Lesson 16 A Young Detective’s Adventures: The Deaths of the Three Mrs. Fitches

1. Background Knowledge2. Text Analysis

3. Exercises4. Questions For Discussion

Distant Education College, Jilin UniversityDistant Education College, Jilin University

Lesson 16A Young Detective’s Adventures:

The Deaths of the Three Mrs. Fitches

Extensive Reading IIExtensive Reading II

Background Knowledge1. Detective Fiction: Detective fiction usually involves a crime which is committed and a criminal who is discovered at last by a detective.

Some of the earliest examples of detective fiction were written by Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849). He wrote Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841). But the most famous early Victorian detective-hero was Sherlock Holmes, the character created by the British writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Holmes stories set a fashion that was followed by many writers.

The traditional detective stories usually present a sort of puzzle for the reader to solve. The modern ones are somewhat more tough and are more concerned with exciting action. Some writers prefer psychological analysis of the criminal. More


2. Rockefeller: Rockefeller, family of the U.S. financiers. John Davison Rockefeller (1839-1937) was the president of Standard Oil, which controlled 90 percent of oil refining in the U.S. He founded the University of Chicago in 1892, and the philanthropic Rockefeller Foundation in 1913. His son John Davison Rockefeller, Jr. (1874-1960) followed his father’s business and charitable interests. He founded the Rockefeller Center in New York City, which became a vast business and entertainment center. His son Nelson Aldrick Rockefeller (1908-1979), entered politics as a Republican and became Governor of New York State in 1958. He failed to win the presidential nomination in 1964 and 1968, but became vice president in 1976.

Nowadays, Rockefeller is frequently used as a figurative term to refer to a very rich and powerful family.

Background Knowledge

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1. True/False Questions

2. Multiple-choice Questions

3. Translation

Exercises

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1. At the beginning of the story, Smith’s Chief did not wish to meet the new detective.

2. Mrs. Munsing was Smith’s landlady.

3. Mrs. Munsing became extremely nervous and dropped her shopping sack when she saw Smith racing towards her.

4. The first Mrs. Fitch’s father did not like Fitch and tried to disinherit his daughter.

5. It was said that the Police Chief determined that the second Mrs. Fitch died of drinking poisoned lemonade.

6. Beyond the obvious causes of the deaths of the three Mrs. Fitches, Smith wondered whether some stranger things had happened.

True/False Questions

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1. At the beginning of the story, Smith’s Chief did not wish to meet the new detective. F

2. Mrs. Munsing was Smith’s landlady.







Answer


2. Mrs. Munsing was Smith’s landlady. F







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3. Mrs. Munsing became extremely nervous and dropped her shopping sack when she saw Smith racing towards her. F






Answer




4. The first Mrs. Fitch’s father did not like Fitch and tried to disinherit his daughter. T





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5. It was said that the Police Chief determined that the second Mrs. Fitch died of drinking poisoned lemonade. F




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5. It was said that the Police Chief determined that the second Mrs. Fitch died of drinking poisoned lemonade. F

6. Beyond the obvious causes of the deaths of the three Mrs. Fitches, Smith wondered whether some stranger things had happened. T


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7. Mrs. Munsing came to the Police Chief to tell him that she had nothing to do with the deaths of the three Mrs. Fitches.

8. The Police Chief was interested in Mrs. Munsing’s talk and promised to send someone to look into the matter immediately.

9. Smith thought that his boss was old-fashioned, conservative and conceited.

10. Smith met Mrs. Munsing in the street quite by chance and asked her about the deaths of the three women, but she pretended not to know him at all.


Answer


7. Mrs. Munsing came to the Police Chief to tell him that she had nothing to do with the deaths of the three Mrs. Fitches. F

8. The Police Chief was interested in Mrs. Munsing’s talk and promised to send someone to look into the matter immediately.




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8. The Police Chief was interested in Mrs. Munsing’s talk and promised to send someone to look into the matter immediately. F




Answer




9. Smith thought that his boss was old-fashioned, conservative and conceited. T



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9. Smith thought that his boss was old-fashioned, conservative and conceited. T

10. Smith met Mrs. Munsing in the street quite by chance and asked her about the deaths of the three women, but she pretended not to know him at all. F


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11. Smith learned from his landlady that Mr. Fitch had three rich wives, all of whom died mysteriously.

12. What Smith heard aroused his interest in the mysterious case.


Answer


11. Smith learned from his landlady that Mr. Fitch had three rich wives, all of whom died mysteriously. T

12. What Smith heard aroused his interest in the mysterious case.


Answer


11. Smith learned from his landlady that Mr. Fitch had three rich wives, all of whom died mysteriously. T

12. What Smith heard aroused his interest in the mysterious case. T


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1. According to Smith, Chief Hutch ________.

A) preferred wearing a uniform to plainclothes

B) liked old things

C) was inclined to listen to different opinions from his officers

D) insisted on holding his own view

Multiple-choice Questions

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1. According to Smith, Chief Hutch ________. D

A) preferred wearing a uniform to plainclothes

B) liked old things

C) was inclined to listen to different opinions from his officers

D) insisted on holding his own view

2. Mrs. Munsing went to the Police Chief in order to _____.

A) talk about her suspicions about the deaths of Mrs. Fitches

B) prove that she was innocent

C) cause further confusion

D) accuse Mr. Fitch of murder


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2. Mrs. Munsing went to the Police Chief in order to _____. A

A) talk about her suspicions about the deaths of Mrs. Fitches

B) prove that she was innocent

C) cause further confusion

D) accuse Mr. Fitch of murder

3. “You’re going to get pretty hot in that neck choker.” “Neck choker” refers to ________.

A) Smith’s neat white shirt

B) Smith’s coat and tie

C) Smith’s shirt collar and tie

D) Smith’s uniform


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3. “You’re going to get pretty hot in that neck choker.” “Neck choker” refers to ________. C

A) Smith’s neat white shirt

B) Smith’s coat and tie

C) Smith’s shirt collar and tie

D) Smith’s uniform

4. Smith’s landlady told of the story of the Fitches in a/an ________ tone.

A) sad

B) matter-of-fact

C) sympathetic

D) excited


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4. Smith’s landlady told of the story of the Fitches in a/an ________ tone. B

A) sad

B) matter-of-fact

C) sympathetic

D) excited

5. Smith first heard about the cases of the death of the Mrs. Fitches from ________.

A) the newspaper article he read before leaving New York

B) Chief Hutch

C) his landlady Mrs. Johnson

D) his sister


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5. Smith first heard about the cases of the death of the Mrs. Fitches from ________. A

A) the newspaper article he read before leaving New York

B) Chief Hutch

C) his landlady Mrs. Johnson

D) his sister

6. What can you infer from this part of the story?

A) Chief Hutch was old-fashioned and unfriendly to Smith.

B) The death of the three Mrs. Fitches had attracted the new detective’s attention.

C) Mrs. Munsing’s behavior was suspicious.

D) Smith’s landlady knew what had happened to the three Mrs. Fitches.


Answer



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6. What can you infer from this part of the story? B

A) Chief Hutch was old-fashioned and unfriendly to Smith.

B) The death of the three Mrs. Fitches had attracted the new detective’s attention.

C) Mrs. Munsing’s behavior was suspicious.

D) Smith’s landlady knew what had happened to the three Mrs. Fitches.

1. We’ll get someone on it for you.

2. “Thank you very much for coming in here today and sharing your concerns with us.”

3. He didn’t invite me to sit down nor did I ask if I could.

4. The cardinal rule was DON’T MAKE TROUBLE. Don’t look for trouble. Don’t make waves.

Translation

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我们将派人对此事进行调查。




Translation

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“ 非常感谢你今天来这里，并把你对此事的关注告诉我们。”



Translation

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他既没有请我坐下，我也没有向他征求我是否能坐下。


Translation

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他既没有请我坐下，我也没有向他征求我是否能坐下。


基本原则就是：不要惹麻烦，不要找麻烦，不要引起风波。

Translation

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1. Can you guess from the ending of this part what Smith was going to do next?

2. Can you guess what his Chief was going to say to him?

3. Smith, the detective, is the main character in the story, but his Chief, Mr. Hutch, is also a very vivid character. Can you analyze their characteristics by contrasting Mr. Hutch with his recruit, Smith?

Questions for Discussion

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Smith, a new detective, wanted to investigate the deaths of the three Mrs. Fitches. However, he was stopped by his chief, Hutch. Why did Chief Hutch do this? Does Smith investigate successfully? Does he find out whether murder has been committed?

My Chief was very old-fashioned. He dressed in a uniform rather than in plainclothes as we did during our training. He was very conservative and did not like the officers on his force to have opinions that differed from his.

As I was waiting to meet him for the first time, I could hear the voice of a hysterical woman coming through the thin walls.

Text Analysis

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“But, Chief Hutch, I know it was no accident…none of them were, sir.”

“Well, we have no proof, Mrs. Munsing, and we don’t work here on suppositions and guesses, you know. We have to have facts in order to act.”

“Yes, I know, sir, but I think that if you would just ask some questions…”

Text Analysis

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“Thank you, Mrs. Munsing, we’ll get someone on it for you. Thank you very much for coming in here today and sharing your concerns with us.” He showed her to the door, and as he passed me, he stopped and looked at my white shirt and tie. A smile crossed his face. “We’re in Flagstaff, Detective Smith, not on Fifth Avenue. You’re going to get pretty hot in that neck choker.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Now, Mrs. Munsing, you just go on back to Mr. Fitch’s house, and my advice to you is not to mention that you came down here to see me.”

Text Analysis

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“Oh, I wouldn’t, sir. I wouldn’t. And I don’t want you to tell anyone that I came here. I might lose my job.”

The Chief sat behind a very small desk which made him look much bigger than he was. He didn’t invite me to sit down nor did I ask if I could. I stood in front of his desk while he began to yell the rules of the office. The cardinal rule was DON’T MAKE TROUBLE. Don’t look for trouble. Don’t make waves.

Text Analysis

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I was glad to get back to Mrs. Johnson’s (my landlady’s) house that night. I wondered if she would be glad to have me, knowing that I was a low man on the totem pole at the police station. I sat on the porch and watched the traffic in the street. It was a side street, so only a few cars would pass. More people walked here than drove. One of the pedestrians was the woman I had seen in the police station that afternoon. She was carrying a huge sack of groceries.

“Hello!” I yelled to her from the porch.

Text Analysis

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She dropped her sack and looked around. She saw me and nervously bent over to pick up the groceries that had fallen all over the sidewalk. I raced to her side to help her. “I’m so clumsy,” she offered as an excuse.

“I’m sorry I frightened you.”

“Oh, my nerves have been on edge ever since Mrs. Fitch was killed. I mean, ever since she had the accident.”

Text Analysis

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I stopped picking up oranges and looked at her. She met my eyes.

“I shouldn’t have said that. I have no right to say that. Excuse me. I must be going.”

She had not remembered me from the police station that afternoon; she was too concerned about her job and the possibility of being seen talking to a total stranger. She gathered her bags and hurried up the street. I returned to the porch and began thinking about the newspaper article that my sister had shown me before I left New York: ARIZONA HEIRESS KILLED IN FALL.

Text Analysis

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That evening at dinner I casually asked Mrs. Johnson about the Fitches. I especially wanted to know about the stepdaughter and the three wives.

Text Analysis

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“Yes, indeed, Mr. Fitch had three wives all richer than Rockefeller, they say. When he married his first wife, he didn’t have a penny. Her father was dead set against her marrying that no-good Fitch. He tried to keep them apart. He even sent her to a girls’ school in Switzerland or some place like that. But when she became twenty-one, she inherited her grandfather’s money; and when she came back to Flagstaff, she had married Fitch. She also came back from Switzerland with a daughter. It almost killed the old man. He was in the hospital for weeks. He was going to have his lawyers cancel the marriage or disinherit the daughter. But he died in his sleep one night … and you know, she, the first Mrs. Fitch, died shortly thereafter, too. She was flying a plane that disappeared in the mountains. It was never found again.”

Text Analysis

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“Well, who was the second Mrs. Fitch?”

“She was a wonderful woman; she loved children and took them for rides on her horses into the hills. It was just after one of those rides that she died. Yes, she was really thirsty and Mrs. Munsing brought her out some nice lemonade. Well, she drank that lemonade and never got up from her chair. I tell you, no one felt like having lemonade for a while.”

“Did no one think that the drink may have been poisoned?”

Text Analysis

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“Well, of course we did. But Mr. Fitch and the Police Chief determined it was some food poisoning from the little sandwiches that she had taken on the trip with her. You know they got really bad from the heat.”

“And Fitch inherited her money, too?”

“Yes, indeed. She had lots of money. She owned practically the whole town. There wasn’t anyone growing up who wasn’t paying rent to her family. And since she was the only child, her husband got it all. The same thing with the third wife who fell to her death.

Text Analysis

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“Clever, isn’t he? Always marrying these rich women who have no other relations. Seems kind of strange that they all died, but I guess stranger things have happened.”

The next day at noon, I went again to the local newspaper office and asked to see the newspapers from the time of the deaths of the three Fitch wives. That afternoon I was called into the Chief’s office.

(to be continued)From The Great Preposition Mystery,

ed., Lin Lougheed, Washington, D.C., 1981.

Approximately 1,000 words.

Text Analysis

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Words to Know

old-fashioned [] a. 笃信旧的生活方式（思想，习惯）=outdatede.g. His parents are quite old-fashioned. 他的父母很守旧。

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Words to Know

conservative [] a. 保守的，守旧的=traditional or restrained in stylee.g. The researchers made a conservative guess at the population of Tokyo.研究人员对东京的人口作了一项保守的估计。

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Words to Know

hysterical [] a. 歇斯底里的=characterized by, or arising from hysteriae.g. He burst into a hysterical laughter.他爆发出一阵歇斯底里的大笑。

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Words to Know

supposition [] n. 臆想，推测=assumptione.g. We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

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Words to Know

concern [] n. 关心，挂念=regard for or interest in someone or somethinge.g. The managing director's only concern was how to improve the quality of their products.总经理心里想的全是如何提高产品质量。

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Words to Know

yell [] vi. 叫喊= cry out loudly, as in pain, fright, surprise, or enthusiasme.g. He yelled at her to be careful. 他大声叫她注意。

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Words to Know

cardinal [] a. 主要的，基本的=of foremost importance; paramounte.g. This is a matter of cardinal significance. 这是非常重要的事。

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Words to Know

totem [] n. 图腾=an animal, a plant, or a natural object serving among certain tribal or traditional peoples as the emblem of a clan or family and sometimes revered as its founder, ancestor, or guardiane.g. A totem is often carved or painted on a pole.图腾经常被雕刻或画在柱子上。

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Words to Know

pedestrian [] n. 行人=a person traveling on foot; a walkere.g. This path is only for pedestrians. 这条路线供步行者通行。

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Words to Know

sack [] n. 袋，硬纸袋=bage.g. The potatoes were put into sacks. 马铃薯装进了麻袋。

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Words to Know

grocery [] n. 食品，杂物店=a store selling foodstuffs and various household suppliese.g. She went to a grocery to buy some daily necessities.她去食杂店买一些日用品。

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Words to Know

clumsy [] a. 笨拙的=awkwarde.g. You are clumsy! You're knocked over my cup of coffee! 你真笨手笨脚！把我的这杯咖啡撞翻了。

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Words to Know

casually [] ad. 漫不经心地，随便地=carelessly, informallye.g. He casually glanced at the books.他漫不经心地瞥了一眼这些书。

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Words to Know

stepdaughter [] n. 与前妻（夫）所生的女儿=a spouse's daughter by a previous marriagee.g. Her stepdaughter Jane left home after quarreling with her.她与前夫所生的女儿简与她争吵后离家出走了。

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Words to Know

apart [] ad. 分离，隔开=at a distance in place, position, or timee.g. The 2 buildings are 200 meters apart. 两座建筑相距 200 米。

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Words to Know

cancel [] vt. 取消，撤销=annul or invalidatee.g. She cancelled her order. 她取消定货。

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Useful Phrases and Expressions

(be) on edge 紧张不安，急躁e.g. Stop moving! You set my nerves on edge.别走来走去！你让我神经紧张。

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be dead set against 强烈反对e.g. His father was dead set against his plan of reforming the company.他父亲强烈反对他对公司进行改革的计划。

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kind of 有点，几分e.g. She kind of hoped to be invited. 她有被邀请的希望。

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Difficult Sentences

“We’re in Flagstaff, Detective Smith, not on Fifth Avenue.”:

“We’re in the small town of Flagstaff, Mr. Smith, not on Fifth Avenue, New York.” The Chief was talking ironically. Flagstaff is in Arizona, a southwestern state of the U.S. on the Mexican border, which is far from the east coast where the City of New York is situated. It is hotter there than in New York. What is more, Mr. Smith was a graduate from the Police Academy of New York and had just been sent to Flagstaff. It is well-known that Fifth Avenue is the busiest section of New York, where people usually dress well.

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Difficult Sentences

a low man on the totem pole: a metaphor referring to a low ranking officer or a beginner at the police station

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Words to Know

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Rockefeller []: an American family of vast wealth. The name of Rockefeller stands for wealth and power.

John D. Rockefeller1839-1937

Difficult Sentences

… and we don’t work here on suppositions and guesses, you know.你知道，我们不是靠假设和猜测办事的。

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Difficult Sentences

You’re going to get pretty hot in that neck choker.你带着那领带很热的。

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Difficult Sentences

Her father was dead set against her marrying that no-good Fitch.

她父亲坚决反对她嫁给那个没用的菲奇。

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Difficult Sentences

He was going to have his lawyers cancel the marriage or disinherit the daughter.他准备请他的律师来废除这桩婚事或剥夺他女儿的继承权。

have sb. do sth. 表示“让某人做某事”、“请某人去做某事”等意思e.g. I'll have him repair my bike．我将请他为我修理自行车。

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Difficult Sentences

There wasn’t anyone growing up who wasn’t paying rent to her family.镇上没有人从小到大不给她家付房租的。

双重否定常见形式是 no ... not 或 no ... no ：e.g. There's no cat that does not like fish．没有不喜欢吃鱼的猫。

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Difficult Sentences

He was very conservative and did not like the officers on his force to have opinions that differed from his.他很保守而且不喜欢他的下属与他有不同意见。

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Difficult Sentences

The Chief sat behind a very small desk which made him look much bigger than he was.警长坐在一张很小的办公桌后面，使他显得比实际高大得多。

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Difficult Sentences

More people walked here than drove.多数人走着过来而不开车。

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Difficult Sentences

Oh, my nerves have been on edge ever since Mrs. Fitch was killed.噢，自从菲奇太太死后，我的神经一直处于紧张状态。

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Difficult Sentences

… she was too concerned about her job and the possibility of being seen talking to a total stranger.她只想着自己的工作，又怕可能被别人看到在同一个完全陌生的人讲话。

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Difficult Sentences

But Mr. Fitch and the Police Chief determined it was some food poisoning from the little sandwiches that she had taken on the trip with her.但是菲奇先生和警长都认定是她旅行时带的那点三明治变质了，使她食物中毒。

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Difficult Sentences

Seems kind of strange that they all died, but I guess stranger things have happened.她们都死了，看起来真有点奇怪，可是我猜测，还发生了更奇怪的事呢。

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pictures

Fifth AvenueFifth Avenue

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pictures

FlagstaffFlagstaff

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State of ArizonaState of Arizona

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State of ArizonaState of Arizona

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Lesson 16 A Young Detective’s Adventures: The Deaths of the Three Mrs. Fitches