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儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Runaway Ghost CHAPTER 1 Shadowbox

时间:2017-11-10 05:58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)

“Grandfather should be home soon,” said six-year-old Benny. He pressed his nose against the living room window. “Any minute now, we’ll find out about the surprise!” He sounded excited.

Ten-year-old Violet came up behind her younger brother. “I wonder what kind of surprise it is.” She looked out the window, too. There was no sign of Grandfather yet.

Jessie, who was twelve, was placing napkins around the dining room table. “It’s not like Grandfather to be so mysterious,” she said. “Tell us again what he said on the phone, Henry.”

“He didn’t say much,” said Henry, as he poured lemonade into tall glasses. “He wouldn’t even give me a hint. He just said he was bringing home pizza for dinner — pizza and a surprise.” At fourteen, Henry was the oldest of the Alden children.

“One thing’s for sure,” said Jessie. “Grandfather’s surprises are always fun.”

At that, Watch, the family dog, looked up and barked in agreement.

Violet had a faraway look in her eye. “Remember when Grandfather surprised us with the boxcar?”

The others nodded and smiled. After their parents died, the four Alden children had run away. They discovered an abandoned boxcar in the woods and made it their home. Then their grandfather, James Alden, found them and brought them to live with him in his big white house in Greenfield. He had the boxcar moved to his backyard as a special surprise for his grandchildren. The Aldens often used the boxcar as a clubhouse.

“Well, surprises always make me hungry,” Benny said. “I hope Grandfather gets a really big pizza.”

“Oh, Benny!” Jessie laughed. “Everything makes you hungry.”

Just then, James Alden walked in the door. He was holding a pizza box from Joe’s Restaurant. “Ready to dig in?” he asked, smiling fondly at his grandchildren. “I ordered an extra-large topped with special tomato sauce, extra cheese, and pepperoni.”

Benny let out a cheer. “That’s my favorite kind!”

The children forgot all about the surprise for a while as they helped themselves to pizza. Finally, Grandfather sat back in his chair and said, “Are you ready to hear my news?”

Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny looked up expectantly. “Yes! What is it, Grandfather?” Violet asked.

“I was talking to my friend Fran Russell today. I have some business to take care of in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, and I thought I’d stop by to see her while I’m there.” Grandfather took a sip1 of his lemonade. “She invited the four of you to come with me and spend a few days with her at Shadowbox. What do you think?”

Everyone thought it was a great idea. The children had often heard their grandfather speak of his good friend Fran and her old stone house, Shadowbox.

“Shadowbox sure is a weird2 name for a house,” Benny said.

“The name fits, Benny,” said Grandfather, smiling over at his youngest grandson. “When you see the house, you’ll know what I mean.” He helped himself to another slice of pizza.

Henry was curious. “How old is Shadowbox, Grandfather?”

Grandfather took a bite of his pizza and chewed thoughtfully for a moment. Then he said, “As I recall, Fran’s ancestors built Shadowbox back in the 1850s. It’s been in the family ever since. Fran takes great pride in her home,” he added. “And in the family ghost.”

The children all looked at their grandfather in surprise. “The family what?” said Benny his eyes round.

Grandfather’s eyes crinkled with amusement. “According to the story, Shadowbox is haunted3 by a runaway4 ghost.”

“What do you mean?” asked Henry.

“Is the ghost one of Fran’s ancestors?” Jessie asked at the same time.

Then Violet chimed in, “What kind of ghost runs away?”

Grandfather couldn’t help laughing as he held up a hand to slow them down. “You’ll hear all about the runaway ghost when you get to Shadowbox.”

Benny wiped tomato sauce from his chin. “Won’t you tell us now?” he pleaded5.

Grandfather shook his head. “Fran loves to tell visitors about the family ghost. I don’t want to spoil it for her.”

Benny was deep in thought. “Do you think it’s true?” he said at last. “Do you think Shadowbox is haunted?” He sounded uneasy6.

“I doubt it, Benny,” Grandfather said. “But Fran enjoys entertaining people, and a good ghost story is bound to get everyone’s attention.”

“It sure got our attention!” said Henry.

Benny nodded as he took the last bite of his pizza. “I can’t wait to hear more about it.”

“Well, you won’t have to wait long,” Grandfather told him. “Our flight leaves the day after tomorrow.”

“Cedarburg isn’t much farther,” Jessie said, studying the map unfolded on her lap. She was sitting in the front seat of the car Grandfather rented at the airport.

The Aldens looked out the windows at the peaceful Wisconsin countryside. Rolling fields stretched for miles, broken only by big red barns and old stone houses. “Wow, there sure are a lot of cows around here,” Benny noticed.

“Wisconsin is the land of the dairy cow,” Grandfather told him. “As a matter of fact, there are more cows here than in any other state.”

As Jessie admired a field of wildflowers, she thought of something. “Does Fran still make her own greeting cards?” she asked, remembering the beautiful card Grandfather had received on his birthday. It had been decorated with a border of pressed flowers.

Grandfather nodded. “Pressing flowers has always been a hobby of Fran’s. A few years ago, after her husband died, she decided7 to turn her hobby into a small business. She put her greeting cards on display in a local gallery. Now they’re selling like hotcakes.”

“Wow, I guess Fran doesn’t have to worry about money,” Benny said.

“Her greeting card business helps pay the monthly bills,” Grandfather replied, “but that’s about all. Something always needs fixing in an old house, and it can be very costly8. That’s why Fran decided to take in a boarder for the summer — someone who pays to live with her. Her son wasn’t very happy about it, but she needed the extra money.”

“Why wasn’t her son happy about it?” Henry wondered.

“From what I hear, Nelson thinks his mother is working too hard. And he’s not happy that she spends most of her hard-earned money trying to keep the old house in shape. He doesn’t see the point to it. The truth is, he’s never shared his mother’s fondness for the past. Now that he has a brand-new house of his own, he wants Fran to sell Shadowbox and move in with him.”

“Sell Shadowbox?” cried Violet. “But that’s Fran’s home!”

“Oh, Fran’s made it clear she has no intentions of selling,” Grandfather assured Violet. “She loves Shadowbox too much for that. But it has caused some hard feelings between mother and son.”

Before long, the Aldens were driving through the town of Cedarburg. Old cream-brick buildings lined both sides of the street. Tourists strolled9 along the sidewalks and in and out of the little shops.

In no time at all, they were pulling into a long driveway. At the end of the driveway was an old stone house nestled among the tall trees.

“Look, it’s Shadowbox!” cried Benny.

“It sure is,” said Grandfather, slowing to a stop. He waved to a tall, silver-haired lady rushing over to greet them. Everyone scrambled10 out of the car.

“It’s good to see you, Fran!” Grandfather gave his friend a warm hug. “It’s been too long between visits.”

“You can say that again, James!” Fran’s blue eyes were sparkling11. “And these must be your wonderful grandchildren.” The lace12 collar on her lilac dress fluttered13 in the breeze.

Grandfather smiled proudly as he introduced Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny. They all shook hands with Fran. “It’s very nice to meet you,” said Jessie, speaking for them all.

“Now I know why your house is called Shadowbox,” Benny piped up. “It’s shaped just like a big box, and it’s hidden in the shadows of the trees.”

“Exactly — yes!” said Fran, who seemed delighted that Benny had figured it out.

Benny grinned.

Glancing at his watch, Grandfather said, “I hate to rush off, but I have a dinner meeting to attend.”

Fran waved that away. “You’re here on business, James. I know that.”

Grandfather lifted the suitcases from the car. “I should have everything wrapped up in a few days,” he said, smiling at his friend. “Then we’ll have time for a nice visit.”

Fran smiled back. “I’ll look forward to it.”

The children waved good-bye to their grandfather, then they followed Fran into the house. As they set their suitcases down in the front hall, she turned to them. “Your grandfather tells me you’re real experts at solving mysteries.”

Benny beamed. “That’s our specialty14.”

“We have solved quite a few,” admitted Henry.

Fran was quiet for a moment, then she said, “The thing is, a mystery fell into my lap the other day. And I’m completely baffled15 by it.”

“We’d love to help,” offered Violet. And the others nodded eagerly.

Fran smiled gratefully. “I’ll tell you about it after dinner,” she promised. “But right now, it’s time to introduce you to the runaway ghost.”

The Aldens looked at one another in amazement16. Were they about to meet a real ghost?


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 sip Oxawv     
v.小口地喝,抿,呷;n.一小口的量
参考例句:
  • She took a sip of the cocktail.她啜饮一口鸡尾酒。
  • Elizabeth took a sip of the hot coffee.伊丽莎白呷了一口热咖啡。
2 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。
3 haunted 5rEz4M     
adj.闹鬼的;受到折磨的;令人烦恼的v.“haunt”的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • There was a haunted look in his eyes. 他眼中透露出忧虑的神色。
  • The country is haunted by the spectre of civil war. 内战仿佛一触即发,举国上下一片恐慌。
4 runaway jD4y5     
n.逃走的人,逃亡,亡命者;adj.逃亡的,逃走的
参考例句:
  • The police have not found the runaway to date.警察迄今没抓到逃犯。
  • He was praised for bringing up the runaway horse.他勒住了脱缰之马受到了表扬。
5 pleaded 1180b0c3eadb43bd3420016b36aaf0a9     
恳求,请求( plead的过去式和过去分词 ); 提出…为借口[理由]; (向法庭)陈述案情; (在法庭)申辩,认罪,辩护
参考例句:
  • She pleaded with him not to go. 她恳求他不要离开。
  • She wept and pleaded until he agreed to do as she wished. 她哭着恳求他,一直到他答应按她的愿望去做。
6 uneasy 8kDwf     
adj.心神不安的,担心的,令人不安的
参考例句:
  • He feels uneasy today.他今天心里感到不安。
  • She had an uneasy feeling that they were still following her.她有一种他们仍在跟踪她的不安感觉。
7 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
8 costly 7zXxh     
adj.昂贵的,价值高的,豪华的
参考例句:
  • It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
  • This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用,左不过贵了些。
9 strolled 10b0ab683f076d7593871dcd48c0b2b6     
散步(stroll的过去式形式)
参考例句:
  • They strolled through the park, with arms entwined. 他们挽着胳膊漫步穿过公园。
  • They strolled down to the waterside. 他们漫步向水边走去。
10 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》
11 sparkling xvYwy     
adj.发火花的,闪亮的;灿烂的,活泼的;闪闪发光的,闪烁的;起泡沫的v.闪光,闪耀(sparkle的现在分词)
参考例句:
  • the calm and sparkling waters of the lake 平静的波光粼粼的湖水
  • Other sparkling wines are often considered the poor relations of champagne. 其他起泡的葡萄酒通常被认为较香槟酒为次。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 lace 1xvyE     
n.饰带,花边,缎带;v.结带子,饰以花边
参考例句:
  • She let a piece of lace into her dress.她在衣服上镶了一块花边。
  • The bride is wearing a wedding dress made of lace.新娘穿一件蕾丝婚纱。
13 fluttered 85b1a29c3fca2cf40850cc8ee4dc354e     
v.飘动( flutter的过去式和过去分词 );(心)快速跳动;振翼,拍翅膀
参考例句:
  • Flags fluttered in the breeze. 旗帜在微风中飘扬。
  • Imes concluded from her fluttered look that she had spent the money. 艾姆斯从她慌张的眼神推断出她花光了钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
14 specialty SrGy7     
n.(speciality)特性,特质;专业,专长
参考例句:
  • Shell carvings are a specialty of the town.贝雕是该城的特产。
  • His specialty is English literature.他的专业是英国文学。
15 baffled df7421c8240ea522e7ad7122479ea7f2     
adj.带有障板的,阻挡的v.使困难,使为难( baffle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The question baffled me completely and I couldn't answer it. 这个问题把我彻底难倒了,我答不出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Her question has baffled me. 她的问题把我难倒了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
16 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。
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