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Chapter 7
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Jeremy spent the rest of the morning hunched1 over a stack of books and the two articles Lexie had found. The first, written in 1958 by a folklore2 professor at the University of North Carolina and published in the Journal of the South, seemed to have been intended as a response to A. J. Morrison’s account of the legend. The article pulled a few quotes from Morrison’s work, summarized the legend, and recounted the professor’s stay in the cemetery3 over a one-week period. On four of those evenings, he witnessed the lights. He seemed to have made at least a preliminary attempt to find the cause: he counted the number of homes in the surrounding area (there were eighteen within one mile of the cemetery and, interestingly, none on Riker’s Hill), and also noted4 the number of cars that passed within two minutes of the lights’ appearance. In two instances, the span of time was less than a minute. In the other two instances, however, there were no passing cars at all, which seemed to eliminate the possibility that headlights were the source of the “ghosts.”
 
The second article was only a bit more informative5. Published in a 1969 issue of Coastal6 Carolina, a small magazine that went belly-up in 1980, the article reported the fact that the cemetery was sinking and the damage that had been caused as a result. The author also mentioned the legend and the proximity7 of Riker’s Hill, and while he hadn’t seen the lights (he’d visited during the summer months), he drew heavily on eyewitness8 accounts before speculating on a number of possibilities, all of which Jeremy was already aware.
 
The first was rotting vegetation that sometimes bursts into flames, giving off vapors9 known as swamp gas. In a coastal area like this, Jeremy knew the idea couldn’t be completely discounted, though he did think it unlikely, since the lights occurred on cold and foggy nights. They could also be “earthquake lights,” which are electrical atmospheric10 charges generated by the shifting and grinding of rocks deep below the earth’s crust. The automobile11 headlights theory was again advanced, as was the idea of refracted starlight and fox fire, which is a phosphorescent glow emitted by certain fungi12 on rotting wood. Algae13, it was noted, could also glow phosphorescently. The author even mentioned the possibility of the Novaya Zemlya effect, in which light beams are bent14 by adjacent layers of air at different temperatures, thus seeming to glow. And, in offering a final possibility, the author concluded that it might be St. Elmo’s fire, which is created by electrical discharges from sharp-pointed15 objects that occur during thunderstorms.
 
In other words, the author had said it could be anything.
 
However inconclusive, the articles did help Jeremy clarify his own thoughts. In his opinion, the lights had everything to do with geography. The hill behind the cemetery seemed to be the highest point in any direction, and the sinking cemetery made the fog more dense16 in that particular area. All of which meant refracted or reflected light.
 
He just had to pinpoint17 the source, and for that, he needed to find the first time the lights had ever been noted. Not something general, but an actual date, so he could then determine what was happening in the town at that time. If the town was undergoing a dramatic change around then—a new construction project, a new factory, or something along those lines—he just might find the cause. Or if he did see the lights—and he wasn’t counting on it—his job would be even simpler. If they occurred at midnight, for instance, and he saw no passing cars, he could then survey the area, noting the location of occupied houses with lamps blazing in the window, the proximity of the highway, or possibly even river traffic. Boats, he suspected, were a possibility, if they were large enough.
 
Going through the stack of books a second time, he made additional notes regarding the changes in the town over the years, with special emphasis on changes around the turn of the century.
 
As the hours rolled on, the list grew. In the early twentieth century, there was a mini–housing boom that lasted from 1907 to 1914, during which the north side of the town grew. The small port was widened in 1910, again in 1916, and once more in 1922; combined with the quarries18 and phosphorous mines, excavation19 was extensive. The railroad was started in 1898, and spurs continued to be built in various areas of the county until 1912. A trestle over the river was completed in 1904, and from 1908 to 1915 three major factories were constructed: a textile mill, a phosphorous mine, and a paper mill. Of the three, only the paper mill was still in operation—the textile mill had closed four years ago, the mine in 1987—so that seemed to eliminate the other two as possibilities.
 
He checked his facts again, made sure they were correct, and restacked the books so Lexie could shelve them. He leaned back in his chair, stretched the stiffness from his body, and glanced at the clock. Already, it was coming up on noon. All in all, he thought it was a few hours well spent, and he glanced over his shoulder at the open door behind him.
 
Lexie hadn’t returned to check on him. He sort of liked the fact that he couldn’t read her, and for a moment, he wished she lived in the city, or even someplace near the city. It would have been interesting to see the way things might have developed between them. A moment later, she pushed through the door.
 
“Hey there,” Lexie greeted him. “How’s it going?”
 
Jeremy turned. “Good. Thanks.”
 
She slipped into her jacket. “Listen, I was thinking about running out to grab lunch, and I was wondering if you wanted me to bring you something back.”
 
“Are you going to Herbs?” he asked.
 
“No. If you thought breakfast was busy, you should see the place at lunch. But I’d be happy to pick up a to-go order on my way back.”
 
He hesitated for only an instant.
 
“Well, would it be all right if I came with you to wherever it is you’re going? I should probably stretch my legs. I’ve been sitting here all morning, and I’d love to see someplace new. Maybe you could even show me around a bit.” He paused. “If that’s okay, I mean.”
 
She almost said no, but again, she heard Doris’s words, and her thoughts became muddled20. Should I or shouldn’t I? Despite her better judgment—thank you very much for that, Doris—she said, “Sure. But I’ve only got an hour or so before I have to get back, so I don’t know how much help I can be.”
 
He seemed almost as surprised as she did, and he stood, then followed her out the door. “Anything at all is fine,” he said. “Helps me fill in the blanks, you know. It’s important to know what goes on in a place like this.”
 
“In our little hick town, you mean?”
 
“I didn’t say it was a hick town. Those are your words.”
 
“Yeah. But they’re your thoughts, not mine. I love this place.”
 
“I’m sure,” he agreed. “Why else would you live here?”
 
“Because it’s not New York City, for one thing.”
 
“You’ve been there?”
 
“I used to live in Manhattan. On West Sixty-ninth.”
 
He almost stumbled in midstep. “That’s just a few blocks from where I live.”
 
She smiled. “Small world, isn’t it?”
 
Walking quickly, Jeremy struggled to keep up with her as she approached the stairs. “You’re kidding, right?”
 
“Nope,” she said. “Lived there with my boyfriend for almost a year. He worked for Morgan Stanley while I interned21 in the NYU library.”
 
“I can’t believe this . . .”
 
“What? That I lived in New York and left? Or that I lived near you? Or that I lived with my boyfriend?”
 
“All of it,” he said. “Or none of it. I’m not sure.” He was trying to fathom22 the thought of this small-town librarian living in his neighborhood. Noticing his expression, she had to laugh. “You’re all alike, you know that?” she said.
 
“Who?”
 
“People who live in the city. You live your life thinking that there’s no place in the world as special as New York and that no place else has anything to offer.”
 
“You’re right,” Jeremy admitted. “But that’s only because the rest of the world pales in comparison.”
 
Glancing over at him, she made a face that clearly telegraphed, You didn’t just say what I think you said, did you?
 
He shrugged24, acting25 innocent. “I mean, come on . . . Greenleaf Cottages can’t exactly compare to the Four Seasons or the Plaza26, can it? I mean, even you’ve got to admit that.”
 
She bristled27 at his smug attitude and began to walk even faster. She decided28 then and there that Doris didn’t know what she was talking about.
 
Jeremy, however, wouldn’t let it go. “Come on . . . admit it. You know I’m right, don’t you?”
 
By that point, they’d reached the front door of the library, and he held it open for her. Behind them, the elderly woman who worked in the lobby was watching them intently. Lexie held her tongue until she was just outside the door, then she turned on him.
 
“People don’t live in hotels,” she snapped. “They live in communities. And that’s what we have here. A community. Where people know and care about each other. Where kids can play at night and not worry about strangers.”
 
He raised his hands. “Hey,” he said, “don’t get me wrong. I love communities. I lived in one growing up. I knew every family in my neighborhood by name, because they’d lived there for years. Some of them still do, so believe me, I know exactly how important it is to get to know your neighbors, and how important it is for parents to know what their kids are doing and who they’re hanging out with. That’s the way it was for me. Even when I was off and about, neighbors would keep tabs on us. My point is that New York City has that, too, depending on where you live. Sure, if you live in my neighborhood, it’s filled with a lot of young career people on the move. But visit Park Slope in Brooklyn or Astoria in Queens, and you’ll see kids hanging out in the parks, playing basketball and soccer, and pretty much doing the same thing that kids are doing here.”
 
“Like you’ve ever thought about things like that.”
 
She regretted the sharpness in her tone the moment she lashed29 out at Jeremy. He, however, seemed unfazed.
 
“I have,” he said. “And believe me, if I had kids, I wouldn’t live where I do. I have a ton of nephews and nieces who live in the city, and every one of them lives in a neighborhood with lots of other kids and people watching out for them. In many ways, it’s a lot like this place.”
 
She said nothing, wondering if he was telling the truth.
 
“Look,” he offered, “I’m not trying to pick a fight here. My point is simply that kids turn out okay as long as the parents are involved, no matter where they live. It’s not like small towns have a monopoly on values. I mean, I’m sure if I did some digging, I’d find lots of kids that were in trouble here, too. Kids are kids, no matter where they live.” He smiled, trying to signal that he didn’t take what she’d said personally. “And besides, I’m not exactly sure how we got on the subject of kids, anyway. From this point on, I promise not to mention it again. All I was trying to say was that I was surprised that you lived in New York and only a couple of blocks from me.” He paused. “Truce?”
 
She stared at him before finally releasing her breath. Maybe he was right. No, she knew he was right. And, she admitted, she’d been the one who escalated30 the whole thing. Muddled thoughts can do that to a person. What on earth was she getting herself into here?
 
“Truce,” she finally agreed. “On one condition.”
 
“What’s that?”
 
“You have to do the driving. I didn’t bring a car.”
 
He looked relieved. “Let me find my keys.”
 
Neither was particularly hungry, so Lexie directed Jeremy to a small grocery store, and they emerged a few minutes later with a box of crackers32, some fresh fruit, various kinds of cheese, and two bottles of Snapple.
 
In the car, Lexie set the food at her feet. “Is there anything in particular you’d like to see?” Lexie asked.
 
“Riker’s Hill. Is there a road that leads to the top?”
 
She nodded. “It’s not much of a road. It was originally used for logging, but now it’s mainly deer hunters. It’s rough, though—I don’t know if you want to bring your car up there.”
 
“No big deal. It’s a rental33. And besides, I’m getting used to bad roads around here.”
 
“Okay,” she said, “but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
 
Neither said much as they headed out of town, past Cedar34 Creek35 Cemetery and over a small bridge. The road was soon lined with ever-thickening groves36 of trees on both sides. The blue sky had given way to an expanse of gray, reminding Jeremy of winter afternoons much farther north. Occasionally, flocks of starlings broke into flight as the car passed, moving in unison37 as if tethered together by string.
 
Lexie was uneasy in the silence, and so she began describing the area: real estate projects that had never come to fruition, the names of trees, Cedar Creek when it could be seen through the thicket38. Riker’s Hill loomed39 off to the left, looking gloomy and forbidding in the muted light.
 
Jeremy had driven this way after leaving the cemetery the first time and had turned around about here. It had been just a minute or so too soon, he learned, because she told him to turn at the next intersection40, which seemed to loop around toward the rear of Riker’s Hill. Leaning forward in her seat, she peered out the windshield.
 
“The turn is just up ahead,” she said. “You might want to slow down.”
 
Jeremy did, and as she continued to stare, he glanced over at her, noting the slight indentation of a frown line between her eyebrows41.
 
“Okay . . . there,” she said, pointing.
 
She was right: it wasn’t much of a road. Gravel43 and rutted, kind of like the entrance to Greenleaf, but worse. Exiting the main road, the car began to lurch44 and bounce. Jeremy slowed even more.
 
“Is Riker’s Hill state property?”
 
She nodded. “The state bought it from one of the big timber companies—Weyerhaeuser or Georgia-Pacific or something like that—when I was a little girl. Part of our local history, you know. But it’s not a park or anything. I think there were plans to make it into a campground at one time or another, but the state’s never gotten around to it.”
 
Loblolly pines closed in as the road narrowed, but the road itself seemed to improve as they moved higher, following an almost zigzag45 pattern to the top. Every now and then, a trail could be spotted46, which he assumed was used by hunters.
 
In time, the trees began to thin and the sky became more noticeable; as they neared the crest47, the vegetation looked more weathered, then almost devastated48. Dozens of trees had snapped in half; less than a third still seemed to be standing49 upright. The incline grew less steep, then flattened out as they neared the top. Jeremy pulled over to the side. Lexie motioned for him to turn off the engine, and they stepped out of the car.
 
Lexie crossed her arms as they walked. The air seemed colder up here, the breeze wintry and stinging. The sky seemed closer as well; clouds were no longer featureless, but twisting and curling into distinctive50 shapes. Down below, they could see the town, rooftops clustered together and perched along straight roads, one of which led to Cedar Creek Cemetery. Just beyond the town, the ancient, brackish51 river looked like flowing iron. He spotted both the highway bridge and a picturesque52 railroad trestle that rose high behind it as a red-tailed hawk53 circled overhead. Looking closely, Jeremy could just make out the tiny shape of the library and could even spot where Greenleaf was, though the cottages were lost in their surroundings.
 
“The view is amazing,” he finally said.
 
Lexie pointed toward the edge of town and helped him zero in on where to look. “See that little house over there? Kind of off to the side, near the pond? That’s where I live now. And over there? That’s Doris’s place. It’s where I grew up. Sometimes when I was little, I’d stare toward the hill imagining that I could see myself staring down from up here.”
 
He smiled. The breeze tossed her hair as she went on.
 
“As teenagers, my friends and I would sometimes come up here, and we’d stay for hours. During the summer, the heat makes the house lights twinkle, almost like stars. And the lightning bugs— well, there are so many in June that it almost looks like there’s another town in the sky. Even though everyone knew about this place, it wasn’t ever too crowded up here. It was always like a secret place that my friends and I could share.”
 
She paused, realizing that she felt strangely nervous. Though why she should be nervous was beyond her.
 
“I remember this one time when a big thunderstorm was expected. My friends and I got one of the boys to drive us up here in his truck. You know, one of those big-tired things that could make it down the Grand Canyon54, if need be. So we all came up here to watch the lightning, expecting to see it flickering55 in the sky. We didn’t stop to consider that we’d put ourselves at the highest spot in any direction. When the lightning started, it was beautiful at first. It would light up the sky, sometimes with a jagged flash, other times almost like a strobe light, and we’d count out loud until the thunder boomed. You know, to see how far away the lightning was. But the next thing we knew, the storm was on us. I mean, the wind was blowing so hard that the truck was actually rocking, and the rain made it impossible to see anything. Then the lightning started striking the trees around us. Gigantic bolts came down from the sky so close that the ground would tremble, and then the tops of pines would just explode into sparks.”
 
As she spoke56, Jeremy studied her. It was the most she’d said about herself since they’d met, and he tried to imagine what her life was like back then. Who was she in high school? One of the popular cheerleaders? Or one of the bookish girls, who spent her lunches in the library? Granted, it was ancient history—I mean, who cared about high school?—but even now, when she was lost in the memories, he wasn’t quite able to put his finger on who she’d been.
 
“I’ll bet you were terrified,” he said. “Lightning bolts can reach fifty thousand degrees, you know.” He glanced at her. “That’s ten times hotter than the surface of the sun.”
 
She smiled, amused. “I didn’t know that. But you’re right—I don’t think I’ve ever been so terrified in my entire life.”
 
“So what happened?”
 
“The storm passed as they always do. And once we collected ourselves, we drove back home. But I remember Rachel was holding my hand so hard that she left fingernail marks in my skin.”
 
“Rachel? That wouldn’t happen to be the waitress at Herbs, would it?”
 
“Yeah, that’s the one.” Crossing her arms, she looked over at him. “Why? Did she put the move on you at breakfast this morning?”
 
He shifted from one foot to the other. “Well, I wouldn’t call it that. She just seemed a little . . . forward is all.”
 
Lexie laughed. “It doesn’t surprise me. She’s . . . well, she’s Rachel. She and I were best friends growing up, and I still think of her as a sister of sorts. I suppose I always will. But after I went off to college and New York . . . well, it wasn’t the same after I got back. It just changed, for lack of a better word. Don’t get me wrong— she’s a sweet girl and she’s a lot of fun to spend time with and she hasn’t got a mean bone in her body, but . . .”
 
She trailed off. Jeremy looked at her closely.
 
“You see the world differently these days?” he suggested.
 
She sighed. “Yeah, I suppose that’s it.”
 
“I think it happens to everyone as they grow up,” Jeremy responded. “You find out who you are and what you want, and then you realize that people you’ve known forever don’t see things the way you do. And so you keep the wonderful memories, but find yourself moving on. It’s perfectly57 normal.”
 
“I know. But in a town this size, it’s a little harder to do. There are only so many people in their thirties here, and even fewer who are still single. It’s kind of a small world down here.”
 
He nodded before breaking into a smile. “Thirties?”
 
She suddenly remembered that he’d been trying to guess her age yesterday.
 
“Yep,” she said with a shrug23. “Getting old, I guess.”
 
“Or staying young,” he countered. “That’s how I think of myself, by the way. Whenever I get worried about aging, I just start wearing my pants lower, flash the waistband of my boxers58, wear my ball cap backward, and walk around the mall listening to rap.”
 
She gave an involuntary giggle59 at the image. Despite the chill in the air, she felt warm with the recognition, unexpected and yet strangely inevitable60, that she was enjoying his company. She wasn’t sure she liked him yet—in fact, she was pretty sure she didn’t—and for a moment, she struggled to reconcile the two feelings. Which meant, of course, that the whole subject should best be avoided. She brought a finger to her chin. “Yes, I can see that. You do seem to regard personal style as important.”
 
“Without a doubt. Why, just yesterday, in fact, people were particularly impressed with my wardrobe, including you.”
 
She laughed, and in the ensuing silence, she glanced at him. “I’ll bet you travel a lot for your job, don’t you?” she asked.
 
“Maybe four or five trips a year, each lasting61 a couple of weeks.”
 
“Have you ever been in a town like this?”
 
“No,” he said, “not really. Every place I go has its own charms, but I can say with all honesty that I’ve never been to a place like this. How about you? Other than New York, I mean.”
 
“I’ve been to UNC, in Chapel62 Hill, and spent a lot of time in Raleigh. And I’ve been to Charlotte, too, when I was in high school. Our football team made the state championship my senior year, so pretty much everyone in town made the road trip. Our convoy63 stretched four miles down the highway. And Washington, D.C., on a field trip when I was little. But I’ve never been overseas or anything like that.”
 
Even as she spoke, she knew how small her life would seem to him. Jeremy, as if reading her mind, flashed a hint of a smile.
 
“You’d like Europe. The cathedrals, the gorgeous countryside, the bistros and city squares. The relaxed lifestyle . . . you’d fit right in.”
 
Lexie dipped her eyes. It was a nice thought, but . . .
 
And that was the thing. The but. There was always a but. Life had a nasty tendency to make exotic opportunities few and far between. It simply wasn’t a reality for most folks. Like her. It wasn’t as if she could take Doris or take off much time from the library. And why on earth was he telling her all this, anyway? To show her that he was more cosmopolitan64 than she was? Well, I hate to break it to you, she thought, but I already know that.
 
And yet, even as she digested those thoughts, another voice piped in, telling her that he was trying to flatter her. He seemed to be saying that he knew she was different, more worldly, than he’d expected her to be. That she could fit in anywhere.
 
“I’ve always wanted to travel,” she admitted, sort of hedging the conflicting voices in her head. “It must be nice, having that chance.”
 
“It is, at times. But believe it or not, what I most enjoy is meeting new people. And when I look back on the places I’ve gone, more often than not I see faces, not things.”
 
“Now you’re sounding like a romantic,” she said. Oh, he was difficult to resist, this Mr. Jeremy Marsh65. First the ladies’ man and now the great altruist66; well traveled but still grounded; worldly but still cognizant of the things that really mattered. No matter whom he met or where he was, she had no doubt that he had an innate67 ability to make others—especially women—feel as if he was in kinship with them. Which, of course, led directly back to her first impression of him.
 
“Maybe I am a romantic,” he said, glancing over at her.
 
“You know what I liked about New York?” she asked, changing the subject.
 
He watched her expectantly.
 
“I liked the fact that there was always something happening. There were always people hurrying down the sidewalks and cabs buzzing by, no matter what time it was. There was always someplace to go, something to see, a new restaurant to try. It was exciting, especially to someone who’d grown up here. Like going to Mars, almost.”
 
“Why didn’t you stay?”
 
“I suppose I could have. But it wasn’t the place for me. I guess you might say that my reason for going there at all kind of changed. I went to be with someone.”
 
“Ah,” Jeremy said. “So you’d followed him up there?”
 
She nodded. “We met in college. He seemed so . . . I don’t know . . . perfect, I guess. He’d grown up in Greensboro, came from a good family, was intelligent. And really handsome, too. Handsome enough to make any woman ignore her best instincts. He looked my way, and the next thing I knew I was following him up to the city. Couldn’t help myself.”
 
Jeremy squirmed. “Is that right?”
 
She smiled inwardly. Men never wanted to hear how handsome other men were, especially if the relationship had been serious.
 
“Everything was great for a year or so. We were even engaged.” She seemed lost in thought before she let out a deep breath. “I took an internship68 at the NYU library, Avery went to work on Wall Street, and then one day I found him in bed with one of his co-workers. It kind of made me realize that he wasn’t the right guy, so I packed up that night and came back here. After that, I never saw him again.”
 
The breeze picked up, sounding almost like a whistle as it rushed up the slopes, and smelling faintly of the earth.
 
“Are you hungry?” she asked, wanting to change the subject again. “I mean, it’s nice visiting with you out here, but if I don’t get some nourishment69, I tend to get grumpy.”
 
“I’m starved,” he said.
 
They made their way back to the car and divided up the lunch. Jeremy opened the box of crackers on the front seat. Noticing that the view wasn’t much, he started the car, maneuvered70 around the crest, then—angling the car just right—reparked with a view of the town again.
 
“So you came back here and began working at the library, and . . .”
 
“That’s it,” she said. “That’s what I’ve been doing for the last seven years.”
 
He did the math, figuring she was about thirty-one.
 
“Any other boyfriends since then?” he asked.
 
With her fruit cup wedged between her legs, she broke off a piece of cheese and put it on a cracker31. She wondered if she should answer, then decided, What the hell, he’s leaving, anyway.
 
“Oh, sure. There were a few here and there.” She told him about the lawyer, the doctor, and—lately—Rodney Hopper. She didn’t mention Mr. Renaissance71.
 
“Well . . . good. You sound like you’re happy,” he said.
 
“I am,” she was quick to agree. “Aren’t you?”
 
“Most of the time. Every now and then, I go nuts, but I think that’s normal.”
 
“And that’s when you start wearing your pants low?”
 
“Exactly,” he said with a smile. He grabbed a handful of crackers, balanced a couple on his leg, and began stacking some cheese. He glanced up, looking serious. “Would you mind if I asked a personal question? You don’t have to answer, of course. I won’t take it the wrong way, believe me. I’m just curious.”
 
“You mean, more personal than telling you about my previous boyfriends?”
 
He gave a sheepish shrug, and she had a sudden vision of what he must have looked like as a small boy: a narrow, unlined face, bangs cut straight, shirt and jeans dirty from playing outside.
 
“Go ahead,” she said. “Ask away.”
 
He focused on the lid of his fruit cup as he spoke, suddenly reluctant to meet her gaze. “When we first got here, you pointed out your grandmother’s house. And you said you’d grown up there.”
 
She nodded. She’d wondered when he would ask about that.
 
“I did,” she said.
 
“Why?”
 
She looked out the window; habit made her search out the highway that led out of town. When she spotted it, she spoke slowly.
 
“My parents were coming back from Buxton, out on the Outer Banks. That was where they got married, and they owned a small beach cottage there. It’s kind of hard to get to from here, but my mom swore that it was the most beautiful place in the world, so my dad bought a small boat so they wouldn’t have to use the ferry to get there. It was their little escape, the two of them sneaking72 away, you know. There’s a beautiful lighthouse that you can see from the porch, and every now and then, I head out there, too, just like they used to, just to get away from it all.”
 
Her lips formed the tiniest of half-smiles before she went on. “But anyway, on their way back that night, my parents were tired. It still takes a couple of hours to get there even without the ferry, and the best guess is that on the way home, my dad fell asleep at the wheel and the car went off the bridge. By the time the police found the car and dredged it out the following morning, they were both dead.”
 
Jeremy was quiet for a long moment. “That’s terrible,” he finally said. “How old were you?”
 
“Two. I was staying with Doris that night, and the next day, she headed off to the hospital with my granddad. When they got back, they told me that I’d be living with them from now on. And so I did. But it’s strange; I mean, I know what happened, but it’s never seemed particularly real. I didn’t feel like I was missing anything when I was growing up. To me, my grandparents seemed like everyone else’s parents, except that I called them by their first names.” She smiled. “That was their idea, by the way. I guess they didn’t want me to think of them as grandparents anymore since they were raising me, but they weren’t my parents, either.”
 
When she finished, she looked over at him, noticing the way his shoulders seemed to fill out his sweater, and eyeing that dimple again.
 
“Now it’s my turn to ask questions,” she said. “I’ve talked too much, and I know that my life must be boring compared to yours. Not so much about my parents, of course, but living here, I mean.”
 
“No, it’s not boring at all. It’s interesting. Kind of like . . . reading a new book when you turn the pages and experience something unexpected.”
 
“Nice metaphor73.”
 
“I thought you might appreciate that.”
 
“So what about you? What made you want to become a journalist?”
 
For the next few minutes, he told her about his college years, his plans to become a professor, and the turn of events that had brought him to this point.
 
“And you said that you have five brothers?”
 
He nodded. “Five older brothers. I’m the baby of the family.”
 
“For some reason, I just can’t see you with brothers.”
 
“Why?”
 
“You strike me as more the only-child type.”
 
He shook his head. “It’s a shame you didn’t inherit the psychic74 abilities of the rest of your family.”
 
She smiled before glancing away. In the distance, red-tailed hawks75 circled above the town. She put her hand to the window, feeling the cold press of glass against her skin. “Two hundred forty-seven,” she said.
 
He looked over at her. “Excuse me?”
 
“That’s how many women visited Doris to find out the sex of their babies. Growing up, I’d see them sitting in the kitchen visiting with my grandmother. And it’s funny, even now I can remember thinking that they all had this look about them: the sparkle in their eyes, the fresh glow to their skin, and their genuine excitement. There is truth to the old wives’ tale that women who are pregnant glow, and I remember thinking that I wanted to look just like them when I grew up. Doris would talk to them for a while to make sure they were sure they wanted to know, and then she’d take their hand and get really quiet all of a sudden.
 
Hardly any of them were even showing, and a few seconds after that, she’d make her pronouncement.” Lexie let out a soft breath. “She was right every time. Two hundred forty-seven women came by, and she was right two hundred and forty-seven times. Doris kept their names in a book and wrote everything down, including the dates of the visits. You can check it out if you’d like. She still has the book in her kitchen.”
 
Jeremy simply stared at her. Impossible, he thought, a statistical76 fluke. One that pressed the limits of believability, but a fluke nonetheless. And her notebook, no doubt, would only show the guesses that had been right.
 
“I know what you’re thinking,” she said, “but you can check it out with the hospital, too. Or the women. And you can ask anyone you want, to see if she was ever mistaken. But she wasn’t. Even the doctors around town will tell you straight up that she had a gift.”
 
“Did you ever think that maybe she knew someone who did the ultrasounds?”
 
“That wasn’t it,” she insisted.
 
“How can you know for sure?”
 
“Because that’s when she stopped. When the technology finally arrived in town. There was no reason for people to come to her anymore, once they could see the picture of the baby themselves. The women visitors began slowing after that, then turned into a trickle77. Now it’s maybe one or two people a year, usually folks from out in the country who don’t have medical insurance. I guess you could say her abilities aren’t in too much demand these days.”
 
“And the divining?”
 
“Same thing,” she said. “There isn’t much demand around here for someone with her skills. The entire eastern section of the state sits over a vast reservoir. You can sink a well anywhere and find water around here. But when she was growing up in Cobb County, Georgia, farmers would come to the house begging for her help, especially during the droughts. And even though she
 
wasn’t more than eight or nine, she’d find the water every time.”
 
“Interesting,” Jeremy said.
 
“I take it you still don’t believe it.”
 
He shifted in his seat. “There’s an explanation somewhere. There always is.”
 
“You don’t believe in magic of any kind?”
 
“No,” he said.
 
“That’s sad,” she said. “Because sometimes it’s real.”
 
He smiled. “Well, maybe I’ll find something that changes my mind while I’m down here.”
 
She smiled, too. “You already have. You’re just too stubborn to believe it.”
 
After finishing their makeshift lunch, Jeremy slid the car into gear, and they bounced back down Riker’s Hill, the front wheels seemingly drawn78 to every deep rut. The shocks squeaked79 and groaned80, and by the time they reached the bottom, Jeremy’s knuckles81 were white on the wheel.
 
They followed the same roads back. Passing Cedar Creek Cemetery, Jeremy found his eyes drawn to the top of Riker’s Hill; despite the distance, he could pick out the spot where they’d parked.
 
“Do we have time to see a couple of other places? I’d love to swing by the marina, the paper mill, and maybe the railroad trestle.”
 
“We have time,” she said. “As long as we don’t stay too long. They’re pretty much all in the same area.”
 
Ten minutes later, following her directions, he parked again. They were at the far edge of downtown, a few blocks from Herbs, near the boardwalk that stretched along the riverfront. The Pamlico River was nearly a mile wide and flowed angrily, the currents rippling82 to form tiny whitecaps as they rushed downstream. On the far side of the river, near the railroad trestle, the paper mill— a huge structure—spewed clouds from the dueling83 smokestacks.
 
Jeremy stretched as he stepped out of the car, and Lexie crossed
 
her arms. Her cheeks began to redden in the chill.
 
“Is it getting colder, or is it just my imagination?” she asked.
 
“It’s pretty cold,” he agreed. “Seems colder than it was up top, but maybe we just got used to the heater in the car.”
 
Jeremy struggled to catch up to her as she set off for the boardwalk. Lexie finally slowed and then stopped to lean against the railing as Jeremy gazed up at the railroad trestle. Perched high above the river to let large boats pass, it was crisscrossed with beams, resembling a suspension bridge.
 
“I didn’t know how close you wanted to get,” she said. “If we had more time, I would have taken you across the river to the mill, but you probably get a better view from here.” She motioned toward the other end of town. “The marina is over there, near the highway. Can you see where all those sailboats are docked?”
 
Jeremy nodded. For some reason, he’d expected something grander.
 
“Can big boats dock there?”
 
“I think so. Some big yachts from New Bern sometimes stop over for a couple of days.”
 
“How about barges85?”
 
“I suppose they could. The river is dredged to allow for some of the logging barges, but they usually stop on the far side. Over there”—she pointed to what seemed to be a small cove—“you can see a couple there now, all loaded up.”
 
He followed her gaze, then turned around, coordinating86 locations. With Riker’s Hill in the distance, the trestle and the factory seemed perfectly aligned87. Coincidence? Or completely unimportant? He stared in the direction of the paper mill, trying to figure out whether the tops of the smokestacks were lit at night. He’d have to check on that.
 
“Do they ship all the logs by barge84, or do you know if they use the railroad, too?”
 
“I’ve never noticed, to tell you the truth. I’m sure it would be easy to find out, though.”
 
“Do you know how many trains use the trestle?”
 
“Again, I’m not sure. Sometimes I hear the whistle at night, and I’ve had to stop more than once in town at the crossing to let the train pass, but it’s not as if I could tell you for certain. I do know they make a lot of shipments from the mill, though. That’s where the train actually stops.”
 
Jeremy nodded as he stared at the trestle.
 
Lexie smiled and went on. “I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that maybe the light from the train shines as it goes over the trestle and that’s what’s causing the lights, right?”
 
“It did cross my mind.”
 
“That’s not it,” she said, shaking her head.
 
“You’re sure?”
 
“At night, the trains pull into the yard at the paper mill so they can be loaded the following day. So the light on the locomotive is shining in the opposite direction, away from Riker’s Hill.”
 
He considered that as he joined her at the railing. The wind whipped her hair, making it look wild. She tucked her hands into her jacket pockets.
 
“I can see why you liked growing up here,” he commented.
 
She turned so that she could lean back against the railing, and stared toward the downtown area—the neat little shops festooned with American flags, a barbershop pole, a small park nestled at the edge of the boardwalk. On the sidewalk, passersby88 moved in and out of the establishments, carrying bags. Despite the chill, no one seemed to be rushing at all.
 
“Well, it is a lot like New York, I have to admit.”
 
He laughed. “That’s not what I meant. I meant that my parents probably would have loved to raise their kids in a place like this. With big green lawns and forests to play in. Even a river where you could go swimming when it gets hot. It must have been . . .
 
idyllic89.”
 
“It still is. And that’s what people say about living here.”
 
“You seem to have thrived here.”
 
For an instant, she seemed almost sad. “Yeah, but I went off to college. A lot of people around here never do. It’s a poor county, and the town has been struggling ever since the textile mill and phosphorous mine closed, and a lot of parents don’t put much stock into getting a good education. That’s what’s hard sometimes—trying to convince some kids that there’s more to life than working in the paper mill across the river. I live here because I want to live here. I made the choice. But for a lot of these people, they simply stay because it’s impossible for them to leave.”
 
“That happens everywhere. None of my brothers went to college, either, so I was sort of the oddball, in that learning came easy for me. My parents are working-class folks and lived in Queens their whole life. My dad was a bus driver for the city. Spent forty years of his life sitting behind the wheel until he finally retired90.”
 
She seemed amused. “That’s funny. Yesterday I had you pegged91 as an Upper East Sider. You know, doorman greeting you by name, prep schools, five-course meals for dinner, a butler who announces guests.”
 
He recoiled92 in mock horror. “First an only child and now this? I’m beginning to think that you perceive me as spoiled.”
 
“No, not spoiled . . . just . . .”
 
“Don’t say it,” he said, raising his hand. “I’d rather not know. Especially since it isn’t true.”
 
“How do you know what I was going to say?”
 
“Because you’re currently oh for two, and neither was particularly flattering.”
 
The corners of her mouth turned up slightly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”
 
“Yes, you did,” he said with a grin. He turned around and leaned his back against the rail as well. The breeze stung his face. “But don’t worry, I won’t take it personally. Since I’m not some spoiled rich kid, I mean.”
 
“No. You’re an objective journalist.”
 
“Exactly.”
 
“Even though you refuse to have an open mind about anything mysterious.”
 
“Exactly.”
 
She laughed. “What about the supposed mysteriousness of women? Don’t you believe in that?”
 
“Oh, I know that’s true,” he said, thinking of her in particular. “But it’s different than believing the possibility of cold fusion93.”
 
“Why?”
 
“Because women are a subjective94 mystery, not an objective one. You can’t measure anything about them scientifically, although, of course, there are genetic95 differences between the genders96. Women only strike men as being mysterious because they don’t realize that men and women see the world differently.”
 
“They do, huh?”
 
“Sure. It goes back to evolution and the best ways to preserve the species.”
 
“And you’re an expert on that?”
 
“I have a bit of knowledge in that area, yes.”
 
“And so you consider yourself an expert on women, too?”
 
“No, not really. I’m shy, remember?”
 
“Uh-huh, I remember. I just don’t believe it.”
 
He crossed his arms. “Let me guess . . . you think I have a problem with commitment?”
 
She looked him over. “I think that about sums it up.”
 
He laughed. “What can I say? Investigative journalism97 is a glamorous98 world, and there are legions of women who yearn99 to be part of it.”
 
She rolled her eyes. “Puh-lease,” she said. “It’s not like you’re a movie star or sing in a rock band. You write for Scientific American.”
 
“And?”
 
“Well, I may be from the South, but even so, I can’t imagine your magazine is deluged100 with groupies.”
 
He gazed at her triumphantly101. “I think you just contradicted yourself.”
 
She raised an eyebrow42. “You think you’re very clever, Mr. Marsh, don’t you?”
 
“Oh, so we’re back to ‘Mr. Marsh’ now?”
 
“Maybe. I haven’t decided yet.” She tucked a blowing strand102 of hair behind her ear. “But you missed the fact that you don’t have to have groupies to . . . get around. All you need is to hang out in the right kind of places and pour on the charm.”
 
“And you think I’m charming?”
 
“I would say some women would find you charming.”
 
“But not you.”
 
“We’re not talking about me. We’re talking about you, and right now you’re doing your best to change the subject. Which probably means that I’m right but that you don’t want to admit it.”
 
He stared at her admiringly. “You’re very clever, Ms. Darnell.”
 
She nodded. “I’ve heard that.”
 
“And charming,” he added for good measure.
 
She smiled at him, then glanced away. She looked down the boardwalk, then across the street toward the town, then up at the sky before she sighed. She wasn’t going to respond to his flattery, she decided. Nonetheless, she felt herself blushing.
 
As if reading her mind, Jeremy changed the subject. “So this weekend,” he started. “What’s it like?”
 
“Won’t you be here?” she asked.
 
“Probably. For part of it, anyway. But I was just curious how you felt about it.”
 
“Aside from making a lot of people’s lives crazy for a few days?” she asked. “It’s . . . needed at this time of year. You go through Thanksgiving and Christmas in a rush, and then nothing is on the schedule until spring. And meanwhile, it’s cold and gray and rainy . . . so years ago, the town council decided to do the Historic Homes Tour. And ever since then, they’ve just added more festivities to it in the hope of making for a special weekend. This year it’s the cemetery, last year the parade, the year before that, they added a Friday night barn dance. Now it’s becoming part of the tradition of the town, so most of the folks who live here look forward to it.” She glanced at him. “As small-town forgettable as it sounds, it’s actually sort of fun.”
 
Watching her, Jeremy raised his eyebrows, remembering the barn dance from the brochure. “They have a dance?” he asked, feigning103 ignorance.
 
She nodded. “On Friday night. In Meyer’s tobacco barn downtown. It’s quite the shindig, with a live band and everything. It’s the only night of the year that the Lookilu Tavern104 is pretty much empty.”
 
“Well, if I happen to go, maybe you’ll dance with me.”
 
She smiled before finally eyeing him with an almost seductive look. “I’ll tell you what. If you solve the mystery by then, I’ll dance with you.”
 
“You promise?”
 
“I promise,” she said. “But our deal is that you have to solve the mystery first.”
 
“Fair enough,” he said. “I can’t wait. And when it comes to the Lindy or the fox-trot . . .” He shook his head, drawing a long breath. “Well, all I can say is that I hope you can keep up.”
 
She laughed. “I’ll do my best.”
 
Crossing her arms, Lexie watched the sun trying and failing to break through the gloom. “Tonight,” she said.
 
He frowned. “Tonight?”
 
“You’ll see the lights tonight. If you go to the cemetery.”
 
“How do you know?”
 
“The fog is coming in.”
 
He followed her gaze. “How can you tell? It doesn’t seem any different to me.”
 
“Look across the river behind me,” she said. “The tops of the smokestacks on the paper mill are already hidden by clouds.”
 
“Yeah, sure . . . ,” he said, trailing off.
 
“Turn around and look. You’ll see.”
 
He looked over his shoulder and back, then looked once more, studying the outlines of the paper mill. “You’re right,” he said.
 
“Of course, I am.”
 
“I guess you peeked105 when I wasn’t looking, huh?”
 
“No,” she said. “I just knew.”
 
“Ah,” he said. “One of those pesky mysteries again?”
 
She pushed herself from the railing. “If that’s what you want to call it,” she said. “But c’mon. It’s getting a little late, and I have to get back to the library. I have to read to the children in fifteen minutes.”
 
As they made their way back to the car, Jeremy noticed that the top of Riker’s Hill had become hidden as well. He smiled, thinking, So that’s how she did it. See it over there, figure it must be happening across the river, too. Tricky106.
 
“Well, tell me,” he said, doing his best to hide his smirk107, “since you seem to have hidden talents, how can you be so sure the lights will be out tonight?”
 
It took a moment for her to answer.
 
“I just am,” she said.
 
“Well, I guess it’s settled, then. I should probably head out there, shouldn’t I?” As soon as he spoke the words, he remembered the dinner he was supposed to attend and he suddenly winced108.
 
“What?” she asked, puzzled.
 
“Oh, the mayor is setting up a dinner with a few people he thought I should meet,” he said. “A little get-together109 or something.”
 
“For you?”
 
He smiled. “What? You’re impressed by that?”
 
“No, just surprised.”
 
“Why?”
 
“Because I hadn’t heard about it.”
 
“I only found out this morning.”
 
“Still, it’s surprising. But I wouldn’t worry about not seeing the lights, even if you do go to dinner with the mayor. The lights don’t usually come out until late, anyway. You’ll have plenty of time.”
 
“Are you sure?”
 
“That’s when I saw them. It was a little before midnight.”
 
He stopped in his tracks. “Wait—you’ve seen them? You didn’t mention that.”
 
She smiled. “You didn’t ask.”
 
“You keep saying that.”
 
“Well, Mr. Journalist, that’s only because you keep forgetting to ask.”

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 hunched 532924f1646c4c5850b7c607069be416     
(常指因寒冷、生病或愁苦)耸肩弓身的,伏首前倾的
参考例句:
  • He sat with his shoulders hunched up. 他耸起双肩坐着。
  • Stephen hunched down to light a cigarette. 斯蒂芬弓着身子点燃一支烟。
2 folklore G6myz     
n.民间信仰,民间传说,民俗
参考例句:
  • Zhuge Liang is a synonym for wisdom in folklore.诸葛亮在民间传说中成了智慧的代名词。
  • In Chinese folklore the bat is an emblem of good fortune.在中国的民间传说中蝙蝠是好运的象征。
3 cemetery ur9z7     
n.坟墓,墓地,坟场
参考例句:
  • He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
  • His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。
4 noted 5n4zXc     
adj.著名的,知名的
参考例句:
  • The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
  • Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
5 informative 6QczZ     
adj.提供资料的,增进知识的
参考例句:
  • The adverts are not very informative.这些广告并没有包含太多有用信息。
  • This intriguing book is both thoughtful and informative.这本引人入胜的书既有思想性又富知识性。
6 coastal WWiyh     
adj.海岸的,沿海的,沿岸的
参考例句:
  • The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
  • This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。
7 proximity 5RsxM     
n.接近,邻近
参考例句:
  • Marriages in proximity of blood are forbidden by the law.法律规定禁止近亲结婚。
  • Their house is in close proximity to ours.他们的房子很接近我们的。
8 eyewitness VlVxj     
n.目击者,见证人
参考例句:
  • The police questioned several eyewitness to the murder.警察询问了谋杀案的几位目击者。
  • He was the only eyewitness of the robbery.他是那起抢劫案的唯一目击者。
9 vapors 94a2c1cb72b6aa4cb43b8fb8f61653d4     
n.水汽,水蒸气,无实质之物( vapor的名词复数 );自夸者;幻想 [药]吸入剂 [古]忧郁(症)v.自夸,(使)蒸发( vapor的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • His emotions became vague and shifted about like vapors. 他的心情则如同一团雾气,变幻无常,捉摸不定。 来自辞典例句
  • They have hysterics, they weep, they have the vapors. 他们歇斯底里,他们哭泣,他们精神忧郁。 来自辞典例句
10 atmospheric 6eayR     
adj.大气的,空气的;大气层的;大气所引起的
参考例句:
  • Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
  • Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。
11 automobile rP1yv     
n.汽车,机动车
参考例句:
  • He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
  • The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。
12 fungi 6hRx6     
n.真菌,霉菌
参考例句:
  • Students practice to apply the study of genetics to multicellular plants and fungi.学生们练习把基因学应用到多细胞植物和真菌中。
  • The lawn was covered with fungi.草地上到处都是蘑菇。
13 algae tK6yW     
n.水藻,海藻
参考例句:
  • Most algae live in water.多数藻类生长在水中。
  • Algae grow and spread quickly in the lake.湖中水藻滋蔓。
14 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的
参考例句:
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
15 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
16 dense aONzX     
a.密集的,稠密的,浓密的;密度大的
参考例句:
  • The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
  • The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。
17 pinpoint xNExL     
vt.准确地确定;用针标出…的精确位置
参考例句:
  • It is difficult to pinpoint when water problems of the modern age began.很难准确地指出,现代用水的问题是什么时候出现的。
  • I could pinpoint his precise location on a map.我能在地图上指明他的准确位置。
18 quarries d5fb42f71c1399bccddd9bc5a29d4bad     
n.(采)石场( quarry的名词复数 );猎物(指鸟,兽等);方形石;(格窗等的)方形玻璃v.从采石场采得( quarry的第三人称单数 );从(书本等中)努力发掘(资料等);在采石场采石
参考例句:
  • This window was filled with old painted glass in quarries. 这窗户是由旧日的彩色菱形玻璃装配的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They hewed out the stones for the building from nearby quarries. 他们从邻近的采石场开凿出石头供建造那栋房子用。 来自辞典例句
19 excavation RiKzY     
n.挖掘,发掘;被挖掘之地
参考例句:
  • The bad weather has hung up the work of excavation.天气不好耽误了挖掘工作。
  • The excavation exposed some ancient ruins.这次挖掘暴露出一些古遗迹。
20 muddled cb3d0169d47a84e95c0dfa5c4d744221     
adj.混乱的;糊涂的;头脑昏昏然的v.弄乱,弄糟( muddle的过去式);使糊涂;对付,混日子
参考例句:
  • He gets muddled when the teacher starts shouting. 老师一喊叫他就心烦意乱。
  • I got muddled up and took the wrong turning. 我稀里糊涂地拐错了弯。 来自《简明英汉词典》
21 interned 7006cc1f45048a987771967c7a5bdb31     
v.拘留,关押( intern的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He was interned but,as he was in no way implicated in war crimes,was released. 他曾被拘留过,但因未曾涉嫌战争罪行而被释放了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • These soldiers were interned in a neutral country until the war was over. 这些士兵被拘留在一个中立国,直到战争结束。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
22 fathom w7wy3     
v.领悟,彻底了解
参考例句:
  • I really couldn't fathom what he was talking about.我真搞不懂他在说些什么。
  • What these people hoped to achieve is hard to fathom.这些人希望实现些什么目标难以揣测。
23 shrug Ry3w5     
v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等)
参考例句:
  • With a shrug,he went out of the room.他耸一下肩,走出了房间。
  • I admire the way she is able to shrug off unfair criticism.我很佩服她能对错误的批评意见不予理会。
24 shrugged 497904474a48f991a3d1961b0476ebce     
vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀,什么也没说。
  • She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩,装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
25 acting czRzoc     
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的
参考例句:
  • Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
  • During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
26 plaza v2yzD     
n.广场,市场
参考例句:
  • They designated the new shopping centre York Plaza.他们给这个新购物中心定名为约克购物中心。
  • The plaza is teeming with undercover policemen.这个广场上布满了便衣警察。
27 bristled bristled     
adj. 直立的,多刺毛的 动词bristle的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • They bristled at his denigrating description of their activities. 听到他在污蔑他们的活动,他们都怒发冲冠。
  • All of us bristled at the lawyer's speech insulting our forefathers. 听到那个律师在讲演中污蔑我们的祖先,大家都气得怒发冲冠。
28 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
29 lashed 4385e23a53a7428fb973b929eed1bce6     
adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 );煽动;紧系;怒斥
参考例句:
  • The rain lashed at the windows. 雨点猛烈地打在窗户上。
  • The cleverly designed speech lashed the audience into a frenzy. 这篇精心设计的演说煽动听众使他们发狂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
30 escalated 219d770572d00a227dc481a3bdb2c51e     
v.(使)逐步升级( escalate的过去式和过去分词 );(使)逐步扩大;(使)更高;(使)更大
参考例句:
  • The fighting escalated into a full-scale war. 这场交战逐步扩大为全面战争。
  • The demonstration escalated into a pitched battle with the police. 示威逐步升级,演变成了一场同警察的混战。
31 cracker svCz5a     
n.(无甜味的)薄脆饼干
参考例句:
  • Buy me some peanuts and cracker.给我买一些花生和饼干。
  • There was a cracker beside every place at the table.桌上每个位置旁都有彩包爆竹。
32 crackers nvvz5e     
adj.精神错乱的,癫狂的n.爆竹( cracker的名词复数 );薄脆饼干;(认为)十分愉快的事;迷人的姑娘
参考例句:
  • That noise is driving me crackers. 那噪声闹得我简直要疯了。
  • We served some crackers and cheese as an appetiser. 我们上了些饼干和奶酪作为开胃品。 来自《简明英汉词典》
33 rental cBezh     
n.租赁,出租,出租业
参考例句:
  • The yearly rental of her house is 2400 yuan.她这房子年租金是2400元。
  • We can organise car rental from Chicago O'Hare Airport.我们可以安排提供从芝加哥奥黑尔机场出发的租车服务。
34 cedar 3rYz9     
n.雪松,香柏(木)
参考例句:
  • The cedar was about five feet high and very shapely.那棵雪松约有五尺高,风姿优美。
  • She struck the snow from the branches of an old cedar with gray lichen.她把长有灰色地衣的老雪松树枝上的雪打了下来。
35 creek 3orzL     
n.小溪,小河,小湾
参考例句:
  • He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
  • People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。
36 groves eb036e9192d7e49b8aa52d7b1729f605     
树丛,小树林( grove的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The early sun shone serenely on embrowned groves and still green fields. 朝阳宁静地照耀着已经发黄的树丛和还是一片绿色的田地。
  • The trees grew more and more in groves and dotted with old yews. 那里的树木越来越多地长成了一簇簇的小丛林,还点缀着几棵老紫杉树。
37 unison gKCzB     
n.步调一致,行动一致
参考例句:
  • The governments acted in unison to combat terrorism.这些国家的政府一致行动对付恐怖主义。
  • My feelings are in unison with yours.我的感情与你的感情是一致的。
38 thicket So0wm     
n.灌木丛,树林
参考例句:
  • A thicket makes good cover for animals to hide in.丛林是动物的良好隐蔽处。
  • We were now at the margin of the thicket.我们现在已经来到了丛林的边缘。
39 loomed 9423e616fe6b658c9a341ebc71833279     
v.隐约出现,阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 );隐约出现,阴森地逼近
参考例句:
  • A dark shape loomed up ahead of us. 一个黑糊糊的影子隐隐出现在我们的前面。
  • The prospect of war loomed large in everyone's mind. 战事将起的庞大阴影占据每个人的心。 来自《简明英汉词典》
40 intersection w54xV     
n.交集,十字路口,交叉点;[计算机] 交集
参考例句:
  • There is a stop sign at an intersection.在交叉路口处有停车标志。
  • Bridges are used to avoid the intersection of a railway and a highway.桥用来避免铁路和公路直接交叉。
41 eyebrows a0e6fb1330e9cfecfd1c7a4d00030ed5     
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
  • His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。
42 eyebrow vlOxk     
n.眉毛,眉
参考例句:
  • Her eyebrow is well penciled.她的眉毛画得很好。
  • With an eyebrow raised,he seemed divided between surprise and amusement.他一只眉毛扬了扬,似乎既感到吃惊,又觉有趣。
43 gravel s6hyT     
n.砂跞;砂砾层;结石
参考例句:
  • We bought six bags of gravel for the garden path.我们购买了六袋碎石用来铺花园的小路。
  • More gravel is needed to fill the hollow in the drive.需要更多的砾石来填平车道上的坑洼。
44 lurch QR8z9     
n.突然向前或旁边倒;v.蹒跚而行
参考例句:
  • It has been suggested that the ground movements were a form of lurch movements.地震的地面运动曾被认为是一种突然倾斜的运动形式。
  • He walked with a lurch.他步履蹒跚。
45 zigzag Hf6wW     
n.曲折,之字形;adj.曲折的,锯齿形的;adv.曲折地,成锯齿形地;vt.使曲折;vi.曲折前行
参考例句:
  • The lightning made a zigzag in the sky.闪电在天空划出一道Z字形。
  • The path runs zigzag up the hill.小径向山顶蜿蜒盘旋。
46 spotted 7FEyj     
adj.有斑点的,斑纹的,弄污了的
参考例句:
  • The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
  • Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。
47 crest raqyA     
n.顶点;饰章;羽冠;vt.达到顶点;vi.形成浪尖
参考例句:
  • The rooster bristled his crest.公鸡竖起了鸡冠。
  • He reached the crest of the hill before dawn.他于黎明前到达山顶。
48 devastated eb3801a3063ef8b9664b1b4d1f6aaada     
v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词);摧毁;毁灭;在感情上(精神上、财务上等)压垮adj.毁坏的;极为震惊的
参考例句:
  • The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
  • His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。
49 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
50 distinctive Es5xr     
adj.特别的,有特色的,与众不同的
参考例句:
  • She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
  • This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。
51 brackish 4R8yW     
adj.混有盐的;咸的
参考例句:
  • Brackish waters generally support only a small range of faunas.咸水水域通常只能存活为数不多的几种动物。
  • The factory has several shallow pools of brackish water.工厂有几个浅的咸水池。
52 picturesque qlSzeJ     
adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的
参考例句:
  • You can see the picturesque shores beside the river.在河边你可以看到景色如画的两岸。
  • That was a picturesque phrase.那是一个形象化的说法。
53 hawk NeKxY     
n.鹰,骗子;鹰派成员
参考例句:
  • The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it.鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来,并把它杀死。
  • The hawk snatched the chicken and flew away.老鹰叼了小鸡就飞走了。
54 canyon 4TYya     
n.峡谷,溪谷
参考例句:
  • The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
  • The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。
55 flickering wjLxa     
adj.闪烁的,摇曳的,一闪一闪的
参考例句:
  • The crisp autumn wind is flickering away. 清爽的秋风正在吹拂。
  • The lights keep flickering. 灯光忽明忽暗。
56 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
57 perfectly 8Mzxb     
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
  • Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
58 boxers a8fc8ea2ba891ef896d3ca5822c4405d     
n.拳击短裤;(尤指职业)拳击手( boxer的名词复数 );拳师狗
参考例句:
  • The boxers were goaded on by the shrieking crowd. 拳击运动员听见观众的喊叫就来劲儿了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The boxers slugged it out to the finish. 两名拳击手最后决出了胜负。 来自《简明英汉词典》
59 giggle 4eNzz     
n.痴笑,咯咯地笑;v.咯咯地笑着说
参考例句:
  • Both girls began to giggle.两个女孩都咯咯地笑了起来。
  • All that giggle and whisper is too much for me.我受不了那些咯咯的笑声和交头接耳的样子。
60 inevitable 5xcyq     
adj.不可避免的,必然发生的
参考例句:
  • Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
  • The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。
61 lasting IpCz02     
adj.永久的,永恒的;vbl.持续,维持
参考例句:
  • The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
  • We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。
62 chapel UXNzg     
n.小教堂,殡仪馆
参考例句:
  • The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
  • She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午,她在小教堂的演出,可以说是登峰造极。
63 convoy do6zu     
vt.护送,护卫,护航;n.护送;护送队
参考例句:
  • The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
  • Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。
64 cosmopolitan BzRxj     
adj.世界性的,全世界的,四海为家的,全球的
参考例句:
  • New York is a highly cosmopolitan city.纽约是一个高度世界性的城市。
  • She has a very cosmopolitan outlook on life.她有四海一家的人生观。
65 marsh Y7Rzo     
n.沼泽,湿地
参考例句:
  • There are a lot of frogs in the marsh.沼泽里有许多青蛙。
  • I made my way slowly out of the marsh.我缓慢地走出这片沼泽地。
66 altruist 9de2326fec5d663e8382a9d637400b42     
n.利他主义者,爱他主义者
参考例句:
67 innate xbxzC     
adj.天生的,固有的,天赋的
参考例句:
  • You obviously have an innate talent for music.你显然有天生的音乐才能。
  • Correct ideas are not innate in the mind.人的正确思想不是自己头脑中固有的。
68 internship oqmzJB     
n.实习医师,实习医师期
参考例句:
  • an internship at a television station 在电视台的实习期
  • a summer internship with a small stipend 薪水微薄的暑期实习
69 nourishment Ovvyi     
n.食物,营养品;营养情况
参考例句:
  • Lack of proper nourishment reduces their power to resist disease.营养不良降低了他们抵抗疾病的能力。
  • He ventured that plants draw part of their nourishment from the air.他大胆提出植物从空气中吸收部分养分的观点。
70 maneuvered 7d19f91478ac481ffdfcbdf37b4eb25d     
v.移动,用策略( maneuver的过去式和过去分词 );操纵
参考例句:
  • I maneuvered my way among the tables to the back corner of the place. 我在那些桌子间穿行,来到那地方后面的角落。 来自辞典例句
  • The admiral maneuvered his ships in the battle plan. 舰队司令按作战计划进行舰队演习。 来自辞典例句
71 renaissance PBdzl     
n.复活,复兴,文艺复兴
参考例句:
  • The Renaissance was an epoch of unparalleled cultural achievement.文艺复兴是一个文化上取得空前成就的时代。
  • The theme of the conference is renaissance Europe.大会的主题是文艺复兴时期的欧洲。
72 sneaking iibzMu     
a.秘密的,不公开的
参考例句:
  • She had always had a sneaking affection for him. 以前她一直暗暗倾心于他。
  • She ducked the interviewers by sneaking out the back door. 她从后门偷偷溜走,躲开采访者。
73 metaphor o78zD     
n.隐喻,暗喻
参考例句:
  • Using metaphor,we say that computers have senses and a memory.打个比方,我们可以说计算机有感觉和记忆力。
  • In poetry the rose is often a metaphor for love.玫瑰在诗中通常作为爱的象征。
74 psychic BRFxT     
n.对超自然力敏感的人;adj.有超自然力的
参考例句:
  • Some people are said to have psychic powers.据说有些人有通灵的能力。
  • She claims to be psychic and to be able to foretell the future.她自称有特异功能,能预知未来。
75 hawks c8b4f3ba2fd1208293962d95608dd1f1     
鹰( hawk的名词复数 ); 鹰派人物,主战派人物
参考例句:
  • Two hawks were hover ing overhead. 两只鹰在头顶盘旋。
  • Both hawks and doves have expanded their conditions for ending the war. 鹰派和鸽派都充分阐明了各自的停战条件。
76 statistical bu3wa     
adj.统计的,统计学的
参考例句:
  • He showed the price fluctuations in a statistical table.他用统计表显示价格的波动。
  • They're making detailed statistical analysis.他们正在做具体的统计分析。
77 trickle zm2w8     
vi.淌,滴,流出,慢慢移动,逐渐消散
参考例句:
  • The stream has thinned down to a mere trickle.这条小河变成细流了。
  • The flood of cars has now slowed to a trickle.汹涌的车流现在已经变得稀稀拉拉。
78 drawn MuXzIi     
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
参考例句:
  • All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
  • Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
79 squeaked edcf2299d227f1137981c7570482c7f7     
v.短促地尖叫( squeak的过去式和过去分词 );吱吱叫;告密;充当告密者
参考例句:
  • The radio squeaked five. 收音机里嘟嘟地发出五点钟报时讯号。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • Amy's shoes squeaked on the tiles as she walked down the corridor. 埃米走过走廊时,鞋子踩在地砖上嘎吱作响。 来自辞典例句
80 groaned 1a076da0ddbd778a674301b2b29dff71     
v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 );发牢骚;抱怨;受苦
参考例句:
  • He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
  • The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》
81 knuckles c726698620762d88f738be4a294fae79     
n.(指人)指关节( knuckle的名词复数 );(指动物)膝关节,踝v.(指人)指关节( knuckle的第三人称单数 );(指动物)膝关节,踝
参考例句:
  • He gripped the wheel until his knuckles whitened. 他紧紧握住方向盘,握得指关节都变白了。
  • Her thin hands were twisted by swollen knuckles. 她那双纤手因肿大的指关节而变了形。 来自《简明英汉词典》
82 rippling b84b2d05914b2749622963c1ef058ed5     
起涟漪的,潺潺流水般声音的
参考例句:
  • I could see the dawn breeze rippling the shining water. 我能看见黎明的微风在波光粼粼的水面上吹出道道涟漪。
  • The pool rippling was caused by the waving of the reeds. 池塘里的潺潺声是芦苇摇动时引起的。
83 dueling dueling     
n. 决斗, 抗争(=duelling) 动词duel的现在分词形式
参考例句:
  • More light-hearted But somewhat puzzled, Vladimir prepared to meet Eugene on the dueling ground. 弗拉基米尔心里轻松了一些,但仍感到有些困惑,在这种心情下,他准备去决斗场地迎战叶甫盖尼。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
  • They had been dueling for hours and finally called a draw. 他们一直决斗了数小时,最后打成平局。
84 barge munzH     
n.平底载货船,驳船
参考例句:
  • The barge was loaded up with coal.那艘驳船装上了煤。
  • Carrying goods by train costs nearly three times more than carrying them by barge.通过铁路运货的成本比驳船运货成本高出近3倍。
85 barges f4f7840069bccdd51b419326033cf7ad     
驳船( barge的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The tug is towing three barges. 那只拖船正拖着三只驳船。
  • There were plenty of barges dropping down with the tide. 有不少驳船顺流而下。
86 coordinating fc35d08ba9bb2dcfdc96033a33b9ae1e     
v.使协调,使调和( coordinate的现在分词 );协调;协同;成为同等
参考例句:
  • He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句
  • He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的,难道我们不去请他? 来自电影对白
87 aligned 165f93b99f87c219277d70d866425da6     
adj.对齐的,均衡的
参考例句:
  • Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。
88 passersby HmKzQJ     
n. 过路人(行人,经过者)
参考例句:
  • He had terrorized Oxford Street,where passersby had seen only his footprints. 他曾使牛津街笼罩了一片恐怖气氛,因为那儿的行人只能看到他的脚印,看不到他的人。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
  • A person is marceling on a street, watching passersby passing. 街边烫发者打量着匆匆行人。
89 idyllic lk1yv     
adj.质朴宜人的,田园风光的
参考例句:
  • These scenes had an idyllic air.这种情景多少有点田园气氛。
  • Many people living in big cities yearn for an idyllic country life.现在的很多都市人向往那种田园化的生活。
90 retired Njhzyv     
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的
参考例句:
  • The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
  • Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。
91 pegged eb18fad4b804ac8ec6deaf528b06e18b     
v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的过去式和过去分词 );使固定在某水平
参考例句:
  • They pegged their tent down. 他们钉好了账篷。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She pegged down the stairs. 她急忙下楼。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
92 recoiled 8282f6b353b1fa6f91b917c46152c025     
v.畏缩( recoil的过去式和过去分词 );退缩;报应;返回
参考例句:
  • She recoiled from his touch. 她躲开他的触摸。
  • Howard recoiled a little at the sharpness in my voice. 听到我的尖声,霍华德往后缩了一下。 来自《简明英汉词典》
93 fusion HfDz5     
n.溶化;熔解;熔化状态,熔和;熔接
参考例句:
  • Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc. 黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
  • This alloy is formed by the fusion of two types of metal.这种合金是用两种金属熔合而成的。
94 subjective mtOwP     
a.主观(上)的,个人的
参考例句:
  • The way they interpreted their past was highly subjective. 他们解释其过去的方式太主观。
  • A literary critic should not be too subjective in his approach. 文学评论家的看法不应太主观。
95 genetic PgIxp     
adj.遗传的,遗传学的
参考例句:
  • It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
  • Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。
96 genders 83bb1a3a9f58b3256de7992ae4edb965     
n.性某些语言的(阳性、阴性和中性,不同的性有不同的词尾等)( gender的名词复数 );性别;某些语言的(名词、代词和形容词)性的区分
参考例句:
  • There are three genders in German: masculine, feminine and neuter. 德语中有叁性:阳性、阴性和中性。 来自辞典例句
  • Japan was fourth among the genders of foreign students. 日本在二十个留美学生输送地中列第四位。 来自互联网
97 journalism kpZzu8     
n.新闻工作,报业
参考例句:
  • He's a teacher but he does some journalism on the side.他是教师,可还兼职做一些新闻工作。
  • He had an aptitude for journalism.他有从事新闻工作的才能。
98 glamorous ezZyZ     
adj.富有魅力的;美丽动人的;令人向往的
参考例句:
  • The south coast is less glamorous but full of clean and attractive hotels.南海岸魅力稍逊,但却有很多干净漂亮的宾馆。
  • It is hard work and not a glamorous job as portrayed by the media.这是份苦差,并非像媒体描绘的那般令人向往。
99 yearn nMjzN     
v.想念;怀念;渴望
参考例句:
  • We yearn to surrender our entire being.我们渴望着放纵我们整个的生命。
  • Many people living in big cities yearn for an idyllic country life.现在的很多都市人向往那种田园化的生活。
100 deluged 631808b2bb3f951bc5aa0189f58e3c93     
v.使淹没( deluge的过去式和过去分词 );淹没;被洪水般涌来的事物所淹没;穷于应付
参考例句:
  • The minister was deluged with questions. 部长穷于应付像洪水般涌来的问题。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They deluged me with questions. 他们向我连珠发问。 来自《简明英汉词典》
101 triumphantly 9fhzuv     
ad.得意洋洋地;得胜地;成功地
参考例句:
  • The lion was roaring triumphantly. 狮子正在发出胜利的吼叫。
  • Robert was looking at me triumphantly. 罗伯特正得意扬扬地看着我。
102 strand 7GAzH     
vt.使(船)搁浅,使(某人)困于(某地)
参考例句:
  • She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears.她把一缕散发夹到了耳后。
  • The climbers had been stranded by a storm.登山者被暴风雨困住了。
103 feigning 5f115da619efe7f7ddaca64893f7a47c     
假装,伪装( feign的现在分词 ); 捏造(借口、理由等)
参考例句:
  • He survived the massacre by feigning death. 他装死才在大屠杀中死里逃生。
  • She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩,装出一副无所谓的样子。
104 tavern wGpyl     
n.小旅馆,客栈;小酒店
参考例句:
  • There is a tavern at the corner of the street.街道的拐角处有一家酒馆。
  • Philip always went to the tavern,with a sense of pleasure.菲利浦总是心情愉快地来到这家酒菜馆。
105 peeked c7b2fdc08abef3a4f4992d9023ed9bb8     
v.很快地看( peek的过去式和过去分词 );偷看;窥视;微露出
参考例句:
  • She peeked over the top of her menu. 她从菜单上往外偷看。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • On two occasions she had peeked at him through a crack in the wall. 她曾两次透过墙缝窥视他。 来自辞典例句
106 tricky 9fCzyd     
adj.狡猾的,奸诈的;(工作等)棘手的,微妙的
参考例句:
  • I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手,你能帮我吗?
  • He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题,只做了个笼统的表述。
107 smirk GE8zY     
n.得意地笑;v.傻笑;假笑着说
参考例句:
  • He made no attempt to conceal his smirk.他毫不掩饰自鸣得意的笑容。
  • She had a selfsatisfied smirk on her face.她脸上带着自鸣得意的微笑。
108 winced 7be9a27cb0995f7f6019956af354c6e4     
赶紧避开,畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He winced as the dog nipped his ankle. 狗咬了他的脚腕子,疼得他龇牙咧嘴。
  • He winced as a sharp pain shot through his left leg. 他左腿一阵剧痛疼得他直龇牙咧嘴。
109 get-together 1sWzOV     
n.(使)聚集;(使)集合
参考例句:
  • Well,Miss Huang,we are planning to have a casual get-together.嗯,黄小姐,我们打算大家小聚一番。
  • Will you help me prepare for the get- together of the old classmates?你能否帮我为这次老同学聚会做好准备工作?


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