CHAPTER1
Dead bracken rustled1 beneath Lionblaze’s pawsas he stalked through the forest. Above the leafless trees, the sky was dark and empty. Terror raised the hairs on the young warrior2’s neck, and he shivered from ears to tail-tip.
This is a place that has never known the light of StarClan
He padded on, skirting clumps4 of fern and nosing under bushes, but he found no sight or scent5 of other cats. I’ve had enough of this,he thought, tugging6 his tail free from a trailing bramble. Panic sparked in his mind as he stared at the darkness that stretched away between the trees. What if I never find my way out of here?
“Looking for me?”
Lionblaze jumped and spun8 around. “Tigerstar!”
The massive warrior had appeared around the edge of a bramble thicket9. His tabby pelt10 shone with a strange light that reminded Lionblaze of the sickly glow of fungus11 on dead trees.
“You’ve missed a lot of training,” Tigerstar meowed, padding forward until he stood a tail-length from the ThunderClan warrior. “You should have come back sooner.”
“No, I shouldn’t!” Lionblaze blurted12 out. “I shouldn’t have come here at all, and you never should have trained me. Brambleclaw isn’t my father! You’re not my kin7!”
Tigerstar blinked once, but he showed no surprise, not even a flick13 of his ears. His amber14 eyes narrowed to slits15, and he seemed to be waiting for Lionblaze to say more.
“You…you knew!” Lionblaze whispered. The trees seemed to spin around him. Squirrelflight isn’t the only cat who kept secrets!
“Of course I knew.” Tigerstar shrugged16. “It’s not important. You were willing enough to learn from me, weren’t you?”
“But—”
“Blood isn’t everything,” Tigerstar snarled17. His lip curled, showing the glint of sharp fangs18. “Just ask Firestar.”
Lionblaze felt his neck fur begin to bristle19 as fury coursed through him. “Firestar’s a finer warrior than you ever were.”
“Don’t forget that he’s not your kin, either,” Tigerstar hissed20 softly. “There’s no point defending him now.”
Lionblaze stared at the dusk-lit warrior. Does he know who my real father is?“You knew all along that I wasn’t Firestar’s kin,” he growled21. “You let me believe a lie!”
Tigerstar twitched23 one ear. “So?”
Rage and frustration25 overwhelmed Lionblaze. Leaping into the air, he threw himself at Tigerstar and tried to push him over. He battered26 at the tabby warrior’s head and shoulders, his claws unsheathed, tearing out huge clumps of fur. But the red haze28 of fury that filled his head made him clumsy, unfocused. His blows landed at random29, barely scratching Tigerstar’s skin.
The huge tabby tom went limp, letting himself drop to one side and hooking one paw around Lionblaze’s leg to unbalance him. Lionblaze landed among the bracken with a jolt30 that drove the breath from his body. A heartbeat later he felt a huge paw clamp down on his shoulders, pinning him to the ground.
“I’ve taught you better than that, little warrior,” Tigerstar taunted31 him. “You’re out of practice.”
Taking a deep breath, Lionblaze heaved himself upward. Tigerstar leaped back and crouched32 a fox-length away, his amber eyes burning.
“I’ll show you who’s out of practice,” Lionblaze panted.
He forced his anger down, summoning a cold determination—all the fighting moves he had ever learned were at the tips of his claws. When Tigerstar sprang at him, he was prepared; he dived forward and hurled33 himself underneath34 his opponent’s belly35. As soon as Tigerstar’s paws hit the ground, Lionblaze whipped around and landed a couple of blows on the tabby tom’s hindquarters before leaping out of range.
Tigerstar spun to face him. “Better,” he meowed, mockery still in his voice. “I have mentored37 you well.”
Before Lionblaze could reply, the huge tabby darted39 toward him, veering40 aside at the last moment and lashing41 out with one forepaw as he passed. Lionblaze felt Tigerstar’s claws rake along his side, and blood begin trickling42 out of the scratches. Fear stabbed at him. What happens if he kills me here? Will I be really dead?
His mind cleared. Tigerstar was hurtling toward him again. Lionblaze scrambled44 aside; he aimed a blow, but felt his claws slide harmlessly through the tabby’s pelt.
“Too slow,” Tigerstar spat45. “You’ll have to work harder, now you know that prophecy wasn’t meant for you. That was for Firestar’s kin, wasn’t it?”
Lionblaze knew that the tabby tom was trying to make him too angry to fight. I won’t listen! All I need to do is win this battle!
He sprang at Tigerstar again, twisting in the air as he had been taught during those long nighttime visits, and landed squarely on the massive tabby’s broad shoulders. Digging in with his claws, he stretched forward and sank his teeth into Tigerstar’s neck.
Tigerstar tried the same trick of going limp and pulling Lionblaze down with him, but this time Lionblaze was ready. He wriggled46 out from underneath the heavy body, battering47 with his hind36 paws at Tigerstar’s exposed stomach fur.
“I’m not falling for that trick twice!” he hissed.
Tigerstar struggled to get up, but blood was pouring from a gash48 in his belly; he stumbled down again, rolling onto his back. Lionblaze planted one forepaw on Tigerstar’s chest and held the other, claws extended, against his neck.
The tabby glared up at him; for a heartbeat, fear flashed in his blazing amber eyes. “Do you really think you could kill me?” he growled. “You’d never do it.”
“No.” Lionblaze sheathed27 his claws and stepped back. “You’re already dead.”
He turned and stalked away, his pelt still bristling50 and all his senses alert in case Tigerstar followed and leaped on him again. But there was no sound from the dark warrior, and soon he was left behind among the endless trees.
Lionblaze’s mind whirled. He had beaten Tigerstar! Maybe Ido have power after all…but how can I, if I’m not one of the Three?
He paused, scarcely seeing the tangling51 undergrowth and the trees of the dark forest all around him. Do I want to know who my parents really are?he wondered. Does it even matter?Maybe it was best to let his Clanmates accept him for who they thought he was, so he could go on striving to improve his fighting skills.
I’m already the best fighter in ThunderClan. I know I can be a great warrior.
“Ashfur is dead,” he meowed out loud. “And Squirrelflight won’t reveal her secret to any other cats. It would hurt her Clanmates far too much if they knew she’d been lying to them for so long. Why not let everything stay the same?”
Lionblaze woke to the sun on his face. Most of the cats had already left the den52; Lionblaze spotted53 only the gray-and-white pelt of Mousewhisker, who had kept guard over the camp the night before.
Lionblaze’s jaws54 stretched in a yawn. “Thank StarClan I wasn’t on the dawn patrol,” he muttered.
When he tried to get up, every muscle in his body shrieked55 a protest; he felt as if his body was one huge ache, from his head to his paws. Down one side, his golden tabby fur was matted with blood.
I hope no cat has noticed that!he thought as he bent56 his head and began cleaning up his pelt with swift, rhythmic57 licks.
The fight with Tigerstar had been a dream, hadn’t it? Lionblaze didn’t understand why he should feel just as much pain and exhaustion58 as if it had really happened. And he had been cut, as if a living warrior had raked his claws across Lionblaze’s flank…. He tried not to think about it. It doesn’t matter, because I’ll never go back to that place,he told himself. It’s over.
He felt better after his grooming59, with his fur fluffed up to hide the gash in his side. When he finished, he could hear the voices of several cats just outside the den, though not close enough for him to make out what they were saying. Curious, he rose to his paws, arched his back in a delicious stretch, and pushed his way through the branches into the clearing.
Thornclaw was standing60 a couple of fox-lengths away; Spiderleg sat close by, while Cloudtail paced up and down in front of them, the tip of his white tail twitching61. Cloudtail’s mate, Brightheart, watched him anxiously from where she sat with Ferncloud, Brackenfur, and Sorreltail. Honeyfern and Berrynose were crouched nearby, their eyes fixed62 on Thornclaw.
“Ashfur was killed by a WindClan cat!” the golden brown tom was declaring. “It’s the only possible answer.”
A few of his listeners nodded in agreement, though Lionblaze saw others exchanging doubtful glances.
“Firestar said he thought that one of us did it,” Honeyfern mewed, sounding nervous to be contradicting a senior warrior
“Clan3 leaders have made mistakes before,” Cloudtail meowed. “Firestar isn’t always right.”
“I’m sure none of us would kill Ashfur,” Ferncloud added more gently. “Why would we want to? Ashfur had no enemies!”
I wish that was true,Lionblaze thought.
However much he tried to forget, that night of fire and storm was seared into Lionblaze’s memory. He could hear the roar of the flames on the cliff top, and could see them licking hungrily around him and his littermates as Ashfur blocked the end of the branch they needed to scramble43 toward safety. Squirrelflight’s confession63 rang in his ears again: She had told Ashfur that Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, and Jayfeather were not her kits64. It was the only way to save their lives, by pretending she did not care what happened to them, but she had handed Ashfur a weapon more terrible than any flaming branch. Lionblaze knew that the gray warrior would have announced the truth to all the Clans65 at the Gathering66; only death had closed his jaws forever and kept the secret safe.
“Lionblaze! Hey, Lionblaze, are you deaf?”
Lionblaze dragged his thoughts back to the hollow to see Spiderleg waving him over with his tail.
“You were Ashfur’s last apprentice67,” the black warrior prompted as Lionblaze padded reluctantly up to the group. “Do you know if he’d quarreled with any cat?”
“Especially any WindClan cat?” Thornclaw added, with a meaningful twitch24 of his whiskers.
Lionblaze shook his head. “Uh…no,” he replied awkwardly. He couldn’t lie and say that Ashfur had quarreled with a WindClan cat, even though he wished with every hair on his pelt that it was true. Letting his Clanmates believe such a thing could cause an all-out war between ThunderClan and WindClan. “I hadn’t seen much of Ashfur just before he died,” he added.
To his relief, no other cats questioned him.
“We’d know if Ashfur quarreled with a ThunderClan cat,” Brackenfur insisted. “It’s impossible to keep a secret around here.”
If only you knew!Lionblaze thought.
“Brackenfur’s right.” Sorreltail touched her nose to her mate’s ear. “But all the same, we can’t be sure that a WindClan cat—”
“Ashfur died on the WindClan border,” Spiderleg interrupted. “What more do you want?”
Sorreltail turned to face him, her neck fur bristling at his scathing68 tone. “I want a bit more evidence than where his body was found before I start blaming any cat.”
Honeyfern and Brackenfur murmured agreement, but Lionblaze could see that most of the cats were convinced that a WindClan warrior was responsible for Ashfur’s death. However much he worried about what that could lead to, he couldn’t bury a guilty sense of relief.
“Are we going to let WindClan get away with this?” Thornclaw demanded, his ears lying flat as he dug his claws into the earth.
“No!” Berrynose leaped to his paws. “We have to show them they can’t mess with ThunderClan.”
Lionblaze’s belly churned as he saw the warriors69 cluster more closely around Thornclaw. They were behaving as if the golden brown tom was their leader, and seemed ready to follow him into battle to avenge70 their Clanmate’s murder.
“It would be best to attack by night,” Thornclaw began. “There’ll be enough moonlight to see by, and they won’t be expecting trouble.”
“We’ll see they get it, though.” Spiderleg lashed49 his tail
“We’ll head for the WindClan camp,” Thornclaw continued. “It’ll be best to split up: One raiding party can attack from this direction—”
“What?” The low growl22 came from just behind Lionblaze.
Startled, Lionblaze glanced over his shoulder to see Brambleclaw; he, along with all the other cats, had been so intent on what Thornclaw was planning that he hadn’t heard the Clan deputy approach.
“We’re going to raid WindClan,” Spiderleg explained, bunching his muscles as if he was planning to launch himself out of the camp right away. “One of them killed Ashfur, and—”
“There will be no raid on WindClan,” Brambleclaw interrupted, a glow of anger springing up in his amber eyes. “There is no evidence that a WindClan cat killed Ashfur.”
Lionblaze gazed at the cat he had always believed was his father. Does he know the truth?he wondered, remembering all the times that Brambleclaw had play wrestled71 with him and his littermates when they were kits, and how many times he had helped them or advised them as they grew older. Squirrelflight had told Ashfur that Brambleclaw didn’t know the truth, but Lionblaze had no reason to trust her now. If he does know, he’s a very good liar72.
As good as Squirrelflight.
Brambleclaw didn’t wait for a response. He stalked off in the direction of the tumbled rocks that led up to the Highledge, only to halt after a couple of paces and glance back, twitching his ears to beckon73 Lionblaze to him.
“Are you okay?” The deputy’s voice was full of sympathy. “Ashfur was your mentor38, after all.”
But we weren’t close.Lionblaze didn’t want to say the words aloud, but he had always known there was something wrong between himself and Ashfur; they had never known the true bond between a mentor and apprentice. Had Ashfur hated him the same way he had hated Squirrelflight? What a waste: Lionblaze wasn’t even Squirrelflight’s son.
Brambleclaw rested his tail-tip on Lionblaze’s shoulder. “I can see you’re not,” he mewed. “Is there anything you want to tell me? You know you can always come and talk to me.”
For a couple of heartbeats Lionblaze froze. Does Brambleclaw suspect me of killing75 Ashfur?
“It’s hard to lose a cat you were close to,” Brambleclaw went on. “But I promised you before, his death will not go unavenged.”
He unsheathed his long, curved claws and sank them into the floor of the hollow. Lionblaze flinched77, imagining those claws tearing into the throat of the guilty cat….
“If I find the cat who did this,” Brambleclaw growled softly, “they will regret taking the life of a warrior and my Clanmate.”
He turned away, padding toward the Highledge, but before he reached the foot of the rock fall, Firestar appeared from his den. He paused for a moment, looking down into the clearing; the pale sun of leaf-bare touched his pelt, turning it to flame. Then he bounded lightly down the stones to join Brambleclaw and Lionblaze. He nodded to the group of cats surrounding Thornclaw.
“What’s happening?” he queried78.
“Some of the Clan want to lead an attack on WindClan,” Brambleclaw reported. “I didn’t know we had so many mouse-brains in ThunderClan.”
Firestar twitched his ears. “It’s hard to accept the death of a warrior,” he meowed loudly. “But this isn’t the time for an attack. I will lead a patrol to speak with Onestar, to see if he knows anything.”
“Of course he knows!” Spiderleg had turned to face them, his neck fur bristling aggressively.
“We should attack now, before we lose more warriors,” Thornclaw declared.
Firestar shook his head. “There’s no point in stirring up trouble when there’s no need,” he warned.
“But there isneed.” Thornclaw padded forward until he stood nose to nose with his Clan leader. “A warrior is dead!”
Yowls of agreement rose up from the cats around him.
“He was a fine warrior!”
“The whole Clan respected him! No ThunderClan cat would have killed him!”
Lionblaze couldn’t join in; it was hard enough to hide his fear and anxiety from his Clanmates. They remembered Ashfur as a brave and loyal warrior; they knew nothing of the cat who had been prepared to destroy his Clan to take revenge on Squirrelflight for choosing Brambleclaw instead of him.
Firestar raised a paw for silence, but he was still waiting for the yowling to die down when Lionblaze spotted cats emerging into the camp from the thorn tunnel: a hunting patrol led by Sandstorm. Dustpelt, Squirrelflight, and Hollyleaf followed her into the clearing and went to drop their prey79 on the fresh-kill pile before padding over to join the cats around Firestar.
“What’s all this?” Hollyleaf asked as she reached Lionblaze’s side.
Lionblaze stared at Squirrelflight, at the agony in her face as she listened to her Clanmates’ praise of Ashfur. He knew that she must be sharing his own thoughts, of the darkness in the gray warrior that was so well hidden from the rest of his Clan. How much do you know about how he died?he asked himself, not wanting to meet her gaze.
“Lionblaze, what’s happening?” Hollyleaf repeated her question in a sharper tone, prodding80 him in the side with one paw
Lionblaze glanced at her. His sister’s green eyes were haunted, and she looked as if she hadn’t slept for a moon. She looks just like how I feel,he thought.
“Thornclaw and some of the others want to attack WindClan because of Ashfur’s death,” he replied.
Hollyleaf’s eyes widened. “Do they really think it was a WindClan cat?” she asked, a tinge81 of surprise in her voice.
“Some of them do. But Firestar—”
Lionblaze broke off as the Clan leader darted back to the tumbled rocks and leaped up onto a boulder82. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!” he yowled.
The cats already in the clearing followed him and settled themselves at the foot of the boulder. Lionblaze could see that some of them were still arguing among themselves, but they kept their voices low.
The two apprentices83, Foxpaw and Icepaw, emerged from the elders’ den under the hazel bush, pushing an enormous ball of moss84 between them. Mousefur and Longtail followed them out and crouched down in a patch of sunlight. Mousewhisker pushed his way out of the warriors’ den, yawning and flicking85 bits of moss off his pelt.
Graystripe and Millie appeared from the nursery, with their kits tumbling around their paws. They were followed more slowly by Birchfall and Whitewing; the white she-cat was heavy with kits, and Birchfall kept close to her side. Daisy was the last to appear; she sat in the nursery entrance, giving her chest fur a thorough wash, while Toadkit and Rosekit rolled around beside her, play fighting.
Leafpool and Jayfeather emerged from the medicine cats’ den and stayed just outside the bramble screen, away from the rest of the Clan. Lionblaze tried to catch his brother’s attention, but Jayfeather refused to respond, resolutely86 facing Firestar instead.
“I know you’re all wondering what to do about Ashfur’s death,” the Clan leader began. “I promise you that the cat who killed him will be punished. But there’s no proof that WindClan was involved.”
“There’s enough proof for me,” Spiderleg grunted87.
Firestar ignored the interruption. “I will lead a patrol to speak with Onestar. Not to accuse him or attack his Clan. Ashfur died on the WindClan border, and it’s possible that one of Onestar’s warriors saw something.”
There were murmurs88 of disagreement from some of the listening cats; Thornclaw was flexing89 his claws in and out, but he didn’t speak up.
“Brambleclaw, you’ll come with me,” Firestar went on. “And Brackenfur, Sorreltail, and Lionblaze. We’ll leave right away.”
Lionblaze felt a jolt in his belly when Firestar spoke90 his name. For a heartbeat, he wanted to protest; he hated the thought of being involved in the investigation91 of Ashfur’s death. But he knew that if he said anything, he would only draw attention to himself. He had no reason to refuse to go to WindClan; as far as the other cats knew, he was as shocked by Ashfur’s death, and as determined92 to get vengeance93, as they were.
“Good,” Hollyleaf breathed into his ear. “And you’ve got to tell me what happens when you get back.”
“Okay,” Lionblaze muttered. “But I’d rather stay out of it.”
Firestar leaped down from the boulder and padded through the groups of cats with Brambleclaw just behind him. Brackenfur and Sorreltail joined them.
Cats who didn’t want to attack WindClan,Lionblaze realized.
Firestar isn’t taking any risks.
Firestar led them toward the thorn tunnel; before they left, he turned and summoned Graystripe with a flick of his tail. “Keep an eye on Thornclaw and the others,” he murmured to the gray warrior. “Make sure they don’t try to launch their own attack.”
Graystripe nodded grimly. “Don’t worry. I’ll stick closer than their pelts94.”
Lionblaze and the others followed Firestar as he headed through the woods, making for the WindClan border. Fallen leaves rustled as the cats brushed through them; in the shade of the trees, where the leaf-bare sun didn’t penetrate95, every leaf was still rimmed96 with frost. The bare branches traced delicate patterns against the sky.
The patrol padded behind Firestar in solemn silence; Lionblaze brought up the rear. He could tell that the rest of the cats were uneasy, halting every few paw steps to taste the air. Sorreltail spun around, her tail lashing, at the sound of an acorn97 dropping into the undergrowth.
“It doesn’t feel like our territory anymore,” she mewed disgustedly when she realized her mistake. “There could be anything lurking98 about. Suppose it was a rogue99 who killed Ashfur?”
“It might have been.” Brackenfur touched his mate’s shoulder with his tail-tip. “But you’re safe with us. One cat can’t take on a whole patrol.”
“That crow-food-eating menace Sol could still be hanging around,” Sorreltail went on. “No cat knows where he went after ShadowClan threw him out.”
Firestar, who had paused to wait for his Clanmates, pricked100 his ears with interest. “It’s an idea. We should all stay alert for any signs of him. I’ll announce it to the rest of the Clan when we get back.”
“Sol doesn’t strike me as the sort of cat who would kill,” Brambleclaw commented thoughtfully. “Getting other cats to do his dirty work is more his style.”
Firestar nodded. “True. But maybe Ashfur caught him trying to do something to harm ThunderClan.”
“Ashfur might have attacked Sol just for being on our territory,” Brackenfur meowed. “He would have taken on a badger101 to protect his Clan.”
“He was a loyal warrior,” Brambleclaw agreed.
Miserably102 Lionblaze wished he could feel what they did, and mourn his Clanmate sincerely. Ashfur’s famous loyalty103 wouldn’t have stopped him from ruining ThunderClan’s reputation by revealing Squirrelflight’s secret at the Gathering. He had confessed that he had plotted with Hawkfrost to make Brambleclaw kill Firestar. His obsession104 with Squirrelflight had destroyed his commitment to ThunderClan. But now that he was dead, his Clan was determined to make him into a hero. Lionblaze longed to yowl out the truth to every cat in the forest, but he knew the destruction that would follow. When the patrol set off again, he could only plod105 along at the rear, hating the need for silence and hating himself.
“Are you okay?” Brambleclaw had dropped back to pad beside him. “I know you must be missing Ashfur.”
Fury at Brambleclaw’s misunderstanding flooded through Lionblaze. “I’m fine!” he snapped, knowing he was being illogical. “Stay out of my fur, will you?”
Brambleclaw’s eyes widened, but he said nothing, just nodded and quickened his pace again to catch up with Firestar.
“You shouldn’t claw his whiskers off,” Sorreltail mewed, padding up to Lionblaze and touching106 his ear with her nose. “Brambleclaw is bound to be worried about you; that’s what fathers do.” Her amber eyes gleamed with affection. “My kits are warriors now, but they’ll always be my kits.”
Lionblaze gave her an awkward nod, but he couldn’t reply. His secret trapped him like rising floodwater, cutting him off from every cat in his Clan. He’s not my father!Lionblaze wanted to yowl. Everything you’ve been told is a lie!
收听单词发音 |
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rustled
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| v.发出沙沙的声音( rustle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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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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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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fungus
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| n.真菌，真菌类植物 | |
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blurted
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| v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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amber
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| n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的 | |
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slits
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| n.狭长的口子，裂缝( slit的名词复数 )v.切开，撕开( slit的第三人称单数 )；在…上开狭长口子 | |
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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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snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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bristle
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| v.（毛发）直立，气势汹汹，发怒；n.硬毛发 | |
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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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growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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twitch
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| v.急拉，抽动，痉挛，抽搐；n.扯，阵痛，痉挛 | |
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25
frustration
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| n.挫折，失败，失效，落空 | |
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26
battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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27
sheathed
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| adj.雕塑像下半身包在鞘中的；覆盖的；铠装的；装鞘了的v.将（刀、剑等）插入鞘( sheathe的过去式和过去分词 )；包，覆盖 | |
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28
haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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29
random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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30
jolt
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| v.（使）摇动，（使）震动，（使）颠簸 | |
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31
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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32
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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34
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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35
belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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36
hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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37
mentored
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| v.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
mentor
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| n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导 | |
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39
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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40
veering
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| n.改变的；犹豫的；顺时针方向转向；特指使船尾转向上风来改变航向v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的现在分词 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转 | |
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41
lashing
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| n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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42
trickling
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| n.油画底色含油太多而成泡沫状突起v.滴( trickle的现在分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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43
scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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44
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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45
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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46
wriggled
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等） | |
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47
battering
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| n.用坏，损坏v.连续猛击( batter的现在分词 ) | |
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48
gash
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| v.深切，划开；n.(深长的)切(伤)口；裂缝 | |
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49
lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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50
bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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51
tangling
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| （使）缠结， （使）乱作一团( tangle的现在分词 ) | |
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52
den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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53
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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54
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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55
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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56
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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57
rhythmic
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| adj.有节奏的，有韵律的 | |
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58
exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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59
grooming
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| n. 修饰, 美容，（动物）梳理毛发 | |
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60
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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61
twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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62
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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63
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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64
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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65
clans
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| 宗族( clan的名词复数 )； 氏族； 庞大的家族； 宗派 | |
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66
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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67
apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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68
scathing
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| adj.（言词、文章）严厉的，尖刻的；不留情的adv.严厉地，尖刻地v.伤害，损害（尤指使之枯萎）( scathe的现在分词) | |
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69
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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70
avenge
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| v.为...复仇，为...报仇 | |
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71
wrestled
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| v.（与某人）搏斗( wrestle的过去式和过去分词 )；扭成一团；扭打；（与…）摔跤 | |
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72
liar
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| n.说谎的人 | |
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73
beckon
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| v.(以点头或打手势)向...示意，召唤 | |
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74
mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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75
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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76
avenged
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| v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的过去式和过去分词 )；为…报复 | |
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77
flinched
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| v.（因危险和痛苦）退缩，畏惧( flinch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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78
queried
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
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79
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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80
prodding
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| v.刺，戳( prod的现在分词 )；刺激；促使；（用手指或尖物）戳 | |
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81
tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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82
boulder
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| n.巨砾；卵石，圆石 | |
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83
apprentices
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| 学徒，徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 ) | |
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84
moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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85
flicking
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的现在分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
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86
resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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87
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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88
murmurs
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| n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 )；低语声；怨言；嘀咕 | |
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89
flexing
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| n.挠曲，可挠性v.屈曲( flex的现在分词 )；弯曲；（为准备大干而）显示实力；摩拳擦掌 | |
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90
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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91
investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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92
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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93
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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94
pelts
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| n. 皮毛，投掷, 疾行 vt. 剥去皮毛，（连续）投掷 vi. 猛击，大步走 | |
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95
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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96
rimmed
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| adj.有边缘的，有框的v.沿…边缘滚动；给…镶边 | |
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97
acorn
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| n.橡实，橡子 | |
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98
lurking
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| 潜在 | |
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99
rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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100
pricked
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| 刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛 | |
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101
badger
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| v.一再烦扰，一再要求，纠缠 | |
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102
miserably
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| adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地 | |
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103
loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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104
obsession
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| n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感) | |
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105
plod
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| v.沉重缓慢地走，孜孜地工作 | |
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106
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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