Confused and unhappy, Fireheart made forthe warriors2’ den3. Before he reached it he hesitated. He did not want to risk meeting Tigerclaw, and he wasn’t in the mood for sharing tongues with his friends.
Instead, almost unconsciously, he headed for the tunnel of ferns that led to Yellowfang’s den. Cinderpaw limped out and almost collided with him. Fireheart fell back on his haunches with a thump4, and Cinderpaw skidded5 to a halt, spraying him with snow.
“Sorry, Fireheart,” she puffed6. “I didn’t see you there.”
Fireheart shook the snow off his coat. His heart felt suddenly lighter7 at the sight of Cinderpaw, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief8, and fur sticking out in all directions. This was how she used to look, when she was his apprentice9; for a while, after the accident, Fireheart had been afraid that this Cinderpaw had vanished forever. “What’s the hurry?” he asked.
“I’m going out to look for herbs for Yellowfang,” Cinderpaw explained. “So many cats have been ill, what with all this snow, that her stocks are getting very low. I want to find as much as I can before it gets dark.”
“I’ll come and help you,” Fireheart offered. Bluestar had told him to do something useful, and not even Tigerclaw could find fault if he went to collect herbs for the medicine cat.
“Great!” Cinderpaw meowed happily.
Side by side, they headed across the clearing toward the gorse tunnel. Fireheart had to slow his pace to match Cinderpaw’s, but if she was aware of it she didn’t seem to mind.
Just before they reached the tunnel, Fireheart heard the shrill10 voices of kits12. He turned and stared at the branches of a fallen tree, close to the elders’ den. A group of kits had surrounded Brokentail, who had been given a nest among the branches.
Ever since Bluestar had offered shelter to Brokentail, he had lived alone in his den, with warriors to guard him. Not many cats passed that way, and the kits had no reason to be anywhere near him.
“Rogue! Traitor13!” That was Cloudkit’s voice raised in a jeering14 meow. Fireheart watched in alarm as the white kit11 darted15 forward, jabbed Brokentail in the ribs16 with one paw, and scrambled17 back out of range. One of the other kits copied him, squealing18, “Can’t catch me!”
Darkstripe, whose turn it was to guard the blind cat, made no attempt to send the kits away. He sat a fox-length away, watching with his paws tucked under him and a gleam of amusement in his eyes.
Brokentail swung his head from side to side in frustration19, but with his cloudy, unseeing eyes he could not retaliate20. His dark tabby fur looked dull and patchy, and his broad face was scored with scars, some of them from the clawing that had ruined his eyes. There was no trace of the former arrogant21 and bloodthirsty leader now.
Fireheart exchanged a worried glance with Cinderpaw. Many cats, he knew, thought Brokentail deserved to suffer, but seeing the former leader so old and helpless, he could not help feeling a scrap22 of pity. Anger began to burn inside him as the taunting23 went on. “Wait for me,” he mewed to Cinderpaw, and hurried over toward the edge of the clearing.
He saw Cloudkit pounce24 on the blind tom’s tail, worrying it with needle-sharp teeth. Brokentail scrabbled away from him on unsteady legs and swiped one paw in his direction.
In an instant, Darkstripe jumped to his paws, hissing25, “Touch that kit, traitor, and I’ll flay26 your skin in strips!”
Fireheart was too angry to speak. Leaping toward Cloudkit, he grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and swung him around, away from Brokentail.
Cloudkit wailed27 in protest. “Stop it! That hurts!”
Fireheart dropped him roughly into the snow and let out a low growl28 through bared teeth. “Go home!” he ordered the other kits. “Go home to your mothers. Now!”
The kits stared at him, wide-eyed with fear, and then scuttled29 off, to disappear into the nursery.
“As for you—” Fireheart hissed30 to Cloudkit.
“Leave the kit alone,” Darkstripe interrupted, padding up to stand beside Cloudkit. “He’s not doing any harm.”
“Keep out of this, Darkstripe,” growled31 Fireheart.
Darkstripe shouldered past him, almost knocking him over, before stalking back to his prisoner. “Kittypet!” he sneered32 over his shoulder.
Fireheart’s muscles tensed. He wanted to leap at Darkstripe and force the insult back down his throat, but he stopped himself. This was no time for Clan33 warriors to start fighting each other. Besides, he had to deal with Cloudkit.
“Did you hear that?” he demanded, glaring down at the white kit. “Kittypet?”
“So?” Cloudkit muttered mutinously34. “What’s a kittypet?”
Fireheart gulped35 as he realized that Cloudkit had not yet learned what his origins meant to the Clan. “Well, a kittypet is a cat who lives with Twolegs,” he began carefully. “Some Clan cats don’t believe that a cat who’s born a kittypet will ever make a good warrior1. And that includes me, because like you, I was born in Twolegplace.”
As Fireheart spoke36, Cloudkit’s eyes grew wider and wider. “What do you mean?” he meowed. “I was born here!”
Fireheart stared at him. “No, you weren’t,” he meowed. “Your mother is my sister, Princess. She lives in a Twoleg nest. She gave you to the Clan when you were very young, so you could be a warrior.”
For a few moments Cloudkit stood rigid37, as if he were a kit made of snow and ice. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he demanded.
“I’m sorry,” Fireheart meowed. “I…I thought you knew. I thought Brindleface would have told you.”
Cloudkit backed away a couple of tail-lengths. The shock in his blue eyes was slowly replaced with cold understanding. “So that’s why the other cats hate me,” he spat38. “They think I’ll never be any good because I wasn’t born in this dump of a forest. It’s stupid!”
Fireheart struggled to find the right words to reassure39 him. He couldn’t help remembering how excited Princess had been when she gave her son to the Clan, and how he had promised her that Cloudkit would have a wonderful life ahead of him. Now he was forcing Cloudkit to think about his past, and the difficulties he would have before being accepted by the Clan. What if the kit began to think that Fireheart and Princess had made the wrong decision?
Fireheart sighed. “It may be stupid, but that’s the way it is. I should know. Listen,” he explained patiently. “Warriors like Darkstripe think being a kittypet is something bad. It just means we have to work twice as hard to make them see that kittypet blood is nothing to be ashamed of.”
Cloudkit straightened up. “I don’t care!” he mewed. “I’m going to be the best warrior in the Clan. I’ll fight any cat who says I’m not. I’ll be brave enough to kill outlaws40 like old Brokentail.”
Fireheart was relieved to see Cloudkit’s spirit overcoming the shock of his discovery. But he wasn’t sure that the kit really understood the meaning of the warrior code. “There’s more to being a warrior than killing,” he warned Cloudkit. “A true warrior—the best warrior—isn’t cruel or mean. He doesn’t claw an enemy who can’t fight back. Where’s the honor in that?”
Cloudkit ducked his head, not meeting Fireheart’s eyes. Fireheart hoped he had said the right thing. Looking around for Cinderpaw, he saw that she had gone up to Brokentail and was checking his tail where Cloudkit had worried it. “There’s no damage,” she mewed to the blinded tom.
Brokentail crouched41 motionless, his ruined eyes fixed42 on his paws, and did not respond. Reluctantly Fireheart went over and nudged the old cat to his paws. “Come on,” he meowed. “Let’s get you back to your den.”
Brokentail turned in silence and let Fireheart guide him back to the leaf-lined hollow under the dead branches. Darkstripe watched them shuffle43 past with a contemptuous flick44 of his tail.
“Right, Cinderpaw,” Fireheart meowed when Brokentail was settled. “Let’s go and find those herbs.”
“Where are you going?” Cloudkit piped up, bouncing over to them with all his energy restored. “Can I come?”
When Fireheart hesitated, Cinderpaw mewed, “Oh, let him come, Fireheart. He only gets into trouble because he’s bored. And we could do with some more help.”
Cloudkit’s eyes gleamed with pleasure, and a loud purr rose from his throat, an enormous sound to come from his small, fluffy45 body.
Fireheart shrugged46. “All right. But put one paw wrong, and you’ll be back in the nursery before you can say ‘mouse’!”
Limping steadily47, Cinderpaw led the way along the ravine to the hollow where the apprentices48 had their training sessions. Already the sun was beginning to go down, casting long blue shadows across the snow. Cloudkit scampered49 ahead of them, peering into holes in the rock and stalking imaginary prey50.
“How can you find herbs with snow on the ground?” Fireheart asked. “Won’t everything be frozen?”
“There’ll still be berries,” Cinderpaw pointed51 out. “Yellowfang told me to look for juniper—that’s good for coughs and bellyaches—and broom to make poultices for broken legs and wounds. Oh, and alder52 bark for toothache.”
“Berries!” Cloudkit skittered sideways toward them. “I’ll find lots for you!” He dashed away again in the direction of a clump53 of bushes growing up the side of the hollow.
Cinderpaw flicked54 her tail in amusement. “He’s keen,” she remarked. “Once he’s apprenticed55, he’ll learn quickly.”
Fireheart made a noncommittal noise in his throat. Cloudkit’s energy reminded him of Cinderpaw when she was first made apprentice. Except Cinderpaw would never have taunted56 a helpless cat like blind Brokentail.
“Well, if he’s my apprentice, he’d better start listening to me,” he muttered.
“Oh, yes?” Cinderpaw gave Fireheart a teasing look. “You’re a really tough mentor—all your apprentices will be trembling in their fur!”
Fireheart met her laughing eyes and felt himself relaxing. As usual, being with Cinderpaw was lifting his spirits. He would stop worrying about Cloudkit and get on with the job they had come to do.
“Cinderpaw!” Cloudkit called from farther along the hollow. “There are berries here—come and look!”
Fireheart craned his neck and saw the white kit crouching57 beneath a small, dark-leaved bush that pushed its way up between two rocks. Bright scarlet58 berries grew close to the stems.
“They look tasty,” Cloudkit mewed as the two cats drew nearer. He stretched his jaws59 wide to take a hungry mouthful.
At the same moment a gasp60 came from Cinderpaw. To Fireheart’s amazement61 she shot forward, propelling herself over the snow as fast as her injured leg would allow. “No, Cloudkit!” she yowled.
She barreled into the kit, bowling62 him over. Cloudkit squealed63 in shock and the two cats scuffled together on the ground. Fireheart bounded over, anxious that Cloudkit might hurt the injured Cinderpaw, but as he reached them she pushed the kit off her and sat up, panting. “Did you touch one?” she demanded.
“N-No,” Cloudkit stammered64, puzzled. “I was only—”
“Look.” Cinderpaw shoved him around until his nose was a mouse-length from the bush. Fireheart had never heard her sound so fierce. “Look but don’t touch. That’s yew65. The berries are so poisonous they are called deathberries. Even one could kill you.”
Cloudkit’s eyes were round as the full moon. Speechless for once, he gazed, horrified66, at Cinderpaw.
“All right,” she mewed more gently, giving his shoulder a couple of comforting licks. “It didn’t happen this time. But take a good look now, so you don’t make that mistake again. And never—do you hear me, never—eat anything if you don’t know what it is.”
“Yes, Cinderpaw,” Cloudkit promised.
“Go on looking for berries, then.” Cinderpaw nudged the kit to his paws. “And call me as soon as you find anything.”
Cloudkit padded off, glancing back over his shoulder once or twice as he went. Fireheart couldn’t remember seeing him so subdued67. Bold as the kit was, he had received a real shock. “It’s a good thing you were here, Cinderpaw,” he meowed, feeling a pang68 of guilt69 that he hadn’t known enough to warn Cloudkit. “You’ve learned such a lot from Yellowfang.”
“She’s a good teacher,” Cinderpaw replied. She shook several clumps70 of snow off her fur and began padding up the hollow after Cloudkit. Fireheart walked beside her, once more slowing his pace to match hers.
This time Cinderpaw noticed. “You know, my leg has healed as much as it ever will,” she meowed quietly. “I’ll be sorry to leave Yellowfang’s den, but I can’t stay there forever.” She turned to look at Fireheart. All the mischief had faded from her eyes; instead, there was pain and uncertainty71 in the blue depths. “I don’t know what I’ll do.”
Fireheart stretched over to her and rubbed his face comfortingly against hers. “Bluestar will know.”
“Maybe.” Cinderpaw shrugged. “Ever since I was a tiny kit, I wanted to be just like Bluestar. She’s so noble, and she’s given her whole life to the Clan. But Fireheart, what can I give now?”
“I don’t know,” Fireheart admitted.
The life of a cat could be followed clearly through the Clan, from kit to apprentice to warrior, sometimes to queen, and then retired72 to an honorable old age among the elders. Fireheart had no idea what happened to a cat who was injured too badly for the warrior life, for the long patrols, the hunting and fighting that were required of a warrior. Even the queens who cared for the kits in the nursery had all been warriors once, with skills that enabled them to feed and defend their little ones.
Cinderpaw was brave and intelligent, and before her accident she had shown endless energy and commitment to the Clan. Surely that couldn’t all be thrown away? This is Tigerclaw’s fault, Fireheart thought darkly. He laid the trail that led to her accident. “You should go to Bluestar,” he suggested out loud. “Ask her what she thinks.”
“Perhaps I will.” Cinderpaw shrugged.
“Cinderpaw!” A shrill meow from Cloudkit interrupted them. “Come and see what I’ve found!”
“Coming, Cloudkit!” Cinderpaw limped away, mewing good-humoredly to Fireheart as she went, “Maybe it’s deadly nightshade this time.”
Fireheart watched her go. He hoped that Bluestar would be able to find a way to give Cinderpaw a worthwhile life within the Clan. Cinderpaw was right: Bluestar was a great leader, and not just in battle. She truly cared for all her cats.
Knowing that, Fireheart felt even more confused when he remembered her reaction to Graypool’s news. Why had Bluestar acted so strangely when he told her that two RiverClan warriors had been ThunderClan kits? The story had outraged73 her so much that she was closing her eyes to the danger from Tigerclaw.
Fireheart shook his head as he padded slowly after Cinderpaw. There was a deeply buried mystery surrounding those cats, and he was beginning to feel that it might be beyond his power to ever understand it.
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收听单词发音
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1
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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thump
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| v.重击，砰然地响；n.重击，重击声 | |
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skidded
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| v.（通常指车辆） 侧滑( skid的过去式和过去分词 )；打滑；滑行；（住在）贫民区 | |
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puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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kits
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| 衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件 | |
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traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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jeering
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| adj.嘲弄的，揶揄的v.嘲笑( jeer的现在分词 ) | |
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darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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scrambled
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| 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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squealing
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| v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的现在分词 ) | |
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frustration
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| n.挫折，失败，失效，落空 | |
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retaliate
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| v.报复，反击 | |
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arrogant
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的 | |
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scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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taunting
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| 嘲讽( taunt的现在分词 )； 嘲弄； 辱骂； 奚落 | |
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pounce
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| n.猛扑；v.猛扑，突然袭击，欣然同意 | |
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hissing
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| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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flay
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| vt.剥皮；痛骂 | |
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wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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scuttled
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| v.使船沉没( scuttle的过去式和过去分词 )；快跑，急走 | |
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hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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mutinously
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| adv.反抗地，叛变地 | |
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gulped
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| v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的过去式和过去分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住 | |
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36
spoke
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| 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 | |
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rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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reassure
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| v.使放心，使消除疑虑 | |
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outlaws
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| 歹徒，亡命之徒( outlaw的名词复数 )； 逃犯 | |
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41
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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shuffle
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| n.拖著脚走，洗纸牌；v.拖曳，慢吞吞地走 | |
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44
flick
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| n.快速的轻打，轻打声，弹开；v.轻弹，轻轻拂去，忽然摇动 | |
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fluffy
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| adj.有绒毛的，空洞的 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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apprentices
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| 学徒，徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 ) | |
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49
scampered
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| v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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alder
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| n.赤杨树 | |
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clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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54
flicked
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
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apprenticed
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| 学徒，徒弟( apprentice的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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taunted
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| 嘲讽( taunt的过去式和过去分词 )； 嘲弄； 辱骂； 奚落 | |
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57
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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60
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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61
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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62
bowling
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| n.保龄球运动 | |
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63
squealed
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| v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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64
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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yew
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| n.紫杉属树木 | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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70
clumps
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| n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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71
uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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outraged
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| a.震惊的，义愤填膺的 | |
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