时间:2018-12-06 作者:英语课 分类:64 The Black Pearl Mystery


英语课

When the Aldens arrived at breakfast the next morning, Cousin Mary and Grandfather Alden were discussing future plans for Pineapple Place.



Well, Mary, I’m sorry I couldn’t arrange that bank loan on this trip. I know how disappointing that is,” Mr. Alden said. “But I found out that the senator will get going on those road repair funds that have been tied up for the last couple of years.”



Cousin Mary stared into her coffee cup. “Yes, thank you, James. Having good roads out this way will be a big help in a couple of years. Of course, I’d hoped for the bank loan for a few things. Now that Norma Kane won’t buy our crop, some of the small owners are renting space on a charter plane to ship our pineapples to Korea in two days. The loan would have made that possible. It would also have given me some money to fix up two or three more cottages so I could rent them out to tourists.”



Grandfather Alden patted Cousin Mary’s hand. “I know we’re leaving tomorrow, Mary, but I’ve made some excellent contacts in Honolulu. I’ll follow up with phone calls to the banks, don’t you worry.”



Cousin Mary tried to smile. “All of you have been so helpful. I wish you’d come at a better time when everything wasn’t upside down.”



Like pineapple upside-down cake?” Soo Lee asked. “I ate that for dessert last night.”



Now Cousin Mary smiled a real smile. “Yes, like pineapple upside-down cake, Soo Lee.”



Now tell me about the visitors who rented the other guest cottage,” Mr. Alden said. “How are they enjoying their stay? Maybe they’ll spread the good word to their friends about a Pineapple Place vacation.”



Cousin Mary didn’t speak right away. Instead she reached into one of the folders 1 in front of her. She handed Mr. Alden a piece of paper. “Read this, James.”



Mr. Alden read the note aloud:



    Dear Mrs. Cook,



    Thanks for renting us the guest cottage. Sorry we didn’t stay the whole two weeks. Here’s a check for five nights.



Richard and Emma Pierce



I’d been hoping the Pierces would stay the whole time,” Cousin Mary began, “since money has been so tight. I think I upset them last evening when I asked if they had borrowed my husband’s old maps. The next thing I knew, they left. Very odd people.”



How so?” Mr. Alden wanted to know.



Before Cousin Mary could answer, Benny spoke 2 up. “They wouldn’t go scuba 3 diving with Henry even though they had tanks and fins 4 and everything. And they didn’t know anything about sharks. And then they tried to snoop in the office, but we scared them away!”



Mr. Alden couldn’t help laughing. “Did you, now? Well, I guess it’s time to go back to Greenfield if you’re scaring away Cousin Mary’s paying guests.”



Nonsense,” Cousin Mary said, laughing along with Mr. Alden. “Your grandchildren are the best advertisement for Pineapple Place. In fact, I made copies of a flier Violet drew to tell tourists about the plantation 5. I only have the two guest cottages fixed 6 up right now, but it’s a start. We’re going to hand the fliers out at our farmers’ market booth this morning.”



And that’s just what the Aldens did later that morning. Not a tourist went by the Pineapple Place booth without one of the Aldens handing out a flier. Several people spoke to Cousin Mary about renting a guest cottage on future trips to Hawaii. Things were looking up.



Of course, no one went by the booth without Benny and Soo Lee handing out free pineapple juice. Their farmers’ market business was a success.



You children have put in enough time here,” Cousin Mary told the Aldens at lunchtime. “Your grandfather and I can cover the booth ourselves. It’s your last day. I want you to take a lunch break and do some sightseeing.”



Goody,” Benny said. “I’m going to have barbecued sweet potato chips and papaya juice. And that’s just to start.”



So the Aldens went off in search of lunch at the many nearby food stands. They strolled along the rows of tables offering everything from fresh oysters 7 to grilled 8 shark. Mostly, though, the Aldens tried things that looked a little like food they ate at home.



Sweet potato chips are like Mrs. McGregor’s homemade potato chips when we have hamburgers,” Benny announced. “Except they’re sweet!”



When the children finished eating, they decided 9 to go window-shopping one last time.



Let’s see if anybody bought the black pearl necklace,” Violet suggested.



The Aldens rounded the corner where the jewelry 10 shop was. They saw someone they knew rushing down the street.



Joseph!” Henry called. “Wait up!”



The children ran ahead, trying to catch up with Joseph Kahuna. But Joseph didn’t hear the Aldens. He dodged 11 in between people as if he were being followed.



He was being followed.



Just a few feet behind him, Norma Kane made her way through crowds of people, never getting closer to Joseph.



Joseph!” Henry called again.



This time Joseph stopped and stared at the Aldens. He looked upset.



What’s the matter with Joseph?” Soo Lee asked. “He’s running away.”



Indeed he was. He crossed the busy street, not looking back.



Joseph just dropped something in the middle of the road!” Benny cried. “Some kind of box, I think.”



Joseph turned around and stepped off the curb 12 into the street again to pick up the box. A truck was coming, though, so he had to wait.



Finally the WALK light flashed on, and the Aldens were able to cross the street. Henry quickly scooped 13 up the metal box. He led the children safely to the other side, where Joseph was standing 14.



Henry handed Joseph the box. “Here, this is yours.”



Thank you. You saved something very, very important. Look.” Joseph pried 15 off the box lid and opened a smaller container. Inside was a glowing black pearl — perfectly 16 round and larger than any pearl the Aldens had ever seen. Joseph let the younger children hold the pearl.



Oooh,” Soo Lee and Benny said, their eyes wide with amazement 17 as they each held the pearl in turn.



At that moment the traffic stopped, and Norma Kane suddenly appeared in front of them.



That’s mine!” she said to Benny. “Hand it over. It came from waters near property I own.”



Benny’s fist tightened 18 around the pearl. He looked up at his brother. “What should I do, Henry?”



Hand it over!” Norma Kane repeated.



Henry took a deep breath. “Let’s go find Cousin Mary and Grandfather. They’ll know what to do.”



When the Aldens and Joseph arrived at the booth, Richard and Emma Pierce were talking with Cousin Mary.



Joseph!” Cousin Mary cried. “What are you doing here?” Then she noticed Norma Kane. “Oh, dear, I suppose you’re going to quit and work for Norma. I knew that was coming when I saw you driving her truck the other day.”



Joseph looked upset. “I wouldn’t leave Pineapple Place, Mrs. Cook. I only worked a couple of days for Mrs. Kane after she told me she might buy your pineapples if I helped out with her harvest. When I drove her home from the airport, she gave me a note to meet her the night of the luau to make the arrangements. That’s all.”



Hmmph!” Norma Kane said. “There is no way I would hire someone who stole something that belongs to my company. Open your hand, little boy,” Norma Kane ordered Benny.



Benny unclenched his fingers one by one. The black pearl rested in the middle of his hand, which he clenched 19 up again.



Oh, the black pearl!” Cousin Mary whispered. “Where did you find it? And how did you find it?”



Joseph sat down to tell his story.



The Aldens really found it, Mrs. Cook,” Joseph began. “One afternoon, I was walking along the bluff 20 over Reef Bay to get to my shack 21. I saw Henry and Jessie snorkeling out past the rocky point. A while after that, I heard them talking about something silvery Henry saw in a cave. You know, Mrs. Cook, when the wind is right, even whispered words can travel clearly over the water. After Henry and Jessie left the beach, I took my sailboat to the spot and dived down until I found the cave and this box inside the cave. I was just taking it to a jewelry store to find out its value.”



Norma Kane stood there, steaming mad. “The Kane Plantation borders the waters where those caves are, so they’re part of my property as well.”



This was too much for Mr. Alden. “I’m afraid the law wouldn’t agree with you. Property rights do not extend into the ocean, Mrs. Kane, In any case, may I ask how you learned about the location of the cave?”



Mrs. Kane didn’t answer, but Jessie did.



You overheard Joseph tell the legend of the black pearl the night the moon was full, didn’t you?” Jessie asked. “Cousin Mary said you were going to look for Joseph that night. We overheard the story, too.”



And we heard rocks falling down and, know what? We saw someone on the beach, but we couldn’t tell who it was,” Benny said.



Mrs. Kane looked away. “It’s no use. You might as well know. I was on the beach. I hired a scuba diver twice to go out in my cargo 22 boat to look for the black pearl. I told the pilot to chase anyone away by saying there were sharks.”



Now the Aldens looked confused.



Sharks? The Pierces said that, too,” Henry remembered. He turned to the Pierces. “Did you know about the cave and the black pearl, too?”



Richard Pierce shook his head. In a quiet voice he answered Henry’s question. “We took Mr. Cook’s old maps to go look for the cave. We’re treasure hunters, but it looks as if Joseph got there first.”



Are you scuba people, too?” Benny wanted to know.



We’re scuba people, too,” Richard Pierce confessed. “We borrowed the Pineapple Place boat a couple of times, once at night, and tried to find the caves, but the bay has changed since your husband drew those maps.”



Cousin Mary looked upset now. “So you took my husband’s old maps without asking?”



Emma Pierce nodded. “I’m so sorry. I was about to return them, but the children were in your office when we tried to put them back. I returned there later on. That’s when Mr. Alden called to say he was coming back early, but I forgot to give you the message.”



Cousin Mary reached into her pocket and handed Emma Pierce a piece of paper. “Please take back your check. I don’t want any dealings with you and your husband.”



Richard Pierce walked over to his car. When he returned, he handed Jessie her duffel bag. “I took more than the maps, young lady. I’m really sorry. Here’s your snorkeling bag. Emma and I got carried away with the idea of this black pearl. We didn’t want some kids upsetting our plans to find it.”



Look, we’re really sorry,” Emma Pierce said to the Aldens and Cousin Mary. “I see now that the black pearl brought us bad luck. It made us do things — bad things — that we wouldn’t normally do.”



Jessie took the duffel bag without a word.



Soo Lee looked down at the ground. “You do have big feet,” she said to Richard Pierce. “Bigger than Henry’s, even.”



This made nearly everyone smile a little before the Pierces got in their car and drove away.



Benny was still clutching the black pearl in his hand.



May I?” Cousin Mary asked Benny. Though her hands were shaking, she held up the pearl. “So this is the pearl that brought my husband so much bad luck? If only Hiram had thrown it into the ocean as the old fisherman told Joseph to do. Instead, Hiram wanted to keep it and hide it away. Everything went wrong after that,” she whispered.



Mr. Alden put his arm around Cousin Mary. “There, there,” he said. “It’s only a story. Hiram wasn’t the only one in Hawaii who ran into bad luck. Hawaii is beautiful, but starting a new life here isn’t always easy, Mary.”



Cousin Mary handed the pearl to Joseph. “Here, Joseph. Now that the five hundred moons have passed, maybe it will bring you good luck. You found the pearl. It’s rightfully yours.”



I suppose you won’t be needing that job, then, will you?” Norma Kane asked Joseph. “It’s too bad, because after I reached my goal of buying up the rest of the small plantations 23, I would have made you the manager of all of them.”



Joseph Kahuna took the pearl in his hand. “No, rich or poor, I was never going to take your job. You see, I grew up on a small plantation, then I worked for Mr. and Mrs. Cook’s plantation. Working hard is what changed my bad luck to good luck, not the moon or this pearl. Anyway, the pearl is rightfully yours, Mrs. Cook. I gave it to your husband. Please take it back. You can fix up Pineapple Place like a palace now. You can even send our harvest off on that plane in two days. This pearl is worth a great deal of money.”



Cousin Mary looked happier than the Aldens had ever seen her. “Friends like you, Joseph, and a family like Cousin James and these dear children — they’re worth more than money.”



Everybody was smiling and hugging, except for Norma Kane, of course. And Benny.



Is this worth more than money?” Benny asked when he dug something out of his pocket.



What’s that?” Joseph asked when Benny held up a tiny gray pebble 24.



It’s a black pearl, I think. I found it on the beach. Is it worth anything?”



It’s worth our whole trip to Hawaii!” Grandfather Alden said, laughing.



1 folders
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
  • 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
2 spoke
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
  • 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。
3 scuba
n.水中呼吸器
  • I first got hooked on scuba diving when I was twelve.12岁时我开始迷上了带水中呼吸器潜水。
  • While on honeymoon in Bali,she learned to scuba dive.她在巴厘岛度蜜月时学会了带水肺潜水。
4 fins
[医]散热片;鱼鳍;飞边;鸭掌
  • The level of TNF-α positively correlated with BMI,FPG,HbA1C,TG,FINS and IRI,but not with SBP and DBP. TNF-α水平与BMI、FPG、HbA1C、TG、FINS和IRI呈显著正相关,与SBP、DBP无相关。 来自互联网
  • Fins are a feature specific to fish. 鱼鳍是鱼类特有的特征。 来自辞典例句
5 plantation
n.种植园,大农场
  • His father-in-law is a plantation manager.他岳父是个种植园经营者。
  • The plantation owner has possessed himself of a vast piece of land.这个种植园主把大片土地占为己有。
6 fixed
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
  • 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。
7 oysters
牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 )
  • We don't have oysters tonight, but the crayfish are very good. 我们今晚没有牡蛎供应。但小龙虾是非常好。
  • She carried a piping hot grill of oysters and bacon. 她端出一盘滚烫的烤牡蛎和咸肉。
8 grilled
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
  • 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。
9 jewelry
n.(jewllery)(总称)珠宝
  • The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
  • Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。
10 dodged
v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 );回避
  • He dodged cleverly when she threw her sabot at him. 她用木底鞋砸向他时,他机敏地闪开了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He dodged the book that I threw at him. 他躲开了我扔向他的书。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 curb
n.场外证券市场,场外交易;vt.制止,抑制
  • I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
  • You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。
12 scooped
v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 );(敏捷地)抱起;抢先获得;用铲[勺]等挖(洞等)
  • They scooped the other newspapers by revealing the matter. 他们抢先报道了这件事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The wheels scooped up stones which hammered ominously under the car. 车轮搅起的石块,在车身下发出不吉祥的锤击声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
13 standing
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
  • 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。
14 pried
v.打听,刺探(他人的私事)( pry的过去式和过去分词 );撬开
  • We pried open the locked door with an iron bar. 我们用铁棍把锁着的门撬开。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • So Tom pried his mouth open and poured down the Pain-killer. 因此汤姆撬开它的嘴,把止痛药灌下去。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
15 perfectly
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
  • The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
  • Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
16 amazement
n.惊奇,惊讶
  • 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。
17 tightened
收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 ); (使)变紧; (使)绷紧; 加紧
  • The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
  • His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机,然后又松开了。
18 clenched
v.紧握,抓紧,咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 )
  • He clenched his fists in anger. 他愤怒地攥紧了拳头。
  • She clenched her hands in her lap to hide their trembling. 她攥紧双手放在腿上,以掩饰其颤抖。 来自《简明英汉词典》
19 bluff
v.虚张声势,用假象骗人;n.虚张声势,欺骗
  • His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。
  • John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。
20 shack
adj.简陋的小屋,窝棚
  • He had to sit down five times before he reached his shack.在走到他的茅棚以前,他不得不坐在地上歇了五次。
  • The boys made a shack out of the old boards in the backyard.男孩们在后院用旧木板盖起一间小木屋。
21 cargo
n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物
  • The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
  • A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。
22 plantations
n.种植园,大农场( plantation的名词复数 )
  • Soon great plantations, supported by slave labor, made some families very wealthy. 不久之后出现了依靠奴隶劳动的大庄园,使一些家庭成了富豪。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
  • Winterborne's contract was completed, and the plantations were deserted. 维恩特波恩的合同完成后,那片林地变得荒废了。 来自辞典例句
23 pebble
n.卵石,小圆石
  • The bird mistook the pebble for egg and tried to hatch it.这只鸟错把卵石当蛋,想去孵它。
  • The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
学英语单词
5-flurocytosine
a-tishoo
aeroaspiration
Appenweier
Asprimox
astronomical coordinate measuring instrument
atom shell
azzle-tooth
bofore bottom dead center
bowl
bracemate
chairholders
chilling rolls
Chinese gall aphid
colour comparator pyrometer
continued development
contractile fiber cells
creosote carbonate
daunsel
diametrical curve
do you have a girlfriend
East Berliners
embedded part of coil
euro-asian
excision of lipoma
fancy skip twill
friction unemployment
frontiers
gamma aminobutyric acids
gas discharge colour method
gateses
Gilson's solution
graphophones
grooved roll
high tide elevation
holding cooler
hydrogen system
hymens
inverting parametric device
irreversible magnetization
Kapala Batas
Katusa
keep one's promise
kelston
lay of cloth
libertyman
lluminated rocket
machine function
make you
maremusset
Masticho, Akra
memoirs of a geisha
merwomen
metho-
monomphalus
mud logging
Naro, Fiume
non-judgmental
nut mill
occidentality
off-line stroage
off-settings
Pediculus capitis
pentops
Phenaloin
plan development
polshe
Pordim
preferred shares
pseudoselerema
quasistatically
reflective materials
relentless
reload module
remercying
rodhocetus
safe investment rule
safe low power critical experiment reactor
sanidal
scabbardless
sea parrots
secondary air ratio
settelmier
shadow picture
slow-neutron chain reaction
spelter pot
stain sync
strata behaviors
subdiscipline
tender deadline
Thalictircine
thread take up lever stroke
tragulus javanicuss
valdivieso
Very pleased to meet you
what's popping?
wild dogs
wonderfest
working viscosity of fluid
xerophthalmia
zapato
zymology