阅读理解

　　Treasure Island isn’t a true story, but the characters do seem to leap out of the pages alive, armed to the teeth and ready to go treasure hunting．But you will find, as you read this book, that although pirates can be murderous and treacherous(奸诈的), they can also be cowardly, superstitious, and easily led．As it turns out, that is fortunate for Jim Hawkins．

　　It's a brilliant story．Billy Bones, a retired seaman, comes to live at the Admiral Benbow inn．Jim is just a boy, but he can see that Billy Bones is a nervous man, always on the look-out for strangers arriving at the inn．And well he might be nervous, because he carries with him in his battered old sea-chest a map drawn by Captain Flint himself giving the whereabouts of all Flint's buried treasure! Captain Flint!－the most feared pirate ever to roam the high seas．

　　Well, Flint is dead, but there are plenty of men who served with Captain Flint still alive who feel they have a fair claim to the treasure．The map, though, ends up in the possession of Jim Hawkins -(it's a near thing, read the book to see how that happens)．

　　Jim tells the secret in the local doctor, who quickly join forces to acquire a ship and crew and provisions to sail for Treasure Island．

　　There's a famous scene where Jim, hiding in the apple barrel on deck, discovers that mutiny(叛乱)is planned．It's a bad moment．The numbers suggest that the pirates are going to have it all their own way．There are nineteen mutineers and seven honest men, including Jim．

　　And now, you will have to read the book for yourself．This is a fantastic tale of cheat, bravery and cowardice．I don't know how things would have turned out if it hadn't been for Jim Hawkins．For it is Jin who single-handedly steals the Hispaniola from under the very noses of the pirates and sails her round the island to a secret beaching place．

　　And do you know what happens to Long John Silver, the greatest double-crosser of them all? No? Well, don't expect me to tell you．

　　Don't be nervous of reading a 'classic'．I know it was published a long time ago, but that doesn't mean it is difficult to read．There is one piece of advice I will give, though．I don't think this book is ever out of print - there are hundreds of different copies around．If you can, choose a copy with large enough print to be able to read comfortably, and exciting illustrations．It makes all the difference．

　　Go ahead! Read the book．I think you'll love it．