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儿童英语读物 The Old Motel Mystery CHAPTER 5 Oranges and More Oranges

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The next morning the sun shone brightly, but there was a nice breeze. It was a good day to help Kay, Jessie thought. The plumber1 had brought the missing part the evening before, and now the water was turned on. A painter went by the window. All was going well.

Violet boiled water for poached eggs while Jessie broiled2 bacon. As Henry slid bread in the toaster and Benny poured the milk, there was a knock on the door.

Benny hopped3 down from his chair to answer.

Millicent Fair entered, proudly displaying a plate of muffins. She set them on the breakfast table. “Eat these banana-walnut muffins while they’re still warm,” she said with a smile, pulling up a chair before Henry could do it for her. Her sharp eyes darted4 from one to the other. “Where were you yesterday?” she asked. “I missed you.”

“We went on Rolf’s boat in the Everglades,” Benny said. “And I saw an alligator5!”

“Oh, my, Benny,” Millicent Fair said, rolling her eyes toward the ceiling. “You had a big day. Did Kay stay home?”

“Yes,” Jessie said, setting a glass of orange juice in front of Millicent.

“Did your Aunt Jane go on the tour?” Millicent questioned.

“Yes,” Henry answered.

“Well, I had quite a day, too.” She frowned. “There was not a drop of water,” she said in a disapproving6 tone. “No water!”

“We know there was no water,” Henry said, wrinkling his forehead. “Someone deliberately7 shut it off!”

“You don’t mean it,” Millicent said, sinking back in her chair in surprise. After a brief pause, she leaned forward. “There are some queer things going on around here.” With those words she drank her orange juice.

Violet gave Millicent a sharp look. Why had she been so eager to know where they’d been and what they were doing?

“Won’t you have some breakfast?” Jessie asked politely.

Millicent jumped up, shaking her plump cheeks. “No, no, I must run. I have a hair appointment in Lyndale and the taxi will be coming any minute.” She backed out, nodding and smiling.

After Millicent left, Henry said, “Millicent is certainly curious, isn’t she?”

“I thought so, too,” Violet said, eating the last piece of her bacon.

When they had finished eating and the dishes were washed, the Aldens chose four bikes from the bike shed for a ride. Waving to the painters, they pedaled past the swimming pool which Rolf had just filled that morning.

After circling the motel’s grounds they headed out to the open road, riding beyond the store and to the edge of Lyndale.

When they returned, they placed the bikes in the bike shed.

“Let’s go for a swim,” Benny coaxed8.

“First,” Jessie said, “let’s see if Kay needs our help.”

“That’s a good idea,” Henry said.

The four children ran up the hill, eager to see what Kay needed.

When they arrived, Kay and Aunt Jane were sewing and talking.

“Hi, children,” Kay said. “What are your plans for today?”

“We wanted to see if you needed anything done,” Jessie said.

Kay smiled. “Aren’t you sweet? I did call in the order for the bedspreads and drapes and they should arrive tomorrow,” she said. “Then you could put them in each room, if you wanted to.”

“Oh, yes we can do that,” Violet said. “It will completely change the look of the rooms.”

“Thanks, everyone,” Kay said. “The painters should finish soon. Yesterday I placed an ad about my motel in several northern papers. In a few months it will soon be time for my ‘Snowbirds’ to fly south.”

“Snowbirds?” Violet asked quietly.

Kay smiled. “Yes, that’s what we Floridians call tourists from the north who fly south for the winter. I’m hopeful that I’ll soon be receiving reservations to fill my motel.” Her eyes began to sparkle and once again she seemed full of hope. “In the meantime, how would you like to pick oranges?”

“Yes!” Benny shouted. “That will be fun.”

“Good,” Kay said. “If we’re to serve orange juice every morning to tourists, I’ll have to squeeze the juice and freeze it.” She reached over and touched Benny’s hand. “I don’t know what I’d do without you. You’re all as sweet and helpful as your Aunt Jane.”

“Aw,” Benny murmured. “It’s nothing.”

Jessie moved to the door. “The oranges are waiting for us.”

They all laughed and followed her out to the backyard. They stood beneath the trees that were drooping9 with oranges ripe for the picking.

Leaning against the house was a ladder that Henry carried to the first tree. Jessie and Violet brought six bushel baskets from the same spot. They began to pull big oranges off the branches and drop them in the baskets.

The Aldens worked for an hour in the morning and came back in the afternoon. Catherine Wilson climbed the hill.

“Why are you picking all these oranges?” the attractive tall girl asked, glancing at the two full baskets.

“Kay intends to freeze juice for her winter tourists,” Violet said.

“I hope her motel is better occupied than it is now,” Catherine said.

“It will be!” Benny answered positively10.

“I hope so,” Catherine said, wiping her forehead with a handkerchief. “It’s hot today,” she said. “I just returned from the Seminole camp, and I think I need a swim.

Why don’t you stop picking oranges and join me,” she urged.

“We want to finish filling these baskets,” Jessie said. “We will later.”

“Please come,” Catherine coaxed. “I don’t want to swim alone.”

“We’d like to,” Henry said, placing several oranges in the basket, “but we’d better finish.”

“The oranges will be there tomorrow,” Catherine urged.

“Sorry,” Violet said. “We’ll join you later.”

“Oh, all right,” Catherine said in a disappointed voice. With a wave Catherine headed down the hill. How gracefully11 she moves, Jessie thought. She picked a big orange and tossed it down to Violet, still thinking about Catherine. Why did she want them to quit working? She had been so insistent12.

When Kay came out, Jessie forgot her suspicions of Catherine. “Hi, Kay,” she said, stepping down from the ladder.

“Why, you have six baskets brimming with oranges!” Kay exclaimed. “How wonderful!” Thoughtfully, she tapped a finger on her chin. “Let’s see, we’ll put three baskets in the kitchen, and we’ll leave the rest by the back door. I’ll deal with those in the morning.”

The children were pleased that they had helped Kay. “Now,” Benny said, “you’ll have lots and lots of orange juice.”

Kay laughed. “You’re right, Benny.”

“Can we go for a swim now?” Benny asked, squinting13 up at Henry.

“You bet,” Henry said.

They raced down the hill to change into their swimsuits.

When they got to the pool, Catherine had already left, but they had a splashing good swim.

After a supper of hamburgers, baked beans, and chocolate cake, they almost fell into bed. They were tired from a day of hard work and their long swim.

As they slept, a soft rain fell, but the children didn’t awaken14 until Benny sat up in bed and complained, “Henry! Water is falling on my nose!”

Henry threw back his covers and hurried to Benny’s bed. He pulled the bed away from the dripping ceiling. “It’s the roof, Benny,” he said. “I heard Rolf tell Kay that he’d repair it tomorrow.” Without waking Jessie and Violet he tiptoed into the kitchen and found a pan to put under the leaky roof.

Benny and Henry went back to sleep and didn’t open their eyes until the next morning.

Henry suggested a swim before breakfast.

“Hurrah!” Benny said. “I love to swim!” He pulled on his swim trunks and ran to the pool. But he didn’t go in.

Instead he rushed back to the motel. “The oranges,” he yelled. “Come, quick!”

Henry raced outside, followed by Jessie and Violet, who were also in swimsuits. When they reached the edge of the pool, they halted. They were too stunned15 to move another step.

There, before their eyes, three empty baskets and hundreds of oranges could be seen bobbing about on the clear water.
 


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 plumber f2qzM     
n.(装修水管的)管子工
参考例句:
  • Have you asked the plumber to come and look at the leaking pipe?你叫管道工来检查漏水的管子了吗?
  • The plumber screwed up the tap by means of a spanner.管子工用板手把龙头旋紧。
2 broiled 8xgz4L     
a.烤过的
参考例句:
  • They broiled turkey over a charcoal flame. 他们在木炭上烤火鸡。
  • The desert sun broiled the travelers in the caravan. 沙漠上空灼人的太阳把旅行队成员晒得浑身燥热。
3 hopped 91b136feb9c3ae690a1c2672986faa1c     
跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 ); 单足蹦跳; 齐足(或双足)跳行; 摘葎草花
参考例句:
  • He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
  • He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车,向市区开去。
4 darted d83f9716cd75da6af48046d29f4dd248     
v.投掷,投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 );向前冲,飞奔
参考例句:
  • The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了,瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 alligator XVgza     
n.短吻鳄(一种鳄鱼)
参考例句:
  • She wandered off to play with her toy alligator.她开始玩鳄鱼玩具。
  • Alligator skin is five times more costlier than leather.鳄鱼皮比通常的皮革要贵5倍。
6 disapproving bddf29198e28ab64a272563d29c1f915     
adj.不满的,反对的v.不赞成( disapprove的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Mother gave me a disapproving look. 母亲的眼神告诉我她是不赞成的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Her father threw a disapproving glance at her. 她父亲不满地瞥了她一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 deliberately Gulzvq     
adv.审慎地;蓄意地;故意地
参考例句:
  • The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
  • They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。
8 coaxed dc0a6eeb597861b0ed72e34e52490cd1     
v.哄,用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 );巧言骗取;哄劝,劝诱
参考例句:
  • She coaxed the horse into coming a little closer. 她哄着那匹马让它再靠近了一点。
  • I coaxed my sister into taking me to the theatre. 我用好话哄姐姐带我去看戏。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
9 drooping drooping     
adj. 下垂的,无力的 动词droop的现在分词
参考例句:
  • The drooping willows are waving gently in the morning breeze. 晨风中垂柳袅袅。
  • The branches of the drooping willows were swaying lightly. 垂柳轻飘飘地摆动。
10 positively vPTxw     
adv.明确地,断然,坚决地;实在,确实
参考例句:
  • She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
  • The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。
11 gracefully KfYxd     
ad.大大方方地;优美地
参考例句:
  • She sank gracefully down onto a cushion at his feet. 她优雅地坐到他脚旁的垫子上。
  • The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line. 新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。
12 insistent s6ZxC     
adj.迫切的,坚持的
参考例句:
  • There was an insistent knock on my door.我听到一阵急促的敲门声。
  • He is most insistent on this point.他在这点上很坚持。
13 squinting e26a97f9ad01e6beee241ce6dd6633a2     
斜视( squint的现在分词 ); 眯着眼睛; 瞟; 从小孔或缝隙里看
参考例句:
  • "More company," he said, squinting in the sun. "那边来人了,"他在阳光中眨巴着眼睛说。
  • Squinting against the morning sun, Faulcon examined the boy carefully. 对着早晨的太阳斜起眼睛,富尔康仔细地打量着那个年轻人。
14 awaken byMzdD     
vi.醒,觉醒;vt.唤醒,使觉醒,唤起,激起
参考例句:
  • Old people awaken early in the morning.老年人早晨醒得早。
  • Please awaken me at six.请于六点叫醒我。
15 stunned 735ec6d53723be15b1737edd89183ec2     
adj. 震惊的,惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
  • The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。
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