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儿童英语读物 The Copycat Mystery CHAPTER 4 A Trick of the Eye

时间:2017-10-12 05:32来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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The next morning, as soon as they had finished breakfast, the Alden children took the bikes that Aunt Jane kept for them and set off along the quiet country road. A gentle breeze was stirring the long grass and the birds were singing up a storm when they turned off the road onto the tree-lined driveway that led to the Historic Wagner Farmhouse1.

“Look!” Benny shouted, pointing to the sign hanging from its post. “It’s still right where it belongs.”

Henry nodded. “So far, so good.”

“I’ve never been a tour guide before,” Benny said excitedly as he walked his bike beside Henry’s to the back of the farmhouse.

“It will be fun to dress up in Victorian costumes,” admitted Violet. She sounded as excited as Benny.

Leaving their bikes behind the old woodshed, they made their way around to the front of the house. When Benny knocked on the door, Jessie looked over at Henry. “Do you think Sharon will be any friendlier today?”

Henry shrugged2. “I don’t know what to think. But I guess we’ll soon find out.”

They waited for a moment, then Benny knocked on the door again. “I hope Gwen didn’t forget about us,” he said, sounding worried.

“Not a chance!” said a voice behind them.

The children whirled around and saw Gwen coming up the porch steps. They hardly recognized her. She was wearing blue track pants and a white T-shirt, and her blond hair was pulled back into a pony-tail.

“You haven’t been waiting long, have you?” she asked.

“Oh, no,” Violet assured her. “We just got here.”

Gwen led them along the wraparound porch to the far side of the house. “Let me show you the office first.” Unlocking the door, she said, “This is the only room in the house that doesn’t look the way it did during the Victorian era. Back then, it was a mudroom—just a place to leave muddy boots and coats. But now it’s used as an office and lunchroom.”

The children glanced around at what appeared to be a modern kitchen, complete with a refrigerator and stove. In the corner was a desk with a computer, and beside it, a filing cabinet and a bulletin board full of notices.

“As you can see,” Gwen went on, “the room’s a bit cramped3, but it gives me a place to do my paperwork. And it’s a quiet spot for the volunteers to come and put their feet up and maybe have a cup of tea. There’s a washroom, too, and a little changing room.”

Jessie slipped her backpack from her shoulders. “Is it okay if I put our sandwiches in the refrigerator?”

“Sure thing,” said Gwen. “I always keep a jug4 of cold lemonade in there, too. Feel free to help yourselves anytime.”

As Jessie put their lunches away, Gwen pointed5 to the far end of the room. “That door leads directly into the Victorian kitchen,” she told them. “But I’d like to take you in the front way. That’s where the visitors come in, so you might as well have the same tour you’ll be giving them. How does that sound?”

It sounded wonderful. Without wasting another second, the Aldens filed out of the office. As they headed back along the porch, Benny’s smile disappeared for a second.

“Do we have to remember everything you tell us?” he asked Gwen.

She shook her head. “All the information’s kept in folders6 in the filing cabinet. You can always brush up on anything you forget.”

Benny looked relieved.

“The Victorians liked to impress their visitors,” Gwen said as they stepped through the front door. “Especially when they first entered the house.”

“It is impressive,” admitted Jessie, and the others agreed as they gazed around a huge entrance hall with a winding7 staircase.

Violet, who had brought her camera along, snapped a picture.

“On your right is the parlor8,” Gwen went on, stepping aside so they could see through the doorway9. “It was used on important occasions.”

The shadowy room was overflowing10 with old-fashioned furniture. Portraits in fancy frames covered the walls and the top of the piano, while faded red curtains kept out the morning sun.

“Wow!” said Benny. “There’s hardly room to move in there.”

Gwen laughed. “To the Victorians, there was no such thing as too much furniture.”

“Those chairs don’t look very comfortable,” said Henry, thinking about the big, cozy11 chairs in Grandfather’s house.

Gwen said, “The parlor shows how prim12 and proper the Victorians could be. It probably wasn’t easy sitting on those stiff-backed chairs for long.”

Jessie spoke13 up. “There wasn’t any electricity back in the Victorian era, was there?”

Gwen shook her head. “No, there wasn’t, Jessie. They used coal-oil lamps back then. The lamps were usually on all evening and that meant there was a lot of smoke in the rooms. But smoke rises, so the high ceilings helped.”

Henry said, “I was wondering why the ceilings were so high.”

“Was the smoke from the lamps really that bad?” asked Violet.

“It sure was,” replied Gwen. “If the lamps weren’t cleaned every day, the smoke around the glass would dim the light.”

Just before they went on their way, Gwen gazed around the room with a troubled look on her face. “I’ve got the strangest feeling,” she said.

“Is anything wrong?” Violet inquired in her gentle voice.

Gwen shrugged a little. “Something just doesn’t look quite right in here. But I’m not sure what it is.” After one more glance around, she said, “Anyway, let’s see the rest of the house, shall we?”

They followed Gwen into the sitting room, where chairs with clawlike feet looked a little more comfortable than the ones in the parlor. Violet guessed from all the books on the shelves that the Victorians must have enjoyed reading. And she was right. Gwen told them the Victorians were very fond of books.

In the dining room, a heavily carved table was set with pretty dishes. The children all agreed that it felt as if Horace and his family might sit down for dinner at any moment!

When Gwen pushed the door of the Victorian kitchen open, she jumped in surprise.

“Oh, Draper!” she cried. “I had no idea you were here. Is anything wrong?”

Draper Mills had suddenly stopped in his tracks halfway14 across the room. When he saw the Aldens, he looked surprised, then annoyed. “I was, um . . . fixing one of the window shades,” he told Gwen in a nervous voice. “But I’ll be on my way now.” Then, with a few quick strides, he reached the door and was gone.

“That’s odd,” said Gwen. “I didn’t know any of the shades needed fixing.” Then she added, “It’s a shame Draper’s such a shy man. I’m afraid it’s difficult for him to be around so many people.”

Jessie nodded. “That’s what Aunt Jane said.” But she couldn’t help wondering if it was more than just shyness that had made Draper Mills rush away so quickly.

Gwen pointed out a room just off the kitchen where the laundry was done. “This was called the scullery.”

The Aldens looked through the door at two big tubs on either side of a wooden clothes wringer.

“One tub was used for washing,” Gwen went on, “the other for rinsing15.”

“What’s under there?” asked Benny, pointing to where a fancy white tablecloth16 had been thrown over one of the washtubs.

“Oh, that tub’s filled with old clothes,” replied Gwen. “We use the clothes in the laundry demonstration17.”

“What about this room?” asked Benny, peeking18 into another small room just beside the scullery.

“That’s the pantry,” explained Gwen. “That’s where they kept the flour and sugar and everything else needed for cooking.” She glanced around. “I think the kitchen’s my favorite room in the house. And that big wood-burning stove over there,” she added with a sweep of her hand, “was a very important part of the room. It kept everyone warm and cozy during the cold winters. There’s even a water reservoir on the side of the stove. So, the family had hot water for baths and for the laundry and dishes.”

Gwen paused. “And see those racks above the stove?”

The Aldens looked up at the wooden poles.

“During the winter,” Gwen went on, “the laundry was hung there to dry.”

“Stoves sure were important back then,” observed Henry.

Gwen smiled. “They were used for a lot more than just cooking.”

Benny said, “I bet Mrs. McGregor would like a wood-burning stove.”

“Mrs. McGregor’s our housekeeper,” explained Violet.

After Gwen had taken them upstairs to see the bedrooms, Jessie said, “Thank you. That was a great tour.” And the other Aldens echoed her words. The truth was, though, Benny was a little disappointed. He was hoping to hear more about Horace Wagner and his practical jokes.

When they returned to the office, they found Sharon dressed in Victorian costume, sitting at the table holding a small circle of cardboard by two strings19. She barely looked up when the Aldens came into the room. She was busy spinning the cardboard circle around and around.

“What is that?” Benny asked her.

“A thaumatrope,” Sharon mumbled20.

“A thauma-what?”

“Thaumatrope.” Sharon let the cardboard circle slow to a stop. “See? There’s a bird on one side and an empty birdcage on the other. Now watch what happens when I twist the string.”

Curious, the other Aldens moved closer as the string began to unwind and the circle started to spin.

“Now the bird’s inside the cage!” cried Benny.

“I bet it’s an optical illusion,” guessed Jessie.

Henry agreed. “A trick of the eye.”

With a slow smile, Sharon explained, “The bird and the cage are spinning so quickly, they look like one picture instead of two. So the bird suddenly looks as if it’s inside the cage.” She held the thaumatrope out to Benny. “You can have it if you want.”

“But it’s yours,” said Benny.

“That’s okay.”

“Really?”

“They’re easy to make,” Sharon said.

Benny was grinning from ear to ear. “Thank you very much.”

Sharon was being very nice to Benny, Jessie thought.

Gwen, who had gone to change into her Victorian costume, smiled over at the youngest Alden when she came back into the room. “I’m not surprised you like thaumatropes, Benny,” she said. “They were very popular during the Victorian era.”

Benny gave the cardboard circle another spin. “I like the way the bird appears inside the cage.”

Gwen was putting her track pants and T-shirt into the wardrobe cupboard when she suddenly turned around. “What did you say?”

Benny looked puzzled. “I said, I like the way the bird appears inside the cage.”

“Benny!” exclaimed Gwen. “That’s it!” And she ran from the room, leaving them all staring after her in amazement21. When she came back a few minutes later, she was shaking her head.

“What’s going on?” Sharon asked.

“Are you okay?” Jessie inquired at the same time.

Gwen sank down into a chair. She was quiet for a moment. “I knew something wasn’t quite right in the parlor,” she said at last. “I’ve been racking my brains trying to figure it out. Thanks to Benny, I finally did.”

“What did you figure out?” asked Sharon.

“There was an antique birdcage in the parlor,” Gwen whispered. “And now it’s gone!”
 


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 farmhouse kt1zIk     
n.农场住宅(尤指主要住房)
参考例句:
  • We fell for the farmhouse as soon as we saw it.我们对那所农舍一见倾心。
  • We put up for the night at a farmhouse.我们在一间农舍投宿了一夜。
2 shrugged 497904474a48f991a3d1961b0476ebce     
vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • 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》
3 cramped 287c2bb79385d19c466ec2df5b5ce970     
a.狭窄的
参考例句:
  • The house was terribly small and cramped, but the agent described it as a bijou residence. 房子十分狭小拥挤,但经纪人却把它说成是小巧别致的住宅。
  • working in cramped conditions 在拥挤的环境里工作
4 jug QaNzK     
n.(有柄,小口,可盛水等的)大壶,罐,盂
参考例句:
  • He walked along with a jug poised on his head.他头上顶着一个水罐,保持着平衡往前走。
  • She filled the jug with fresh water.她将水壶注满了清水。
5 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。
6 folders 7cb31435da1bef1e450754ff725b0fdd     
n.文件夹( folder的名词复数 );纸夹;(某些计算机系统中的)文件夹;页面叠
参考例句:
  • Encrypt and compress individual files and folders. The program is compact, efficient and user friendly. 加密和压缩的个人档案和folders.the计划是紧凑,高效和用户友好。 来自互联网
  • By insertion of photocopies,all folders can be maintained complete with little extra effort. 插入它的复制本,不费多大力量就能使所有文件夹保持完整。 来自辞典例句
7 winding Ue7z09     
n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈
参考例句:
  • A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
  • The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。
8 parlor v4MzU     
n.店铺,营业室;会客室,客厅
参考例句:
  • She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
  • Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店?
9 doorway 2s0xK     
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径
参考例句:
  • 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。
10 overflowing df84dc195bce4a8f55eb873daf61b924     
n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的,充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式
参考例句:
  • The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。
  • The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。
11 cozy ozdx0     
adj.亲如手足的,密切的,暖和舒服的
参考例句:
  • I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯,因为他们是舒适的。
  • We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。
12 prim SSIz3     
adj.拘泥形式的,一本正经的;n.循规蹈矩,整洁;adv.循规蹈矩地,整洁地
参考例句:
  • She's too prim to enjoy rude jokes!她太古板,不喜欢听粗野的笑话!
  • He is prim and precise in manner.他的态度一本正经而严谨
13 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。
14 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。
15 rinsing cc80e70477186de83e96464130c222ba     
n.清水,残渣v.漂洗( rinse的现在分词 );冲洗;用清水漂洗掉(肥皂泡等);(用清水)冲掉
参考例句:
  • Pablo made a swishing noise rinsing wine in his mouth. 巴勃罗用酒漱着口,发出咕噜噜噜的声音。 来自辞典例句
  • The absorption of many molecular layers could be reestablished by rinsing the foils with tap water. 多分子层的吸附作用可用自来水淋洗金属箔而重新实现。 来自辞典例句
16 tablecloth lqSwh     
n.桌布,台布
参考例句:
  • He sat there ruminating and picking at the tablecloth.他坐在那儿沉思,轻轻地抚弄着桌布。
  • She smoothed down a wrinkled tablecloth.她把起皱的桌布熨平了。
17 demonstration 9waxo     
n.表明,示范,论证,示威
参考例句:
  • His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
  • He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。
18 peeking 055254fc0b0cbadaccd5778d3ae12b50     
v.很快地看( peek的现在分词 );偷看;窥视;微露出
参考例句:
  • I couldn't resist peeking in the drawer. 我不由得偷看了一下抽屉里面。
  • They caught him peeking in through the keyhole. 他们发现他从钥匙孔里向里窥视。 来自辞典例句
19 strings nh0zBe     
n.弦
参考例句:
  • He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上,随意地拨着吉他的弦。
  • She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。
20 mumbled 3855fd60b1f055fa928ebec8bcf3f539     
含糊地说某事,叽咕,咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话,可我没太听清楚。
  • George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。
21 amazement 7zlzBK     
n.惊奇,惊讶
参考例句:
  • 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。
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