英语 英语 日语 日语 韩语 韩语 法语 法语 德语 德语 西班牙语 西班牙语 意大利语 意大利语 阿拉伯语 阿拉伯语 葡萄牙语 葡萄牙语 越南语 越南语 俄语 俄语 芬兰语 芬兰语 泰语 泰语 泰语 丹麦语 泰语 对外汉语

儿童英语读物 The Animal Shelter Mystery CHAPTER 3 No Trespassing!

时间:2017-07-07 03:25来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
特别声明:本栏目内容均从网络收集或者网友提供,供仅参考试用,我们无法保证内容完整和正确。如果资料损害了您的权益,请与站长联系,我们将及时删除并致以歉意。
    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

Fox Den1 Road was narrow and twisted. Benny didn’t take any chances with his wagon2 or Patches as the Aldens walked along. He kept his red wagon as far to the side as he could so that cars could get by.

Screech3! Screech! Everyone heard the noise when they neared the mailbox marked 264. Benny nearly tipped over the wagon at the awful sound.

“What was that sound, Henry?” Violet asked.

Jessie and Henry had run ahead. “It was these iron gates closing!” Jessie yelled back to Violet and Benny. “Someone just slammed them shut on us!”

The Aldens walked up to the rusted4 iron gate that blocked the driveway. Next to the gate was a freshly painted sign in dripping black letters: No TRESPASSING5! THIS MEANS You!

“Does that mean me, too?” Benny asked Jessie. People usually wanted to meet Benny Alden, not chase him away.

“It means everybody,” Henry said.

Violet tried to calm the cat. “They can’t mean Patches. This is her home!”

Jessie was careful not to get wet paint on her clothes. “This sign is brand-new,” she said. “Someone is in there, but we didn’t see who it was.” Jessie was twelve and not a bit put off by the sign. She tried to shake open the gate.

“It’s no use, Jessie,” Violet told her sister. “That padlock is locked tight.”

The Aldens stared at the house from outside the gate. Tall, dark evergreens6 covered most of the house. Unlike the other homes they had passed, there were no cheery lights on, or people making breakfast in their kitchens. The windows above the tall front door looked like big blank eyes. The drapes in every window on the first floor were pulled shut.

“Watch out! Watch out!” Henry and Jessie yelled when a rusty7 pickup8 truck roared up Fox Den Road out of nowhere. Violet felt gravel9 hit her legs. Benny nearly tipped over the wagon again.

“It’s turning around. Step back!” Henry warned. He pushed his brother and sisters even farther back from the road.

The truck made a sharp turn in the middle of the narrow road and roared back past the children. Again, pieces of gravel peppered everyone’s legs.

Henry was angry but not afraid. He chased the truck halfway10 down Fox Den Road. He wanted to catch it and yell at the driver. The truck sped around the corner and left Henry behind, shaking his fist.

He was still angry when he got back to his brother and sisters. “I bet the men in that truck didn’t want anyone to see them going into Miss Newcombe’s property,” he said. “That must be why they turned around when they saw us. I couldn’t read the sign on the side. All I could make out was ‘Wolf D-E-M,’or something like that.”

The Aldens tried to calm themselves down. Jessie pulled burrs from the cuffs11 of Benny’s pants. Her hands were shaking. “Are you all right, Benny?”

“I’m not scared,” he said in a small voice.

Violet brushed her scratched legs. “That truck nearly ran us over!” she said.

Henry put his arm around Violet. “Well, they won’t do it again,” he said in a strong voice. “I want to come back here later and get to the bottom of this!”

Violet and Benny still looked pale and frightened and not at all eager to come back to this place again. Jessie took several deep gulps12 of air and tried to look brave. But her hands were still shaking, and her legs felt rubbery.

When everyone felt a little safer they set off for the animal shelter again. No speeding trucks passed the Aldens this time. Still, all of them turned around every few minutes to make sure they wouldn’t be surprised again. That truck had come so close. Everyone stayed to the far edge of the road, just in case.

The sight of the Greenfield Animal Shelter made them all feel a little better. It was in a big red barn, not too far from Seed’s Hardware Store and the Greenfield Bank.

“I like going to work in a barn that’s practically in the middle of our town,” Benny said to his brother and sisters. “Especially a red one.”

“Me, too,” Jessie said. She put her arm around Benny to give him a squeeze. She was glad that he was feeling better after their upsetting morning.

“See you at lunchtime when I get off from work,” Henry told Jessie, Violet, and Benny when they reached the small parking lot at the shelter. “Tell Dr. Scott that Mr. Seed is giving me some leftover13 shingles14 from the store. I’ll use them to fix up that rundown toolshed in back of the shelter. It will make a good kennel15 once we clean it out and patch it up.”

After Henry left, Benny lifted Patches from her carrier.

“Uh-oh,” Jessie warned Benny. “You’d better put her back inside. That dog is coming straight for her.”

Sure enough, a black and white dog with one floppy16 ear was headed straight for Patches. Behind him was a little boy trying hard to hang onto a leash17.

“I’m sorry,” said a woman with the little boy when she came over to the Aldens. “This dog is very nervous around all these animals.”

Benny was still holding Patches. For some reason, she didn’t seem one bit scared of the large dog. The dog sniffed18 at the cat, then rubbed his nose against Patches’s nose.

“Mom, look. Fred is kissing this cat,” the little boy said. “If we can’t keep Fred, can we get a cat like this one, Mom?”

The woman bent19 down to talk with her little boy. She spoke20 softly, but the Aldens heard every word. “Maybe we can think about that, Jeffrey. I wish we could keep Fred, but we’ll lose our apartment if we bring him home again. It’s too bad the shelter can’t take him today. I just don’t know what we’re going to do with him.”

Jessie coughed. “I’m Jessie Alden, and this is my brother, Benny, and my sister, Violet. We’re volunteers at the shelter this summer. I’m sure the shelter will take in your dog. They accept every animal.”

The woman shook Jessie’s outstretched hand. “I’m Susan O’Connor, and this is my little boy, Jeffrey. I wish what you said were true,” Mrs. O’Connor told Jessie. “But the people in the shelter said they’re closing down in two weeks, and as of today they can’t take any more animals.”

“That can’t be true!” Violet said in alarm.

“I’m afraid it is,” Mrs. O’Connor said. “I explained that Fred isn’t even our dog, and that we found him wandering around last night in a parking lot. But we were told they don’t even know what they’re going to do with the animals they already have.”

Now Jessie’s voice was full of worry. “There must be a misunderstanding. The shelter would never close down.”

Mrs. O’Connor sighed. “I wish that were true, but the people inside seemed very certain. I even explained how I had already tried to find Fred’s owner this morning. See, there’s part of an address on his tag.”

Jessie took a look at the tag. “It says, ‘264 Fox,’ then the rest is worn off. Why, we were just at 264 Fox Den Road ourselves,” Jessie told Mrs. O’Connor. “This calico cat lives there, too.”

“We went to the house where this cat came from,” Violet explained, “but no one was home.”

The woman looked upset. “Well, there was someone in the house when we were there. A horrible man.”

“With a mean face,” the little boy added. “He yelled at us to go away.”

Violet petted the friendly dog. “We thought someone named Miss Newcombe lived there. That’s her address. But the house was dark.”

“And someone put up a mean sign,” Benny added. “ ‘No Trespassing!’ Then a rusty truck almost ran us over.”

Jeffrey shivered. “An old bad rusty truck,” he said.

His mother explained how a truck had almost run them over that morning, too. As they had stood in the driveway to check the address on the mailbox, the truck came out of the driveway.

“I can’t help thinking it must be some other road that starts with the word ‘Fox,’ ” the woman went on. “This nice dog and that sweet cat couldn’t possibly belong to such a mean-looking person as the man who chased us away.”

The woman sighed. “I must get to work soon. I was going to check if there’s another road in Greenfield that starts with ‘Fox,’ to see if Fred belongs to someone else.”

“I deliver newspapers around town and I know most of the roads. I’ve never seen another road that starts with ‘Fox,’ ” Jessie said. “Maybe you could leave the dog with us. We’ll talk to Dr. Scott for you. I’m sure she would take Fred in.”

“Look, Mom, Fred likes this girl,” Jeffrey said to his mother. “Maybe she can be his mom.”

Violet smiled at the little boy. “I’ll make sure this dog gets a good home and that you can come and visit,” she told the O’Connors. “For now, we’ll take him inside and see what Dr. Scott says.”

After the O’Connors gave the Aldens their telephone number, Violet walked the dog inside the animal shelter. Behind her, Benny and Jessie carefully carried Patches in her carrier.

The waiting room of the shelter was crowded with barking dogs and meowing cats. One person even had a crow with a broken wing flapping inside a cardboard box.

“What’s going on, I wonder?” Jessie said. “I’ve never seen so many animals here in one day. I’m glad today’s our day to work. Dr. Scott’s going to need a lot of help.”

“I certainly will,” the Aldens heard next. Jessie and Violet stepped into the examining room. Benny stayed in the waiting room with Patches and Fred. Dr. Scott, an attractive black woman, was giving a cat a flea21 bath, which the cat didn’t much like. Dr. Scott’s own dog, a black poodle named Major, sat right by the doctor’s feet. “You children came just in time to help out.”

“Dr. Scott, is it true the shelter can’t take any more pets?” Violet asked. She handed the animal doctor a fat fluffy22 towel to dry the wet skinny cat.

Dr. Scott frowned. She looked very upset. “A terrible thing has happened,” she began. “Last night we received a telegram from our founder23, saying we must close down the shelter in two weeks. We can’t use this building or the land around it anymore.”

“The Greenfield Animal Shelter can’t close down!” Violet cried.

“Can’t you ask the founder why they have to shut down the shelter?” Jessie wanted to know.

Dr. Scott stopped rubbing the wet cat for a second. “As I’ve told you, girls, the identity of the shelter’s founder has been a secret for many years. We don’t know who the person is except that it’s someone who must love animals very much.”

“Then why would they close the shelter?” Violet asked.

Dr. Scott drained the sink, then ran more warm water into the basin for another flea bath. “I don’t know, Violet. I’m very worried. Whoever this person is must be in some trouble to close this shelter after so many years. I’ve made quite a few phone calls to see if I can solve the mystery of our founder’s identity.”

At the sound of the word mystery, Benny stuck his head into the examining room. “We solved a mystery today, Dr. Scott, and now we need another one!”

“Do you now, Benny?” Dr. Scott answered. “And what mystery did you solve so early in the day?”

Benny picked up the cat carrier and showed Patches to Dr. Scott. “A cat and dog mystery,” he said. He called Fred over. “We think these animals belong to a lady named Miss Newcombe, and she lives on Fox Den Road. Except somebody mean is there, and we almost got run over. But we’re going to go back again. Henry said so.”

“You’re a good detective, Benny,” Dr. Scott told her youngest helper. “These animals do belong to Clara Newcombe. That’s her dog, Lad, and her cat, Patches. She brings them for checkups along with many of her other pets. I wonder how these two got loose.”

“Patches didn’t get loose,” Jessie said. “Someone dropped her off at our house with a note saying she needed a good home. A little boy and his mother found Fred, I mean Lad, wandering around in a parking lot.”

Dr. Scott looked alarmed. “Oh, my. I’ll have to look into this. Miss Newcombe would never give her animals away or let them wander off.”

“ ’Morning, Dr. Scott,” a white-haired man carrying a black-haired cat said as he came into the examining room. “Wondered if you heard anything from Clara lately. She or somebody dropped off Midnight here in my barn last night. The Newcombe place is locked tight. Not like Clara to go off without making arrangements for her pets.”

“It certainly isn’t, Jeb,” the animal doctor told the man. “Something very strange seems to be going on with Clara Newcombe. If I weren’t up to my eyebrows24 in animals, I’d look into it right away. But my first job is to see what I can do about all these strays. Why, I haven’t even a matchbox to keep a mouse in!”

The Aldens looked at each other without saying a word. Then Jessie made an announcement. “We have something bigger than a matchbox, Dr. Scott. Much bigger. Something that could shelter a lot of your animals.”

“And what would that be?” the doctor asked.

“Our boxcar!” Jessie, Violet, and Benny cried out at the same time.

Dr. Scott looked surprised. “You mean the boxcar you lived in before your grandfather found you?”

Jessie’s big brown eyes were shining. “Yes. Grandfather had it moved to our backyard.

We use it as a playhouse, but it would make a good kennel for some of your strays. Henry’s been helping25 Mr. Seed put up new fences this summer. He gets to keep the old fences and chicken wire. We could use them to build animal cages inside the boxcar.”

Violet looked up at Dr. Scott’s thoughtful face. “You’ve taught us so much about taking care of animals, Dr. Scott. I know we could do a good job taking care of your strays until we find homes for them.”

“I’ll walk them and feed them every day,” Benny said. “I gave this cat the rest of my blueberries and ice cream last night. These animals would be happy in our boxcar. So would that crow out there.”

Dr. Scott smoothed back Benny’s hair. “You know, Benny, I think even that crow would like your boxcar. But one thing.”

Benny looked up at Dr. Scott. “What’s that?”

“Just give the crow plain blueberries. No ice cream.”

Benny nodded. “Okay, no ice cream. Just blueberries.”
 


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 den 5w9xk     
n.兽穴;秘密地方;安静的小房间,私室
参考例句:
  • There is a big fox den on the back hill.后山有一个很大的狐狸窝。
  • The only way to catch tiger cubs is to go into tiger's den.不入虎穴焉得虎子。
2 wagon XhUwP     
n.四轮马车,手推车,面包车;无盖运货列车
参考例句:
  • We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
  • The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。
3 screech uDkzc     
n./v.尖叫;(发出)刺耳的声音
参考例句:
  • He heard a screech of brakes and then fell down. 他听到汽车刹车发出的尖锐的声音,然后就摔倒了。
  • The screech of jet planes violated the peace of the afternoon. 喷射机的尖啸声侵犯了下午的平静。
4 rusted 79e453270dbdbb2c5fc11d284e95ff6e     
v.(使)生锈( rust的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • I can't get these screws out; they've rusted in. 我无法取出这些螺丝,它们都锈住了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • My bike has rusted and needs oil. 我的自行车生锈了,需要上油。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 trespassing a72d55f5288c3d37c1e7833e78593f83     
[法]非法入侵
参考例句:
  • He told me I was trespassing on private land. 他说我在擅闯私人土地。
  • Don't come trespassing on my land again. 别再闯入我的地界了。
6 evergreens 70f63183fe24f27a2e70b25ab8a14ce5     
n.常青树,常绿植物,万年青( evergreen的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The leaves of evergreens are often shaped like needles. 常绿植物的叶常是针形的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The pine, cedar and spruce are evergreens. 松树、雪松、云杉都是常绿的树。 来自辞典例句
7 rusty hYlxq     
adj.生锈的;锈色的;荒废了的
参考例句:
  • The lock on the door is rusty and won't open.门上的锁锈住了。
  • I haven't practiced my French for months and it's getting rusty.几个月不用,我的法语又荒疏了。
8 pickup ANkxA     
n.拾起,获得
参考例句:
  • I would love to trade this car for a pickup truck.我愿意用这辆汽车换一辆小型轻便卡车。||The luck guy is a choice pickup for the girls.那位幸运的男孩是女孩子们想勾搭上的人。
9 gravel s6hyT     
n.砂跞;砂砾层;结石
参考例句:
  • We bought six bags of gravel for the garden path.我们购买了六袋碎石用来铺花园的小路。
  • More gravel is needed to fill the hollow in the drive.需要更多的砾石来填平车道上的坑洼。
10 halfway Xrvzdq     
adj.中途的,不彻底的,部分的;adv.半路地,在中途,在半途
参考例句:
  • We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路,天就黑了。
  • In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上,最忌讳的是有始无终。
11 cuffs 4f67c64175ca73d89c78d4bd6a85e3ed     
n.袖口( cuff的名词复数 )v.掌打,拳打( cuff的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • a collar and cuffs of white lace 带白色蕾丝花边的衣领和袖口
  • The cuffs of his shirt were fraying. 他衬衣的袖口磨破了。
12 gulps e43037bffa62a52065f6c7f91e4ef158     
n.一大口(尤指液体)( gulp的名词复数 )v.狼吞虎咽地吃,吞咽( gulp的第三人称单数 );大口地吸(气);哽住
参考例句:
  • He often gulps down a sob. 他经常忍气吞声地生活。 来自辞典例句
  • JERRY: Why don't you make a point with your own doctor? (George gulps) What's wrong? 杰瑞:你为啥不对你自个儿的医生表明立场?有啥问题吗? 来自互联网
13 leftover V97zC     
n.剩货,残留物,剩饭;adj.残余的
参考例句:
  • These narrow roads are a leftover from the days of horse-drawn carriages.这些小道是从马车时代沿用下来的。
  • Wonder if that bakery lets us take leftover home.不知道那家糕饼店会不会让我们把卖剩的带回家。
14 shingles 75dc0873f0e58f74873350b9953ef329     
n.带状疱疹;(布满海边的)小圆石( shingle的名词复数 );屋顶板;木瓦(板);墙面板
参考例句:
  • Shingles are often dipped in creosote. 屋顶板常浸涂木焦油。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • The roofs had shingles missing. 一些屋顶板不见了。 来自辞典例句
15 kennel axay6     
n.狗舍,狗窝
参考例句:
  • Sporting dogs should be kept out of doors in a kennel.猎狗应该养在户外的狗窝中。
  • Rescued dogs are housed in a standard kennel block.获救的狗被装在一个标准的犬舍里。
16 floppy xjGx1     
adj.松软的,衰弱的
参考例句:
  • She was wearing a big floppy hat.她戴了顶松软的大帽子。
  • Can you copy those files onto this floppy disk?你能把那些文件复制到这张软盘上吗?
17 leash M9rz1     
n.牵狗的皮带,束缚;v.用皮带系住
参考例句:
  • I reached for the leash,but the dog got in between.我伸手去拿系狗绳,但被狗挡住了路。
  • The dog strains at the leash,eager to be off.狗拼命地扯拉皮带,想挣脱开去。
18 sniffed ccb6bd83c4e9592715e6230a90f76b72     
v.以鼻吸气,嗅,闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 );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
参考例句:
  • When Jenney had stopped crying she sniffed and dried her eyes. 珍妮停止了哭泣,吸了吸鼻子,擦干了眼泪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The dog sniffed suspiciously at the stranger. 狗疑惑地嗅着那个陌生人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
19 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的
参考例句:
  • 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。
20 spoke XryyC     
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
参考例句:
  • 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。
21 flea dgSz3     
n.跳蚤
参考例句:
  • I'll put a flea in his ear if he bothers me once more.如果他再来打扰的话,我就要对他不客气了。
  • Hunter has an interest in prowling around a flea market.亨特对逛跳蚤市场很感兴趣。
22 fluffy CQjzv     
adj.有绒毛的,空洞的
参考例句:
  • Newly hatched chicks are like fluffy balls.刚孵出的小鸡像绒毛球。
  • The steamed bread is very fluffy.馒头很暄。
23 Founder wigxF     
n.创始者,缔造者
参考例句:
  • He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
  • According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说,罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。
24 eyebrows a0e6fb1330e9cfecfd1c7a4d00030ed5     
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • 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。
25 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
本文本内容来源于互联网抓取和网友提交,仅供参考,部分栏目没有内容,如果您有更合适的内容,欢迎点击提交分享给大家。
------分隔线----------------------------
顶一下
(0)
0%
踩一下
(0)
0%
最新评论 查看所有评论
发表评论 查看所有评论
请自觉遵守互联网相关的政策法规,严禁发布色情、暴力、反动的言论。
评价:
表情:
验证码:
听力搜索
推荐频道
论坛新贴