时间:2018-12-06 作者:英语课 分类:75 The Mystery of the Empty Sa


英语课



“Is there any way to find out if Cassandra and her manager know about tomorrow’s party?” Benny asked.



“I remember the day we met the Woodruffs they said they were thinking of hiring her,” Violet said.



“Yeah, and Mr. Woodruff kept saying he wanted to stick with her instead of us,” Benny added.



“I think it’s time for another phone call,” said Henry, picking up the phone. He quickly dialed the Woodruffs’ number.



“Hi, Mrs. Woodruff?” he said. “This is Henry Alden. I was just wondering … you mentioned that you’d thought of hiring Cassandra the Great to do Sara’s party … Did you actually hire her before you heard about us?”



“I didn’t hire her, but I did call to see if she’d be available that day. I had a lot of different ideas—bowling, or a movie—before I hired you. But I did tell Cassandra that she was asking for too much money and I’d rather use you kids. She sounded pretty annoyed when I said that.” Mrs. Woodruff chuckled 1.



“Really,” Henry said.



“Why do you ask?” Mrs. Woodruff wanted to know. “There isn’t any problem with tomorrow, is there?”



“Oh, no,” Henry assured her. “Everything’s all set to go. The cake’s ready, the decorations have been made, the games have been planned.”



“Great. Then I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon,” said Mrs. Woodruff.



“Okay!” Henry said, hanging up the phone.



Before he’d even said anything, the others could tell from the look on his face that he had bad news. “She said she did call Cassandra before she hired us. And when she told Cassandra she was thinking of using us instead of her, she said Cassandra got pretty mad.”



“We’ve certainly heard a lot about Cassandra’s bad temper,” said Violet, her face worried.



“But would she get so angry she’d actually rob someone’s house?” Benny wondered.



“I have an idea of how we can find out who the burglar is,” said Henry.



“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Jessie asked. “Let’s set a trap.”



“Exactly,” said Henry. “But I think we had better have a long talk with Grandfather first.”



The Aldens showed up at the Woodruffs’ house the next day, their arms laden 2 with party supplies. The Woodruffs didn’t notice, but Grandfather stayed parked outside while Sara led them down a long hallway into a large sunny room at the back of the house.



“This is our family room,” she told them. “This is where the party is going to be.”



Violet, Benny and Sara got to work immediately putting up the pictures of moons, planets, comets, and sparkly stars they’d painted.



Sara stood in the center of the room, turning slowly around. “Wow! This looks great! I feel like I’m in outer space!” She pretended to float around the room without gravity. Everyone laughed.



When the decorations had all been arranged, the children went into the dining room to set the table. Violet made sure they had all the supplies they’d need for the kids to make space helmets from paper bags. Henry made sure they had enough party favors for all the guests.



Sara’s mother and father came down from upstairs and looked into the family room to see how the kids were doing.



“Your decorations are wonderful,” Mrs. Woodruff said. “You’re real artists.”



“That’s Violet,” said Benny proudly.



“And Sara helped us a lot, too,” Jessie added.



“Didn’t they do a great job?” Mrs. Woodruff said, turning to her husband.



“Yeah, I guess it looks pretty good,” Mr. Woodruff grumbled 3, without seeming to really mean it.



Just then the doorbell rang.



“My friends are here! My friends are here!” Sara cried, running to open the front door for them.



Mrs. Woodruff and the Aldens followed Sara, excited for the party to begin. But Mr. Woodruff went back upstairs as if he wasn’t even interested in the party.



Several minutes later, all the guests had arrived. Sara led them into the family room.



“Wow!” several of the children said when they saw all the wonderful decorations.



“We’re in outer space!” cried one little girl.



Violet had all of Sara’s friends sit down on the floor in a circle. The children had fun decorating the helmets with colored paper and markers, making moons and stars, and gluing them onto the paper bags.



Once the children were done with their space helmets, they took turns sitting in the rocket ship and pretending to fly. As each new pair of children sat in the cardboard box, Jessie would count down from twenty, shouting, “Blast off!” at the end.



While the children were enjoying themselves, Mrs. Woodruff walked around with her camera, taking pictures of all the kids.



Meanwhile, the Aldens had put their secret plan into action.



While Jessie, Violet, and Benny ran the birthday party, Henry had a special job. He was hiding in the Woodruffs’ living room. Sara had mentioned that her house had a safe there like the other houses in the neighborhood, and the plan was for Henry to keep an eye on it through the whole party. If anyone tried to break into it, he’d be there to see.



Henry huddled 4 behind the couch, which sat in front of a large picture window. He peered around the end of the couch, his eyes on the front door. If anyone came in, he would see them, but they wouldn’t be able to see him. Then he peered out between the curtains to Grandfather sitting in the passenger seat of his car and looking toward the house. They had agreed that if anyone suspicious showed up, Henry would signal Grandfather from the window.



Henry glanced around the elegant room at all the valuable pieces of art. He was sorry to be missing the party, which he could hear faintly down the hall in the family room. But he knew it was important that he stay where he was. Otherwise, the Aldens might never solve the mystery and find the thief. Henry wondered if it would turn out to be Cassandra, as they suspected.



For a long time nothing happened, and Henry began to wonder if maybe no one was going to show up. Maybe they’d been wrong, and the burglaries during their birthday parties had just been a coincidence.



At least they hadn’t upset the Woodruffs by sharing their suspicions.



But suddenly Henry heard a sound at the front door. He held his breath and listened. Yes, it sounded as if someone was turning the knob. The door was slowly, slowly creaking open. All the guests had already arrived, so Henry knew it wasn’t another guest.



Was it the thief?



Henry saw someone dressed in dark clothes enter the house very cautiously. At first Henry couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman. He saw the person look around to see if anyone was there. Luckily he or she didn’t spot Henry. Slowly the person moved toward the living room, peering nervously 5 from side to side. Henry was just about to shake the window curtains to signal Grandfather.



Then all at once Henry realized who the stranger was. Mr. Woodruff! But how could that be? Mr. Woodruff was upstairs, wasn’t he? And why would he sneak 6 into his own house? He certainly wouldn’t be coming to steal his own things!



Henry didn’t want Mr. Woodruff to find him hiding behind a couch in the living room. He figured it would be better to just come out and explain what he was doing. But just as Henry was about to emerge from behind the couch, Mr. Woodruff passed the living room and began moving down the hall toward the family room. Henry spotted 7 the man’s limp when he walked. But hadn’t Sara said her father didn’t limp? And she would know, wouldn’t she?



Curious to see if he was going to join the party, Henry followed Mr. Woodruff. But as he stepped into the hall, the floor creaked loudly, and Mr. Woodruff turned around. Suddenly Henry was confused. The man looked like Mr. Woodruff, but older. His hair had more gray in it, and his face was creased 8 with lines.



“Who—who are you?” Henry asked, startled.



“I knew I shouldn’t come here, but—” the man began.



Just then Sara came running down the hall. “Uncle John!” she cried, giving the man a big hug. “I was hoping you’d come!”



“Uncle John?” Henry repeated, confused.



Mrs. Woodruff was just behind Sara, and Bob Woodruff appeared on the stairs.



“John?” Bob Woodruff said. For the first time, Henry saw Mr. Woodruff smiling.



“Bob!” the other man said. “I’ve come to apologize.”



“No, I should apologize to you,” said Bob Woodruff, coming down the stairs and giving his brother a big hug. Henry watched Mrs. Woodruff smile broadly as the two men embraced. Sara clung to her uncle’s waist, a big grin on her face, and Henry was very glad he hadn’t signaled to Grandfather.



Violet, Jessie, and Benny emerged from the family room. After a few minutes, the Woodruffs became aware of the Aldens watching them. Mrs. Woodruff tried to explain.



“Bob and his brother, John, have always been quite close,” she explained. “They were friends, golf buddies 9, business partners. He was like a second father to Sara. But about a year ago, they had a disagreement, something silly, really. But one thing led to another, and they stopped speaking. Both men are so proud—they each refused to be the one to admit he was wrong.” Mrs. Woodruff paused, looking at the two brothers, who stood with their arms around each other, Sara happily nestled in between them.



“I thought your uncle John had … died,” Jessie said to Sara.



“It felt almost as if he had,” said Sara.



“I guess I was acting 10 pretty ridiculous,” Bob Woodruff admitted.



“No, I was,” said John. “And I knew it, too. I just couldn’t figure out how to admit it. And I felt especially badly because I knew Sara’s birthday was coming up, and I hated to miss it. I’ve never missed any of your birthdays, cupcake,” he said, ruffling 11 her hair with his hand. Sara smiled up at him.



“I’ve been miserable 12 since our fight,” said Bob. “I just couldn’t figure out how to make things right. I haven’t been able to sleep at night, I’ve been so upset.”



“Yes, and you’ve been taking it out on everyone,” said Mrs. Woodruff with a laugh.



“You sure have,” Sara piped up.



“I’m sorry, honey,” Bob Woodruff said, his voice kinder than the Aldens had ever heard it. “I’m not going to be that way anymore.”



“And I’ve been lurking 13 around your house, trying to get up my nerve to come in and apologize,” said Uncle John. “I’ve even been following Sara and her friends around, thinking maybe if I talked to her, I could get up my nerve to talk to you, Bob.”



“So that’s it!” Benny shouted. Everyone turned to look at him. “You’re the person who’s been following us!”



“I thought you’d seen me,” John Woodruff said.



“I did! I thought you were Sara’s dad, but I knew there was something about you that was different. And then I got confused because you walk with a limp and he doesn’t, right?” Benny said.



“Yes, that’s right,” said John. “I was injured falling off a horse many years ago, and my leg never healed properly.”



“You were following the children?” Mrs. Woodruff asked, disbelieving.



“I know it sounds ridiculous,” said John. “I finally decided 14 that today, Sara’s birthday, it was time to just come on in and apologize.”



“Well, we’re glad you did,” said Mrs. Woodruff. “Now come join the party!”



All the Aldens and the Woodruffs returned to the family room, where the Aldens led the children in a few more games. Bob and John Woodruff sat side by side, smiling at Sara and her friends.



Soon it was almost time to serve the cake. “I’ll go pour the juice and get everything ready,” Jessie said, heading down the hall. She was passing through the living room when she stopped and gasped 15. She grabbed the window curtains and shook them frantically 16 to signal Grandfather.



Standing 17 in the living room was a tall person wearing a black mask, taking the Woodruffs’ jewelry 18 and stuffing it into a bag.



1 chuckled
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )
  • She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
  • She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情,她就轻轻地暗自发笑。
2 laden
adj.装满了的;充满了的;负了重担的;苦恼的
  • He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
  • Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。
3 grumbled
抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 ); 发牢骚; 咕哝; 发哼声
  • He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
  • The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏,水手们边干活边发着牢骚。
4 huddled
挤在一起(huddle的过去式与过去分词形式)
  • We huddled together for warmth. 我们挤在一块取暖。
  • We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。
5 nervously
adv.神情激动地,不安地
  • He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇,努力忍着不哭出来。
  • He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。
6 sneak
vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝);偷偷摸摸做;n.潜行;adj.暗中进行
  • He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。
  • I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。
7 spotted
adj.有斑点的,斑纹的,弄污了的
  • The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
  • Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。
8 creased
(使…)起折痕,弄皱( crease的过去式和过去分词 ); (皮肤)皱起,使起皱纹; 皱皱巴巴
  • You've creased my newspaper. 你把我的报纸弄皱了。
  • The bullet merely creased his shoulder. 子弹只不过擦破了他肩部的皮肤。
9 buddies
n.密友( buddy的名词复数 );同伴;弟兄;(用于称呼男子,常带怒气)家伙v.(如密友、战友、伙伴、弟兄般)交往( buddy的第三人称单数 );做朋友;亲近(…);伴护艾滋病人
  • We became great buddies. 我们成了非常好的朋友。 来自辞典例句
  • The two of them have become great buddies. 他们俩成了要好的朋友。 来自辞典例句
10 acting
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的
  • Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
  • During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
11 ruffling
弄皱( ruffle的现在分词 ); 弄乱; 激怒; 扰乱
  • A cool breeze brushed his face, ruffling his hair. 一阵凉风迎面拂来,吹乱了他的头发。
  • "Indeed, they do not,'said Pitty, ruffling. "说真的,那倒不一定。" 皮蒂皱皱眉头,表示异议。
12 miserable
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的
  • It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他,这是可耻的。
  • Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。
13 lurking
潜在
  • Why are you lurking around outside my house? 你在我房子外面鬼鬼祟祟的,想干什么?
  • There is a suspicious man lurking in the shadows. 有一可疑的人躲在阴暗中。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
14 decided
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。
15 gasped
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要
  • She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
  • People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
16 frantically
ad.发狂地, 发疯地
  • He dashed frantically across the road. 他疯狂地跑过马路。
  • She bid frantically for the old chair. 她发狂地喊出高价要买那把古老的椅子。
17 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。
18 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。
学英语单词
0831
aberrant behavior
anti-biological warfare
antizymes
auto-lumbomassage
be barred from
bioscientists
biotin complex of yeast
bipolarmos
black rots
body surfing
bowl vent valve
butenafine
certificate on progress
class or representative action
combining characters
common lead method
cospace
delugeth
description of forest
Diclinixin
diffuse tissue
diphasic strain
Diplosporium
direct dialing-in
Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich
don't rush me
epidemic encephalitis
ethnoculturally
exponential time base
fact-checkers
feudal rush
fiorinia linderae
Fuck it all!
Geluwe
golden image
Gorelovka
guayule rubber (fer-thenium argentum)
Hall angular displacement transducer
harlon
Hassidic
high magnification
high pressure jet
homograft reaction
hot air distributor
IAAG
It never rains but it pours
Ivdel'
left averted photography
look through the fingers at
louzeiro
lower tail coverts
market body
mcilvaine
metaperceptual
Meyer's organ
national labor relations act
nonextended address space
Novadel
nutritional agents
orthopraxy
Ottawa R.
overvolted
Pambula
pathogenic dryness
pernio bullosus
photographic mapping
pissane
potassium phosphate,tribasic
previvation
Priupskiy
pulverized fuel line
ralph bunches
range octagon
rare earth doped glasses
reduced inspection
relations
representation of plans
reserve factor
reset router
reticulated veins
retrospective
root bend test
S. G.
solid state power amplifier
spectral projector
staurolite kyanite subfacies
steel pipe pile
string together
STX
take sb in tow
telluric method
the lid
translate
turbine locomotive
tyre inflator
value voter
valve three way
VITC
wind egg
withered zone
wordmongers