时间:2018-12-31 作者:英语课 分类:59 The Outer Space Mystery


英语课

“I can’t believe we’re going to college!” said Violet Alden, as the van rounded a steep mountain curve.



Next to her, fourteen-year-old Henry Alden grinned. “We’re not exactly going to college,” he teased his little sister. “We’ll only be at Mountvale College for five days, for Grandfather’s conference.”



“Isn’t it strange that we were in Connecticut this morning,” said twelve-year-old Jessie from the seat behind her sister and brother, “and now we’re in the West Virginia mountains!”



“It is different here, that’s for sure,” agreed Randy Merchant, their driver. He had picked up the Aldens at the airport.



“I liked the plane ride,” piped Benny, the youngest Alden. “But this ride is fun, too.”



Even though the van had several seats, the Alden children sat together. They were used to being close together and had grown to like it. The four children once lived in an abandoned boxcar. That was before their grandfather, James Alden, found them and took them to his big house in Connecticut.



James Alden even had the old boxcar brought to his house so the children could play in it. Grandfather took the Aldens on trips all over the country. The children had solved many mysteries and had some wonderful adventures along the way.



Now Jessie checked the pile of luggage in the back. She counted the suitcases — there were a lot for five people. Jessie liked to keep track of things.



“What are you doing at this conference?” she asked her grandfather. “You told us once, but I forgot.”



“I’m the moderator,” James Alden replied. “My old friend Able Porter is the president of Mountvale College. He asked me to moderate this conference for young scientists. I introduce the speakers and tell everyone when it’s time for lunch.”



“I can do that!” exclaimed six-year-old Benny.



Grandfather laughed. “I may need your help. Sometimes scientists become so wrapped up in their work, they don’t remember to eat.”



“I could never forget to eat,” said Benny.



The others laughed.



“It’s so pretty here,” said ten-year-old Violet. “I can’t wait to take pictures.” Violet never went anywhere without her camera.



“Are there wild animals in these woods?” Henry asked the driver. “Like bears and mountain lions?”



Randy steered 1 into another twisting turn. “There are no mountain lions. But we do have bobcats and black bears.”



“I think I see a bear now!” Benny cried, looking through his grandfather’s field glasses. “No, it’s just an old log.”



“Feel the air,” Jessie said, her hair blowing in the breeze from the open window. “It’s so cool.”



“Midsummer is nice in the mountains,” Grandfather said. “Back home in Connecticut, it’s hot.”



“Can we go hiking?” Henry asked Randy. “That looks like a trail over there.”



“Hiking, fishing, rock climbing, we’ve got it all,” Randy replied. “But,” he added mysteriously, “Stay off that trail.”



“How come?” Henry asked.



Instead of answering, Randy said, “Wait’ll you see our observatory 2. We’ve got a twenty-four-inch telescope. It’s a beauty,” he said proudly, slowing the van. “And here we are!”



The van glided 3 into a wide driveway flanked by stone pillars. At the end of the circular drive were several brick buildings. The largest had four white columns and an arched front door.



The Aldens tumbled from the van, eager to stretch their legs. Grandfather helped Randy unload their luggage.



A man with iron-gray hair and black-rimmed glasses came through the front door. He hurried down the graveled path, a big smile curving his thick mustache.



“James!” he cried, clasping Grandfather’s hand. “It’s been too long!”



“Able, it’s good to see you,” Grandfather said heartily 4. “May I present my grandchildren — Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny. Children, this is my friend Dr. Porter. He is the president of Mountvale College.”



The Aldens said hello and shook the man’s hand.



“Welcome to Mountvale,” greeted Dr. Porter. “I hope your visit will be pleasant. But first let’s get you settled. We’ve put you in the Seneca Building.”



Randy scooped 5 up several suitcases and led the way down another graveled path. “Follow me, everybody.”



Benches sat invitingly 6 under the trees. Students lolled on the grassy 7 lawn, reading or talking.



A smiling woman with blond hair stood in the doorway 8 of a two-story building.



“Welcome to Mountvale,” she said. Jessie noticed the woman’s voice had the same soft drawl as Randy’s. “I’m Hazel Watson. I’m the housekeeper 9 for this dorm.”



“You undoubtedly 10 keep the place running smoothly,” said Grandfather.



Hazel laughed. “I try my best. This is the lounge. Feel free to relax here,” she said, sweeping 11 through a room with a high ceiling and tall windows. A massive stone fire-place covered an entire wall.



“Boy, I bet you could roast a lot of marshmallows in that!” Benny remarked.



“You must be hungry,” Hazel guessed. “There’s a cookout this evening for everyone attending the conference. But I’ve put some fruit in your rooms to tide you over.”



As they walked, Hazel pointed 12 to the dining room. “Except on special occasions, like tonight, we eat in there,” she said.



They went up a flight of stone steps. Doors with woodburned number plates lined the corridor.



“I’ve put you girls in number six,” said Hazel, opening a door. “You boys are next door. Mr. Alden is down here.” She and Grandfather continued to the end of the hall.



Randy deposited the Aldens’ suitcases in their rooms.



“How come we can’t use that trail?” Henry asked. “The one you told us to stay away from.”



Randy acted as if he didn’t hear. “I’ve got to go fetch the rest of the bags,” he said as he hurried down the steps.



“I wonder why he won’t tell us about the trail,” Henry said, opening his suitcase on the floor of their room.



Benny crunched 13 into a crispy apple he found in a basket on the dresser. “You know what I think? I think we’re off on another adventure!”



Just then Jessie and Violet knocked on the boys’ door.



When the girls came in, Violet glanced around the room. Twin beds were made up with woven bedspreads. Photographs of misty 14 mountains hung on the walls.



“Our room looks just like this,” she remarked.



“Except you’ve got clothes on the floor,” Jessie said. She had already unpacked 15 and put her clothes in the bureau. She hated living out of a suitcase, even for a few days.



Henry gazed out the tall windows to the lawn below. “Looks like they’re setting up for the cookout.”



Benny tossed his apple core into the trash. “I wonder if they need some help.”



“You just want to sample everything!” Henry said, laughing. “Let’s see if Grandfather wants to go down now.”



Jessie took out the room key. “Let me go lock our door.”



“The doors lock automatically,” Henry pointed out. “Just pull it closed.”



Grandfather wanted to shower before going to the cookout. “Go ahead,” he urged. “I’ll be down in about twenty minutes.”



The children hurried down the stone steps and out the side door.



Tables covered with yellow-striped cloths ringed the lawn. Randy and another man were barbequing chicken and hamburgers over a smoking grill 16. A cart with pitchers 18 of iced tea stood next to an ice-filled tub of sodas 19.



“I’m thirsty,” said Benny.



“I’ll ask Randy if we can have a soda,” said Jessie, heading toward the grill.



“Make way!” yelled someone from behind her.



A dark-haired young woman hurried by, carrying a huge tray of cheese and pickles 21.



“I’ll help you put that down,” Benny offered, his thirst forgotten. He hoped he’d be rewarded with a pickle 20.



“No problem,” said the girl, quickly arranging the platters. “I’ve got to set up before the crowd arrives.”



Already young men wearing ties and young women in flowered summer dresses milled about on the lawn. Everyone wore name tags.



Hazel Watson came over to the Aldens. “Here are your name tags,” she said, pinning a plastic square to Benny’s shirt.



The dark-haired girl bustled 22 past again, this time carrying a huge bowl of chips.



“Rachel,” Hazel said, halting the girl. “There are no cups with the drinks.”



“Yes, Mrs. Watson,” Rachel replied, sounding frustrated 23. “I’ll fetch them on the next trip.”



A young man stopped to read Benny’s name tag. “Hello, Benny Alden. I’m Mark Jacobs. Pleased to meet you.” He shook Benny’s hand, then smiled at the other children.



“Are you a student here?” Jessie asked. She thought the young man had wonderful brown eyes.



“Yes,” Mark replied. “I’m studying astronomy. In fact, I’m presenting a paper at the conference.”



“What’s it about?” asked Henry.



Mark lowered his voice to a whisper. “My secret discovery!” he said, wiggling his eyebrows 24.



Violet giggled 25. “Astronomy is about the stars, right?”



Mark nodded. “And the moon and planets and the sun.”



Just then Randy Merchant rang a bell. “Time to eat,” he bellowed 26 to the guests.



Everyone formed a line. Henry was extra-hungry. He took a hamburger and a big piece of chicken.



A pudgy young man behind him took a hamburger. “The food in this place isn’t that great,” he complained. His badge read EUGENE SCOTT.



Henry introduced himself to Eugene. “My grandfather is the moderator of the conference. Are you studying astronomy like Mark Jacobs?”



“I’m a better astronomer 27 than Jacobs is any day,” Eugene said scornfully, leaving the food line.



Henry shrugged 28. Maybe the guy was just cranky because he was hungry.



The Aldens found a small table under a tree. Grandfather sat with Dr. Porter at a bigger table.



Mark Jacobs brought his plate over. “May I join you?”



“Sure,” said Benny. He liked the young astronomer.



“Eat fast,” said Mark, looking up at the dark clouds. “I’m afraid we’re in for a real mountain thunderstorm.”



Rachel walked by with a pitcher 17 of iced tea. “Refills?”



Mark held out his glass. “The food is really good.”



“At least you don’t have to work for it,” she said, stalking away.



“Who is she?” asked Violet.



“That’s Rachel Cunningham,” Mark replied. “She’s from the little town at the bottom of the mountain.”



“Is she a student, too?” Henry wanted to know.



Mark nodded. “Yes, but she works as a waitress and a maid to help earn tuition money. Rachel is — ”



But before he could finish, it began to rain — big, splattering drops followed by daggers 29 of lightning!



v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 );操纵;控制;引导
  • He steered the boat into the harbour. 他把船开进港。
  • The freighter steered out of Santiago Bay that evening. 那天晚上货轮驶出了圣地亚哥湾。 来自《简明英汉词典》
n.天文台,气象台,瞭望台,观测台
  • Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
  • Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。
v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 );掠过;(鸟或飞机 ) 滑翔
  • The President's motorcade glided by. 总统的车队一溜烟开了过去。
  • They glided along the wall until they were out of sight. 他们沿着墙壁溜得无影无踪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很
  • He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿,就出去找他的马。
  • The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手,热情地和我握手。
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》
adv. 动人地
  • Her lips pouted invitingly. 她挑逗地撮起双唇。
  • The smooth road sloped invitingly before her. 平展的山路诱人地倾斜在她面前。
adj.盖满草的;长满草的
  • They sat and had their lunch on a grassy hillside.他们坐在长满草的山坡上吃午饭。
  • Cattle move freely across the grassy plain.牛群自由自在地走过草原。
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径
  • They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
  • Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。
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。
adv.确实地,无疑地
  • It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
  • He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。
adj.范围广大的,一扫无遗的
  • The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
  • Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗?
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。
v.嘎吱嘎吱地咬嚼( crunch的过去式和过去分词 );嘎吱作响;(快速大量地)处理信息;数字捣弄
  • Our feet crunched on the frozen snow. 我们的脚嘎吱嘎吱地踩在冻雪上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He closed his jaws on the bones and crunched. 他咬紧骨头,使劲地嚼。 来自英汉文学 - 热爱生命
adj.雾蒙蒙的,有雾的
  • He crossed over to the window to see if it was still misty.他走到窗户那儿,看看是不是还有雾霭。
  • The misty scene had a dreamy quality about it.雾景给人以梦幻般的感觉。
v.从(包裹等)中取出(所装的东西),打开行李取出( unpack的过去式和过去分词 );拆包;解除…的负担;吐露(心事等)
  • I unpacked my bags as soon as I arrived. 我一到达就打开行李,整理衣物。
  • Our guide unpacked a picnic of ham sandwiches and offered us tea. 我们的导游打开装着火腿三明治的野餐盒,并给我们倒了些茶水。 来自辞典例句
n.烤架,铁格子,烤肉;v.烧,烤,严加盘问
  • Put it under the grill for a minute to brown the top.放在烤架下烤一分钟把上面烤成金黄色。
  • I'll grill you some mutton.我来给你烤一些羊肉吃。
n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐;(棒球)投手
  • He poured the milk out of the pitcher.他从大罐中倒出牛奶。
  • Any pitcher is liable to crack during a tight game.任何投手在紧张的比赛中都可能会失常。
大水罐( pitcher的名词复数 )
  • Over the next five years, he became one of the greatest pitchers in baseball. 在接下来的5年时间里,他成为了最了不起的棒球投手之一。
  • Why he probably won't: Pitchers on also-rans can win the award. 为什麽不是他得奖:投手在失败的球队可以赢得赛扬奖。
n.苏打( soda的名词复数 );碱;苏打水;汽水
  • There are plenty of sodas in the refrigerator. 冰箱里有很多碳酸饮料。 来自辞典例句
  • Two whisky and sodas, please. 请来两杯威士忌苏打。 来自辞典例句
n.腌汁,泡菜;v.腌,泡
  • Mother used to pickle onions.妈妈过去常腌制洋葱。
  • Meat can be preserved in pickle.肉可以保存在卤水里。
n.腌菜( pickle的名词复数 );处于困境;遇到麻烦;菜酱
  • Most people eat pickles at breakfast. 大多数人早餐吃腌菜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I want their pickles and wines, and that.' 我要他们的泡菜、美酒和所有其他东西。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
闹哄哄地忙乱,奔忙( bustle的过去式和过去分词 ); 催促
  • She bustled around in the kitchen. 她在厨房里忙得团团转。
  • The hostress bustled about with an assumption of authority. 女主人摆出一副权威的样子忙来忙去。
adj.挫败的,失意的,泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 );挫败;使受挫折;令人沮丧
  • It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
  • The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )
  • Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
  • His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。
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》
v.发出吼叫声,咆哮(尤指因痛苦)( bellow的过去式和过去分词 );(愤怒地)说出(某事),大叫
  • They bellowed at her to stop. 他们吼叫着让她停下。
  • He bellowed with pain when the tooth was pulled out. 当牙齿被拔掉时,他痛得大叫。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
n.天文学家
  • A new star attracted the notice of the astronomer.新发现的一颗星引起了那位天文学家的注意。
  • He is reputed to have been a good astronomer.他以一个优秀的天文学者闻名于世。
vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式)
  • Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀,什么也没说。
  • She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩,装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
匕首,短剑( dagger的名词复数 )
  • I will speak daggers to her, but use none. 我要用利剑一样的话刺痛她的心,但绝不是真用利剑。
  • The world lives at daggers drawn in a cold war. 世界在冷战中剑拨弩张。
学英语单词
anthacyclin
Areae gastricae
automated key distribution
bakans
banteay
benzal chloride
bet guvrin
Biescas
Boundiali
Brearley steel
building product
chatelains
chatkalite
Clarker phenomenon
clip bar
conical flask with stopper
contact sensitivity
Coulonges
cracking core model
creamed chicken and ham soup
darkroom prone test
Demand response programs
disilicoethane
drift eliminator
drug plant
duettist
Dulles, John Foster
encomiaster
ensiform appendix (or xiphisternum)
estimation sampling for attributes
family Papilionacea
fancy-talker
frying-pan
Gordon Downs
headwards
heavy self-propelled antiaircraft gun
hopping interval
host nation
incisurae ligamenti teretis
inflexion point
input queue message handler
iron-stone
isoflavones
jirina sequential procedures
joie de vivre
lanore
laurifinine
ligamenta coronarium hepatis
low blow
Majādil
mattress reflector
medicinal botany
Michigan Center
mirror transition
molybdenum(v) chloride
multimetal reforming
neckguard
nigger toes
nilp
non-accommodation
non-degenerate plane
on-the-field
paediatric psychology
paedophiliacs
Pandanus fascicularis
platinirdium
primary (plant) liquid waste
priorellis
put the arm on
radiodiagnoses
record housing equipment
shafting oil
shotblasting machine
skill-testing
sliced through
specialities'
spiritualizers
spurious infections
stabilized animal fat
streptococcus group b
subscription receivable
talk past
tdk
testing signal
thmars
Thong-fucus
thought the world of
three-dimensional packing
thunder bays
tobacco combine
toxidermatosis
Trapaceae
two valued variable
valsa japonica miyabe et hemmi
vehicle maintenance and repair indices
vinyl ether
Vozhgaly
weather-bit
wideband communication
window program
zoom transferscope