“Let’s go to Wide Oak Woods,” said Sally to Wendy. It was a sunny spring day and the girls were wondering what to do.
“That’s a good idea,” said Wendy. “You can watch the birds while I go for a run. I enjoy running in the woods.”
They cycled to the woods. The last stretch was up a steep hill. By the time they reached the entrance to the woods, they were tired.
Just before the entrance was a large house, set back from the road. A black car was parked in front of the gates to the house.
“That’s strange,” said Wendy. “Why park the car outside the house? If the people in the car were visiting, they would have driven through the gates.”
Wendy left Sally to watch the birds next to a small lake in the middle of the woods, while she went for a run. On their way back to their bikes, they both noticed that the car was gone.
Later that night, Sally and her family sat down to dinner.
“What did you do today,” asked Sally’s father.
“Wendy and I went to Wide Oak Woods,” answered Sally.
“That’s interesting,” said Inspector Wellington. “There was a robbery near the woods today. Thieves broke into that large house at the entrance to the woods. You didn’t notice anything, did you?”
Her father asked her the question in a joking voice. But Sally knew at once that she might be able to help.
“There was a black car in the front of the house when we arrived,” she said. “Wendy and I thought it was strange. Why wasn’t it inside the grounds?”
Sally’s father was interested. “Did you notice what make of car it was?” he asked.
“Yes, and I can also remember the registration number.”
“Well done,” said Inspector Wellington. “It’s unusual for people to remember car number plates.”
“The reason why I remembered was that the number was ‘WE 11 ING,’” said Sally. “That spells out the first part of our name, if you turn the number eleven into two letter ‘l’s”.
Sally’s brother, Max, laughed out loud.
“That’s a crazy coincidence,” he said. “Well done, sis.”
“Yes, well done,” said their mother.
“Don’t get too excited,” said their father. “There may be no connection to the robbery. But I will send out search instructions for the car.”
The following day, Inspector Wellington told Sally that the car had been located and that the stolen property was found in its owner’s house.
The owner of the house was so grateful that he gave both the girls an unusual reward. He told them that they were always welcome to use his swimming pool and to invite their families along as well.
“I think I might enjoy being a detective,” said Sally. “We must keep our eyes open for other mysteries in future.”
Words
1. detective /dɪ'tektɪv/n.侦探
2. cycle /'saɪkl/v.骑自行车
3. stretch /stretʃ/n.（终点）直道
4. steep /stiːp/adj.陡峭的
5. entrance /'entrəns/n.入口处
6. park /pɑːk/v.停车
7. inspector /ɪn'spektə/n.（警察）巡官
8. robbery /'rɒbəri/n.盗窃
9. break into非法强行进入
10. grounds /ɡraʊndz/n.庭院
11. make /meɪk/n.品牌，型号
12. registration number /ˌredʒɪ'streɪʃn/ /'nʌmbə/车辆牌照号码
13. plate /pleɪt/n.（车辆的）号码牌
14. coincidence /kəʊ'ɪnsɪdəns/n.巧合
15. sis /sɪs/n.（直接称呼）姐姐
16. connection /kə'nekʃn/n.联系
17. instruction /ɪn'strʌkʃn/n.命令
18. locate /ləʊ'keɪt/v.定位
19. stolen /'stəʊlən/adj.偷走的
20. property /'prɒpəti/n.财产
21. grateful /'greɪtfl/adj.感激的
22. reward /rɪ'wɔːd/n.奖励
23. mystery /'mɪstri/n.神秘的人（或事物）
Notes
1. Just before the entrance was a large house, set back from the road.
就在树林入口前，有一座大房子，远离公路。
2. If the people in the car were visiting, they would have driven through the gates.
如果车里的人是来拜访的，他们会把车开进门内。would have driven是虚拟语气，
表示对过去发生事情的虚拟。
3. Wendy left Sally to watch the birds next to a small lake in the middle of the woods,
while she went for a run.
温蒂留下萨莉在林子中央的小湖附近观鸟，自己去跑步了。while 然而，表示对比。
4. The reason why I remembered was that the number was “WE 11 ING”.
我记得车辆牌照号码是因为它是“WE 11 ING”。why I remembered是定语从句，
修饰the reason；that引导表语从句。
5. That spells out the first part of our name, if you turn the number eleven into two
letter “l”s.
如果把（其中的）数字11当成是两个字母l，那么拼写出来的就是我们姓名的前半
部分（Welling）。
6. The owner of the house was so grateful that he gave both the girls an unusual
reward.
房子的主人非常感激，给了她们两个一个不同寻常的奖励。
7. He told them that they were always welcome to use his swimming pool and to
invite their families along as well.
房子的主人说随时欢迎她们来用他的游泳池，也可以邀请她们的家
人一起来。
8. We must keep our eyes open for other mysteries in future.
今后，我们要留心注意其他神秘的人或事。keep an eye open密切注视。
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