英语读物《神奇树屋》 第十五册 Viking Ships at Sunrise 09 Sea Monster

　　The serpent's head rose higher and higher abovethe water.

Jack¹ couldn't move.

"He's beautiful!" said Annie.

"Beautiful?" cried Jack.

The serpent's neck was as tall as a two-storybuilding. Its green scales were covered with sea slime.

"Go away!" shouted Jack.

"No--stay! Help us!" shouted Annie.

The great serpent glided² closer to the ship. Jackducked.

"Come on!" said Annie. "You can do it! Get us toshore before the ship sinks!"Jack closed his eyes. He felt the ship jerk, thenmove forward.

He looked up. They were gliding³ over the giantwaves.

Jack turned. The great serpent was pressing its longneck against the back of the ship, pushing it towardthe shore.

As the serpent pushed them, the wind grew calmer.

The clouds lifted and the water glittered withsunlight.

The rocky shore grew closer. Jack could see the treehouse on the ledge⁴ above it.

"Hurry!" Annie called to the serpent monster. Thegreat serpent gave the ship one last push. The shipswooshed onto a sand bar near the shore.

Jack put the jeweled book carefully back into hisbag. Then he and Annie climbed out of the ship ontothe wet sand. They looked back at the sea.

The great serpent was rearing its long neck into theair. Its scales glittered pink and green in the sunlight.

"Bye!" shouted Annie. "Thanks a lot!"The monster seemed to nod at her. Then he doveinto the sea and was gone.

Jack and Annie headed toward the rocks. All of asudden, Annie gasped⁵.

"Uh-oh," she said, pointing to the top of the cliff.

Two Vikings were staring down at them! "To thetree house!" cried Jack. The Vikings shouted andstarted down the steep stairs.

Jack and Annie began scrambling⁶ up the rocks.

They reached the tree house and climbed inside.

Jack grabbed the Pennsylvania book.

Annie stuck her head out the window.

"Go home! Stop causing trouble!" she yelled to theVikings, who were almost to the ledge.

Jack pointed⁷ at the picture of the Frog Creek⁸ woods.

"I WISH WE COULD GO THERE!" Jack shouted.

Just as the Vikings reached the ledge, the windbegan to blow.

The tree house started to spin.

It spun⁹ faster and faster.

Then everything was still.

Absolutely still.

1 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

2 glided   

v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔

参考例句：

• The President's motorcade glided by. 总统的车队一溜烟开了过去。
• They glided along the wall until they were out of sight. 他们沿着墙壁溜得无影无踪。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 gliding   

v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的

参考例句：

• Swans went gliding past. 天鹅滑行而过。
• The weather forecast has put a question mark against the chance of doing any gliding tomorrow. 天气预报对明天是否能举行滑翔表示怀疑。

4 ledge   

n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁

参考例句：

• They paid out the line to lower him to the ledge.他们放出绳子使他降到那块岩石的突出部分。
• Suddenly he struck his toe on a rocky ledge and fell.突然他的脚趾绊在一块突出的岩石上，摔倒了。

5 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 scrambling   

v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞

参考例句：

• Scrambling up her hair, she darted out of the house. 她匆忙扎起头发，冲出房去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She is scrambling eggs. 她正在炒蛋。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 pointed   

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。

8 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

9 spun   

v.纺，杜撰，急转身

参考例句：

• His grandmother spun him a yarn at the fire.他奶奶在火炉边给他讲故事。
• Her skilful fingers spun the wool out to a fine thread.她那灵巧的手指把羊毛纺成了细毛线。