Chapter Sixteen THE CHILDREN ARE DISCOVERED
　　'WHAT shall we do?' whispered George. They had all tiptoed to the first room, and were standingtogether, listening.
　　'We'd better go down the Secret Way again,' said Julian.
　　'Oh no, we ...' began George, when she heard the handle of the door being turned. Whoever wastrying to get in, could not open the door. There was an angry exclamation², and then the childrenheard Mr. Wilton's voice. "Thomas! My door seems to have stuck. Do you mind if I come throughyour bedroom and see what's the matter with this handle?'
　　'Come right along!' came the voice of Mr. Thomas. There was the sound of footsteps going to theouter door of the second room. Then there was the noise of a handle being turned and shaken.
　　'What's this!' said Mr. Wilton, in exasperation³. 'This won't open, either. Can the doors be locked?'
　　'It looks like it!' said Mr. Thomas.
　　There was a pause. Then the children distinctly heard a few words uttered in a low voice. 'Are thepapers safe? Is anyone after them?'
　　'They're in your room, aren't they?' said Mr. Thomas. There was another pause. The children lookedat one another. So the men had got the papers - and what was more, they were in the room! The veryroom the children stood in! They looked round it eagerly, racking their brains to think of some placethey had not yet explored.
　　'Quick! Hunt round again whilst we've time,’ whispered Julian. 'Don't make a noise.'
　　On tiptoe the children began a thorough hunt once more. How they searched! They even opened thepages of the books on the table, thinking that the papers might have been slipped in there. But theycould find nothing.
　　85
　　'Hi, Mrs. Sanders!' came Mr. Wilton's voice. 'Have you by any chance locked these two doors?
　　We can't get in!'
　　'Dear me!' said the voice of Mrs. Sanders from the stairs. 'I'll come along and see. I certainly haven'tlocked any doors!'
　　Once again the handles were turned, but the doors would not open. The men began to get veryimpatient.
　　'Do you suppose anyone is in our rooms?' Mr. Wilton asked Mrs. Sanders.
　　She laughed.
　　'Well now, sir, who would be in your rooms? There's only me and Mr. Sanders in the house, and youknow as well as I do that no one can come in from outside, for we're quite snowed up. I don'tunderstand it - the locks of the doors must have slipped.'
　　Anne was lifting up the wash-stand jug

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1 standing
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。 They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

2 exclamation
n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词
参考例句：
He could not restrain an exclamation of approval.他禁不住喝一声采。 The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers.作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号，以引起读者的注意。

3 exasperation
n.愤慨
参考例句：
He snorted with exasperation.他愤怒地哼了一声。 She rolled her eyes in sheer exasperation.她气急败坏地转动着眼珠。

4 jug
n.(有柄，小口，可盛水等的)大壶，罐，盂
参考例句：
He walked along with a jug poised on his head.他头上顶着一个水罐，保持着平衡往前走。 She filled the jug with fresh water.她将水壶注满了清水。

5 underneath
adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面
参考例句：
Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。 She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

6 rattled
慌乱的，恼火的
参考例句：
The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。 Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里，窗户都格格作响。

7 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。

8 staple
n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类
参考例句：
Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。 Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。

9 breakdown
n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌
参考例句：
She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。 The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

10 racing
n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的
参考例句：
I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。 The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

11 rustling
n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的
参考例句：
the sound of the trees rustling in the breeze 树木在微风中发出的沙沙声 the soft rustling of leaves 树叶柔和的沙沙声

12 staples
n.（某国的）主要产品( staple的名词复数 )；钉书钉；U 形钉；主要部份v.用钉书钉钉住( staple的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
The anvil onto which the staples are pressed was not assemble correctly. 订书机上的铁砧安装错位。 来自辞典例句 I'm trying to make an analysis of the staples of his talk. 我在试行分析他的谈话的要旨。 来自辞典例句

13 weird
adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的
参考例句：
From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。 His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

14 amazement
n.惊奇，惊讶
参考例句：
All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。 He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

15 specially
adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地
参考例句：
They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。 The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

16 steadily
adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地
参考例句：
The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。 Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

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