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儿童英语读物 The Ghost in the First Row CHAPTER 4 In the Spotlight

时间:2017-11-30 07:18来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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It was after midnight when Benny awoke to the sound of thunder. He slid out of bed and tiptoed across the room to shut the window. As he peered out into the rainy night, something caught his eye. Was that the beam of a flashlight sweeping1 back and forth2 across the backyard?

Henry stirred. “Benny?” he asked sleepily. “What’s going on?”

“Somebody’s out there,” Benny answered in a hushed voice.

Henry came up behind him. “Your eyes must be sharper than mine,” he said. “I can’t see anybody.”

Benny looked at his brother. “Someone just went into the shed.”

“I doubt there’s anyone out there, Benny.”

“But I saw something moving, Henry.”

Henry put an arm around his brother. “It’s easy to imagine all kinds of things on a dark and stormy night.”

Benny shivered in his pajamas3. “Don’t you think—”

“I think we should get back into our warm beds,” said Henry.

Benny nodded. But he knew he had seen someone.

“Ray says putting up posters is hard work,” Benny said the next morning. He was cracking eggs into a bowl. “We’ll need a big breakfast.”

“Well, you do have a big appetite, Benny,” teased Henry, who was keeping an eye on the bacon sizzling on the stove.

“Something sure smells good,” Aunt Jane said, as she came into the kitchen.

“We’re making breakfast.” Jessie placed a platter of toast on the table. “We wanted to surprise you, Aunt Jane.”

“Speaking of surprises,” said Henry, “we forgot all about Alice’s appointment book.”

“Alice’s what?” asked Aunt Jane.

“Ray came across Alice’s appointment book in the shed,” Jessie explained as Henry raced outside. “He thought you should have it as a keepsake.”

Henry was back in a flash, waving the appointment book in the air. While he was removing his muddy shoes, Violet noticed something slip from the pages and flutter to the floor. She hurried to pick it up.

“Looks like an ad torn from a newspaper,” she said.

“Oh?” Aunt Jane raised an eyebrow4. “What does it say, Violet?”

Violet read the ad aloud: Typist available. Reasonable rates. Ask for Patty at 894-8884.

Aunt Jane nodded. “Patty must be the college student Alice hired.”

“To type the plays she recorded, right?” said Benny.

“Exactly!” said Aunt Jane, surprised that Benny knew this.

“You’re mentioned in here a lot,” Henry told his aunt, handing her the appointment book. “At least, that’s what Ray says.”

“Alice and I often got together for a cup of tea.” Aunt Jane smiled a little. “She always had a pot of yellow marigolds on the table. Alice loved yellow marigolds, you know. She was always putting them in her plays.”

“Lady Chadwick loves marigolds, too,” said Benny.

“What do you mean?” Aunt Jane asked.

“Remember the hat they found hanging from the chandelier?” said Benny. “Lady Chadwick’s hat, I mean. Fern said it had yellow marigolds on it.”

“Hmm.” Aunt Jane was only half-listening. She was busy leafing through the appointment book.

“Know what else, Aunt Jane?” Benny went on, as he swallowed a mouthful of eggs. “Alice got a new pair of shoes, but they didn’t fit. She wanted P.J. to take them back. Whoever that is.”

“I thought I knew all of Alice’s friends.” Aunt Jane frowned. “I don’t recall anyone with those initials.” Putting the appointment book aside, she looked around at the children. “I guess you’ve got a busy day planned,” she added, changing the subject.

Jessie nodded. “I can’t wait to see the inside of the theater.”

“The whole town’s curious to see it,” Aunt Jane said. “All the seats have sold out.”

“That’s great!” said Violet. “I knew everything would work out.”

“The play runs all summer, Violet,” Aunt Jane reminded her. “We can’t be sure tickets will keep selling.”

“One thing I don’t understand,” said Henry. “Even if they don’t sell a lot of tickets, why would they close the theater down? It doesn’t make sense when they just fixed5 it up.”

“It costs a lot of money to produce plays,” Aunt Jane explained. “The town can’t afford to keep the theater going if tickets don’t sell.”

Benny, who was spreading honey on his toast, looked up. “Well, tickets won’t sell if Fern quits.”

Aunt Jane agreed. “Fern’s a wonderful actress,” she said. “It would be a disaster if she walks out on the play.”

Violet frowned. “You don’t think that’s possible, do you, Aunt Jane?”

“There’s no telling what Fern might do,” Aunt Jane replied. “Especially if she thinks the theater’s haunted.”

“I wish we could do something to help,” said Violet.

Aunt Jane smiled. “Putting posters up around town is a big help.”

The children quickly finished breakfast, then set off for town on the bikes that Aunt Jane kept for them. When they reached the theater, Jessie noticed something different.

“Looks like Fern got her wish,” she said, pointing to the billboard6.

The others looked up at the sign. Fern’s name now appeared above the title of the play.

“Wow,” said Benny. “I guess Ray really wants to keep her happy.”

After leaving their bikes behind the theater, the Aldens made their way around to the front.

“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting,” Ray called out, as he hurried towards them. “I was having breakfast at the diner—with a reporter from the local paper.”

“No problem,” Henry said, as the director unlocked the theater door. “We just got here ourselves.”

As they stepped inside, the children glanced admiringly at the fancy lobby with its red carpeting. Huge mirrors in gold frames covered the walls and a crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling.

“Oooh!” cried Violet. “How beautiful!”

“Is that where you found Lady Chadwick’s hat?” Benny pointed7 up at the light.

Ray nodded. “It still baffles me how it got up there.”

“It sure is weird,” said Jessie, as they followed the director to the far end of the lobby.

As Ray opened the oak doors that led into the auditorium8, he suddenly took a step back in surprise. “What in the world?” he cried. “Somebody’s been tampering9 with the lights.”

Sure enough, a large standing10 spotlight11 was shining directly onto a seat in the first row of the theater! The Aldens could hardly believe their eyes.

Ray clicked his tongue. “Wait here, kids. I’ll only be a minute.”

As the director hurried backstage, Jessie said, “I wonder why the spotlight’s pointed at the first row?”

“Let’s check it out,” Henry suggested. He headed down the aisle12, the others close behind.

At the front of the theater, Benny’s eyes widened. The others followed his gaze to where the circle of yellow light was shining on a seat in the front row—a seat that was littered with popcorn13!

“Oh!” Violet’s hand flew to her mouth.

“Alice has been here again,” Benny said in a hushed voice.

Henry put a comforting arm around his little brother. “Anyone could’ve done this, Benny.”

“Whoever it was,” said Jessie, “they wanted everybody to notice.”

Violet nodded. “They shone the spotlight right on to the seat.”

“Let’s clean this up before anybody else sees it,” Jessie suggested.

Henry agreed. “Fern’s nervous enough already.”

With that, the Aldens set to work. They found a broom, swept up the popcorn, and threw it into a trash can. They were just finishing when they noticed someone standing close by. An attractive young woman with sandy-colored hair was watching them through narrowed eyes.

“Who are you?” she demanded. “And how’d you get in here?”

The children were so surprised by the woman’s harsh tone, they were speechless. Finally, Henry recovered his voice. “We’re the Aldens,” he said with a friendly smile. “I’m Henry. This is my brother, Benny and my sisters, Violet and Jessie.”

“We’re putting posters up around town,” Jessie added.

The young woman frowned. “The theater’s off-limits to anyone but the cast and crew.”

“But we’re here to help,” protested Benny.

“The last thing we need is a bunch of kids running around,” the woman said. “This isn’t a playground.”

“That’s true,” said Jessie, who refused to be rude. “And we’ll try not to bother you.”

“Tricia!” Ray walked over, the rolled-up posters tucked under his arm. “What are you doing here so early? Rehearsal14 isn’t for a few hours.”

“I know,” said Tricia. “But I was driving by and noticed the billboard out front. What’s going on, Ray?”

Ray shifted uncomfortably. “Listen, Tricia—”

“No, you listen, Ray!” she cut in. “It’s bad enough my name’s not even up there, but now Fern’s name is above the title of my play?”

“Try to understand, Tricia,” said Ray. “I’m just trying to keep Fern happy so she won’t walk out.”

“Who cares if she walks out?” demanded Tricia. “The understudy can play the part of Lady Chadwick, can’t she?”

Benny whispered to Henry, “What’s an—” But Henry knew the question before he asked it. “An understudy is somebody who goes on stage if an actor gets sick.”

“Or quits,” added Jessie.

“Fern wouldn’t even have a role if it wasn’t for me,” Tricia was saying to Ray, her hands on her hips15. “First she gets a bigger dressing16 room, then—”

Ray cut in. “That’s enough, Tricia.” His mouth was set in a thin, hard line. “I won’t have you questioning my decisions.”

With that, Tricia turned around and stomped17 out of the theater.

“Tricia’s the winner of the playwriting contest,” Ray explained to the children. “I’m afraid her nerves are a bit on edge. She’s worried about opening night.” He handed the posters to Henry. “There’s more posters backstage, but these should keep you busy most of the day.”

“We’ll come back tomorrow and put up the rest,” Jessie offered.

Ray looked surprised. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

The Aldens didn’t mind at all. They were happy to do whatever they could to help.

“By the way,” Ray added, as the children turned to go, “there’s a tape recorder in the box with Alice’s tapes. Would you mind bringing it along with you tomorrow? I promised Fern she could use it to practice her lines.”

“No problem,” said Jessie.

When they were outside the theater, Henry said, “Someone’s working hard to make everyone believe there are ghosts in the theater.”

“Why anyone would do such a thing?” Jessie wondered.

“You don’t think—” Benny began.

“Are you wondering if the theater really is haunted?” Violet asked her little brother. “I don’t blame you, Benny. I’ve been wondering that myself.”

Henry shook his head. “A ghost didn’t spill that popcorn.”

“Now that I think about it,” said Violet, “I’m sure there are no ghosts.” She wasn’t really sure, but she wanted Benny to believe she was.

All morning long the Aldens walked along the streets of Elmford, hanging posters up here, there, and everywhere. Finally, Benny plopped down on a park bench.

“Is it lunchtime yet?” he asked with a sigh.

Henry glanced at his watch. “Close enough,” he said. “We could use a break.”

Soon enough, the Aldens were sitting down to lunch at the local diner, studying the menus. When the waitress came over, Henry ordered a grilled18 cheese sandwich and a cola. Jessie had chicken on a bun, coleslaw and milk, and Violet ordered a toasted tomato sandwich and lemonade. Benny decided19 on a cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate milk.

While they waited for their food to arrive, the children turned their attention to the mystery. “Whoever is behind these pranks,” said Jessie, “he—or she—sure knows a lot about Alice Duncan.”

“That’s true.” Violet handed everyone a napkin from the shiny dispenser. “They know that Alice took her knitting and a bag of popcorn to the theater with her.”

“And that she sat in the first row,” added Benny.

“I’m sure most of Elmford knows that about Alice,” said Henry.

As the waitress brought their food, Benny saw someone he knew. “Isn’t that Gil Diggs?”

Sure enough, the owner of the local movie theater was sitting at a table in the corner. He was sipping20 coffee and talking on a cell phone.

“What choice do I have?” Gil was saying. “My business is going nowhere fast.”

“He sure looks upset,” Violet said, keeping her voice low.

“Yes, of course the whole thing makes me nervous.” Gil was talking loudly now. “But I have to shut it down. That’s all there is to it!”

“Uh-oh,” whispered Benny. “Is Gil talking about the Trap-Door Theater?”

The Aldens looked at one another. None of them liked the sound of this.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 sweeping ihCzZ4     
adj.范围广大的,一扫无遗的
参考例句:
  • The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
  • Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗?
2 forth Hzdz2     
adv.向前;向外,往外
参考例句:
  • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
3 pajamas XmvzDN     
n.睡衣裤
参考例句:
  • At bedtime,I take off my clothes and put on my pajamas.睡觉时,我脱去衣服,换上睡衣。
  • He was wearing striped pajamas.他穿着带条纹的睡衣裤。
4 eyebrow vlOxk     
n.眉毛,眉
参考例句:
  • Her eyebrow is well penciled.她的眉毛画得很好。
  • With an eyebrow raised,he seemed divided between surprise and amusement.他一只眉毛扬了扬,似乎既感到吃惊,又觉有趣。
5 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。
6 billboard Ttrzj     
n.布告板,揭示栏,广告牌
参考例句:
  • He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
  • Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。
7 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。
8 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。
9 tampering b4c81c279f149b738b8941a10e40864a     
v.窜改( tamper的现在分词 );篡改;(用不正当手段)影响;瞎摆弄
参考例句:
  • Two policemen were accused of tampering with the evidence. 有两名警察被控篡改证据。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • As Harry London had forecast, Brookside's D-day caught many meter-tampering offenders. 正如哈里·伦敦预见到的那样,布鲁克赛德的D日行动抓住了不少非法改装仪表的人。 来自辞典例句
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 spotlight 6hBzmk     
n.公众注意的中心,聚光灯,探照灯,视听,注意,醒目
参考例句:
  • This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
  • The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。
12 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。
13 popcorn 8lUzJI     
n.爆米花
参考例句:
  • I like to eat popcorn when I am watching TV play at home.当我在家观看电视剧时,喜欢吃爆米花。
  • He still stood behind his cash register stuffing his mouth with popcorn.他仍站在收银机后,嘴里塞满了爆米花。
14 rehearsal AVaxu     
n.排练,排演;练习
参考例句:
  • I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
  • You can sharpen your skills with rehearsal.排练可以让技巧更加纯熟。
15 hips f8c80f9a170ee6ab52ed1e87054f32d4     
abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯,耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 );[建筑学]屋脊;臀围(尺寸);臀部…的
参考例句:
  • She stood with her hands on her hips. 她双手叉腰站着。
  • They wiggled their hips to the sound of pop music. 他们随着流行音乐的声音摇晃着臀部。 来自《简明英汉词典》
16 dressing 1uOzJG     
n.(食物)调料;包扎伤口的用品,敷料
参考例句:
  • Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
  • The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。
17 stomped 0884b29fb612cae5a9e4eb0d1a257b4a     
v.跺脚,践踏,重踏( stomp的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She stomped angrily out of the office. 她怒气冲冲,重步走出办公室。
  • She slammed the door and stomped (off) out of the house. 她砰的一声关上了门,暮暮地走出了屋了。 来自辞典例句
18 grilled grilled     
adj. 烤的, 炙过的, 有格子的 动词grill的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句:
  • He was grilled for two hours before the police let him go. 他被严厉盘查了两个小时后,警察才放他走。
  • He was grilled until he confessed. 他被严加拷问,直到他承认为止。
19 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。
20 sipping e7d80fb5edc3b51045def1311858d0ae     
v.小口喝,呷,抿( sip的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • She sat in the sun, idly sipping a cool drink. 她坐在阳光下懒洋洋地抿着冷饮。
  • She sat there, sipping at her tea. 她坐在那儿抿着茶。
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