儿童英语读物 The Mystery in the Mall CHAPTER 1 Monkey in the Middle
时间:2018-12-31 作者:英语课 分类:72 The Mystery in the Mall
At a rest stop by the side of a road, the Alden family sat around a picnic table. In the middle of the table, next to their picnic basket, sat a coconut 1. This was not an ordinary coconut but one painted to look just like a monkey. Six-year-old Benny Alden had carried it all the way back from Hawaii on another family trip. Now the coconut monkey went with him everywhere.
When lunch was over, Benny picked up his coconut by its rope handle. He shook it to hear the rattle 2 inside. Then he took the last bite of his banana.
“You look just like that monkey,” fourteen-year-old Henry told Benny. “Especially with that banana.”
Benny held the monkey coconut next to his freckled 3 face. He made the same monkey face, too. “Can you take a picture of me, Violet?” he asked his ten-year-old sister.
Violet found her camera. She aimed it at Benny and his coconut. “Say cheese.”
“Yip! Yip!” Benny said instead.
After Violet finished taking Benny’s picture, Grandfather Alden stood up. “There’s nothing I like better than a roadside picnic. Mrs. McGregor outdid herself with this lunch. Everything tastes better out in the fresh air after a long car ride. Now it’s time to get going again.”
The children cleared the picnic table.
Henry gathered up two bags of trash from around the picnic table. “Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints,” he said. “Violet took the pictures, and I’m leaving nothing but footprints. This trash is going right into the Dumpster.”
While Henry went off, Jessie spread out a map. She was twelve and the best map reader in the family. She always knew where they were and where they were going. “It’s not too much longer, Grandfather. See, we’re here, about an hour away from Hope Harbor.”
“It’ll be nice to see my friend Martin Bolt,” said Grandfather. “Not to mention the new mall he’s built! He said you children will have a very good time there.”
Benny was excited. “I heard the mall is right where all the boats come in! I can’t wait to see that.”
“So you will,” Grandfather told Benny.
“I took out that trash just in time,” Henry said when he returned. “A garbage truck just came to pick it up.”
“I’m glad we stopped,” Violet said after everyone repacked the car. “It’s so pretty here.”
“And I’m glad we’re not stopping again. This sure is a long car trip,” Benny complained. “Whoops! Don’t leave yet, Grandfather!” Benny said. “I forgot my car bag under the picnic table. It’s got my travel games and toys in it—my coconut monkey, too!”
Benny raced out. From the car, the rest of the family could tell that Benny’s bag was nowhere around.
When Benny returned, Henry gave him a friendly arm punch. “No luck, huh? I’ll check the trunk. I bet you anything your bag is back there.”
Henry got out and opened the trunk. When he came back, he was awfully 4 quiet. “I hate to tell you this, but I think I made a bad mistake. I thought the shopping bag under the picnic table was trash, not your car bag. A truck just drove away with our bag of trash and your bag, too, Benny.”
The children stared down at the empty highway. The truck had disappeared, taking Benny’s coconut monkey with it.
“I’m really sorry, Benny. I should’ve checked both bags before I tossed them out,” Henry said.
“It’s okay, Henry,” Benny said. “Maybe I can get another coconut monkey if we ever go back to Hawaii.”
Mr. Alden drove for a long time before any of his grandchildren spoke 5 up again.
“We’re here!” Jessie announced an hour later, waking up the other children, who had finally dozed 6 off.
When Benny opened his eyes, he saw a big sign on a building that said HOPE HARBOR MALL.
“See, Benny. We made it,” Jessie said.
Benny sat up straight. He felt better already. He liked everything he saw. Crowds of shoppers strolled along walkways that zigzagged 7 along the outside of the mall building. Seagulls swooped 8 down to catch french fries tourists tossed out at them. Hope Harbor Mall looked like fun.
“Wow!” Benny said. “I never saw a mall on a big dock before. It’s bigger than Main Street in Greenfield.”
Mr. Alden searched for a parking garage. “Martin built the mall right on the water so shoppers would enjoy the view of the harbor.”
Violet perked 9 up when she saw all the shops that opened onto the pier 10. “I’m glad your friend’s mall is indoors and outdoors, Grandfather. I like to be able to see outside.”
“Same here,” Jessie said. “Usually I can’t tell if it’s day or night in a mall. Hope Harbor Mall is different.”
Mr. Alden drove through the underground parking garage. “Martin Bolt grew up in Hope Harbor. He built the mall to bring people back to the waterfront. Before he rebuilt the docks and put the mall on one of them, the whole area was just falling apart.”
“Not anymore,” said Benny. “It’s busy around here, with boats and people and seagulls and lots and lots of places to eat.”
Grandfather laughed along with Henry, Jessie, and Violet.
“You just finished Mrs. McGregor’s picnic lunch,” Jessie teased. “How can you even think about food?”
Benny smiled. “Because I smell food—all kinds. French fries, caramel corn, hot dogs, and pizza!”
Mr. Alden soon found a parking space. “Here we are.”
The children locked their things in the trunk. Everyone trooped out and followed signs that said THIRD-LEVEL STORES AND OFFICES.
Mr. Alden opened the parking garage door to the light-filled mall. “Just look at this view.”
Down below lay the bustling 11 waterfront of Hope Harbor.
Benny ran over to the huge glass windows. “Tugboats! I love tugboats. They’re small, but they push around big barges 12.”
“Like you push me around, right?” Henry said, teasing Benny.
At that moment, a tall, thin man with straight gray hair came up to Benny. “Move away from that window. If you want to see the boats, you’ll have to go out to one of the walkways.”
As soon as Benny moved away, the man took a paper towel and rubbed the window.
“I didn’t lean on it,” Benny said. “See! No fingerprints 13.”
“Humph,” the man said, polishing the clean window anyway.
After the man left, Benny turned to Grandfather Alden. “I didn’t touch the window. I just looked at the boats.”
Mr. Alden put his arm around Benny. “I know that. Sometimes older folks like us forget what it’s like to be children.”
“I’ll never forget,” Benny said. He stayed a good distance from the big picture window now.
“There’s Martin’s office,” Mr. Alden told his grandchildren when they reached the end of the long hallway. “You’ll get a view of the harbor on all sides from there. Let’s go in.”
Violet and Benny joined their grandfather. Henry and Jessie stayed behind, reading a bulletin board.
“Come on, you two!” Benny said. “What are you reading, anyway?”
Jessie caught up to the others. “Help-wanted signs. This mall is hiring people to work here.”
“Greetings, Aldens!” a cheerful-looking man said when the Aldens came in. “So these are your grandchildren, James. I’ve heard all about the four of you. Your grandfather has mentioned so many times how lucky he was to find you after your parents died. He’s told me how well you took care of one another and that you lived very snugly 14 in a boxcar. Now I have the pleasure of meeting all of you in person. This is quite a treat.”
The children liked Grandfather’s friend very much. Martin Bolt even looked like James Alden, tall and silver-haired and just about the same age. Mr. Alden introduced the children.
“I bet you like boats,” Martin Bolt said when he noticed Benny glued to the window.
Benny nodded. “I like boats, but somebody didn’t like me looking at boats. He thought I got my fingerprints on your windows, but I didn’t.”
Mr. Bolt just laughed. “I’m sure you didn’t. And even if you did, I wouldn’t mind. The view is there for the looking. Now, I hope you young people plan to stick around Hope Harbor Mall while your grandfather and I go to our college reunion. Just enjoy this place. I could use some young folks like you to tell me what you like and what you don’t like, so I can keep my customers happy.”
“We saw all the jobs posted on the bulletin board down the hall,” Henry said. “Since you asked what we like, we like working. That’s what keeps us happy.”
“Work on a vacation?” Martin Bolt asked. “Nonsense. You children are my guests. Mrs. Frye, my housekeeper 16, will set you up in my house. The top rooms are fixed 17 up just like cabins on a ship. You’ll have a fine view of the harbor, and it’s just a few minutes from the mall. I want you to have fun.”
Mr. Alden laughed deeply. “You don’t know my grandchildren, Martin. Work is fun for them. If you have anything at all that needs doing around here, my grandchildren would love nothing better.”
“Hmmm,” Mr. Bolt said. “I’ve got a good idea of a store where you could work and have some fun. Let me check with my mall manager, Hap 15 Merchant, first.”
Martin Bolt came back a few minutes later. “Hap is on his way over to meet you. Tomorrow morning, he’ll bring you to Penny’s Emporium, a shop that just opened. Hap’s been helping 18 out Penny Block there while she breaks in a new store manager. But I need Hap for other things. If Penny has some extra helpers, Hap can get on with his other jobs.”
At that moment, the grouchy 19 man who had scolded Benny stepped into the office. Seeing the Aldens didn’t make him any more friendly.
“This is my manager, Hap Merchant,” Martin Bolt told the Aldens. “Hap, meet my good friend James Alden and his four grandchildren. Oldest to youngest, they’re Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny. I thought they could give Penny a hand with her new shop. That will free you up a bit.”
Hap Merchant ignored the Aldens’ outstretched hands. “Well, I don’t know that Penny needs a bunch of kids running loose in her shop.”
Mr. Bolt’s smile disappeared for a second. “Now, Hap, I want you to know the Aldens have worked in stores before. If James Alden tells me they’re hardworking, I know Penny will be tickled 20 to have them.”
Everyone noticed Hap Merchant’s frown. Mr. Bolt waved him into a back office. The Aldens could hear the low, serious voices of the two men. A few minutes later, Martin Bolt and Hap came out. Hap brushed by everyone, then left.
“Sorry about that, James,” Martin Bolt said. “If I let him, Hap would run the whole mall by himself. I can’t have him spending so much time at Penny’s shop. I need him to supervise workers all over the mall. Anyway, he’ll call you children tomorrow at my house to give you the details.”
“Let’s hope Hap Merchant is friendlier to us tomorrow,” Jessie whispered to Henry. “I wonder if he’ll really call.”
- The husk of this coconut is particularly strong.椰子的外壳很明显非常坚固。
- The falling coconut gave him a terrific bang on the head.那只掉下的椰子砰地击中他的脑袋。
- The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓,笑着叫着。
- She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。
- Her face was freckled all over. 她的脸长满雀斑。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- Her freckled skin glowed with health again. 她长有雀斑的皮肤又泛出了健康的红光。 来自辞典例句
- Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
- I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。
- 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。
- He boozed till daylight and dozed into the afternoon. 他喝了个通霄,昏沉沉地一直睡到下午。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- I dozed off during the soporific music. 我听到这催人入睡的音乐,便不知不觉打起盹儿来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The office buildings were slightly zigzagged to fit available ground space. 办公大楼为了配合可用的地皮建造得略呈之字形。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- The lightning zigzagged through the church yard. 闪电呈之字形划过教堂的院子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The aircraft swooped down over the buildings. 飞机俯冲到那些建筑物上方。
- The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it. 鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来,并把它杀死。
- The recent demand for houses has perked up the prices. 最近对住房的需求使房价上涨了。
- You've perked up since this morning. 你今天上午精神就好多了。
- The pier of the bridge has been so badly damaged that experts worry it is unable to bear weight.这座桥的桥桩破损厉害,专家担心它已不能负重。
- The ship was making towards the pier.船正驶向码头。
- The market was bustling with life. 市场上生机勃勃。
- This district is getting more and more prosperous and bustling. 这一带越来越繁华了。
- The tug is towing three barges. 那只拖船正拖着三只驳船。
- There were plenty of barges dropping down with the tide. 有不少驳船顺流而下。
- Everyone's fingerprints are unique. 每个人的指纹都是独一无二的。
- They wore gloves so as not to leave any fingerprints behind (them). 他们戴着手套,以免留下指纹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Jamie was snugly wrapped in a white woolen scarf. 杰米围着一条白色羊毛围巾舒适而暖和。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The farmyard was snugly sheltered with buildings on three sides. 这个农家院三面都有楼房,遮得很严实。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Some have the hap,some stick in the gap.有的人走运, 有的人倒霉。
- May your son be blessed by hap and happiness.愿你儿子走运幸福。
- A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
- She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家,一家人吃得很省。
- 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。
- The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
- By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
- Grouchy people are always complaining for no reason.满腹牢骚的人总是毫无理由地抱怨。
- Sometimes she is grouchy, but all in all she is an excellent teacher.有时候她的脾气很坏,但总的来说她还是一位好老师。