时间:2018-12-06 作者:英语课 分类:48 The Mystery Bookstore


英语课

The hours flew by. Miss Chase 1 spent her time making business calls. The Aldens carried books from the shop out to the tables in the courtyard 2 where the book sale would be held. And Sarah Deckle spent the morning buried in the children’s book section where she seemed to be reading every book from cover to cover.



“This is practically 3 the hardest job I’ve ever done,” Jessie said.



“Harder than cleaning up a boxcar or working in a pizza restaurant?” Henry asked in amazement 4.



“These books are just so tempting,” Jessie said. “I keep wanting to stop work so I can read them. I wish we were living in the bookshop instead of above it.”



“Me, too,” Violet 5 confessed 6. “Here’s a neat old book on needlepoint. It’s full of patterns I’ve never seen before.” Then Violet showed the others something else she had found. “This beautiful boxed set of fairy tales was mixed in with some stamp collecting books in the hobby box. There are four stories in the set, Tom Thumb, Goose Girl, Briar Rose, and, my favorite of all, The Little Mermaid 8. I’m going to show it to Miss Chase.”



Violet found Miss Chase working in the bookstore. “Look at this pretty set of fairy tales, Miss Chase. Should I put it aside? It’s got beautiful illustrations 9.”



Miss Chase came over and put her arm around Violet. “The books are lovely. I never noticed them in Mabel Post’s shop before, but I guess it’s because they were jumbled 10 up with the hobby books. That Mabel. She liked to just throw everything together! Anyway, you found the set, so I’d like you to keep it, Violet.”



Violet shook her head. “No, I couldn’t, Miss Chase. What if the set is valuable? You need every penny 11 to buy new books for the Mystery Bookstore.” Violet handed the boxed set back to Miss Chase.



“It couldn’t be that valuable if Mabel just threw it in with the hobby books. Take it as a thank-you present. You children are saving 12 me many, many more pennies 13 with all your help than this set could possibly be worth,” she said.



Violet ran her fingers over the beautiful fairy tale collection. “Thank you. I’ll take very good care of them.”



Violet and Miss Chase then went back out to the courtyard to see how the work was coming along.



“What else can we do, Miss Chase?” Jessie asked. “We organized all the books out here. We’ll put out the children’s books after Sarah Deckle leaves.”



“I really must get her out of the store,” Miss Chase whispered 14. “She just won’t budge 15.”



“I’ll go tell her it’s lunchtime,” Benny suggested. “Because it is!”



Miss Chase laughed. “Good idea, Benny. Nobody would keep a hungry boy from lunch.”



But Miss Chase was wrong. When Benny told Sarah Deckle it was lunchtime, the young woman tried to send him away. “Oh, no problem, little boy. Run along. I’ll just be a little while longer.”



Now Benny Alden liked just about everything, but two things he didn’t like were being called a little boy and having to wait for lunch. Those doughnuts seemed an awful long time ago.



“I meant lunchtime for everyone,” Benny said in his nicest voice.



Sarah Deckle still didn’t move.



“Closing time, closing time!” Miss Chase said in her no-nonsense 16 voice.



“But, but, I’m not finished,” Sarah Deckle complained.



“You’ll have more than enough time this weekend when the book sale starts,” Miss Chase said. “Besides, everything is all dark and musty in here. You can hardly see a thing. By Saturday, we’ll have all these books out in the courtyard where it’s nice and bright. There, there, Miss Deckle. Now run along and enjoy a good lunch.”



“Can we have lunch now, too?” Benny asked.



“We sure can,” Miss Chase answered. “Let’s go to Mama’s Restaurant. It’s a couple of blocks away on Magazine Street. It’s one of your grandfather’s favorite lunch places.”



“Then I know it will be mine, too,” Benny said.



They were just about to leave when Sarah Deckle turned around one last time.



“I’m going, I’m going,” she began, “but I . . .” She stopped talking when she noticed Violet putting the boxed set into Jessie’s green backpack so it wouldn’t get lost. “May I just look at that set?” she asked.



Miss Chase finally ran out of patience. “Those books are not for sale, Miss Deckle. For that matter, none of these books are for sale until this weekend. Now these children must have some lunch. I suggest the same for you.”



There was no mistaking Olivia Chase this time. She held the courtyard door open until Sarah Deckle finally walked out.



“Whew! I thought it would be dinnertime before she left,” Jessie said as they walked down the street. “I could eat two lunches now.”



“I could eat two hundred!” Benny said, skipping ahead of everyone.



They were almost at Mama’s Restaurant when Miss Chase remembered something. “Henry, would you do me a big favor 7? Please run back to the courtyard and see if I left my notepad on one of the tables. I have to stop at the office supply store, but I can’t remember what was on my list. Here’s the key to the courtyard. We’ll save a place for you.”



“Be back in a flash,” Henry said, taking Miss Chase’s keys.



When Henry reached the courtyard door he looked down and noticed that the door was opened slightly.



“What?” he said to himself.



Henry pushed the heavy door slowly so it wouldn’t squeak 17. He looked around. Right away he saw that some of the plastic rain sheets on the book tables were folded back.



“Looking for someone?” a man’s voice called out.



Henry jumped.



“How did you get in here, Mr. Bindry?” Henry asked the gray-haired man.



“How did you know I was Mr. Bindry?”



“Miss Chase told us at the auction,” Henry answered. “She said you were a rare-book expert and that you had known 18 Mrs. Post.”



“Olivia should keep her business to herself instead of talking so much to every tourist who passes through,” Mr. Bindry said angrily.



“I’m not a tourist,” Henry explained. “I mean, I am a tourist, I guess. But I’m here with my brother and two sisters to help Miss Chase get her mystery bookshop ready for business.”



“A mystery bookshop!” he shouted. “What nonsense! Olivia should stick to writing books, not selling them.”



“How did you get in here?” Henry repeated. “Do you have a key, too?”



“Don’t need a key when fool people leave the door wide open,” Mr. Bindry said. “I just walked right in.”



Henry scratched 19 his head. He was pretty sure they’d locked the door, but he wasn’t about to argue with Mr. Bindry. Looking around, Henry spied 20 Miss Chase’s notepad lying on one of the tables.



“This is what I came for,” Henry explained. “So I guess I’d better lock up. Miss Chase is waiting for me.”



Henry waited for Mr. Bindry to leave, but the man didn’t seem to want to go. Finally, Henry said, “We’re getting all those books ready for a big book sale on Saturday. You can buy anything you want then, Mr. Bindry.”



“Hrmph!” was all Mr. Bindry had to say before he was finally good and ready to leave.



Out on the street, Henry double-checked that the courtyard door was really locked this time. He was so busy locking up, he didn’t happen to see what Mr. Bindry had tossed 21 in the backseat of his car.



It was a blue jacket.



1 chase
vt.追逐,追赶,追求;n.追赶
  • The police grabbed the robbers after a long chase.警察经过长距离追赶后逮住了抢劫犯。
  • Would you chase me if I did?如果我逃开了,你会来追吗?
2 courtyard
n.庭院,天井
  • Tell children to go and play in the courtyard.叫孩子们到院子里耍去。
  • This passage leads into the courtyard.这条路通向院子。
3 practically
adv.差不多;几乎;实际地,从实际角度
  • He solved the problem very practically.他很实事求是地解决了这个问题。
  • She's practically always late for school.她上学几乎总是迟到。
4 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。
5 violet
adj.紫色的;n.紫罗兰
  • She likes to wear violet dresses.他喜欢穿紫色的衣服。
  • Violet is the color of wisdom,peace and strength.紫色是智慧的,和平的和力量的颜色。
6 confessed
n.好感;赞同;好事;vt.赞同,喜爱;有利于
  • She is out of favor with her employer.她失去了雇主的欢心。
  • The new teacher finds favor in the eyes of the parents.那位新老师很受家长的欢迎。
7 mermaid
n.美人鱼
  • How popular would that girl be with the only mermaid mom!和人鱼妈妈在一起,那个女孩会有多受欢迎!
  • The little mermaid wasn't happy because she didn't want to wait.小美人鱼不太高兴,因为她等不及了。
8 illustrations
n.插图( illustration的名词复数 );图表;例证;说明
  • The otherwise dreary book is enlivened by some very amusing illustrations. 这本枯燥乏味的书幸亏加了一些精彩的插图才变得生动有趣。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The illustrations were cleverly tied in with the text. 插图与本文配合得很巧妙。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 jumbled
adj.混乱的;杂乱的
  • Books, shoes and clothes were jumbled together on the floor. 书、鞋子和衣服胡乱堆放在地板上。
  • The details of the accident were all jumbled together in his mind. 他把事故细节记得颠三倒四。
10 penny
n.(英)便士,美分
  • I will not lent you a penny.我一便士都不愿借给你。
  • Sugar has risen a penny a pound.糖价每磅涨了1便士。
11 saving
n.节省,节约;[pl.]储蓄金,存款
  • Energy saving is term strategic policy of our country.节约能源是我国长期的战略国策。
  • Old-fashioned housewives were usually very saving.旧时的家庭主妇通常都很节俭。
12 pennies
n.of penny;便士( penny的名词复数 );(美国、加拿大的)一分钱;少量的钱
  • He had a few pennies in his pocket. 他口袋里有几个便士的硬币。
  • Pennies, nickles, dimes and quarters are United States coins. 1分铜币、5分镍币、1角银币和2角5分银币是美国硬币。 来自《简明英汉词典》
13 whispered
adj.耳语的,低语的v.低声说( whisper的过去式和过去分词 );私语;小声说;私下说
  • She sidled up to me and whispered something in my ear. 她悄悄走上前来,对我耳语了几句。
  • His ill luck has been whispered about the neighborhood. 他的不幸遭遇已在邻居中传开。 来自《简明英汉词典》
14 budge
v.移动一点儿;改变立场
  • We tried to lift the rock but it wouldn't budge.我们试图把大石头抬起来,但它连动都没动一下。
  • She wouldn't budge on the issue.她在这个问题上不肯让步。
15 nonsense
n.胡说,废话
  • Go along with you! What you say is all nonsense!去你的!你说的全是废话!
  • "Don't talk nonsense",she said sharply.“别胡扯”,她严厉地说。
16 squeak
n.吱吱声,逃脱;v.(发出)吱吱叫,侥幸通过;(俚)告密
  • I don't want to hear another squeak out of you!我不想再听到你出声!
  • We won the game,but it was a narrow squeak.我们打赢了这场球赛,不过是侥幸取胜。
17 known
adj.大家知道的;知名的,已知的
  • He is a known artist.他是一个知名的艺术家。
  • He is known both as a painter and as a statesman.他是知名的画家及政治家。
18 scratched
[体]弃权
  • John yawned and scratched his chin. 约翰打个哈欠,挠挠下巴。
  • The investigation barely scratched the surface of the city's drug problem. 这次调查只是触及了该城市毒品问题的表面。 来自《简明英汉词典》
19 spied
pt.,pp.of spyv.看见,发现( spy的过去式和过去分词 );当间谍;从事间谍活动;搜集情报
  • German ferrets constantly spied on the Allied prisoners of war. 德国侦探经常监视着盟军的战俘。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • We spied three figures in the distance. 我们望见远处有三个人影儿。 来自《简明英汉词典》
20 tossed
v.(轻轻或漫不经心地)扔( toss的过去式和过去分词 );(使)摇荡;摇匀;(为…)掷硬币决定
  • I tossed the book aside and got up. 我把书丢在一边,站了起来。
  • He angrily tossed his tools and would work no longer. 他怒气冲冲地扔下工具不肯再干了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
学英语单词
abductor digiti quinti
adamha
all wave oscillator
amants
amsacrine
anasyrma
anglo-conformity
annual meetings
Ant-Vireo
antisymmetry principle
bandaletta
basal cell adenocarcinoma
battle of Leuctra
be up to your ears in sth
beltzer
billet furnace
by turn bidding
cabins
carbonate-bonded briquette
carrier phasor
chutes-the-chutes
collimated monochromatic light
colour-matching functions of a trichromatic system
constant temperature compression
contumulation
convex mirror
data station
demagnetization tensor
derived scale
dinner party
districted
drag oneself along
earned point
economic change in developed countries
ectopic parathyroid
El Morocco
Eriobotrya obovata
fair-lead logging arch
family sterculiaceaes
family-preservation
fluid quality
garment worker
glamour-girl
glass object
grain-boundary strength
guide-plate
henpecked
high alumina basalt
Hoffmann's tests
hydraulic wheel
increased cost of construction insurance
ipe
isodon macrocalyx
jacket upending
joseph rudyard kiplings
Khosrow II
kilo-class
leftie
mallophene
matched floor
meter-candel-second
name cards
national supremacies
non-resonance method
number address code
one sided love
onuphis punggolensis
pair-feeding
palmiero
paperbackers
paraganglioma
pliers entry
polyglot Bible
positive sequence reactance
put a chill into sb
Qiongzhusi Formation
quantitative physiology
Ray-Ban shade
re-painting
rhyolite
savourily
self-injure
short form bill of lading
short-circuit feedback admitta-nce
shue
shut shop
side-scan sonar
silent zone
speechwork
squalus megalops
Symphyta
teletypewriter (tt)
The end sanctifies the means.
toy industries
transverse lever support
transverse stiffener
water detection
whassup
white synthetic baking enamel
without discrimination
Yurrup
zero-lag servo