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儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Lost Mine CHAPTER 3 Benny’s Gold

时间:2017-08-22 06:46来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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“Do you think we’ll find the mine by lunchtime?” Benny asked Violet.

She clambered over a rock in the trail, then held out her hand for her brother.

“I doubt it, Benny,” Violet said. “Luis said some people spend their whole lives looking for the mine.”

Ahead on the trail, Luis stopped so the Aldens could catch their breath.

“It’s best to go out in the desert early in the morning,” he told them, “before the sun gets too hot. Drink water, even if you aren’t thirsty. If you wait till you are, you’re already becoming dehydrated.”

The Aldens uncapped their canteens and took a long drink.

They all wore hats, sturdy shoes, and heavy socks. Luis had warned them that in the Superstition2 Mountains both plants and animals could sting or bite.

“Why is there a Superstition Mountain in the Superstition Mountains?” Jessie asked, confused.

Luis laughed. “Superstition Mountain is a special mountain in the Superstition Mountain range.”

Henry gazed around the bare landscape. “It sure is different out here.”

“But it’s beautiful, too.” Aiming her camera, Violet snapped pictures of a cactus3 that was as tall as a tree, with two arms reaching toward the sky.

“That’s a saguaro cactus, right?” Henry remembered reading about them in Grandfather’s Southwest guidebook.

Luis nodded. “They grow really slow, about two inches a year. It takes them fifty years to put out an arm.”

“So this one must be at least a hundred years old.” Jessie tipped her head back so she could see it better.

Luis squinted4 up at the sky. “We should probably head back. The sun is directly overhead. It’s at its strongest.”

“But we haven’t found the mine yet!” Benny objected.

“Benny has gold fever,” Henry teased. He scanned the horizon. “Anyway, we need to locate Weaver’s Needle before we can begin searching for the mine. I wonder where it is.”

“It’s too far to walk to,” Luis told him. “We’d have to ride horses.”

Violet’s eyes lit up. “Can we do that?”

“Grandfather told us we could rent horses,” Henry said. “There’s a stable just down the road from the campground.”

Suddenly Benny leaped to his feet. “Gold!” He held a broken rock with a shiny gold lump sticking out. “I’m rich!”

Luis examined the rock. “It looks like gold, but it’s really a mineral called pyrite. Sometimes it’s called fool’s gold, because people think they’ve found the real thing.”

“It’s pretty, though,” Violet remarked.

With the hammer, Luis chipped away most of the broken rock. He handed Benny the stone. “Here you go. Now it’s easier to carry.”

Benny put his prize in his pocket. “I don’t care if it’s not real gold. I’m going to keep it forever. It will be my lucky rock.”

Jessie was glad when they finally trudged5 back into camp. Their air-conditioned RV felt very nice. She made lemonade while the others cooled off.

No one had the energy to walk over to the Chuck Wagon6 for lunch, so they fixed7 a picnic of turkey sandwiches, chips, and chocolate cookies.

“You know what would feel great right now?” Henry said, fanning himself with a map of Arizona.

“A whole swimming pool of ice cubes?” Benny guessed. His cheeks were still pink from the heat.

Henry laughed. “Close! A dip in a mountain lake.”

Luis looked at the Aldens sprawled8 all over the furniture. “Well . . . the pool’s open.”

“The pool!” Jessie and Henry exclaimed at once.

Henry smacked9 his forehead. “We forgot all about the recreation center.”

Benny was out the door in a flash.

After a reviving swim in the pool and three games of paddle tennis, the children collapsed10 in the lounge, which was furnished with comfortable leather chairs.

Benny pulled out his shiny rock and studied it in the slanting11 afternoon light.

Jessie hugged her knees. “Do you think there really is gold in the Superstition Mountains?” Jessie asked Luis.

“My parents laugh at the old legend,” Luis replied, “but I think there is a lost treasure up there.”

“Do you think we can find it?” Benny asked.

“Find what?” At that moment, Tom Parker came in, followed by Mr. and Mrs. Clark.

The Clarks were dressed for swimming. Tom was in his usual cowboy gear. He slouched on the sofa, propping12 his boots on the wagon wheel coffee table.

“Find what?” Tom asked again.

Henry shot Benny a warning glance. “Uh—we were wondering if we could find our way to the riding stables.”

Tom gave him a quizzical look. “Well, it’s as easy as finding the nose on your face. Just hike down the road a piece. Can’t miss it.”

“Oh, that sounds like fun!” Mrs. Clark squealed13. “Can we rent horses and ride around here, Jim?”

Mr. Clark smiled at her. “But you don’t ride.”

“That’s okay,” Tom put in. “The animals at the stables are trail horses. Riding one of those gentle horses is like sitting in your living room.”

Jessie was relieved. The Aldens hadn’t ridden very much, either.

Luis stood up. “I guess my folks are back now. I’d better check in with them.”

When he left, the Clarks settled into a couple of leather chairs. Mrs. Clark pointed14 to the rock Benny was polishing with the hem1 of his shirt.

“Looks like you struck gold, young man,” she said.

“It’s not real gold,” Benny corrected. “I’m going to carry it in my pocket forever.”

Tom leaned over to examine Benny’s nugget more closely. “That’s a mighty15 fine specimen16. Where did you find it?”

Just then the door opened with a bang. Janine marched in. She looked angry.

“There you are.” She glared accusingly at Tom. “You promised to unpack17 those boxes that were delivered this morning.”

“So I did.” Tom got up from the sofa. “By the way,” he added to the Clarks, “my offer for an evening stroll in the desert still stands. Anytime you’re ready, just holler.”

He left, slamming the door. The Clarks got up, too, and headed over to the pool.

Benny turned to Henry. “I wasn’t going to tell anyone about the mine. I can keep a secret.” He paused. “Except from Grandfather.”

“Grandfather’s okay,” said Henry. “We can tell him. But nobody else.”

Violet noticed something about Mrs. Clark. Earlier she had said she was looking for her earring18 outside the Garcias’ trailer. At the time, she had on gold chains.

This afternoon, when she was going swimming, she wore a red stone pendant on a long silver chain, dangling19 earrings20, and an armful of thin, silver bangles. She sure had a large selection of expensive jewelry21.

Violet said to Jessie, “Isn’t Mrs. Clark wearing a lot of jewelry to go swimming?”

Jessie nodded. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

“I was wondering about Tom and Janine,” said Henry. “She’s always yelling at him to do some work.”

“Don’t mention the word ‘work.’ ” Grandfather came in then, smiling.

Benny ran over to him. “You’re back early today!”

“Yes, we’re putting a new roof on his cabin, but it became too hot, so we knocked off early.” He smiled at his grandchildren. “What have you been doing?”

They all spoke22 at once. Benny had to tell Grandfather about his fool’s gold. Henry asked if they could rent horses tomorrow. Jessie told him about the sights of the desert. Violet mentioned she had taken some great pictures.

“Hold it! Hold it!” James Alden put his hand up. “How about dinner first, and then we’ll discuss horses and fool’s gold.”

After a hearty23 supper of beef stew24 and cherry pie topped with ice cream, the Aldens went back to their RV.

“Do you believe there really is a lost mine?” Henry asked Grandfather. They had talked about the legend during dinner.

“That story has been around over a hundred years,” Grandfather replied. “There must be some truth to it.”

Violet was drawing the stone maps. She had a good memory and remembered most of the details. “Then the mine is really out there?”

Grandfather patted her shoulder. “Gold makes people act strangely. People want to believe a fabulous25 gold mine exists.”

Benny looked up at Grandfather. He believed the mine existed. And he wanted to find it.

“I want you all to have a good time in Arizona,” Grandfather told them, “but please be careful.”

It was bedtime. Everyone said good night.

In the little bedroom she shared with Violet, Jessie had trouble getting to sleep. Light was shining in her eyes.

She reached up to adjust the blinds. The light was coming from Mr. Tobias’s trailer. Didn’t that man ever go to bed?

Then Jessie saw something that made her heart skip a beat. A shadowy figure prowled around the Garcias’ RV. The person seemed to be testing the window latches26.

She was about to wake Violet when the figure melted into the desert darkness.
 


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 hem 7dIxa     
n.贴边,镶边;vt.缝贴边;(in)包围,限制
参考例句:
  • The hem on her skirt needs sewing.她裙子上的褶边需要缝一缝。
  • The hem of your dress needs to be let down an inch.你衣服的折边有必要放长1英寸。
2 superstition VHbzg     
n.迷信,迷信行为
参考例句:
  • It's a common superstition that black cats are unlucky.认为黑猫不吉祥是一种很普遍的迷信。
  • Superstition results from ignorance.迷信产生于无知。
3 cactus Cs1zF     
n.仙人掌
参考例句:
  • It was the first year that the cactus had produced flowers.这是这棵仙人掌第一年开花。
  • The giant cactus is the vegetable skycraper.高大的仙人掌是植物界巨人。
4 squinted aaf7c56a51bf19a5f429b7a9ddca2e9b     
斜视( squint的过去式和过去分词 ); 眯着眼睛; 瞟; 从小孔或缝隙里看
参考例句:
  • Pulling his rifle to his shoulder he squinted along the barrel. 他把枪顶肩,眯起眼睛瞄准。
  • I squinted through the keyhole. 我从锁眼窥看。
5 trudged e830eb9ac9fd5a70bf67387e070a9616     
vt.& vi.跋涉,吃力地走(trudge的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • He trudged the last two miles to the town. 他步履艰难地走完最后两英里到了城里。
  • He trudged wearily along the path. 他沿着小路疲惫地走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 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。
7 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
8 sprawled 6cc8223777584147c0ae6b08b9304472     
v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词);蔓延;杂乱无序地拓展;四肢伸展坐着(或躺着)
参考例句:
  • He was sprawled full-length across the bed. 他手脚摊开横躺在床上。
  • He was lying sprawled in an armchair, watching TV. 他四肢伸开正懒散地靠在扶手椅上看电视。
9 smacked bb7869468e11f63a1506d730c1d2219e     
拍,打,掴( smack的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He smacked his lips but did not utter a word. 他吧嗒两下嘴,一声也不言语。
  • She smacked a child's bottom. 她打孩子的屁股。
10 collapsed cwWzSG     
adj.倒塌的
参考例句:
  • Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
  • The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。
11 slanting bfc7f3900241f29cee38d19726ae7dce     
倾斜的,歪斜的
参考例句:
  • The rain is driving [slanting] in from the south. 南边潲雨。
  • The line is slanting to the left. 这根线向左斜了。
12 propping 548f07f69caff3c98b65a959401073ee     
支撑
参考例句:
  • You can usually find Jack propping up the bar at his local. 你常常可以看见杰克频繁出没于他居住的那家酒店。
  • The government was accused of propping up declining industries. 政府被指责支持日益衰败的产业。
13 squealed 08be5c82571f6dba9615fa69033e21b0     
v.长声尖叫,用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He squealed the words out. 他吼叫着说出那些话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The brakes of the car squealed. 汽车的刹车发出吱吱声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
14 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • 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。
15 mighty YDWxl     
adj.强有力的;巨大的
参考例句:
  • A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
  • The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。
16 specimen Xvtwm     
n.样本,标本
参考例句:
  • You'll need tweezers to hold up the specimen.你要用镊子来夹这标本。
  • This specimen is richly variegated in colour.这件标本上有很多颜色。
17 unpack sfwzBO     
vt.打开包裹(或行李),卸货
参考例句:
  • I must unpack before dinner.我得在饭前把行李打开。
  • She said she would unpack the items later.她说以后再把箱子里的东西拿出来。
18 earring xrOxK     
n.耳环,耳饰
参考例句:
  • How long have you worn that earring?你戴那个耳环多久了?
  • I have an earring but can't find its companion.我现在只有一只耳环,找不到另一只了。
19 dangling 4930128e58930768b1c1c75026ebc649     
悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 ); 摆动不定; 用某事物诱惑…; 吊胃口
参考例句:
  • The tooth hung dangling by the bedpost, now. 结果,那颗牙就晃来晃去吊在床柱上了。
  • The children sat on the high wall,their legs dangling. 孩子们坐在一堵高墙上,摇晃着他们的双腿。
20 earrings 9ukzSs     
n.耳环( earring的名词复数 );耳坠子
参考例句:
  • a pair of earrings 一对耳环
  • These earrings snap on with special fastener. 这付耳环是用特制的按扣扣上去的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
21 jewelry 0auz1     
n.(jewllery)(总称)珠宝
参考例句:
  • The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
  • Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。
22 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。
23 hearty Od1zn     
adj.热情友好的;衷心的;尽情的,纵情的
参考例句:
  • After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了,他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
  • We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。
24 stew 0GTz5     
n.炖汤,焖,烦恼;v.炖汤,焖,忧虑
参考例句:
  • The stew must be boiled up before serving.炖肉必须煮熟才能上桌。
  • There's no need to get in a stew.没有必要烦恼。
25 fabulous ch6zI     
adj.极好的;极为巨大的;寓言中的,传说中的
参考例句:
  • We had a fabulous time at the party.我们在晚会上玩得很痛快。
  • This is a fabulous sum of money.这是一笔巨款。
26 latches 72e582024c502f75cdd8b1b4d69a127f     
n.(门窗的)门闩( latch的名词复数 );碰锁v.理解( latch的第三人称单数 );纠缠;用碰锁锁上(门等);附着(在某物上)
参考例句:
  • The virus latches onto the red blood cells. 这种病毒附着在红细胞上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The opposite end latches onto the pathogen. 相对的一端锁在病原体上。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 预防生物武器
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