cheating?” Benny asked. He never cheated, not even at checkers. “Why?”

She brushed her bangs out of her eyes. “I’m not sure how I got in this fix. And I sure don’t know how I’m going to get out of it.”

Violet understood Rachel’s distress8. “Why don’t you tell us why you’re copying Mark’s paper?”

“That’s easy. For money,” she replied flatly. Then, haltingly, she began her story.

“I’ve always wanted to go to college, but my parents couldn’t afford to send me,” she said. “So my grandparents scraped together a little money. I also got a job here, cleaning dorms and waiting tables.”

“Are you going to be a scientist?” asked Jessie.

Rachel smiled sadly. “I hope to, someday.” She went on. “Most of the students here have rich parents. I guess I resent them. I really resent the lazy ones, like Eugene Scott.”

“If he’s your friend,” Benny said, “he’s sure a grouch9.”

“He’s not my friend,” Rachel stated. “Eugene wants to be a great astronomer10. He heard about Mark’s discovery and wanted to discover something, too.”

“So why didn’t he?” asked Jessie.

“He’s too lazy to do the work! Night after night, Mark would be up at the observatory11. Once, Eugene tried to stop Mark from doing his research by changing the log. Mark had to reschedule. I’ve never liked Eugene,” Rachel said. “And I’d never lift a finger to help him. But this spring the college raised their tuition rates. I needed money. And Eugene knew it.”

“What did he do?” Jessie asked.

“He wanted to break into Mark’s dorm room and find Mark’s notes. Eugene was dying to find out what Mark had discovered. He paid me to lend him my key ring.” Rachel’s voice became soft and regretful. “So I gave him my keys one night.”

Henry caught on. “It was the night of the cookout, wasn’t it? Eugene broke into our room instead.”

“I told Eugene which room was Mark’s,” Rachel said. “But he made a mistake and broke into the wrong room. By the time he figured it out, people were coming in from the storm. It was too late to search Mark’s room.”

“It gets worse,” Rachel continued. “Eugene offered me even more money to make a copy of Mark’s notes.”

“And did you?” Henry prompted.

“I was so busy working at the conference this week,” Rachel admitted. “But I finally got into Mark’s room one night and made a copy of his notes.”

“Was that the day you were really nervous?” Jessie guessed. She remembered Rachel dropping the tray at lunch.

“Yes! I spilled salad on your grandfather! I felt terrible, stealing from a nice guy like Mark. But was Eugene satisfied? No! He wanted me to write a draft of the paper! He offered me so much money I couldn’t say no.”

She told the rest of the story quickly. Eugene concocted12 a scheme. Rachel would disappear so she could write Eugene’s paper, using the stolen notes. Eugene joined the search party, even though he knew where Rachel was. He let everyone believe Rachel had truly vanished.

But on the day of the meteor shower, Eugene discovered that Mark had a second set of notes. He overheard Mark say he was going to redo his paper after the search.

Rachel went on. “Eugene figured Mark wouldn’t let his paper out of his sight once he finished it. He expected Mark to bring his folder13 to the observatory. So Eugene had another plan. While everyone was looking at the meteors, he switched Mark’s paper with blank sheets.”

“I saw him when he left,” Benny said, nodding. “His jacket looked lumpy.”

“How could Eugene ever pass off Mark’s discovery as his own?” asked Henry. “Surely Mark would recognize his own paper.”

“That’s right.” Rachel nodded. “We stayed up all last night. We had to change some of the sentences so it would sound like Eugene’s work.”

“I still don’t understand.” Henry was puzzled. “Mark could just say that Eugene took his paper.”

“But it would be Mark’s word against Eugene’s,” Rachel explained.

She hung her head in shame. “In just a little while, Eugene will present Mark’s paper and get credit for Mark’s discovery. And I helped him do it.”

Jessie stood up decisively. “Not if we hurry.”

The other Aldens leaped to their feet, always ready to take action.

“What are you going to do?” asked Rachel.

Henry confronted her. “If we’re going to get Mark’s paper back, we need your help. You’ll have to tell my grandfather and the others at the conference what you told us. Will you come with us?”

Rachel wrung14 her hands. “I don’t know. It’s only right, I guess. Why should Mark pay for my mistakes? But I’ll be thrown out of school! My grandparents will be so let down.”

“Not if you own up to it and tell the truth,” Jessie encouraged gently.

With a sigh, Rachel reached for her sweater hanging on the wooden peg.

Just then they all heard a noise outside.

Benny thought it sounded like feet scuffling in leaves. He raced to the door in time to see Eugene Scott tearing up the path. The folder was tucked under his arm.

“It’s Eugene!” he cried to the others. “He’s been listening to us the whole time! And he’s got the paper!”

The Aldens set out on the chase.

A fast runner, Henry took the lead. It was a tough uphill climb and he was surprised the heavier young man could run so fast.

Benny was right behind Henry. Being shorter, he could duck under bushes and take shortcuts15.

In no time, Henry and Benny had reached the fork in the trail. The girls soon caught up and all four raced down the main driveway.

“What happened to Rachel?” Henry panted to Jessie.

“I don’t know. I thought she was behind me and Violet. But she could have gone down another trail and got away. Rachel knows this mountain better than anyone.” Jessie felt disappointed. Even though Rachel had helped Eugene cheat, Jessie believed Rachel had been about to do the right thing.

“There’s Eugene!” Benny cried. He sprinted16 past the pillars and onto the campus. “He’s getting into his car! He’s driving off.”

The children watched in amazement17 as Eugene spun18 the little red sports car past them and barreled down the mountain.

Henry shook his head. “I thought he’d run into the main building. That’s where the conference is being held. He could still present Mark’s paper.”

“But he ran away instead,” Violet said.

“He’s probably scared of us,” Benny declared. “Because we know what he did.”

“Maybe,” Jessie said doubtfully. “But Eugene seems like the type who can talk his way out of anything.”

“And now he’s run off with Mark’s paper,” said Henry. He squared his shoulders. “We still have to tell everyone what Eugene did. It won’t get Mark’s paper back, but at least he’ll know what happened to it.”

The children rushed into the main building and down the hall to the auditorium19. Henry opened the door and they slipped inside.

The hushed auditorium was occupied by students. Grandfather was standing20 at the podium onstage, as if he was about to make an announcement. Several distinguished-looking men sat at a long table beside him.

Jessie nudged Violet. Mark was sitting dejectedly off to one side. How terrible he must feel, Jessie thought, knowing his big day was ruined.

“Let’s go,” she whispered to her sister.

Violet suddenly felt shy. There were so many people! “What are we going to say?”

“We’ll just tell them what we know,” said Benny.

“You know how grown-ups are,” Violet pointed out. “They might not believe us.” Several times in the past, the Aldens had discovered something important, only to be ignored by adults.

The door opened behind them.

“But they’ll believe me,” said a figure in a pink sweater.

Rachel Cunningham smiled, then led the children down the aisle21 toward the stage.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 slumped b010f9799fb8ebd413389b9083180d8d     
大幅度下降,暴跌( slump的过去式和过去分词 ); 沉重或突然地落下[倒下]
参考例句:
  • Sales have slumped this year. 今年销售量锐减。
  • The driver was slumped exhausted over the wheel. 司机伏在方向盘上,疲惫得睡着了。
2 peg p3Fzi     
n.木栓,木钉;vt.用木钉钉,用短桩固定
参考例句:
  • Hang your overcoat on the peg in the hall.把你的大衣挂在门厅的挂衣钩上。
  • He hit the peg mightily on the top with a mallet.他用木槌猛敲木栓顶。
3 overflowed 4cc5ae8d4154672c8a8539b5a1f1842f     
溢出的
参考例句:
  • Plates overflowed with party food. 聚会上的食物碟满盘盈。
  • A great throng packed out the theater and overflowed into the corridors. 一大群人坐满剧院并且还有人涌到了走廊上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 smuggled 3cb7c6ce5d6ead3b1e56eeccdabf595b     
水货
参考例句:
  • The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Those smuggled goods have been detained by the port office. 那些走私货物被港务局扣押了。 来自互联网
5 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。
6 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。
7 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。
8 distress 3llzX     
n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛
参考例句:
  • Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
  • Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。
9 grouch fQ0z8     
n.牢骚,不满;v.抱怨
参考例句:
  • He's always having a grouch about something.他总是发脾气抱怨这个抱怨那个。
  • One of the biggest grouches is the new system of payment.人们抱怨最多的一点就是这种新的支付方式。
10 astronomer DOEyh     
n.天文学家
参考例句:
  • A new star attracted the notice of the astronomer.新发现的一颗星引起了那位天文学家的注意。
  • He is reputed to have been a good astronomer.他以一个优秀的天文学者闻名于世。
11 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。
12 concocted 35ea2e5fba55c150ec3250ef12828dd2     
v.将(尤指通常不相配合的)成分混合成某物( concoct的过去式和过去分词 );调制;编造;捏造
参考例句:
  • The soup was concocted from up to a dozen different kinds of fish. 这种汤是用多达十几种不同的鱼熬制而成的。
  • Between them they concocted a letter. 他们共同策划写了一封信。 来自《简明英汉词典》
13 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。
14 wrung b11606a7aab3e4f9eebce4222a9397b1     
绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 ); 握紧(尤指别人的手); 把(湿衣服)拧干; 绞掉(水)
参考例句:
  • He has wrung the words from their true meaning. 他曲解这些字的真正意义。
  • He wrung my hand warmly. 他热情地紧握我的手。
15 shortcuts ebf87251d092a6de9c12cc3e85c1707a     
n.捷径( shortcut的名词复数 );近路;快捷办法;被切短的东西(尤指烟草)
参考例句:
  • In other words, experts want shortcuts to everything. 换句话说,专家需要所有的快捷方式。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
  • Offer shortcuts from the Help menu. 在帮助菜单中提供快捷方式。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
16 sprinted cbad7fd28d99bfe76a3766a4dd081936     
v.短距离疾跑( sprint的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He sprinted for the line. 他向终点线冲去。
  • Sergeant Horne sprinted to the car. 霍恩中士全力冲向那辆汽车。 来自辞典例句
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 spun kvjwT     
v.纺,杜撰,急转身
参考例句:
  • His grandmother spun him a yarn at the fire.他奶奶在火炉边给他讲故事。
  • Her skilful fingers spun the wool out to a fine thread.她那灵巧的手指把羊毛纺成了细毛线。
19 auditorium HO6yK     
n.观众席,听众席;会堂,礼堂
参考例句:
  • The teacher gathered all the pupils in the auditorium.老师把全体同学集合在礼堂内。
  • The stage is thrust forward into the auditorium.舞台向前突出,伸入观众席。
20 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。
21 aisle qxPz3     
n.(教堂、教室、戏院等里的)过道,通道
参考例句:
  • The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
  • The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。
本文本内容来源于互联网抓取和网友提交,仅供参考,部分栏目没有内容,如果您有更合适的内容,欢迎点击提交分享给大家。
------分隔线----------------------------
顶一下
(0)
0%
踩一下
(0)
0%
最新评论 查看所有评论
发表评论 查看所有评论
请自觉遵守互联网相关的政策法规,严禁发布色情、暴力、反动的言论。
评价:
表情:
验证码:
听力搜索
推荐频道
论坛新贴