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Mary Lennox had a thin little face and a thin little body, thin light hair and a very sour expression. She never smiled - not once during the long trip to England.
She had come from India where a terrible disease had killed thousands of people. Among the dead were Mary's mother and father. She didn't miss them very much since she hardly knew them. Her parents were always away somewhere for important business. Mary Lennox hardly even knew what their faces looked like.
Instead of parents, Mary had servants that took care of her. She only needed to ask people for whatever she needed. Unfortunately, Mary grew up believing that everybody was her servant.
Now that Mary's parents were dead, the girl had only one relative. His name was Mr. Archibald Craven. Mary didn't know anything about the man. But she would live in his house until she was eighteen years old.
When Mary finally arrived in England, Mrs. Medlock, Archibald Craven's housekeeper, met her at the port.
"Are you my servant?" Mary asked.
"Hmmm!" grunted Mrs. Medlock. "You'd better mind your manners! I work for your uncle. Not for you! I'm supposed to bring you to Yorkshire. That's where your new home will be. Follow me. We have to catch the two o'clock train. Hurry up!"
On the train, Mary mostly just stared out the window and watched the English landscape roll by. How different it seemed from India!
"Wake up, dear. We've arrived. It's time to go to Misselthwaite Manor," said Mrs. Medlock.
"What's 'Misselthwaite Manor'?"
"That's the name of your new home. It's a huge castle that has belonged to the Craven family for hundreds of years. It has a very big lake beside it and many gardens. There are a hundred rooms in the house. Most of them are locked, though."
"Why are they locked?" Mary asked.
"Mr. Craven likes it that way."
"Why?"
"Well, it's a long story. Mr. Craven is a crooked man. That set him wrong. He was a sour young man until he was married. His wife was very beautiful, and he loved her very much. When she died he became even stranger. He locked himself in his room for months. Nowadays, he comes out once in a while. But he hardly ever meets people. I'm sure he won't meet you, either."
When they arrived at Misselthwaite Manor, Mary couldn't believe her eyes. The castle was bigger than anything she'd ever seen or imagined. The gardens surrounding the castle were beautiful, even though the flowers weren't blooming yet.
"Come on, Mary. I'll show you to your room," said Mrs. Medlock. Mary was led up three staircases and down a long corridor to her room. Inside, a fire was burning in the fireplace and a table was set with a delicious supper.
"This is your room, Mary. You must stay in here while you're in the house. Outside, you can go wandering as much as you like."
"Yes, ma'am," Mary said. As the girl sat down to supper, she felt more lonely than she had ever felt before.
The next morning, Mary was woken up by a maid named Martha.
"It's time to get up now," said Martha, with a big smile. "Come on, get dressed."
"I don't know how to dress myself."
"Then, it's time you should learn."
Mary was shocked a little, but dressed herself for the first time in her life.
Martha brought her a big breakfast.
"You eat up, now. Then, go outside and play."
"Won't you come and play with me?" Mary asked.
"No. You'll have to play by yourself from now on. If you're lucky, maybe you'll run into my little brother, Dickon."
"Dickon?"
"Yes. Dickon's a little boy who makes friends with animals."
"Where can I find Dickon?" Mary asked.
"Oh, he's usually around somewhere. You'll probably find him in the gardens."
"What gardens?"
Martha laughed. "You're full of questions, aren't you? I mean the gardens surrounding the manor. There are quite a few of them. But there's one you can't go into. It's locked up."
"Why is it locked?"
"Well, that's where Mrs. Craven died ten years ago. She climbed up into a tree one day and then fell out of it. After that, Mr. Craven locked the gate to the garden and buried the key."
Mary liked the idea of a secret garden. It sounded strange and exciting to her.
"You go and play now," said Martha.
As Mary walked outside, she could see tall trees all around. There also were flower beds and evergreens clipped into strange shapes. There were no leaves on trees, however, and the flowers were not blooming yet.
Walking down one path, Mary noticed one wall that was covered in ivy, but seemed to have no door in it. She could see tall trees behind the wall.
"There must be a gate along here somewhere," Mary said.
At that moment, Mary heard a robin singing in one of the trees above her. As she looked up, she noticed it jumping between branches. It seemed as if it was trying to get her attention. His cheerful whistle brought a small smile to her sad face.
As Mary returned to Misselthwaite Manor, she began to think a lot about the secret garden. She felt that the garden must be beyond the wall that she had walked along.
That night, as Mary sat in bed thinking about the secret garden, she heard a strange sound. At first, she thought it was the wind howling. But then she noticed that the sound was coming from inside the castle. It sounded like a boy crying.
Mary walked out of her room and knocked on Martha's door.
"Martha! Martha!" she called. "I think I hear a boy crying."
Martha opened the door and said, "Nonsense. It's just the wind."
"But the sound is coming from inside the house."
"No, it's not. Now you go to bed right now."
That night, Mary had two dreams. One dream was a happy one. It was about a secret garden with roses and wild flowers blooming. The other dream wasn't so happy. It was about a boy crying in a room with no mother or father to take care of him.
light adj. 淡色的，浅色的
sour adj. 不友善的
expression n. 表情
disease n. 疾病
miss v. 想念
since conj. 因为，既然
hardly adv. 几乎不
servant n. 仆人
take care of 照顾
now that 既然，由于
relative n. 亲戚
housekeeper n. 管家
port n. 港口
grunt v. 发出哼声，咕哝
had better 最好
mind v. 注意
manners n. (pl.) 礼貌
be supposed to 应该，被期望
Yorkshire 约克郡（英格兰原郡名）
follow v. 跟随
mostly adv. 主要地，多半
landscape n. 风景
roll by 匆匆逝去
dear n. 亲爱的（直接称呼语）
manor n. 庄园
huge adj. 巨大的
castle n. 城堡
belong to 属于
lock v. 锁上
crooked adj. 弯曲的，驼背的
set v. 使处于某种状态
nowadays adv. 如今，现在
once in a while 偶尔
either adv. 也
surround v. 包围，环绕
even though 尽管，虽然
bloom v. 开花
lead v. 带领，带到
(lead-led-led)
staircase n. 楼梯
corridor n. 走廊
fireplace n. 壁炉
delicious adj. 美味的
wander v. 漫步
ma'am n. 夫人，女士
lonely adj. 孤独的，寂寞的
wake up 叫醒，唤醒
maid n. 女仆
name v. 命名，给……取名
get dressed 穿衣服
how to (do sth.) 如何（做某事）
dress oneself 自己穿衣服
eat up 吃光
by oneself 独自
from now on 从现在开始
lucky adj. 幸运的
run into 偶遇
make friends with 与……交友
be full of 充满
mean v. 意指，意思是
(mean-meant-meant)
quite adv. 相当
climb up 爬上
bury v. 掩埋
sound v. 听起来
flower bed 花坛
evergreen n. 常绿植物
clip v. 修剪
however adv. 然而，但是
path n. 小径
notice v. 注意到
ivy n. 常春藤
robin n. 知更鸟
branch n. 树枝
seem v. 看起来
as if 仿佛，好似
attention n. 注意力
cheerful adj. 令人愉快的，使人振奋的
whistle n. 鸟鸣声
beyond prep. 在……那边，在……之外
at first 起初
howl v. 呼啸，号叫
knock v. 敲
nonsense n. 胡说，谬论
right now 马上，立刻
wild adj. 野生的
Among the dead were Mary's mother and father.
死去的人中便有玛丽的爸爸妈妈。
作表语的介词短语前置，引起主谓倒装，表示强调。正常的语序为：Mary's mother and father were among the dead.
the ＋形容词泛指一类具有某种特征的人或物。
e.g. the rich
富人
the poor
穷人
It's a huge castle that has belonged to the Craven family for hundreds of years.
它是座大城堡，数百年来都属于克雷文家族。
have (has) ＋过去分词：动词的现在完成时，表示现在之前已发生或完成的动作或状态，强调对现在的影响。
e.g. I have lived here in Seoul for ten years.
我在首尔这儿住了10年了。
Outside, you can go wandering as much as you like .
出了城堡，你想怎么逛就怎么逛。
as much as ＋从句：和……一样，像……同等程度。第一个as为副词，第二个as为连词。
e.g. I love you as much as he does .
我同他一样爱你。
There were no leaves on trees, however , and the flowers were not blooming yet.
但树都光秃秃的，花儿也都还没有开。
however ：作副词，表转折，多位于句首或句中，一般用逗号隔开。
e.g. However , this is my job.
但这是我的工作。
Later, however , he told the truth.
但他后来说出了真相。
It seemed as if it was trying to get her attention.
它似乎是在努力吸引她的注意。
as if ：仿佛、似乎，可与as though互换，但前者更常见。
e.g. She talks as if she were a princess.
她说话的样子像个公主。
A 根据故事内容判断正误，正确的选T，错误的选F。
❶ Mary had come from India.
T F
❷ In India, Mary often dressed herself.
T F
❸ When Mary arrived in England, she thought that everyone was her servant.
T F
❹ Archibald Craven was Mary's father.
T F
❺ Mary never felt lonely at Misselthwaite Manor.
T F
❻ Mary didn't care very much about the secret garden.
T F
B 将下列两栏相关的内容连线。
C 选择适当的答案。
❶ Why did Mr. Craven lock himself into his room?
(a) Because his wife died and he was shy.
(b) Because his wife died and he was sad.
(c) Because his wife died and he was poor.
❷ What would happen when the weather got warmer?
(a) Mary would find a secret garden.
(b) The trees in the orchard would have fruit on them.
(c) Flowers would start to bloom.
D 根据故事内容，将下列句子重新排序。
❶ Mary was sent to England to live with her uncle.
❷ Everyone in the house, except for Mary, died of a terrible disease.
❸ Mary's uncle didn't want to see her.
❹ Mary lived in India with her mother and father.
❺ Mary traveled by train to Yorkshire.
______⇨______⇨______⇨______⇨______
A ❶ T
❷ F
❸ T
❹ F
❺ F
❻ F
B ❶ - ⓑ
❷ - ⓒ
❸ - ⓓ
❹ - ⓐ
❺ - ⓔ
C ❶ (b)
❷ (c)
D ❹⇨❷⇨❶⇨❺⇨❸