时间:2018-12-18 作者:英语课 分类:112 The Ghost in the First Row


英语课

“Is it really haunted 1, Grandfather?” asked six-year-old Benny, his eyes huge.



“Haunted?” James Alden looked puzzled, but only for a moment. “Oh, I suppose you children heard me on the phone?”



Jessie poured more milk into Benny’s glass. “Yes, you were talking to Aunt Jane about the Trap-Door Theater, Grandfather,” she explained. At twelve, Jessie often acted like a mother to her younger brother and sister.



Violet 2, who was ten, looked up. “Benny heard you say it was haunted, Grandfather.”



Fourteen-year-old Henry shook his head. “Ghosts don’t exist, Benny,” he said. He sounded very sure.



The four Alden children—Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny—were sitting around the dining room table with their grandfather. They were discussing their upcoming visit to nearby Elmford. Aunt Jane had invited the children to stay with her while Uncle Andy was away on business.



Grandfather put down his fork. “The Trap-Door Theater was closed years ago, Benny,” he explained. “Sometimes people start talking about ghosts when a building’s been empty for a long time.”



“That’s true,” said Mrs. McGregor, as she came into the room. “It’s been called the haunted theater for as long as I can remember.” She placed a bowl of salad on the table. “From what I’ve heard, they’ve done a wonderful job fixing up the old place.”



Grandfather nodded. “That building was quite an eyesore,” he said. “Now it looks just like it did when it was first built in the late 1800s.”



“Aunt Jane bought tickets for opening night,” Violet told their housekeeper 3, her eyes shining. “We’ll be seeing a mystery play.”



“And mysteries are our specialty 4!” added Benny sounding just as excited as his sister. There was nothing the children loved better than a mystery and together they’d managed to solve quite a few.



“I bet 5 you’ll have that mystery figured out before the last act, Benny,” guessed Mrs. McGregor.



“Well, I am very good at sniffing 6 out clues,” Benny admitted.



Henry couldn’t help laughing. “Benny, you’re almost as good at sniffing out clues as you are at sniffing out food!”



“Right!” Benny gave his brother the thumbs-up sign. The youngest Alden was known for his appetite. He was always hungry.



“Aunt Jane had a hunch 7 you’d enjoy a good whodunit 8,” said Grandfather, as Mrs. McGregor walked out of the room.



“A what?” Benny looked puzzled.



“A whodunit,” Henry repeated. “That’s another name for a mystery, Benny.”



“Oh, I get it,” said Benny, catching 9 on. “They call it a whodunit because you figure out who did it. Right?”



“Right,” said Grandfather, as he passed the salad along. “And the play’s supposed to be a first-rate whodunit. At least, that’s what Aunt Jane tells me.”



“One thing’s for sure,” said Jessie. “It’ll be great to see Aunt Jane again.”



“I’ll second that!” Henry said.



“Yes, it’s been a while since you’ve had a visit.” Grandfather helped himself to the mashed 10 potatoes.



Just then, Watch ran over, wagging 11 his tail.



“Sorry, Watch,” Violet said, petting their family dog softly 12 on the head. “You can’t go with us this time.”



“Dogs aren’t allowed on the train,” said Benny.



“Besides,” put in Violet, “you need to keep Grandfather and Mrs. McGregor company while we’re gone.”



“And look after our boxcar,” added Henry.



After their parents died, the four Alden children had run away. For a while, their home was an old boxcar in the woods. But then their grandfather, James Alden, had found them. He brought his grandchildren to live with him in his big white house in Greenfield. Even the boxcar was given a special place in the backyard. The children often used it as a clubhouse.



“I’ll drop you off at the train station after lunch tomorrow,” said Grandfather. “Aunt Jane will be waiting for you when you arrive in Elmford.”



“Thanks, Grandfather,” said Jessie. “We’ll pack tonight, then we won’t be rushed in the morning.”



The other Aldens smiled at each other. They could always count on Jessie to be organized.



Violet was wondering about something.



“Grandfather, why was the Trap-Door Theater left empty for such a long time?”



“Well, when the theater was first built, Violet,” said Grandfather, “it was Elmford’s pride and joy. Tickets were always sold out. But as the years went by, the building needed repairs. It slowly became more and more rundown. Soon people didn’t want to go there anymore.”



“Why didn’t they do the repairs?” Benny wondered.



“The town of Elmford didn’t have the money, Benny. The council 13 finally closed the theater down.”



“How did they finally get the money to fix it up?” Jessie wondered.



“When Alice Duncan died, she left her money to the town to restore 14 the place,” said Grandfather. “Alice was one of Aunt Jane’s neighbors.”



“What a wonderful thing to do!” said Violet. Jessie nodded. “She saved the old theater.”



“For now, anyway.” Grandfather put down his fork. “Everyone’s hoping the theater will bring tourists into town. But …”



“If it doesn’t,” guessed Henry, “they’ll close it down again?”



“I’m afraid so, Henry. But if the theater brings tourists into town, it’ll be good for everyone.”



“That makes sense,” Henry said after a moment’s thought. “There’ll be more shoppers going in and out of the stores. Right, Grandfather?”



“Right.” Grandfather nodded.



“Oh, I’m sure the play will be a success,” said Violet.



Benny was quick to agree. “Everybody likes a mystery!”



True to her word, Aunt Jane was waiting for the Aldens when their train pulled into Elmford the next day.



“I brought my binoculars 15 for the play, Aunt Jane!” Benny shouted, running up and giving her a hug. Laughing, Aunt Jane returned the hug.



“Don’t worry, Benny,” she said. “We’ll be sitting in the first row. I don’t think you’ll need binoculars.”



“We can’t wait to see what the theater looks like now,” Violet said.



Henry loaded the suitcases into the car and they all got inside.



“Actually, you can take a peek 16 at it right away,” Aunt Jane said. “The theater is just around the corner, so you can see it from the outside. It’s been completely done over.”



“Thanks to your neighbor,” said Henry, sitting up front beside Aunt Jane. “Alice Duncan, I mean.”



“Yes, Alice was a great fan of the theater,” said Aunt Jane. “And a wonderful friend.”



Violet didn’t like to hear the note of sadness in Aunt Jane’s voice. She was trying to think of something cheery to say, but Jessie spoke 17 first.



“I bet Alice would be pleased with all the work that’s been done,” she said.



“Yes, I think she would.” Aunt Jane smiled at Jessie through the rearview mirror. “In the old days, Alice had a seat in the first row for every mystery play. And she always brought her knitting 18 and a bag of popcorn 19 with her for intermission.”



“Wow,” said Benny. “I guess Alice liked mysteries.”



“She sure did, Benny.” Aunt Jane nodded. “As a matter of fact, she even wrote her own mystery plays.”



The children were surprised to hear this.



“Alice Duncan was a writer?” Jessie asked.



“She sure was,” said Aunt Jane. “Whenever we had a cup of tea together, she’d tell me about her latest codes 20 and clues.”



That sounded like fun to Benny. “I bet she was a good writer.”



“The best, Benny,” said Aunt Jane. “And she always put a surprise twist in the last act.”



“Were any of her plays performed in the Trap-Door Theater?” Jessie wondered.



“It was always Alice’s dream to have one of her plays performed.” Aunt Jane sighed. “But sadly, her dream never came true.”



“What a shame!” said Violet.



“Alice wanted to give other writers the chance she never had,” Aunt Jane went on. “That’s why she left her money to the town—on one condition.”



At this, the children were curious. “What was the condition?” Henry wondered.



“That a contest be held every summer. The winner would get a cash award,” said Aunt Jane, “and the winning play would be performed at the Trap-Door Theater.”



“Cool!” said Benny.



“The winner this year is a local college student, Tricia Jenkins. And from what I hear, she can really use the money.”



“Oh?” Henry asked.



“Yes, apparently 21 Tricia’s putting herself through school,” Aunt Jane told them. “She earns extra money working at her computer. They say she’s an expert typist.”



“So, it’s Tricia’s play we’ll be seeing on opening night?” Jessie wondered.



“Yes.” Aunt Jane nodded. “And I’m really looking forward to it. The judges were all very impressed that someone so young could write such a fine play.”



“Then it’s bound 22 to be a big hit,” Henry concluded.



“We’re keeping our fingers crossed, Henry. Nobody wants the theater to close down again,” said Aunt Jane.



“Well, guess what, Aunt Jane?” Benny piped up. “I’m going to clap extra hard at the end of the play—just in case.”



“In case what, Benny?” asked Henry, looking over his shoulder.



“In case the theater really is haunted,” said Benny. “The clapping will drown out all the booing from the ghosts.”



“That’s a good one, Benny,” Henry said, as everyone burst out laughing.

 



1 haunted
adj.闹鬼的;受到折磨的;令人烦恼的v.“haunt”的过去式和过去分词
  • There was a haunted look in his eyes. 他眼中透露出忧虑的神色。
  • The country is haunted by the spectre of civil war. 内战仿佛一触即发,举国上下一片恐慌。
2 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。
3 housekeeper
n.管理家务的主妇,女管家
  • 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。
4 specialty
n.(speciality)特性,特质;专业,专长
  • Shell carvings are a specialty of the town.贝雕是该城的特产。
  • His specialty is English literature.他的专业是英国文学。
5 bet
v.打赌,以(与)...打赌;n.赌注,赌金;打赌
  • I bet you can't do this puzzle.我敢说,你解决不了这个难题。
  • I offered to bet with him.我提出与他打赌。
6 sniffing
n.探查法v.以鼻吸气,嗅,闻( sniff的现在分词 );抽鼻子(尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气);抱怨,不以为然地说
  • We all had colds and couldn't stop sniffing and sneezing. 我们都感冒了,一个劲地抽鼻子,打喷嚏。
  • They all had colds and were sniffing and sneezing. 他们都伤风了,呼呼喘气而且打喷嚏。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
7 hunch
n.预感,直觉
  • I have a hunch that he didn't really want to go.我有这么一种感觉,他并不真正想去。
  • I had a hunch that Susan and I would work well together.我有预感和苏珊共事会很融洽。
8 whodunit
n.侦探小说(或剧本、影片等)
  • It is not the most promising script for a whodunit.这并不是最有市场前景的侦探小说剧本。
  • I always like the series "Whodunit" by Wei Sili.我一直很喜欢卫斯理系列的推理小说。
9 catching
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。
10 mashed
a.捣烂的
  • two scoops of mashed potato 两勺土豆泥
  • Just one scoop of mashed potato for me, please. 请给我盛一勺土豆泥。
11 wagging
adj.(左右)摆动,摇摆,摇动v.(使)摇动,摇摆( wag的现在分词 )
  • The dog ran up, wagging its tail. 那条狗摇着尾巴跑上前去。
  • A dog reacts to kindness by wagging its tail. 狗摇尾巴以报答人们的爱护。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 softly
adv.柔和地,静静地,温柔地
  • He speaks too softly for her to hear.他讲话声音太轻,她听不见。
  • She breathed her advice softly.她低声劝告。
13 council
n.理事会,委员会,议事机构
  • The town council passed a law forbidding the distribution of handbills.市议会通过法律,禁止散发传单。
  • The city council has declared for improving the public bus system.市议会宣布同意改进公共汽车系统。
14 restore
vt.把…恢复原状;归还,交还
  • A good rest will restore you to health.好好休息一下可使你恢复健康。
  • His recent success has helped to restore his faith in his own ability.他最近取得的成功使他恢复了对自己能力的信任。
15 binoculars
n.双筒望远镜
  • He watched the play through his binoculars.他用双筒望远镜看戏。
  • If I had binoculars,I could see that comet clearly.如果我有望远镜,我就可以清楚地看见那颗彗星。
16 peek
vi.偷看,窥视;n.偷偷的一看,一瞥
  • Larry takes a peek out of the window.赖瑞往窗外偷看了一下。
  • Cover your eyes and don't peek.捂上眼睛,别偷看。
17 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。
18 knitting
n.编结物;接合,联合;[外科]骨愈合v.(使)愈合( knit的现在分词);编结,编织;(使)紧密地结合;织平针
  • Weaving and knitting are traditional cottage industries. 编织和针织是传统的家庭手工业。
  • manipulative skills such as typing and knitting 诸如打字、编织这样的技能
19 popcorn
n.爆米花
  • I like to eat popcorn when I am watching TV play at home.当我在家观看电视剧时,喜欢吃爆米花。
  • He still stood behind his cash register stuffing his mouth with popcorn.他仍站在收银机后,嘴里塞满了爆米花。
20 codes
n.[计算机]编码( code的名词复数 );代号;密码;法典
  • A generation ago genetic codes were certainly unknown. 遗传密码在上一代确实很少有人知道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • So, sometimes, authors adopt Flasm to write low level p-codes to add efficiency. 所以,设计者采用Flasm来编写低级的p-codes以提高效率。 来自互联网
21 apparently
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
22 bound
adj.一定的,必然的;受约束的,有义务的
  • I feel honor bound to repay the money I borrowed.我觉得有责任归还我借的钱。
  • If he signs that paper,he will be bound hand and foot.如果他签署那份文件,他就会受到束缚。
学英语单词
?-subunit
Acanthephippium sinense
amilorides
analytical geometry of space
Association of Oil Pipe Lines
at the furthest
automobilists
balanced incomplete type
Bartica
beautiness
bocion
bockwurst sausage
brownell
build up to
calorimotor
carrottop
caveator
continuity coefficient
core cavitation
correction and compensation device
counterextortion
cultural diffusions
Dactyloctenium aegyptium
Dazoxibin
DBMS drivers
dead water zone
dialling tones
dietary antigen
diguanidinobutanase
eclipsing star
Elliont type knuckle
equilibrium, temperature
erythrocythaemic
fdp management science
fruitshop
gear in train
grey-back
high quartz solid solution
hooking pass
Hungarian grass
incendiary leaf
incumbent upon
India lawn
iridium sulfite
j-invariant of elliptic curve
kulm
laid siege
lift distribution
low-order
major first face
meadow ferns
mid-latitudes
midget
multicolor emission
multident
multiviscosity oil
Ngoc My
non-independent accounting unit
nonweekly
objective force level
Okawville
P-T region
Pedicularis dolichoglossa
photoactive reaction
pipe valve tray
pointwise ergodic theorem
prolific writer
quinonyl
quotation board
rapid scanning spectrometer
rational form
reinforcement bending shed
remines
repressibility
riveros
Sena, R.
send back system
send sb into bankrupt
side toppling
startscummers
stiede
Stiegel, Henry William
stove drying
stress in beam
suirs
swab man
sweat over sth
swept
tabards
Take someone to the woodshed
Terezinha
theory of matrices
thiofuradene
tropical automatic weather station
tropicalist
tulie
ultrasonic cell disintegration
unirrigated soil
unlight
vieulence alteration
wage drift
wave length-ship length ratio