Are You Serious?
Whoo.The strange sound came from outside the openwindow.
Jack opened his eyes in the dark.The sound came again.Whoo.
Jack sat up and turned on his light.He put on his glasses.Then he grabbed the flashlight from his table and shone it out the window.
A white snowy owl was sitting on a tree branch.
“Whoo,”the owl said again.Its large yellow eyes looked right into Jack's.
What does he want?Jack wondered.Is he a sign,like the rabbit and the gazelle?
A long-legged rabbit and a gazelle had led Jack and Annie to the magic tree house for their last two adventures.
“Whoo.”
"Wait a second,"Jack said to the owl."I'll get Annie."
- Serious：严肃的；认真的；严重的 。例句：He is serious about his work.（他对工作很认真。）
- flashlight：手电筒 。例句：Don't forget to take a flashlight when you go camping.（去露营的时候别忘了带手电筒。 ）
- snowy：下雪的；雪白的 。例句：We had a snowy winter last year.（去年我们度过了一个多雪的冬天。）
- gazelle：瞪羚 。例句：The gazelle is a very fast - running animal.（瞪羚是一种跑得非常快的动物。 ）
- adventures：冒险；冒险经历（adventure的复数形式 ）。例句：He has many exciting adventures in the forest.（他在森林里有许多令人兴奋的冒险经历。 ）
Jack's sister,Annie,always seemed to know what birds and animals were saying.
Jack jumped out of bed and hurried to Annie's room.She was sound asleep.
Jack shook her and she stirred."What?"she said.
“Come to my room,"whispered Jack."I think Morgan's sent another sign."
In a split second,Annie was out of bed.She hurried with Jack to his room.
Jack led her to the window.The snowy owl was still there.
“Whoo,”said the owl.Then he raised his white wings and took off into the night.
"He wants us to go to the woods,"said Annie.
“That's what I thought,"said Jack."Meet you downstairs after we get dressed."
"No,no.He says go now.Right now,"said Annie."We'll have to wear our pajamas."
"I have to put on my sneakers,"said Jack.
"Okay,I'll put on mine,too.Meet you downstairs,"said Annie.
1. asleep：睡着的，熟睡的。例句：The baby has been asleep for two hours.（这个婴儿已经睡了两个小时了。）
2. shook：shake（摇动，摇晃）的过去式 。例句：He shook my hand warmly.（他热情地握了握我的手。）
3. stirred：stir（微动；搅拌；激起）的过去式和过去分词 。例句：The wind stirred the leaves.（风吹动了树叶。）
4. split：分裂的；分离的；〈非正式〉快速的，迅速的 。例句：He made a split decision to go on the trip.（他突然决定去旅行。）
5. wings：wing（翅膀；机翼）的复数形式 。例句：The bird spread its wings and flew away.（鸟儿展开翅膀飞走了。）
6. downstairs：在楼下；往楼下 。例句：He ran downstairs to answer the door.（他跑下楼去开门。）
7. dressed：穿着衣服的 。例句：She got dressed quickly and went out.（她迅速穿好衣服出去了。）
8. pajamas：睡衣 。例句：He is wearing a pair of blue pajamas.（他穿着一套蓝色的睡衣。）
9. sneakers：运动鞋；胶底运动鞋 。例句：I like to wear sneakers when I go jogging.（我慢跑的时候喜欢穿运动鞋。 ）
Jack pulled on his sneakers.He threw his notebook into his backpack.Then he grabbed his flashlight and tiptoed downstairs.
Annie was waiting at the front door.They silently slipped outside together
The night air was warm.Moths danced around the porch light.
"I feel weird,"said Jack."I'm going back to put on some real clothes."
"You can't,"said Annie."The owl said right now."
She jumped off the porch and headed across their dark yard.
Jack groaned.How did Annie know exactly what the owl said?he wondered.
Still,he didn't want to be left behind.So he took off after her.
The moon lit their way as they ran down their street.When they entered the Frog Creek woods,Jack turned on his flashlight.
The beam of light showed shadows and swaying branches.
Jack and Annie stepped between the trees.They stayed close together.“Whoo.”
Jack jumped in fear.
"It's just the white owl,"said Annie.“He's somewhere nearby."
"The woods are creepy,"said Jack.
“Yeah,"said Annie."In the dark,it doesn't even feel like our woods."
Suddenly the owl flapped near them."Yikes!"said Annie.
Jack shone his flashlight on the white bird as it rose into the sky.The owl landed on a tree branch—right next to the magic tree house.
And there was Morgan le Fay,the enchantress librarian.Her long white hair gleamed in the beam of Jack's flashlight.
“Climb up.”
Jack used his flashlight to find the rope ladder.Then he and Annie climbed up into the tree house.
1. tiptoed：tiptoe（踮着脚走）的过去式和过去分词 。例句：She tiptoed into the room so as not to wake the baby.（她踮着脚走进房间，以免吵醒婴儿。）
2. slipped：slip（悄悄疾行；滑倒；溜走 ）的过去式和过去分词 。例句：He slipped out of the classroom when the teacher wasn't looking.（趁老师没注意，他悄悄溜出了教室。）
3. porch：门廊；走廊 。例句：There are some plants on the porch.（门廊上有一些植物。）
4. weird：奇怪的；不寻常的；怪异的 。例句：I had a weird dream last night.（我昨晚做了一个奇怪的梦。）
5. yard：院子；场地 。例句：They have a big yard in front of their house.（他们房子前面有一个大院子。）
6. groaned：groan（呻吟；叹息）的过去式和过去分词 。例句：He groaned with pain after falling down.（摔倒后他痛苦地呻吟起来。）
7. beam：光线；光束 。例句：A beam of sunlight came through the window.（一束阳光透过窗户射进来。）
8. swaying：sway（摇摆；摇晃）的现在分词 。例句：The swaying branches in the wind looked beautiful.（风中摇曳的树枝看起来很美。）
Morgan was holding three scrolls.Each one held the answer to an ancient riddle that Jack and Annie had already solved.
"You have journeyed to the ocean,the Wild West,and Africa to find the answers to these three riddles,"said Morgan."Ready for another journey?"
"Yes!"said Jack and Annie together.
Morgan pulled a fourth scroll from the folds of her robe.She handed it to Annie.
"After we solve this riddle,will we become Master Librarians?"asked Annie.
"And help you gather books through time and space?"said Jack.
"Almost..."said Morgan.
Before Jack could ask what she meant,Morgan pulled out a book and gave it to him."For your research,"she said.
Jack and Annie looked at the book's title:ADVENTURE IN THE ARCTIC.
1. scrolls：scroll（卷轴；（石刻或木雕的）涡卷形装饰；（电脑屏幕上的）滚动）的复数形式。例句：The ancient scrolls are of great historical value.（这些古老的卷轴具有很高的历史价值。）
2. journeyed：journey（旅行；游历）的过去式和过去分词。例句：They journeyed across the desert last year.（去年他们穿越了沙漠。）
3. scroll：卷轴；（石刻或木雕的）涡卷形装饰；（电脑屏幕上的）滚动 。例句：He unrolled the scroll to show his painting.（他展开卷轴展示他的画作。）
4. folds：fold（褶；褶层；折叠部分）的复数形式 。例句：There are some folds in the curtain.（窗帘上有一些褶子。）
5. robe：长袍；罩衣；礼服 。例句：She is wearing a silk robe.（她穿着一件丝绸长袍。）
6. Librarians：librarian（图书馆馆长；图书馆管理员 ）的复数形式 。例句：The librarians are busy organizing the books.（图书馆管理员们正忙着整理书籍。）
7. space：空间；太空；空白 。例句：There isn't enough space in this room for a big table.（这个房间没有足够的空间放一张大桌子。）
8. meant：mean（意思是；意味着；打算）的过去式和过去分词 。例句：What did you mean by that comment?（你那样评论是什么意思？ ）
“Oh,wow,the Arctic!”said Annie.
"The Arctic?"said Jack.He turned to Morgan."Areyou serious?"
"Indeed I am,"she said."And you must hurry."
"I wish we could go there,"said Annie,pointing at the cover.
"Wait—wait a minute—we'll freeze to death!"said Jack.
"Fear not,"said Morgan."I am sending someone to meet you."
The wind started to blow."Meet us?Who?"said Jack."Whoo?"said the snowy owl.
Before Morgan could answer,the tree house started to spin.
It spun faster and faster.Then everything was still.Absolutely still.
1. Arctic：北极；北极地区；北极的；北极地区的 。例句：The Arctic is home to many unique animals.（北极地区是许多独特动物的家园。）
2. serious：严肃的；认真的；严重的 。例句：This is a serious problem that needs to be solved immediately.（这是一个需要立即解决的严重问题。）
3. indeed：的确；确实；实际上 。例句：He is indeed a very hard - working student.（他确实是一个非常勤奋的学生。）
4. hurry：赶紧；匆忙；急忙 。例句：Hurry up, or we'll be late for the meeting.（快点，否则我们开会要迟到了。）
5. cover：封面；盖子；覆盖物 。例句：The cover of this book is very eye - catching.（这本书的封面非常引人注目。）
6. freeze：（使）冻结；结冰；冻僵 。例句：Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius.（水在0摄氏度时结冰。）
7. death：死；死亡 。例句：The death of his pet dog made him very sad.（他宠物狗的死亡让他非常难过。）
8. snowy：下雪的；雪白的 。例句：We had a snowy winter last year.（去年我们度过了一个多雪的冬天。）
