Step 1: Intensive reading.
Try to answer the question below while you’re reading:
Question: Why was Rastus ‘very dear’ in more ways than one?
Vocabulary:
ransom n. 赎金
kidnapper n. 绑架者，拐骗者
cardboard n. 硬纸板
considerable adj. 相当大的
wealthy adj. 富的，有钱的
withdraw v. （从银行）取钱
orderly adj. 有规律的
punctually adv. 准时地
disappearance n. 失踪
astound v. 使吃惊
anonymous adj. 匿名的
Passage:
Kidnappers are rarely interested in animals, but they recently took considerable interest in Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay’s cat. Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay, a very wealthy old lady, has shared a flat with her cat, Rastus, for a great many years. Rastus leads an orderly life. He usually takes a short walk in the evenings and is always home by seven o’clock. One evening, however, he failed to arrive. Mrs. Ramsay got very worried. She looked everywhere for him but could not find him.
绑架者很少对动物感兴趣。最近，绑架者却盯上了埃莉诺 ·拉姆齐太太的猫。埃莉诺 ·拉姆齐太太是一个非常富有的老妇人，多年来，一直同她养的猫拉斯特斯一起住在一所公寓里。拉斯特斯生活很有规律，傍晚常常出去溜达一会儿，并且总是在 7 点钟以前回来。可是，有一天晚上，它出去后再也没回来。拉姆齐太太急坏了，四处寻找，但没找着。
Notes:
1 share …with…，作“与分享、合用……”解
Three days after Rastus’ disappearance, Mrs. Ramsay received an anonymous letter. The writer stated that Rastus was in safe hands and would be returned immediately if Mrs. Ramsay paid a ransom of ￡ 1, 000. Mrs. Ramsay was instructed to place the money in a cardboard box and to leave it outside her door. At first, she decided to go to the police, but fearing that she would never see Rastus again — the letter had made that quite clear— she changed her mind. She withdrew ￡1, 000 from her bank and followed the kidnapper’s instructions. The next morning, the box had disappeared but Mrs. Ramsay was sure that the kidnapper would keep his word. Sure enough, Rastus arrived punctually at seven o’clock that evening. He looked very well, though he was rather thirsty, for he drank half a bottle of milk. The police were astounded when Mrs. Ramsay told them what she had done. She explained that Rastus was very dear to her. Considering the amount she paid, he was dear in more ways than one!
拉斯特斯失踪 3 天后，拉姆齐太太收到一封匿名信。写信人声称拉斯特斯安然无恙，只要拉姆齐太太愿意支付 1, 000 英镑赎金，可以立即将猫送还。他让拉姆齐太太把钱放在一个纸盒里，然后将纸盒放在门口。一开始拉姆齐太太打算报告警察，但又害怕再也见不到拉斯特斯了——这点，信上说得十分明白——于是便改变了主意。她从银行取出 1, 000 英镑，并照绑架者的要求做了。第二天早晨，放钱的盒子不见了。但拉姆齐太太确信绑架者是会履行诺言的。果然，当天晚上7 点正，拉斯特斯准时回来了。它看上去一切正常，只是口渴得很，喝了半瓶牛奶。拉姆齐太太把她所做的事告诉了警察，警察听后大为吃惊。拉姆齐太太解释说拉斯特斯是一只非常珍贵的猫咪。想到她所花的那笔钱，这只猫就更珍贵了。
Notes:
2 be in safe hands, 在可靠的人那里。
3 she changed her mind, 她改变了主意。
4 keep one’s word, 遵守诺言。
5 sure enough, 无疑，果然。
6 Considering … he was dear in more ways than one! considering…是介词短语，作“考虑到……”、“就……而言”解，此处作原因状语。in more ways than one(way) 作“在更多方面”解。
19.2【阅读理解】A very dear cat
Step 2: Comprehension questions.
Comprehension:
1 What did kidnappers take an interest in recently? (Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay’s cat.)
2 Who is Mrs. Ramsay? (A very wealthy lady.)
3 Who has she shared her flat with for many years? (Her cat Rastus.)
4 What sort of life does Rastus lead? (A very orderly one.)
5 What does he always do in the evenings? (He always takes a short walk and is home by seven o’clock.)
6 What happened one evening? (He failed to arrive.)
7 Could she find him after looking everywhere? (No, she couldn’t.)
8 What did she receive three days after Rastus’ disappearance? (An anonymous letter. )
9 Was the writer prepared to return the cat immediately? (Yes, he was.)
10 On what condition? (That Mrs. Ramsay paid a ransom of 王1,000.)
11 What was Mrs. Ramsay instructed to do? (Place the money in a cardboard box and leave it outside her door.)
12 What did she decide to do at first? (Go to the police.)
13 Why didn’t she go to the police? (She feared she would never see Rastus again.)
14 So what did she do? (She withdrew 王 1000 from her bank and followed the kidnapper’s instructions)
15 What did she find the next morning? (That the box had disappeared.)
16 When did Rastus arrive home? (He arrived home punctually at seven o’clock that evening.)
17 How do we know Rastus must have been thirsty? (Because he drank half a bottle of milk.)
18 How did the police feel when she told them what she had done? (Astounded.)
19 What did she explain to them? (That Rastus was very dear to her.)
20 Why was he dear in more ways than one? (Because of the amount of money she paid for him)
19.3【拓展写作】A very dear cat
Step 3: Composition
Describe how the kidnapper came to know that Mrs. Ramsay was so fond of her cat and how he stole it. Expand the following into a paragraph of about 150 words.
In a bar one night, Mr. X was talking to a workman who told him that... The workman added that Mrs. Ramsay... Every day, Mr. X stood outside...As the cat... that it had regular habits. He also found out as much as he could about Mrs. Ramsay and learnt that... One evening, as the cat was leaving the block of flats... He took the cat to...During the next three days, he walked past Mrs. Ramsay’s flat on several occasions and noticed that... Now that he was sure … he wrote.... in which he…
Key to composition
In a bar one night, Mr. X was talking to a workman who told him that he often worked in Mrs. Ramsay’s flat. The workman added that Mrs. Ramsay was wealthy and she lived alone with her cat. Every day, Mr. X stood outside Mrs. Ramsay’s block of flats. As the cat took a short walk every evening, he saw that it had regular habits. He found out as much as he could about Mrs. Ramsay and learnt that she loved this cat very much. One evening, as the cat was leaving the block of flats, he kidnapped it. He took the cat to a secret address. During the next three days, he walked past Mrs. Ramsay’s flat on several occasions and noticed that no other cat ever appeared. Now he was sure he had the right cat, so he wrote a letter in which he stated his demands.
课外练习：
1 Some kidnappers took considerable interest in Mrs. Ramsay’s cat because ________.
(a) Mrs. Ramsay could and would pay a lot to get her only companion back
(b) Mrs. Ramsay clearly loved her cat to have kept him so long
(c)Rastus was an orderly cat and would be easy to look after if kidnapped
(d) Mrs. Ramsay missed her cat whenever he was not back home on time
2 On what conditions did the kidnapper promise the safe return of Rastus?
(a) His name was not to be revealed and he wanted a ransom off1,000.
(b)Mrs. Ramsay was not to inform the police and had to pay E1,000.
(c) Mrs. Ramsay had to leave her flat until the box with the money had gone.
(d) Mrs. Ramsay was to withdraw,000 from her bank and follow his instructions.
3 How was Rastus dear to Mrs. Ramsay in more ways than one?
(a)She was very fond of him and it had cost her a lot to get him back
(b)Besides the high ransom paid on his behalf, he drank a lot of milk.
(c)He was so dear that she had not dared tell the police of the kidnapping.
(d) He was very valuable and she valued him greatly.
4 Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay is a very wealthy lady who ________ a flat with her cat Rastus, for a great many years.
(a)shares
(b)has shared
(c)shared
(d)had shared
5 She searched for him ________ but could not find him.
(a)nowhere
(b)somewhere
(c) everywhere
(d) anywhere
6 Her first reaction ________ the police.
(a)was to call
(b)was calling
(c)she would call
(d) being to call
7 But ________ never seeing Rastus again, she changed her mind.
(a)afraid
(b)afraid of
(c) for fear
(d)afraid for
8 Considering ________ money she paid, he was dear...
(a)the great
(b) how many
(c)how much of
(d) what lot of
9 Rastus leads a ________ life.
(a)correct
(b)measured
(c) regular
(d)disciplined bow we
10 He usually goes ________ in the evenings...
(a)on a trek
(b) for stroll
(c)for trot
(d) on foot
11 ________, Rastus arrived punctually...
(a) Certainly
(b)Without a doubt
(c)As expected
(d) As a matter of fact
12 He appeared very ________, though …
(a)healthy
(b)satisfied
(c)good-looking
(d)sane
答案：1a 2b 3a 4b 5d 6a 7b 8d 9d 10b 11c 12a