25 . Lincoln's stepmother did all she could ____ him .

　　A . help B . to help C . helping D . and helped

　　答案：4-8 CACDA 13-17 DBCBA 21-25 ABDCB

　　● 当心，解题勿受思维定式干扰 !

　　在英语学习中，有些同学解题时，常凭经验或想当然，或只考虑老师在课堂中经常强调的语言现象，而有时却常常把题做错，究其原因，就是受思维定式的干扰所至。

　　请看下面几个例子：

　　1 . I'm busy now . I'm sorry I can't help ____ the flowers .

　　A . to water B . watering C . watered D . waters

　　［析］正确答案A。本题易误选答案B，因为学生熟悉的是 can't help (忍不住，情不自禁)后接动名词。其实，本题中 help 为"帮助"之意，后面应用不定式(可省略to)作宾语。故应选A。

　　2 . Put the book in the same place ____ you found it .

　　A . as B . that C . which D . where

　　［析］正确答案D。本题易误选答案A或B，因为 the same…as 和 the same…that 经常被强调，而实际上 the same 修饰名词后除可接 as 或 that 外，还可以接 where , who 等引导的定语从句。分析一下题干，不难看出本题应用 where 引导定语从句，因为所设空白在从句中作状语。故选D。

　　3 . Nylon is used to ____ stockings .

　　A . made B . makes C . make D . making

　　［析］正确答案C。此题易误选D，因为"be (get) used to 接名词或动名词"意为"习惯于……"。但本题并非此意，谓语动词中的 ues 为"使用"之意并且是被动语态，"be used to do… (被用来做……)"。故应选C。

　　4 . Make a mark ____ you have a question .

　　A . in which B . where C . that D . for which

　　［析］正确答案B。此题易误选A或C，原因在于错误地把本题分析为定语从句，误译成"做一个你有问题的记号"。然而，本题系地点状语从句，应译为"在你有疑问的地方做个标记"。所以引导地点状语从句不可用"介词 + which"的答案A。故应选B。

　　〖针对练习〗

　　1 . New ways have been found to prevent the river ____ .

　　A . polluting B . from polluting

　　C . against polluting D . from being polluted

　　2 . They did ____ they could ____ him .

　　A . what ; help B . all what ; to help

　　C . all ; help D . all that ; to help

　　3 . We were all busy . ____ of us went out for a walk .

　　A . Not all B . None C . Nobody D . Not everybody

　　4 . He has the same bike ____ .

　　A . as you B . as yours C . with you D . that you

　　5 . The speaker raised his voice but still couldn't make himself ____ .

　　A . hear B . to hear C . hearing D . heard

　　6 . That heavy rain kept us ____ out on time .

　　A . starting B . from starting C . to start D . being started

　　7 . the parents forbid her ____ to a worker .

　　A . to marry B . marrying C . to be married D . to be marrying

　　8 . You may stay ____ you like .

　　A . as long B . that C . at which D . where

　　9 . Coal is used to ____ electricity .

　　A . produces B . produced C . producing D . produce

　　10 . Was it in this hall ____ they held the ball the other day ?

　　A . that B . in which C . where D . which

　　11 . The boy was crying ____ the cup broken .

　　A . for B . at C . as D . with

　　12 . He made some candles ____ light .

　　A . to give B . give C . gave D . given

　　13 . He talked of the writer and his novels _____ interested him .

　　A . that B . which C . who D . in which

　　14 . If Mary doesn't go there , ____ .

　　A . neither do I B . nor shall I

　　C . so do I D . so will I

　　答案：1- 5 DDBAD 6-10 BCDDA 11-14 D AA B

　　●从"识破庐山真面目"看NMET的"变形"思维

　　由于NMET试题中的单项选择题越来越注重对思维能力的考查，所以平时的训练要从多角度，多思路下手，才能让举一反三，收到事半功倍的效果。下面是从"识破庐山真面目"看NMET的"变形"思维。

　　★ 变换题干中的标志词，分清知识的易混点。例如：

　　1 . It's no good ____ a lot . (no→not)

　　A . smoking B . smoke C . to smoke D . to smoking

　　2 . He took the girl by ____ hand . (by→with)

　　A . her B . his C . the D . a

　　3 . I will never forget the days ____ we spent together . (spent→stayed)

　　A . where B . when C . in which D . that

　　4 . Shanghai is larger than ____ in China . (China→India)

　　A . any city B . all cities C . any other city D . other city

　　5 . ___ time passing by , his theory proved correct . (passing→passed)

　　A . As B . While C . When D . With

　　答案：1 . A→C 2 . C→B 3 . D→B 4 . C→A 5 . D→A

　　★ 增、减题干中的标志词。多一词或少一词句子或短语的结构不同。例如：

　　1 . Mr Smith goes to work ____(his) car every day .

　　A . by B . in C . on D . of

　　2 . Do you see the tree , ____ (is) well above the tops of the other trees .

　　A . whose top B . its top C . it's top D . which top

　　3 . ____ in China for 5 years , (but) he still can't write or read in Chinese .

　　A . Having lived B . Having been lived

　　C . He has lived D . After he was lived

　　4 . The naughty boy(was) used to ____(by) his teacher .

　　A . criticize B . be criticized C . criticizing D . being criticized

　　5 . Is (it) this (the) bookstore ____ you referred to this morning ?

　　A . that B . the one C . in which D . where

　　答案及提示：

　　1 . A(B) 2 . B(A) 3 . A(C) 4 . D . "那调皮的男孩习惯了挨老师批评。" (B)去掉 was。"那调皮的男孩过去经常挨老师批评。"(现在不挨批评了。) (C)去掉 by。"那调皮的男孩习惯于批评老师。" (A)去掉 by 和 was。"那调皮的男孩过去经常批评老师。"5 . B(A)没有定冠词时，题干的定语从句缺先行词，故要加上 the one ; 如用 the bookstore 时，the bookstore 即是先行词，关系代词 that 在定语从句中作动词 referred to 的宾语，可以省略；如果题干前半部分 Is it this bookstore ____，该句子即变为强调句时，还是选A，但这时 that 不可以省去。

　　★ 删去干扰词或句，让"标志"更明显。例如：

　　1 . How about (the two of us) ____ a walk down the street ?

　　A . to take B . take C . taking D . to be taking

　　2 . ____ the money (John had) ____ ?

　　A . Did ; stolen B . Was ; stolen

　　C . Was ; to stolen D . Had ; stolen

　　3 . His car runs ____ , (if no faster than) a race car .

　　A . so fast B . as fast C . as fast as D . so fast as

　　4 . The wonderful time (they have been looking forward to) ____ finally arrived .

　　A . has B . had C . have D . having

　　5 . Nobody (but Tom and John) ____ what he said .

　　A . believe B . believes C . believe in D . believes in

　　答案：1 . C 2 . B 3 . C 4 . A 5 . B

　　★ 将题干中被省略的词补出来，使"标志"更鲜明。例如：

　　1 . He did ____ he could(do) ____ the old lady .

　　A . all ; calm B . what ; calm

　　C . what ; to calm D . all which ; to calm

　　2 . Only those(who) ____ knew well could be let in .

　　A . did he B . he did C . who D . he

　　3 .- Whom should this message be sent to ?

　　- My teacher is the one (for you) ____ .

　　A . to send it B . to be sent to C . for sending it D . to send it to

　　4 . How clever (it is) ____ to do so!

　　A . for the boy B . of the boy C . with the boy D . at the boy

　　5 . They don't realize the use (that 或 which) ____ the information .

　　A . we make of B . which we make

　　C . for our making D . for us to make

　　答案及说明：1 . C 2 . D 3 . D 4 . B 5 . A。第5题 A 为定语从句，动词 make 后的 use 被关系代词代替，由于关系代词作宾语被省略。

　　★ 句子结构还原，主要用于疑问句和省略句的题干。例如：

　　1 . What way are you thinking of ____ rid of rats ?

　　A . get B . getting C . to get D . being get

　　2 . Who did you ____ ____ the radio ?

　　A . have repaired B . have to repair

　　C . have repairing D . have repair

　　3 . If you go there tomorrow , ____ .

　　A . so I do B . so will I C . so I will D . so do I

　　4 .- Why was the meeting called ?

　　- ____ new officials .

　　A . Elect B . Electing C . To elect D . By electing

　　答案及说明：1 . C 2 . D 3 . B。省略后倒装。"If you go there tomorrow , I will go there , too . " 4 . C。不定式回答"目的"或"原因"。The meeting was called to elect new officials . 再如：

　　- What made her so upset ?

　　- ____ a wonderful stamp .

　　A . To lose B . Lost C . Losing D . For losing

　　选C。回答 what 作动词 made 的主语。

　　当然，选择题思路很多，只要学会"变"，相信一定会有收获。

　　● 单项填空中的合理推测

　　推测不是瞎猜乱碰，是从题目寻找信息，有理有据，合理推测。

　　■ 根据题干特定信息进行推测

　　NMET 题干的设计水平和灵活性逐年提高。有关信息不仅在句子表面，也可能存在于字里行间，或存在于某一个不引入注目的单词上。所以，首先要细读题干，精心领会其意义，然后有针对性地、准确地找到某个特定信息，以此为据，推断定论。切不可读题粗略，貌然确定答案。

　　- Do you remember ____ he came ?

　　- Yes , I do , he came by car .

　　A . how B . when C . that D . if

　　从语法上看A，B都可以填，但正确答案只有一个。by car 这一特定信息暗示了问句问的是"方式"，所以A才是最佳选择。

　　Peter ____ come with us tonight , but he isn't very sure yet .

　　A . must B . can C . may D . will

　　题干后部的意思为 ? "……但他还不十分肯定；"，由此推测他不是"必须来"，不是"将会来"，也不是"能够来"，而是"可能来"，选C。再如：

　　- If you don't like the red coat , take the blue one .

　　- OK , but do you have ____ size in blue ? This one's a bit tight for me .

　　A . a big B . a bigger C . the big D . the bigger

　　题干意思是"这一件稍紧一点"，可见他想要的是尺码较大的。所以 big 要用比较级。题干的另一意思不是"要好一件更大的蓝外衣"，而是问"蓝外衣中是否有一种尺码大的"。所以不是特指，应选B。

　　■ 根据句子结构、语法进行推测

　　有些题目的考查目的是针对句子结构或语法，这时受试者不但要理解题干，而且要有针对性地分析其语法成份，选出符合结构要求的答案。例如：

　　John plays football ____ , if not better than , David .

　　A . as will B . as well as C . so well D . so well as

　　逗号隔开的部分是插入语，也是一个省略的条件状语从句，从句中的否定与主句无关。David 是两者比较的另一方，所以同级比较句型要用 as well as。如果选A，就少了连接从句的连词。

　　____ from Beijing to London !

　　A . How long way it is B . What a long way is it

　　C . How long way is it D . What a long way it is

　　way 是可数名词首先排除A、C。此句不是问句，根据句子结构要求，要用陈述句的语序，选D。

　　如果你碰到难词、生词，不解其意，可以从语法的角度去考虑。尽管对句子的意义仍模糊不清，但通过合理推测却能找到正确答案。例如：

　　The weather turned out to be very good , ___ was more than we could expect .

　　A . what B . which C . that D . it

　　考生对短语 turn out 不甚了解，但这不影响解题。只要以语法结构为依法。就能推断出 B是答案，因为只有 which 才能引导非限制性定语从句。turn out to be 意为"结果是……"。请再看：

　　There're so many kinds of tape-recorders on sale that i can't make up my mind ____ to buy .

　　A . which B . what C . how D . where

　　句中的 tape-recorder 和 on sale 课本上都没有直接出现过，但 buy 是一个熟知的及物动词，它需要有宾语。因此，这儿要用连接代词作宾语，首先排除C、D。再根据 which 和 what 的用法区别来取舍。在已知或有限范围的选择场合要用 which。因此该选A。tape-recorder 意思是"磁带录音机"，on sale 是"出售"。

　　■ 用排除法推测

　　选择填空既是一个观察、推测、判断的过程，也是一个将错误选项一一排除，找出正确答案的过程。排除法适用于任何一道选择题。在解题中，利用排除法可以缩小思考范围，节省时间和精力。例如：

　　If there were no examinations , we should have ____ at school .

　　A . the happiest time B . a more happier time

　　C . much happiest time D . a much happier time

　　B、C形式上明显有错，首先排除，重点考虑A、D。此句不属三者以上场合，仅是"有考试"与"没考试"两种情况的对比。所以推测D是正确答案。

　　It was not ____ she took off her dark glasses ____ I realized she was a famous film star .

　　A . until ; when B . when ; that C . until ; that D . when ; then

　　从结构上看这一句是强调句型，首先排除A、再仔细思考B、C。只有 until 才有这种 not 前移的用法，所以推断答案为C。

　　排除法还有个特殊功能：当受试者对某个选项的意义，用法不甚明确，而这个选项又恰恰很可能是正确答案时，可以将其余的选项逐个排除，从而证实它的正确性。这种合理推测能使考生得到意外的收获。请看：

　　If you keep on , you'll succeed ____ .

　　A . in time B . at one time C . at the same time D . on time

　　B意为"一度"，C意为"同时"，意义都明显不符合，应予排除。D意为"准时"，意义也不符。A"及时"，意义虽不贴切，但总比B、C、D好一些，合理推测A是正确答案。其实，此处 in time 由"及时"引申为"迟早"、"总有一天"。

　　■ 根据题目设计的缺陷或弱点欠缺之处推测

　　有时试题在命题设计上难免存在缺陷或弱点，在无从下手的情况下，利用这些缺陷或弱点，或可曲径通幽，出奇制胜。通常有两种情况：(1)有两个(以上)的选项在语法上可视为"同类项"；(2)有某个选项在语法上明显错误，属试题命制时的"凑数项"。

　　对于第一种情况，可先排除"同类项"，因为一道题目不可能出现两个(以上)的正确答案。例如：

　　I didn't see your sister at the meeting . If she ____ , she would have met my brother .

　　A . has come B . did come C . came D . had come

　　B、C属"同类项"，都是一般过去时。如果C正确，B也可以填，所以都应排除。剩下A、D相比较，就显得容易了，A是现在完成时可排除，D是过去完成时，该选D。

　　【妙文赏析】

　　THE HOUNDS OF BASKERVILLES ( 猎犬 )

　　柯南?道尔 著

　　Chapter VI

　　A CUNNING ENEMY( 一个狡猾的敌人 )

　　On the way to the Northumberland Hotel , Holmes entered a telegraph office . There he sent a wire to the Official Registry (佣工介绍所) ， inquiring for the name and address of the cabman whose number he had remembered . As the two friends were going up the stairs of the Northumberland Hotel they saw Sir Henry standing on the landing of the second floor . His face was red with anger and he was holding an old and dirty boot in one of his hands .

　　"By thunder ," he cried , " if my boot isn't found immediately there will be trouble . "

　　"Are you still looking for your boot ? " exclaimed Waston .

　　"Yes , but now another boot has disappeared . Last night they took one of my brown boots , and today they have stolen one from the black pair . Well , have you found it ? " he asked the servant , who had appeared upon the scene .

　　" No, sir . Please have a little patience . I have looked for it everywhere , but I can't find it ." said the frightened servant .

　　"Well , either that boot comes back before night , or I go straight to the manager of the hotel . "

　　" It shall be found , sir ?/FONT> I promise you . Only have a little patience ," exclaimed the frightened servant .

　　" Very strange ," said Holmes thoughtfully to himself .

　　" Excuse me , Mr. Holmes , for this quarrel about a trifle (小时) ," said Sir Henry , " but 棥?/P>

　　" It is not a trifle ," interrupted . Holmes seriously . " Your case is very hard . Sir Henry , but I hope that sooner or later we shall make things clear ."

　　At lunch Holmes asked Sir Henry what he intended to do .

　　" I want to go to Baskerville Hall ," was the answer .

　　" And when ? "

　　"At the end of the week ."

　　" Perhaps you are right ,"said Holmes . "I know that you are followed in London and among the millions of this great city it is difficult to discover who the spy is and what he wants . You did not know , Dr. Mortimer , that you were followed this morning ? "

　　"Followed !" exclaimed Dr. Mortimer , starting violently . "By whom ?"

　　"That , unfortunately , I can't tell you . Have you among your neighbours or acquaintances (熟人) any man with a large black beard ?" asked Holmes .

　　" No ,?/FONT>oh ?/FONT> yes , certainly , Barrymore , Sir Charles's servant . He has a large black beard ." replied Dr. Mortimer .

　　"And where is Barrymore ?"

　　"He is at the Hall ."

　　"We must make sure that he is really there ."

　　"How can we do that ?"

　　"Give me a telegraph form . Write : ' Is all ready for Sir Henry ? 'address to Mr. Barrymore , Baskerville Hall . Which is the nearest telegraph-office ? "

　　"Grimpen ."

　　"Very good . We shall send a second wire to the postmaster at Grimpen：' Telegram to Mr. Barrymore deliver into his own hands . If absent , return telegram to Sir Henry Baskerville , Northumberland Hotel .'Then we shall know before evening where Barrymore is . By the way , Dr. Mortimer , who is this Barrymore ?"

　　"He is the son of the old caretaker (管家) who is dead . He and his wife are a very respectable couple , as far as I know ."

　　"At the same time it's clear ,"said Baskerville , "that while there is nobody at the Hall , they have an easy life ."

　　"That is true ," said Waston .

　　"Did Barrymore get anything by Sir Charles's will ?" asked Holmes .

　　" He and his wife got 500 pounds each ."

　　"Did they know that they would receive this ?"

　　"Yes , Sir Charles liked to talk about his will ."

　　"That is very interesting . Did anyone else get anything ?"

　　"He left many small sums to individuals and a large number of public charities . The rest all went to Sir Henry , "explained Dr. Mortimer .

　　"And how much was the rest ?"

　　"Seven hundred and forty thousand pounds . The total value of the estate is almost a million " answered Dr. Mortimer .

　　Holmes looked surprised . " I didn't think that he was so rich , "he said . "That explains some things . I can understand that a man may risk much for such a large sum . Have you made your will , Sir Henry ? "

　　"No , Mr. Holmes , I have not . I've had no time for it . You forget I arrived here only yesterday ."

　　" Well , Sir Henry , I agree that it's best for you to go to your native place without delay , but you certainly must not go alone . "

　　" Dr. Mortimer returns with me . "

　　"But Dr. Mortimer has his practice , and his house is some miles away from yours . No , Sir Henry , you must take with you someone who will always be by your side ."

　　"Could you come yourself , Mr. Holmes ? "

　　"That's quite impossible . I cannot leave London for an indefinite time , as I am too busy ."

　　"Whom would you recommend (推荐) then ."

　　Holmes laid his hand upon Waston's arm . "There is no man who could be better than my friend Dr. Waston , "he said .

　　"That would be really kind of you , "Sir Henry exclaimed . "If you go with me to Baskerville Hall and help me , I shall never forget it . "

　　"I will come with pleasure , "said Dr. Waston .

　　"And you must report everything to me , "said Holmes . " I shall tell you how to act . "

　　The question was soon settled . It was decided that Sir Henry , Dr. Mortimer and Waston set off for Devonshire on Saturday . Lunch was over and Holmes was just saying goodbye , when Sir Henry with a cry of surprise drew a brown boot from under a table in the corner of the room .

　　" My missing boot ! " he exclaimed .

　　" But this is very strange ."said Dr. Mortimer . " I searched this room carefully before lunch and there was certainly no boot in it ." said Dr. Mortimer .

　　The servant was called in and questioned , but he said he knew nothing about it .

　　Holmes was silent in the cab as he drove home with Waston . All the evening he sat in his armchair smoking and thinking . So many strange things had happened in these two days - the printed letter , the black-bearded spy in the cab , the loss of the new boot , the loss of the old black boot , and now the return of the brown boot . Just before dinner a telegram was brought . It ran : "Have just received answer from postmaster , Grimpen . Berrymore is at the Hall . Baskerville ."

　　A few minutes later the door bell rang and a man entered the room .

　　" I was told that you wanted to see the cabman of No. 2704 , "he said . "I have come to ask you what you have against me ."

　　" I have nothing against you , my good fellow ,"said Holmes . " On the contrary , if you give me a clear answer to my question , I shall reward you ."

　　"Well , what did you want to ask , sir ? "

　　"First of all your name and address . "

　　"John Clayton , 3 , Turpey Street ."

　　Holmes put it down . "Now , Clayton ," he said , "tell me all about the gentleman who was in your cab this morning . He was watching the house at ten o'clock and then he followed two gentlemen down Regent Street ."

　　The cabman looked a little embarrassed . "You seem to know everything , "he said . "But you see , the gentleman told me that he was a detective and I must not speak to anyone about him ."

　　"My good fellow , this is a very serious business and your position will be very bad if you try to hide anything from me . Did the gentleman say anything else ?"

　　"He told me his name ."

　　"His name ? What was it ?"

　　" It was Mr. Sherlock Holmes , " answered tha cabman .

　　For a moment Holmes was too much surprised to speak . Then he burst into a hearty laugh . "Excellent !" he exclaimed . "Now , Clayton , tell me all about him ."

　　"Well , sir , he stopped me at half-past nine in Trafalgar Square . He said that he was a detective and offered me two sovereigns (金镑) if I did exactly what he wanted all day and asked no questions . I was glad to agree . First we drove to the Northumberland Hotel and waited there until two gentlemen came out and took a cab in the street . We followed their cab until it stopped somewhere near this house . We waited for about an hour . Then the two gentlemen passed us walking and we followed them along "

　　" I know ," said Holmes , "go on ."

　　"So we were following them down Regent Street when suddenly my gentleman closed the window and cried to me drive as fast as I could to Waterloo Station . We were there in ten minutes . He paid me two sovereigns and went into the station . At the last moment he turned round and said : 'It may interest you know that you have driven Mr. Sherlock Holmes .'That is all ."

　　Holmes laughed :"So his name was Sherlock Holmes , he said ?"

　　"Yes , sir , that was the gentleman's name . "

　　"And can you describe that gentleman ."

　　The cabman scratched his head . " Well , it isn't so easy to describe him . He is about forty and is of middle height . He has a black beard and a pale face . That is all I can say about him ."

　　" Well then , here is your half-sovereign , and you will have another one if you can bring any more information . Good night ! "

　　When the cabman had gone , Holmes turned to his friend with a sad smile : " Our enemy is cunning , Waston , " he said . " This time he has beaten me . It's a dangerous business and I shall be happy when you return safe and sound to London again ."

　　Chapter VII

　　AT BASKERVILLE HALL ( 在巴斯克维尔庄园 )

　　On the appointed (约定) day , Sir Henry Baskerville and Dr. Mortimer were at the station . Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Waston soon joined them there .

　　" I don't want you to make any judgements , Waston. " said Homles to his friend , taking him aside . "I only want you to report all the possible facts to me ."

　　" What sort of facts ? " asked Waston .

　　" Everything that has the smallest connection with this case ?/FONT> and especially the relations between Sir Henry and his neighbours . If you hear of any new details connected with the death of Sir Charles , do let me know . And study the people who live on the moor near Baskerville Hall ?/FONT> the Barrymores , Dr. Mmortimer , the naturalist Stapleton and his sister , Mr. Frankland and one or two other neighbours . "

　　" I will do my best . "

　　" Have you taken arms ? "

　　" Yes , I thought it necessary ."

　　" Certainly . Keep your revolver (左轮手枪) near you day and night and be very careful . "

　　" I will , my dear friend . Don't worry . "

　　By the way , Sir Henry , " said Holmes , turning to young Baskerville who was talking to Dr. Mortimer , " have you found your black boot ?"

　　" No , Mr. Holmes , it has disappeared . "

　　"That's very interesting . Well , goodbye ," he added as the train began to move , " and remember , Sir Henry , don't walk on the moor alone when it is dark ."

　　When they were on their way , Sir Henry , who was looking out of the window , seemed happy to see the land where he had spent his childhood . The train stopped at a small station and the three men got out . A carriage with a pair of horses was waiting for them . The station was a quiet , pleasant spot and Waston was surprised to see two soldiers standing by the station gate . They looked at all the passers-by . The coachman greeted Sir Henry and soon the carriage with the three men was rolling swiftly along the road . On the top of the hill there stood another soldier . He was watching the road . The coachman explained to them that a prisoner had escaped from the prison of Princetown and was hiding on the moor . The man was a dangerous murderer , and the soldiers had received orders to watch every road and every station , but they had not yet found him . Somewhere there , on the dark moor, was this terrible man , hiding in a hole like a beast . This made the wild and sad place seem still wilder and sadder . Soon the road turned sharply and the wide , silent moor came in sight . A few minutes later the carriage stopped before a large house from which rose two high narrow towers .

　　" Welcome to Baskerville Hall , Sir Henry , " said a tall man with a black beard , opening the door of the carriage . It was Barrymore , the servant . His wife came forward to help take down the luggage as well .

　　Dr. Mortimer refused to stay for dinner , saying that his wife was expecting him back . He said goodbye to Sir Henry and Waston and then the carriage rolled away . The two men entered the hall . It was a very fine hall , large high , with a great old-fashioned fireplace . The Barrymores had taken the luggage to the bedroom .

　　Barrymore came up to ask : "Will you have dinner now , sir ? "

　　" Is it ready ? "

　　" Yes , sir . I should like to tell you that my wife and I will be happy to serve you for some time , but then we should like to go . "

　　" But why ? " Sir Henry asked in surprise .

　　" You see , sir , the death of Sir Charles has made this house very unpleasant to us . "

　　" Well , we shall speak about this later . Now show us the dinning-room . My friend and I are hungry after our journey . "

　　A few minutes later Sir Henry and Waston were seated at the dinner table . The room was dark and gloomy (郁闷) . There was a long line of old family portraits on the wall and their silent company was not pleasant . The two men talked little and when dinner was over they were happy to go to the modern billiard-room and smoke a cigarette .

　　" It isn't a very cheerful place , " said Sir Henry . " I am not surprised that my poor uncle felt nervous in such an gloomy house . But let us go to bed early tonight , perhaps in the morning we shall feel more cheerful ."

　　They said good night to each other and went to their rooms . Before going to bed Waston opened the window and looked out . In the cold light of the moon he could see the strange moor . Everything was silent around . Waston went to bed . He was very tired , yet he could not sleep . Far away a clock struck twelve . Suddenly the stillness of the night was broken by an unexpected sound . It was the sobbing (啜泣) of a woman . Waston sat up in bed and listened all ears . The woman was sobbing not far away , certainly in the house . The sound stopped suddenly as it had began . For half an hour Waston waited to hear the sound again , but all was still .

　　Chapter VIII

　　DR. WASTON MEETS STAPLETON ,

　　THE NATURALIST

　　( 华生医师同生物学家斯台普顿的会见 )

　　The next morning it was bright and sunny , and the room looked quite cheerful as Sir Henry and Waston sat down to breakfast .

　　" We were tired and cold after our journey last night , " said Sir Henry , " so the place seemed uncomfortable . Now , after a good rest , we are fresh and well and the house is more cheerful . "

　　" That's true , but didn' t you hear the sobbing of a woman in the night ? "

　　" It's strange ,"said Sir Henry in a loud voice , " for when I was half-asleep , I heard something of the sort . I thought it took place in my dream ."

　　"I heard it clearly and I am sure that it was really the sobbing of a woman ,"said Waston .

　　" We shall ask Barrymore about it , " said Sir Henry ringing the bell .

　　Barrymore became pale when he