[al:新概念英语（三）] [ar:MP3 同步字幕版（英音）] [ti:A Very Dear Cat] [by:更多学习内容，请到查字典英语网yingyu.chazidian.com搜索“新概念”] [00:01.46]Lesson 19 [00:03.37]A very dear cat [00:12.09]Why was Rastus 'very dear' in more ways than one? [00:19.44]Kidnappers are rarely interested in animals, but they recently took considerable interest in Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay's cat. [00:28.77]Mrs. Eleanor Ramsay, a very wealthy old lady, has shared a flat with her cat, Rastus, for a great many years. [00:38.26]Rastus leads an orderly life. [00:41.37]He usually takes a short walk in the evenings and is always home by seven o'clock. [00:47.84]One evening, however he failed to arrive. [00:52.08]Mrs. Ramsay got very worried. [00:55.10]She looked everywhere for him but could not find him. [00:59.56]Three days after Rastus' disappearance, Mrs. Ramsay received an anonymous letter. [01:06.03]The writer stated that Rastus was in safe hands and would be returned immediately if Mrs. Ramsay paid a ransom of ￡1,000. [01:17.52]Mrs.Ramsay was instructed to place the money in a cardboard box and to leave it outside her door. [01:25.04]At first, she decided to go to the police, [01:28.55]but fearing that she would never see Rastus again -- the letter had made that quite clear -- she changed her mind. [01:36.31]She withdrew ￡1000 from her bank and followed the kidnapper's instructions. [01:42.60]The next morning, the box had disappeared but Mrs.Ramsay was sure that the kidnapper would keep his word. [01:50.55]Sure enough, Rastus arrived punctually at seven o'clock that evening. [01:55.92]He looked very well, though he was rather thirsty, for he drank half a bottle of milk. [02:02.44]The police were astounded when Mrs. Ramsay told them what she had done. [02:07.05]She explained that Rastus was very dear to her. [02:10.76]Considering the amount she paid, he was dear in more ways than one!