时间:2018-12-06 作者:英语课 分类:37 The Mystery of the Lost Vil


英语课

“This is creepy,” Violet said. “And I’m freezing.”



“I told you to wear a sweater,” Jessie muttered. “The nights get chilly 1 here.”



It was midnight and the two sisters were headed for the dig with Amy. Amy swung her flashlight in a zigzag 2 motion to light the way, but the girls still stumbled over stones and fallen tree branches.



The forest looked different at night, Violet thought. Everything was hidden in shadows and strange shapes seemed to hide in the darkness.



Suddenly there was a flutter of wings around her head, and a screeching 3 noise pierced the stillness. “Oh no!” Violet cried, and clutched Jessie’s arm. “What was that?”



Amy giggled 4. “Just a hoot 5 owl 6, silly.” She was feeling a little uneasy herself, but didn’t want to show it. She picked her way carefully around a tree stump 7, and then froze. She heard a twig 8 snap and then another. Someone was walking in the forest with them!



“Shhh.” She put her finger to her lips and turned off the flashlight.



“What is it?” Violet whispered.



“Someone’s nearby.”



Jessie gulped 9. “Where?” She peered around her, but everything was pitch-black.



“Ahead of us on the path, I think.” Amy darted 10 into the shadows and pulled her friends after her. “If we walk fast, we can circle around and come up beside them. But we’ll have to be very quiet. Can you do that?” She looked at Violet, whose teeth were chattering 12.



“I’ll try,” Violet promised.



The three girls moved swiftly through the forest, with Amy in the lead. Suddenly she came to a dead stop and started to laugh.



“What in the world — ” Jessie began. Amy swung the flashlight in a wide arc, catching 13 Henry, Joe, and Benny silhouetted 14 against the trees. Henry blinked in the light, and then shook his head in disbelief.



“What are you doing here?” he asked, rushing over to the girls.



“What are you doing here?” Jessie retorted.



“We’re trailing Michael Running Deer,” Joe said, moving in closer to them.



“Michael Running Deer!” Jessie was surprised. “You mean, he’s prowling around the forest, too?”



“That’s right, and we want to find out why,” Henry said. “Joe noticed him crossing the field toward the dig, and we jumped out of bed to follow him.”



Violet looked at Benny. He had thrown a flannel 15 jacket over his pajamas 16, and was wearing slippers 17.



“Well, we’re looking for a rock that glows in the dark,” Jessie said.



“I don’t believe that story. But I think we’ve lost Michael Running Deer now,” Henry told her. “We can still check the dig, just in case.” He turned up his collar against the cold night air. “Be as quiet as you can.”



For the next few minutes, the children carefully picked their way through the forest. Violet felt as though she were walking on eggshells, and Benny shuffled 18 behind her in his slippers.



“It’s no use,” Joe said when they arrived at the edge of the dig. “He’s gone.”



“Look over there!” Jessie’s voice was strained. “There’s a light under that tree!” She jabbed her finger at a spot several yards away.



Everyone turned to look, and Jessie said softly, “It’s not a light exactly, is it? It looks more like … something glowing.”



“A glowing rock!” Violet was excited. “Just like the one Ted 11 Clark told us about! He said it’s a sign that there’s buried treasure underneath 19.”



“Let’s go see — ” Benny began, and then froze at an eerie 20 sound whistling through the trees. “What’s that?” he asked, clutching Violet’s hand.



“I don’t know,” Violet said in a shaky voice.



“Ooooooh … oooh.” The low moan seemed to echo through the trees.



“Could it be an animal?” Jessie asked, drawing close to Amy.



“I don’t think so,” Amy answered. “I know the sounds of all the animals that live in this forest, and I’ve never heard anything like it.” The sound seemed to circle them, sometimes loud, sometimes soft, just out of reach.



“We have to get out of here,” Henry said firmly. “Right now.”



“But what about the rock?” Joe protested.



“It will still be there tomorrow. Let’s go.” Amy was already making her way back through the forest, swinging her flashlight for the others. The noise stopped once they had reached the edge of the forest, and then the children broke into a dead run.



Once they reached the Lightfeather house, everyone headed for bed. “That was a close call,” Violet said, tucking the Navajo blanket around her. “What do you think was making that noise?” she asked Amy.



Amy shook her head. “A person,” she said, her voice serious. She was sitting up in bed, with her knees drawn 21 up to her chest. “It was definitely a warning. Someone doesn’t want us around the dig.”



The next afternoon, Jessie went to the general store to mail a letter to Grandfather. She decided 22 to stop by the stables on her way back to the Lightfeathers’, and was surprised to see Rita Neville leading a sleek 23 pinto horse out of the stable door.



“Be sure to keep a tight rein 24 on Skywalker,” Ed, the stable boy, was saying to her. “He loves to gallop 25, and if you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself flying.”



“I’ll remember that,” Rita said, swinging herself up into the saddle. “I’ll only be gone a couple of hours. I want to take a look at the mountains.”



She spotted 26 Jessie and gave a curt 27 nod. Then she made a clucking noise, and the horse broke into a slow trot 28.



Jessie was heading for Thunder’s stall, when she noticed a leather drawstring purse lying on the floor. Ed spotted it at the same time. “Darn! She forgot her purse.”



“I’ll take it to her,” Jessie said quickly. She grabbed the purse and dashed out the door. Rita Neville was ambling 29 down the trail behind the stables, and Jessie broke into a run, calling her name.



Ms. Neville reined 30 in Skywalker, and headed back toward Jessie. “What is it?” she asked irritably 31, and then saw what Jessie was carrying. “Give me that!” She dug her heels into Skywalker’s flanks, and he galloped 32 to Jessie’s side.



Why is she so angry? Jessie wondered. She started to lift the purse to Ms. Neville and then suddenly realized that the drawstring had come undone 33. A lipstick 34 was lying on the ground, along with some loose change.



“Gosh, I’m sorry,” Jessie said. When she bent 35 down to retrieve 36 the lipstick, Rita Neville dismounted in a cold fury.



“I said give it to me!” she repeated. She snatched the bag out of Jessie’s hand and swung herself back into the saddle.



“Here’s the lipstick and the coins,” Jessie said.



Ms. Neville put out her hand, dropped the items into her purse, and angrily swung the reins 37. Skywalker obediently turned and headed away from Jessie, toward the mountains.



“She didn’t even say thanks,” Jessie muttered to herself. She started to walk toward the stable when she noticed a small glass bottle lying on the ground. Jessie picked it up and saw that it was nail polish. It had obviously fallen out of Ms. Neville’s purse. After taking a quick look at Thunder, who was happily munching 38 hay in his stall, Jessie decided to walk by the motel. She could return the nail polish and still be back at the Lightfeathers’ by dinnertime.



At Morton’s Motel, Jessie was disappointed that no one was on duty in the office. She was trying to decide what to do next, when a maid appeared with a pile of fresh towels.



“Just leave it outside her door,” the maid suggested, when Jessie explained the problem. “She’s staying in number twelve, the third door on the right.”



“Thanks.” When Jessie found room number twelve, she bent down to leave the nail polish on the door mat. Suddenly she realized that Ms. Neville’s door was ajar. Inside, she could see Ted Clark looking in the closet. She drew back, shocked. He must have broken in! What was he looking for? Jessie quickly ducked out of sight and crept away.



After dinner that night, Jessie joined the rest of the children at the dining-room table and told them about her adventure. Benny was putting the finishing touches on his beadwork, and Henry was polishing silver belt buckles 40.



“I was so startled, I forgot to leave the nail polish,” Jessie said at the end of the story. She reached into her pocket, and pulled out the small glass bottle. “That’s funny,” she said, turning it over in her hand. “I just realized it’s empty.”



“Why would someone carry around an empty bottle of nail polish?” Amy asked.



“It doesn’t make sense,” Violet said.



“Something else is funny,” Jessie said. “Remember that key ring we found in the forest? Maybe the ‘M’ was for Morton’s Motel!”



Henry looked up from his polishing. “So Rita Neville is definitely a suspect. She might be the one who’s causing us so much trouble at the dig.”



“But why?” Violet asked. “Why would a television producer want to interfere 41 with what we’re doing?”



“Maybe she’s not a television producer,” Jessie offered. “We only have her word for it. And she really acted strangely today.”



“You know, we have quite a list of suspects,” Amy said. “Ted Clark pretends he’s part Navajo, but he knows nothing about our culture. He didn’t even recognize turquoise 42.”



“And he’s not much of a genealogist 43. He didn’t even know that Navajo tribes live in the Southwest,” Joe added. “And what about Michael Running Deer? He’s always snooping around the forest.”



“But he has an excuse. He’s working for the developer,” Henry said.



“But there’s no reason for him to be there in the middle of the night,” Jessie pointed 39 out. “I think Michael isn’t what he seems.”



“Do you think we should tell your parents about any of this?” Henry asked Joe.



“Not yet.” Joe shook his head. “Mom and Dad are really involved with the Pow-Wow, and I’d hate to worry them.”



“You’re right,” Amy agreed. “I think the best thing for us to do is keep our eyes open and work as hard as we can at the dig.”



It was nearly eight o’clock that evening when Kinowok visited the Lightfeathers. “I’ve brought something special,” he said, and handed Jessie a silver-and-turquoise necklace. “This belonged to my mother, and I would like you to wear it at the Pow-Wow.”



“It’s beautiful.” Jessie ran her fingers over the bright bluish-green stones.



“It’s a squash-blossom necklace,” Amy told her. “And look at all the symbols carved in it.”



“Do you know what each one means?” Kinowok asked.



Amy studied the necklace. “The coyote is respected for his wisdom, and the pipe stands for peace …”



“Look at that bird,” Violet said. “It’s just like the one on my bowl, and it even has a snake next to it.”



“You found a dish with a thunderbird and a serpent?” Kinowok asked, his dark eyes alert.



“At the dig,” Violet said. “It’s the best thing we found.”



“May I see it?” the old man asked.



“It was stolen.” Violet’s voice quivered a little.



Kinowok was silent. “This is very serious,” he said softly.



“There’s been a lot of really scary stuff going on!” Benny blurted 44 out. “Someone’s been sneaking 45 around the forest at night, and we’ve heard funny noises.”



“Do you think it is a man or a woman who is bothering you?” Kinowok sat down slowly and rested his chin on his hand.



“We followed a man through the forest one night,” Henry told him.



“But one day we saw a woman’s heel prints in the dirt,” Amy offered. Everyone was silent for a moment, and Kinowok looked thoughtful.



“I think they want us to stop working on the dig,” Joe said. “Sometimes they fill in the holes we’ve made, and other times they make them deeper. Maybe they’re trying to find something, too.”



“What do you think it means, Kinowok?” Amy asked.



“I think that you and your friends may have found something priceless,” Kinowok told her.



“Like buried treasure?” Benny’s eyes lit up.



“Better than treasure,” Kinowok said. “You may have found the lost village.”



1 chilly
adj.凉快的,寒冷的
  • I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
  • I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后,寒气逼人。
2 zigzag
n.曲折,之字形;adj.曲折的,锯齿形的;adv.曲折地,成锯齿形地;vt.使曲折;vi.曲折前行
  • The lightning made a zigzag in the sky.闪电在天空划出一道Z字形。
  • The path runs zigzag up the hill.小径向山顶蜿蜒盘旋。
3 screeching
v.发出尖叫声( screech的现在分词 );发出粗而刺耳的声音;高叫
  • Monkeys were screeching in the trees. 猴子在树上吱吱地叫着。
  • the unedifying sight of the two party leaders screeching at each other 两党党魁狺狺对吠的讨厌情景
4 giggled
v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 )
  • The girls giggled at the joke. 女孩子们让这笑话逗得咯咯笑。
  • The children giggled hysterically. 孩子们歇斯底里地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 hoot
n.鸟叫声,汽车的喇叭声; v.使汽车鸣喇叭
  • The sudden hoot of a whistle broke into my thoughts.突然响起的汽笛声打断了我的思路。
  • In a string of shrill hoot of the horn sound,he quickly ran to her.在一串尖声鸣叫的喇叭声中,他快速地跑向她。
6 owl
n.猫头鹰,枭
  • Her new glasses make her look like an owl.她的新眼镜让她看上去像只猫头鹰。
  • I'm a night owl and seldom go to bed until after midnight.我睡得很晚,经常半夜后才睡觉。
7 stump
n.残株,烟蒂,讲演台;v.砍断,蹒跚而走
  • He went on the stump in his home state.他到故乡所在的州去发表演说。
  • He used the stump as a table.他把树桩用作桌子。
8 twig
n.小树枝,嫩枝;v.理解
  • He heard the sharp crack of a twig.他听到树枝清脆的断裂声。
  • The sharp sound of a twig snapping scared the badger away.细枝突然折断的刺耳声把獾惊跑了。
9 gulped
v.狼吞虎咽地吃,吞咽( gulp的过去式和过去分词 );大口地吸(气);哽住
  • He gulped down the rest of his tea and went out. 他把剩下的茶一饮而尽便出去了。
  • She gulped nervously, as if the question bothered her. 她紧张地咽了一下,似乎那问题把她难住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 darted
v.投掷,投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 );向前冲,飞奔
  • The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了,瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 ted
vt.翻晒,撒,撒开
  • The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
  • She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。
12 chattering
adj.易传染的,有魅力的,迷人的,接住
  • There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
  • Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。
13 silhouetted
显出轮廓的,显示影像的
  • We could see a church silhouetted against the skyline. 我们可以看到一座教堂凸现在天际。
  • The stark jagged rocks were silhouetted against the sky. 光秃嶙峋的岩石衬托着天空的背景矗立在那里。
14 flannel
n.法兰绒;法兰绒衣服
  • She always wears a grey flannel trousers.她总是穿一条灰色法兰绒长裤。
  • She was looking luscious in a flannel shirt.她穿着法兰绒裙子,看上去楚楚动人。
15 pajamas
n.睡衣裤
  • 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。
16 slippers
n. 拖鞋
  • a pair of slippers 一双拖鞋
  • He kicked his slippers off and dropped on to the bed. 他踢掉了拖鞋,倒在床上。
17 shuffled
v.洗(纸牌)( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 );拖着脚步走;粗心地做;摆脱尘世的烦恼
  • He shuffled across the room to the window. 他拖着脚走到房间那头的窗户跟前。
  • Simon shuffled awkwardly towards them. 西蒙笨拙地拖着脚朝他们走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
18 underneath
adj.在...下面,在...底下;adv.在下面
  • Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
  • She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣,里面套着一条连衣裙。
19 eerie
adj.怪诞的;奇异的;可怕的;胆怯的
  • It's eerie to walk through a dark wood at night.夜晚在漆黑的森林中行走很是恐怖。
  • I walked down the eerie dark path.我走在那条漆黑恐怖的小路上。
20 drawn
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
  • All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
  • Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
21 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。
22 sleek
adj.光滑的,井然有序的;v.使光滑,梳拢
  • Women preferred sleek,shiny hair with little decoration.女士们更喜欢略加修饰的光滑闪亮型秀发。
  • The horse's coat was sleek and glossy.这匹马全身润泽有光。
23 rein
n.疆绳,统治,支配;vt.以僵绳控制,统治
  • The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
  • He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。
24 gallop
v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔;飞速发展
  • They are coming at a gallop towards us.他们正朝着我们飞跑过来。
  • The horse slowed to a walk after its long gallop.那匹马跑了一大阵后慢下来缓步而行。
25 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。
26 curt
adj.简短的,草率的
  • He gave me an extremely curt answer.他对我作了极为草率的答复。
  • He rapped out a series of curt commands.他大声发出了一连串简短的命令。
27 trot
n.疾走,慢跑;n.老太婆;现成译本;(复数)trots:腹泻(与the 连用);v.小跑,快步走,赶紧
  • They passed me at a trot.他们从我身边快步走过。
  • The horse broke into a brisk trot.马突然快步小跑起来。
28 ambling
v.(马)缓行( amble的现在分词 );从容地走,漫步
  • At that moment the tiger commenced ambling towards his victim. 就在这时,老虎开始缓步向它的猎物走去。 来自辞典例句
  • Implied meaning: drinking, ambling, the people who make golf all relatively succeed. 寓意:喝酒,赌博,打高尔夫的人都比较成功。 来自互联网
29 reined
勒缰绳使(马)停步( rein的过去式和过去分词 ); 驾驭; 严格控制; 加强管理
  • Then, all of a sudden, he reined up his tired horse. 这时,他突然把疲倦的马勒住了。
  • The officer reined in his horse at a crossroads. 军官在十字路口勒住了马。
30 irritably
ad.易生气地
  • He lost his temper and snapped irritably at the children. 他发火了,暴躁地斥责孩子们。
  • On this account the silence was irritably broken by a reproof. 为了这件事,他妻子大声斥责,令人恼火地打破了宁静。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
31 galloped
(使马)飞奔,奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 ); 快速做[说]某事
  • Jo galloped across the field towards him. 乔骑马穿过田野向他奔去。
  • The children galloped home as soon as the class was over. 孩子们一下课便飞奔回家了。
32 undone
a.未做完的,未完成的
  • He left nothing undone that needed attention.所有需要注意的事他都注意到了。
33 lipstick
n.口红,唇膏
  • Taking out her lipstick,she began to paint her lips.她拿出口红,开始往嘴唇上抹。
  • Lipstick and hair conditioner are cosmetics.口红和护发素都是化妆品。
34 bent
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
35 retrieve
vt.重新得到,收回;挽回,补救;检索
  • He was determined to retrieve his honor.他决心恢复名誉。
  • The men were trying to retrieve weapons left when the army abandoned the island.士兵们正试图找回军队从该岛撤退时留下的武器。
36 reins
感情,激情; 缰( rein的名词复数 ); 控制手段; 掌管; (成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的)保护带
  • She pulled gently on the reins. 她轻轻地拉着缰绳。
  • The government has imposed strict reins on the import of luxury goods. 政府对奢侈品的进口有严格的控制手段。
37 munching
v.用力咀嚼(某物),大嚼( munch的现在分词 )
  • He was munching an apple. 他在津津有味地嚼着苹果。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Munching the apple as he was, he had an eye for all her movements. 他虽然啃着苹果,但却很留神地监视着她的每一个动作。 来自辞典例句
38 pointed
adj.尖的,直截了当的
  • 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。
39 buckles
搭扣,扣环( buckle的名词复数 )
  • She gazed proudly at the shiny buckles on her shoes. 她骄傲地注视着鞋上闪亮的扣环。
  • When the plate becomes unstable, it buckles laterally. 当板失去稳定时,就发生横向屈曲。
40 interfere
v.(in)干涉,干预;(with)妨碍,打扰
  • If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话,可能弊多利少。
  • When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件,棘手的事情就来了。
41 turquoise
n.绿宝石;adj.蓝绿色的
  • She wore a string of turquoise round her neck.她脖子上戴着一串绿宝石。
  • The women have elaborate necklaces of turquoise.那些女人戴着由绿松石制成的精美项链。
42 genealogist
系谱学者
  • Misha Defonseca acknowledged her bestselling Holocaust story as a fake after a genealogist outed her. MishaDefonseca在当一位系谱学者揭露她之后承认自己关于二战犹太大屠杀的畅销书是捏造的。
43 blurted
v.突然说出,脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 )
  • She blurted it out before I could stop her. 我还没来得及制止,她已脱口而出。
  • He blurted out the truth, that he committed the crime. 他不慎说出了真相,说是他犯了那个罪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
44 sneaking
a.秘密的,不公开的
  • She had always had a sneaking affection for him. 以前她一直暗暗倾心于他。
  • She ducked the interviewers by sneaking out the back door. 她从后门偷偷溜走,躲开采访者。
学英语单词
acetylthiocholine
adult stem cell
Annonay
Anoectochilus yungianus
auditory image
baileyana
ballets russes de monte carlo
be slaughtered
below bridge
bride-chamber
brownify
bulb eraser or degausser
but net
carbaborane
circullar morred net
comprehensive physical examination
condensation value
consecutive sequency computer
continuity of behavior
core end plate
coupled wave
Culross
defibrates
demand staging
determinantal
diffuser lip
dimenformon
Dipsocoromorpha
disk library
dispensational
Douglas protractor
electron doublet
elenctic
entertainment center
eocnomic statistics
erratic element
ethnopharmaceutical
exceptation
experimental media
extravolution
fragrans
galeoocorys echinophorella suzumai
galianoes
general-purpose flip-flop
hagiophobia
iglu
importer's entry of goods
in curia
indicated hydrogen
ion back-scattering spectroscopy (ibs)
Johor Lama
Kamskoye Vdkh.
kinnekinic
kithnos (kythnos)
Konotop
kyongsangs
lapidofacies
liquor up
loop algorithm
Mactra
maintenance pack
make-up water dealkalization
Malantouen
mental job
mentigerous
MIS structure
mixer leverman
molecular linkage
moment arm
nationally-recognised
NEUT (neutralizing)
Nieuw-Vennep
no-gos
nonspecific afferent system
not so
ormsbee
parasitic otitis
pig-nose turtles
postpartum examination
prismognathus davidis cheni
psychopathia chirurgicalis
punctiform colonies
radiohydrology
raised point
redus
soccage
sound change
span-wise lift distribution
statement line
supranationality
suskind
tea card
ten-o'clock
to turn down
under frequency operation
under the leadership of
uninsured
uphill work
valvular vegetation
white-heart
Zborov
zircon flour