"It's too stingy for anything! How can we possibly have decent practice on such a rough old place? I'd like to make them come and try it for themselves, the mean wretches9!" protested Bessie Kirk.[Pg 182]
Winona laughed. A vision of the Governors wildly brandishing10 hockey sticks flashed across her imagination. She seized her note-book and drew a fancy portrait of the delicious scene: old Councillor Thomson, very wheezy and fat, running furiously; bald-headed Mr. Crabbe performing wonderful acrobatic feats11; a worthy12 J.P. engaged in a tussle13 with the Town Clerk; and various other of the City Fathers in interesting and exciting attitudes. The masterpiece was passed round for general admiration14. The girls sniggered.
"Wish we could show it to them!" said Margaret Kemp. "Perhaps it might make them realize their responsibilities. It's too sickening of them to grudge15 keeping the field in order!"
"Look here, it's no use complaining!" said Winona. "Of course it relieves one's feelings, but it doesn't make any difference to the field. I've got a plan to propose. Let us ask Miss Bishop how much it would cost to hire somebody to do the rolling, and offer to pay for it ourselves. We could get up a Hockey Concert in aid of it."
"What a frolicsome16 notion! I'm your man!"
"Wouldn't it be setting a bad precedent17?" objected Marjorie Kemp. "Suppose the Governors stop having the tennis courts cut, and say we may do it ourselves?"
"We'd put that to Miss Bishop first, and make it well understood."
"It would just make all the difference to the practices to have a roller at work, even once a week," urged Olave Parry. "Do ask about it, Win!"[Pg 183]
Miss Bishop, on being appealed to, considered the suggestion favorably.
"Certainly there's no reason why you shouldn't improve the field, if you wish," she replied, adding with a smile: "I'll take care that the tennis courts don't suffer in consequence. It was a prudent18 thought to mention them. I expect when the war is over, the Governors may be persuaded to take the full expense of the playing field too. I'll get an estimate at once of what the rolling would cost."
Jones, the school janitor19, who formerly20 kept the courts and cricket pitch in order, had gone to the war, and his place was occupied by a rheumatic old fellow who could do little more than carry coke and attend to the heating apparatus21. When every able-bodied man seemed fighting or making munitions22, it was difficult to find anybody to roll a hockey field, A volunteer was procured23 at last, however, who undertook the job at the rate of £1 per month, with an extra thirty shillings for putting the field in good order to begin with. Six or seven pounds, therefore, would cover the expenses of the season. Winona, mindful of the terrible offense24 she had given in connection with the Old Girls' Guild25, very wisely took the matter to Linda Fletcher, who called a united meeting of Prefects and Games Committee to discuss the best way of raising the money.
"It will have to be done on a bigger scale than the symposium26 last year," said Hilda Langley. "If I remember rightly, that made exactly £2 13s. 7d., enough for a Form trophy27, but not sufficient for this venture."[Pg 184]
"We'd better issue tickets, and sell some of them to parents and friends," suggested Linda.
"How many will the hall hold?"
"Three hundred at a pinch, if the babes squash up tight."
"They won't mind doing that in a good cause."
"The Dramatic Society ought to take an innings, and provide at least half the program."
"They'll jump at the opportunity. I believe they have something quite prepared, and have been yearning28 for an audience."
"Then by all means let them have one."
"At sixpence a head," added practical Marjorie; "we ought easily to be able to sell sixpenny tickets."
Everybody took up the idea with enthusiasm. The difficulty was not so much to find helpers as to decide who was to have the honor of performing. There were many heart-burnings before the program was finally fixed29. It was decided that a musical selection should be given first, followed by a piece by the Dramatic students. To cut these to reasonable limits needed all Linda's discretion30, tact31 and firmness.
"You can't have an entertainment beginning at three, and going on till midnight," she urged, as the various desired items were submitted to her. "You'd have to hire ambulances to take your exhausted32 audience home! Very sorry, but we must keep some of the things for a future occasion."
Linda, being wise in her generation, and having an eye to the sale of tickets, insisted that the Lower School should take a share in the performance.[Pg 185]
"Who wants to bother to hear the kids?" objected Grace Olliver, who, by the bye, was a member of the "Dramatic," and therefore not entirely34 disinterested35.
"If we don't bother with the kids, they mayn't bother to come and bring friends, and we should look silly if we didn't sell all our tickets! Let them do their flag display, and sing their Empire song. That will content them and their mothers, and leaves quite time enough for other people."
Miss Bishop allowed a special Wednesday afternoon to be set aside for the entertainment; the tickets sold briskly, and expectation ran high. All concerned in the program kept their parts a dead secret, but items leaked out, and the wildest rumors36 were afloat. It was whispered that some of the Governors were to be present, and even that Miss Bishop would perform a sword dance, though not the most callow of juniors really consented to swallow such an astounding37 piece of information. The uncertainty38 as to what was in store, however, added largely to the pleasurable anticipation39, and though the Dramatic Society rehearsed with locked door, and the keyhole carefully stopped up, juvenile40 spies, by hoisting41 one another up to the level of the windows, obtained brief and tantalizing42 peeps and spread news of gorgeosities in the way of costumes.
When the great afternoon arrived, the hall was crammed43. The little girls were packed as tightly as sardines44. A long line of them squatted45 on the floor in front of the first row, and others sat on the[Pg 186] window sills, the latter positions having been scrambled46 for with enthusiasm.
Every one was at the tip-top of expectation. The concert opened with the inevitable47 piano solo which seems indispensable for the starting of any entertainment, and during the performance of which latecomers hurry to their seats, programs are sold, and the audience, with a tremendous amount of rustling48 and whispering, settles itself down to listen. This initiatory49 ceremony being over, more interesting items followed. The juveniles50 sang an Empire song, accompanied by a pretty flag drill; it was a taking tune51, and as Linda had prophesied52 was immensely applauded by the visitors, who insisted on an encore. A violin solo came next, and was followed by a charming Russian dance given by two members of Form IV.a. Garnet played a piece on her mandoline, with piano accompaniment. She had suggested a duet for mandoline and guitar, but Winona had had no time to practice her instrument lately, and had begged to be excused. The fact was that Winona had been busy with a special item which she now brought out as a surprise to the school. She had composed some verses in praise of hockey, and set them to one of the tunes53 in the senior school song-book. The piece was sung by an eleven in full hockey costume, and they waved their hockey-sticks with appropriate actions to the music:
"When autumn returns, and the trees are all bare, Our blue tunics are off to the field; No team in excitement with ours can compare, As our hockey-sticks wildly we wield54. [Pg 187]For hockey's the game to play When autumn has come to stay, And this is the reason we love the cold season, For hockey's the game to play.
"Hurrah55 for goalkeepers, for forwards and halves! Hurrah for the clash of the sticks! Hurrah for the rapture56 of scoring a goal! (Who minds a few bruises57 or kicks?) For hockey's the game to play, When autumn has come to stay, And this is the reason we love the cold season, For hockey's the game to play.
"But a team that is set upon scoring its goal, And winning a vict'ry or two, Must see that its field it should carefully roll, And that's what we're hoping to do! Oh! hockey's the game to play, When autumn has come to stay, Yes, this is the reason we love the cold season, When hockey's the game we play!
"Hurrah for Form trophies58! Hurrah for our badge! We'll make it an annual rule To hold a 'Sports' Concert,' to wish all success To the team of the Seaton High School! Oh! hockey's the game to play, And at Seaton we know the way! Yes, this is the reason we love the cold season, When hockey's the game we play!"
Winona's words would certainly not have passed muster59 as a literary composition, but their extreme appropriateness to the occasion, combined with the action of the hockey-sticks, completely brought[Pg 188] down the house. The applause was thunderous, and the last verse was encored twice over. Undoubtedly60 it was the hit of the afternoon.
For the second part of the performance the Dramatic Society gave an amusing little play, and the concert wound up with a lusty rendering61 of certain patriotic62 songs.
Winona was highly gratified. Both artistically63 and financially the entertainment had proved a success. The committee would be well able to bear the expense of keeping the field in order. A gardener had been at work there, and already a marked improvement was noticeable. The Games Captain's enthusiasm was infectious. Under her leadership the girls became wonderfully keen. To Winona the thrill of struggle when a game seemed on the eve of being lost was one of the wildest excitements in life, and the joy when she struck the ball home straight and true the utmost triumph obtainable. During this autumn term she lived for hockey. The crowd of school girls, in thick boots and blue tunics, struggling and shouting in a somewhat muddy field might not be an altogether picturesque64 sight, but to the Captain it was Marathon and Waterloo combined. No colonel prided himself on a crack regiment65 more than Winona on her team. Sometimes, of course, a practice was off color; the day might be bleak66 or drizzly67, or players might be penalized68 for "sticks," or grumblers might express their dissatisfaction audibly, but whatever went wrong, Winona emerged cheerful from the fray69, remonstrated70 with "off-sides" and "sticks," and reminded growlers[Pg 189] that it is unsporting to murmur71. By Kirsty's advice she had sent out challenges to several good clubs in the neighborhood.
"While we were still in our callow infancy72 I should not have ventured," wrote Kirsty from Cornwall. "But one must begin some time to measure one's strength. After the work we did last season, I certainly think you might risk it. Nothing improves a team so much as playing plenty of matches; you see in time you get to know the strokes of everybody at the High, and you can calculate what others will do at certain turns of the game; it's far better for you to meet all sorts and conditions of opponents."
Winona had been afraid it was rather "cheek" to challenge the "West Rytonshire Club" or "Oatlands College," but she ascertained73 that both those august bodies had two teams, Number 1 and Number 2, and that while the first only met foes74 worthy of their steel (or rather sticks!) the second would graciously condescend75 to play a yet unknown High School. The match with Oatlands College was fixed for December 16th, and Winona looked forward to it with some anxiety. The last practice had not been altogether satisfactory. The day had been wretchedly cold, and everybody had been cross in consequence. The team, though proud of its fixture76 with so celebrated77 an opponent, was not very sure of itself.
"I hope to goodness Peggie'll play up!" groaned78 Marjorie Kemp. "The way she lost that last goal on Saturday was idiotic79."[Pg 190]
"She said she was cold!" commented Gladys Porter, witheringly. "She wanted to change at half-time. She said her feet were solid ice, and her nose was blue, and it was no fun watching the whole of the game being played right away at the other end of the field."
"Most unsporting!" moralized Marjorie. "Besides, when she got her chance, she hit the air! It will be very humiliating if the Oatlands team walk over us!"
"Oh, don't be a Jeremiah! We're not beaten yet! If anybody can pull us through, our Captain will!"
"Winona's a jewel!" agreed Marjorie. "And yet the best captain in the world can't make up for an only moderately good team. I feel my own deficiencies!"
Practically the whole of the High School assembled as spectators on the great day of the match. Things were very different now from the old times when a mere80 handful collected to cheer the Seaton team. Mistresses and girls were alike keen, and most desirous of witnessing the combat. They followed the game breathlesly.
"Oatlands isn't worth a toss!" commented Garnet exultantly81.
"Don't make too sure!" replied Linda, looking with apprehension82 as the red jerseys83 of their rivals massed round the ball.
A familiar figure dashed forward, a hockey stick struck, and the ball swept out to safety. Linda heaved a long sigh of relief.[Pg 191]
"Winona is just A1," she murmured. "Hello! Good gracious! what's that idiot doing?"
For Ellinor Cooper, whose arm was the strongest in the school, wielding84 her hockey stick with all her force, had hit Winona across the shin.
Instantly there was a commotion85. Winona, white with the agony of the blow, leaned hard against Bessie Kirk, and clenched86 her fists to avoid crying out.
"Are you hurt?"
"What's happened?"
"You've had a nasty knock!"
There was quite a crowd round Winona, and a chorus of sympathy.
"Put in a substitute!" urged Bessie. "You're not fit to go on!"
"No, no! I'm better now," panted their captain, with a wan33 little smile. "I'll manage, thanks! Yes, really! Please don't worry yourselves about me!"
The game recommenced and Winona, with a supreme87 effort, continued to play. The pain was still acute, but she realized that on her presence or absence depended victory or defeat. Without her, the courage of the team would collapse88. How she lived through the time she never knew.
Inspired by the heroic example of their captain, the girls were playing for all they were worth. The score, which had been against them, was now even. Time was almost up. Winona set her teeth. The ball seemed a kind of star which she was following—Following anyhow. As the French say, she "did her possible." The ball went spinning. Next min[Pg 192]ute she was leaning against a goal-post, trembling with the violence of her effort, while the High School hoorayed itself hoarse89 in the joy of the hard-won victory.
"I say, old girl, were you really hurt?" asked Bessie anxiously. "You're looking the color of chalk!"
"Never mind, it's over now! Yes, I am hurt. Give me your arm, and I'll go back to the hostel90."
"You're an absolute Joan of Arc to-day!" purred Bessie.
Winona, with a barked shin and bad bruises, limped for more than a week, but she was the heroine of the school.
"I can't think how you ran, after that awful whack91 Ellinor Cooper gave you," sympathized Marjorie.
"It was easier to run then than after my leg grew stiff," laughed Winona. "I suppose it's the excitement that keeps one up. Don't make such a fuss, we've all had hard knocks in our time. Agnes Smith got a black eye last spring!"
As the result of her wounds in the hockey field Winona made friends with Miss Kelly. The latter was most prompt in applying lanoline and bandages, and proved so kind in bringing Winona her breakfast in bed, and making her rest on the sofa during preparation, that a funny little sort of intimacy92 sprang up between them.
"She's fussy93 on the surface, but nice when you know her," confided94 Winona to Garnet. "If I'd been staying at the hostel, I expect we should have got on capitally next term!"
点击收听单词发音
1 predecessor | |
n.前辈,前任 | |
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2 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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3 embroidered | |
adj.绣花的 | |
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4 imposing | |
adj.使人难忘的,壮丽的,堂皇的,雄伟的 | |
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5 tunics | |
n.(动植物的)膜皮( tunic的名词复数 );束腰宽松外衣;一套制服的短上衣;(天主教主教等穿的)短祭袍 | |
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6 thoroughly | |
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 | |
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7 bishop | |
n.主教,(国际象棋)象 | |
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8 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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9 wretches | |
n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 );可怜的人;恶棍;坏蛋 | |
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10 brandishing | |
v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 );炫耀 | |
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11 feats | |
功绩,伟业,技艺( feat的名词复数 ) | |
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12 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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13 tussle | |
n.&v.扭打,搏斗,争辩 | |
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14 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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15 grudge | |
n.不满,怨恨,妒嫉;vt.勉强给,不情愿做 | |
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16 frolicsome | |
adj.嬉戏的,闹着玩的 | |
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17 precedent | |
n.先例,前例;惯例;adj.在前的,在先的 | |
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18 prudent | |
adj.谨慎的,有远见的,精打细算的 | |
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19 janitor | |
n.看门人,管门人 | |
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20 formerly | |
adv.从前,以前 | |
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21 apparatus | |
n.装置,器械;器具,设备 | |
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22 munitions | |
n.军火,弹药;v.供应…军需品 | |
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23 procured | |
v.(努力)取得, (设法)获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 );拉皮条 | |
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24 offense | |
n.犯规,违法行为;冒犯,得罪 | |
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25 guild | |
n.行会,同业公会,协会 | |
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26 symposium | |
n.讨论会,专题报告会;专题论文集 | |
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27 trophy | |
n.优胜旗,奖品,奖杯,战胜品,纪念品 | |
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28 yearning | |
a.渴望的;向往的;怀念的 | |
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29 fixed | |
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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30 discretion | |
n.谨慎;随意处理 | |
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31 tact | |
n.机敏,圆滑,得体 | |
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32 exhausted | |
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
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33 wan | |
(wide area network)广域网 | |
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34 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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35 disinterested | |
adj.不关心的,不感兴趣的 | |
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36 rumors | |
n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 );[古]名誉;咕哝;[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 );[古]名誉;咕哝;[古]喧嚷 | |
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37 astounding | |
adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊,使大吃一惊astound的现在分词) | |
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38 uncertainty | |
n.易变,靠不住,不确知,不确定的事物 | |
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39 anticipation | |
n.预期,预料,期望 | |
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40 juvenile | |
n.青少年,少年读物;adj.青少年的,幼稚的 | |
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41 hoisting | |
起重,提升 | |
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42 tantalizing | |
adj.逗人的;惹弄人的;撩人的;煽情的v.逗弄,引诱,折磨( tantalize的现在分词 ) | |
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43 crammed | |
adj.塞满的,挤满的;大口地吃;快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满;填入;临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式) | |
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44 sardines | |
n. 沙丁鱼 | |
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45 squatted | |
v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 );非法擅自占用(土地或房屋);为获得其所有权;而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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46 scrambled | |
v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 );攀登;争夺;(军事飞机)紧急起飞 | |
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47 inevitable | |
adj.不可避免的,必然发生的 | |
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48 rustling | |
n. 瑟瑟声,沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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49 initiatory | |
adj.开始的;创始的;入会的;入社的 | |
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50 juveniles | |
n.青少年( juvenile的名词复数 );扮演少年角色的演员;未成年人 | |
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51 tune | |
n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整 | |
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52 prophesied | |
v.预告,预言( prophesy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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53 tunes | |
n.曲调,曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 );调整;(给收音机、电视等)调谐;使协调 | |
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54 wield | |
vt.行使,运用,支配;挥,使用(武器等) | |
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55 hurrah | |
int.好哇,万岁,乌拉 | |
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56 rapture | |
n.狂喜;全神贯注;着迷;v.使狂喜 | |
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57 bruises | |
n.瘀伤,伤痕,擦伤( bruise的名词复数 ) | |
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58 trophies | |
n.(为竞赛获胜者颁发的)奖品( trophy的名词复数 );奖杯;(尤指狩猎或战争中获得的)纪念品;(用于比赛或赛跑名称)奖 | |
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59 muster | |
v.集合,收集,鼓起,激起;n.集合,检阅,集合人员,点名册 | |
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60 undoubtedly | |
adv.确实地,无疑地 | |
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61 rendering | |
n.表现,描写 | |
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62 patriotic | |
adj.爱国的,有爱国心的 | |
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63 artistically | |
adv.艺术性地 | |
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64 picturesque | |
adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的 | |
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65 regiment | |
n.团,多数,管理;v.组织,编成团,统制 | |
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66 bleak | |
adj.(天气)阴冷的;凄凉的;暗淡的 | |
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67 drizzly | |
a.毛毛雨的(a drizzly day) | |
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68 penalized | |
对…予以惩罚( penalize的过去式和过去分词 ); 使处于不利地位 | |
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69 fray | |
v.争吵;打斗;磨损,磨破;n.吵架;打斗 | |
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70 remonstrated | |
v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 );告诫 | |
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71 murmur | |
n.低语,低声的怨言;v.低语,低声而言 | |
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72 infancy | |
n.婴儿期;幼年期;初期 | |
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73 ascertained | |
v.弄清,确定,查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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74 foes | |
敌人,仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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75 condescend | |
v.俯就,屈尊;堕落,丢丑 | |
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76 fixture | |
n.固定设备;预定日期;比赛时间;定期存款 | |
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77 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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78 groaned | |
v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 );发牢骚;抱怨;受苦 | |
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79 idiotic | |
adj.白痴的 | |
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80 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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81 exultantly | |
adv.狂欢地,欢欣鼓舞地 | |
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82 apprehension | |
n.理解,领悟;逮捕,拘捕;忧虑 | |
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83 jerseys | |
n.运动衫( jersey的名词复数 ) | |
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84 wielding | |
手持着使用(武器、工具等)( wield的现在分词 ); 具有; 运用(权力); 施加(影响) | |
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85 commotion | |
n.骚动,动乱 | |
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86 clenched | |
v.紧握,抓紧,咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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87 supreme | |
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的 | |
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88 collapse | |
vi.累倒;昏倒;倒塌;塌陷 | |
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89 hoarse | |
adj.嘶哑的,沙哑的 | |
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90 hostel | |
n.(学生)宿舍,招待所 | |
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91 whack | |
v.敲击,重打,瓜分;n.重击,重打,尝试,一份 | |
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92 intimacy | |
n.熟悉,亲密,密切关系,亲昵的言行 | |
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93 fussy | |
adj.为琐事担忧的,过分装饰的,爱挑剔的 | |
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94 confided | |
v.吐露(秘密,心事等)( confide的过去式和过去分词 );(向某人)吐露(隐私、秘密等) | |
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