8. The Best Part 最好玩的

Todd brought a toy to school. It was a cute, adorable puppy¹ dog. Everyone who saw it said, "Aw." "Aw," said Jenny. "He has such a sweet face." "Aw," said Stephen. "Look at her darling eyes." "Aw," said Deedee. "Isn't he the cutest puppy you've ever seen?"

"Aw," said Calvin. "Isn't she adorable?" Joy sat at the desk behind Todd. Big deal, she thought. It's just a hunk of plastic that happens to look like a dog.

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But even though Joy didn't like Todd's toy, she decided² to steal it.

"Wait," said Todd. "Let me show you the best part."

Before he could show them the best part, Mrs. Jewls rang her cowbell. "Take your seats!" she commanded. "The bell has rung!"

All the children returned to their desks.

"Todd, go write your name on the blackboard."

Todd was the only one who had been in his seat, yet he was the one who got in trouble. That was typical.

Mrs. Jewls had a system. The first time someone got in trouble, he had to write his name on the blackboard under the word DISCIPLINE³. The second time he got in trouble, he had to put a check next to his name. And if he got in trouble a third time, he had to circle his name and then go home early, at twelve o'clock, on the kindergarten bus.

Todd went home on the kindergarten bus every day. Some of the other kids thought he was lucky, but he wished just once he could make it to twelve o'clock without getting into trouble three times.

He walked to the front of the room and wrote his name on the blackboard under the word DISCIPLINE.

While Todd was at the board, Joy reached over her desk and into Todd's. She felt around for the toy. But as she tried to lift it out, it caught on something and dropped to the floor.

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Todd returned to his seat.

"Todd, is that your toy on the floor?" asked Mrs. Jewls.

"Hey, how'd that get there?" asked Todd.

"You know the rules, Todd," said Mrs. Jewls. "Toys must be kept inside your desk, or else I take them. Now bring it here."

Todd gave his toy to Mrs. Jewls.

"Awwww, how precious," cooed Mrs. Jewls. "He's the most lovable puppy I've ever seen." She kissed Todd's plastic puppy on its plastic nose. "I guess I can let you off this time," she said. "But try to keep him in your desk." She kissed Todd's toy again, then handed it back to him. "You can erase⁴ your name from the board, too."

Todd could hardly believe it. For the first time ever, he erased⁵ his name from the board.

As he headed back to his seat, Mrs. Jewls said, "Here, take a Tootsie Roll Pop too, for the sweeeeeet puppy."

Todd was amazed⁶.

So was Joy. Now, more than ever, she wanted that toy!

Out at recess⁷ everyone wanted to see Todd's toy.

"It's magic," said Bebe. "It kept you from getting into trouble."

"No, Mrs. Jewls is just a nice teacher," said Todd. "Here, let me show you the best part."

He grabbed⁸ hold of the dog's tail and turned it like

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a crank. Suddenly the cute floppy⁹ ears stood straight up. The mouth opened wide, and the teeth grew into sharp fangs¹⁰.

"Wow," breathed Deedee.

Todd wasn't finished. He pulled the dog's nose and stretched out its face. The cheeks became thin and bony. The eyes were no longer sweet, but grim¹¹ and frightening.

"What a great toy!" said Calvin.

The cute little puppy had turned into a mean, hungry, man-eating wolf.

"I still haven't shown you the best part," said Todd.

But before he could show them the best part, the bell rang, and everyone ran up the stairs to class.

I've got to get that puppy dog, thought Joy as she stared at the back of Todd's neck. Then I'll never get in trouble again! She didn't know Todd's toy had changed into a man-eating wolf.

Her lunch box was on her lap¹². She quietly opened it and took out a carton of cranberry¹³ juice and a tiny straw¹⁴.

She stuck the straw into the carton and sucked¹⁵ up some juice into it.

She waited for Mrs. Jewls to turn around, then blew the juice out of the straw. It splattered against Todd's neck.

He slapped¹⁶ the back of his neck with his hand.

Joy laughed to herself. She sucked up some more juice, took careful aim, and fired.

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Todd turned around, but Joy already had the straw out of her mouth and was looking down at her book.

Todd rubbed his neck and faced front.

Joy sucked up more juice and blew it onto Todd's neck.

"Hey!" he shouted, turning around.

"Leave me alone, Todd-I'm trying to work," said Joy.

"Todd, what's the matter with you?" asked Mrs. Jewls. "I try to be nice, but you just take advantage. Now go write your name on the blackboard."

Todd walked to the front of the room. He still thought Mrs. Jewls was the nicest teacher in the world. He looked up at the clock. It was almost eleven. I might just make it today, he thought. I just might make it. He started to write his name when he heard a loud scream.

He turned around and saw Joy jumping up and down and waving her hand in the air. His toy was biting her pinky, and she couldn't shake it off.

"Help!" screamed Joy as she hopped¹⁷ around the room. "Todd, how do I get it off? Todd? Please?"

Todd smiled. "There," he said. "That's the best part."

1 puppy   

n.小狗，幼犬

参考例句：

• You must school your puppy to obey you.你要训练你的小狗服从你。
• Their lively puppy frisks all over the house.他们的小狗在屋里到处欢快地蹦跳。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 discipline   

n.纪律，风纪，训练，训诫；教养，修养，学科

参考例句：

• She needs the discipline of having to write an essay every week.她需要进行每周写一篇文章的训练。
• Everyone should keep discipline and you are no exception.每个人都应该遵守纪律,你也毫无例外。

4 erase   

v.擦掉；消除某事物的痕迹

参考例句：

• He tried to erase the idea from his mind.他试图从头脑中抹掉这个想法。
• Please erase my name from the list.请把我的名字从名单上擦去。

5 erased   

v.擦掉( erase的过去式和过去分词 )；抹去；清除

参考例句：

• He erased the wrong answer and wrote in the right one. 他擦去了错误答案，写上了正确答案。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He removed the dogmatism from politics; he erased the party line. 他根除了政治中的教条主义，消除了政党界限。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 amazed   

adj.吃惊的，惊奇的v.使大为吃惊，使惊奇( amaze的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Just the size of the place amazed her. 仅仅地方之大就使她十分惊奇。
• I was amazed at her knowledge of French literature. 她的法国文学知识之丰富使我大为惊奇。

7 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

8 grabbed   

v.抢先，抢占( grab的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指匆忙地）取；攫取；（尤指自私、贪婪地）捞取

参考例句：

• He was grabbed by two men and frogmarched out of the hall. 他被两个男人紧抓双臂押出大厅。
• She grabbed the child's hand and ran. 她抓住孩子的手就跑。

9 floppy   

adj.松软的，衰弱的

参考例句：

• She was wearing a big floppy hat.她戴了顶松软的大帽子。
• Can you copy those files onto this floppy disk?你能把那些文件复制到这张软盘上吗？

10 fangs   

n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座

参考例句：

• The dog fleshed his fangs in the deer's leg. 狗用尖牙咬住了鹿腿。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Dogs came lunging forward with their fangs bared. 狗龇牙咧嘴地扑过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 grim   

adj.严酷的，令人害怕的，不愉快的，讨厌的

参考例句：

• I've had a grim day.我过了不愉快的一天。
• His expression was grim when he told them they had lost their jobs.当他告诉他们说他们已被解雇时，他的表情十分冷酷。

12 lap   

n.(坐立时)大腿的前部，膝部；(跑道的)一圈

参考例句：

• She is still going strong on the last lap.她在跑最后一圈时仍然劲头很足。
• She was sitting with her hands on her lap.她坐着，把手放到膝上。

13 cranberry   

n.梅果

参考例句：

• Turkey reminds me of cranberry sauce.火鸡让我想起梅果酱。
• Actually I prefer canned cranberry sauce.事实上我更喜欢罐装的梅果酱。

14 straw   

n.稻草，麦杆，吸管；adj.用稻草做的，用来作稻草的，麦杆色的，无价值的，象稻草人的，非正式民意测验所发现的

参考例句：

• The old peasant is twisting pieces of straw into a rope.这位老农民正把稻草搓成绳子。
• May I have a straw for my drink?给我一根喝饮料的吸管好吗？

15 sucked   

v.吸，吮( suck的过去式和过去分词 )；舐，吮吸

参考例句：

• In his youth he had been sucked into a hippy cult. 他年轻的时候一度过着嬉皮士式的生活。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The whirlpool sucked down everything floating on the water. 漩涡把水面上漂的东西都吸进去了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 slapped   

v.掌击，拍打( slap的过去式和过去分词 )；制止；镇压；（尤指生气地）啪的一声放下

参考例句：

• She slapped his face hard. 她狠狠给了他一个耳光。
• They slapped the workers who had gone on strike. 他们对参加罢工的工人大加镇压。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 hopped   

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。