Chapter 7
On the morning after the Gathering1, Lionblaze returned from the dawn patrol and headed straight for Firestar’s den2. The sun was shining down into the hol ow, and puffs3 of white cloud scudded4 across a blue sky. The camp was fil ed with the noise of peaceful activity, but Lionblaze couldn’t help feeling that trouble was heading for them like a swel ing storm cloud
As he climbed up to the top of the tumbled rocks, Lionblaze heard Brambleclaw’s voice coming from Firestar’s den.
“I hope not,” Firestar replied. “But WindClan is certainly getting hostile.”
“Firestar?” Lionblaze reached the entrance to the den and poked6 his head inside. “Can I talk to you?” Firestar was sitting on his pile of bedding at the back of the den, with Brambleclaw standing7 beside him. “Come in,” he invited with a wave of his tail. “We were just discussing Onestar’s outburst at the Gathering.”
Lionblaze padded into the den, dipping his head to Brambleclaw. “I heard what you were saying,” he began. “That’s what I wanted to discuss, too. What if WindClan is right?”
“No,” Lionblaze interrupted. “I know that’s not true.
But suppose they have seen a cat hanging around?
Remember what Cherrypaw and Molepaw said they saw. We might wel have a rogue10 wandering about in the territory.”
Firestar nodded. “That’s a very good point.”
“I’l track it down if you like,” Lionblaze offered,
“and send it on its way.” Waiting tensely for his leader’s reply, he added to himself, And then I can find out if what Jayfeather and I suspect is true.
“There’s no need for that,” Brambleclaw meowed.
“We can just send out extra patrols.”
“Lionblaze can go alone if he wants. There’s no need to be aggressive about this. We just need to find out if there’s any evidence of an intruder.” Brambleclaw looked slightly puzzled, but dipped his head toward Firestar. “Fine, if you think that’s best.”
Lionblaze bade the two cats a hasty farewel , and ran down the tumbled rocks into the clearing. On his way to the thorn tunnel, he spotted12 Jayfeather outside his den, sniffing14 at the fox bite on Foxleap’s shoulder. Lionblaze veered15 toward him.
“That smel s fine,” Jayfeather meowed to Foxleap as Lionblaze approached. “See me again tomorrow.
Jayfeather turned to Lionblaze. “Wel ? What are you so excited about?”
Lionblaze paused for a heartbeat, stil finding it odd after al this time that Jayfeather could judge his feelings so accurately18 without being able to see him.
“Firestar has given me permission to go and look for the intruder,” he told his brother.
Jayfeather twitched his ears. “Real y? You’d better be careful, then.” A heartbeat later, he added, “What wil you do if we’re right?”
“I don’t know,” Lionblaze admitted, feeling a tingle19 in his paws. “But I don’t want any other cat finding out first.”
“True enough,” Jayfeather commented.
Leaving his littermate to return to his den, Lionblaze brushed through the thorn tunnel and headed to the slope above the hol ow. Wind blew into his face and flattened20 his fur to his sides as he gazed out over the lake. It looked so peaceful, the water glittering in the sunlight, surrounded by rustling21 green leaves. Yet Lionblaze felt it was overshadowed by the Dark Forest and his knowledge of what was coming.
The acrid22 scent23 of fox dung trickled24 into Lionblaze’s nose. He fol owed it until he reached the clearing where Cherrypaw and Molepaw had been training.
Phew, what a stench! Ivypool certainly did a thorough job.
He searched along the edges of the bramble thickets26 until he discovered paw prints and scraps27 of fur clinging to the thorns, which showed him where the apprentices28 had hidden from the fox. Squeezing under the brambles, Lionblaze tried to work out what the young cats might have seen from their hiding place. Bramble tendrils cut off his view in most directions, but there was a gap low down, level with a scared apprentice’s sight line. Through it he could see a hazel bush a few tail-lengths away that looked like a place where the mysterious rescuer might have been crouching29.
Lionblaze wriggled30 out from underneath31 the brambles, hissing32 with annoyance34 as thorns raked his fur. Underneath the hazel bush the debris35 was disturbed as if a cat had stood there, and a few snapped twigs36 lay on the ground, but there were no clear paw prints.
The cat must have been a bit smaller than me to get under there, Lionblaze thought. Too bad there are no scraps of fur left behind. And I can’t smell a thing over this awful reek37 of fox.
There was nothing more to be learned in the clearing. After a moment’s thought, Lionblaze headed for the border with the unclaimed forest, then turned toward WindClan, since the intruder had been seen there. Scanning the ground careful y as he padded along, he spotted a place where the leaf-mold had been churned up, as if a pounce38 and a brief struggle had taken place there.
Sniffing careful y al around, Lionblaze couldn’t find any signs that the prey39 had been eaten where it was caught. Then he stiffened40, spotting tiny drag marks leading toward the border. Fol owing them paw step by paw step, sometimes almost losing the trail among grass and leaves, Lionblaze final y reached the border. The drag marks continued; passing the ThunderClan scent markers, he found scattered41 feathers a few fox-lengths outside the boundary, in unclaimed forest.
So this cat killed prey, but knew enough to take it across the border before they ate it. Lionblaze’s heart started to beat faster. This is a cat who knows about the territories! It’s confident hunting and moving around here, but it doesn’t want to be found.
Lionblaze sat beside the feathers, wrapped his tail around his paws, and tried to think. If the intruder was living in this area, she had food and water, but she would need shelter, too.
Not too far from here, if they want to keep an eye on ThunderClan, but not so close that scent would stray across the border while they’re resting . . .
Rising to his paws again, Lionblaze ventured a little farther into the unknown woods. He soon came to a bramble thicket25, which looked like a possible shelter for a loner.
No, he thought, eyeing it careful y. I wouldn’t live there. It would be too hard to escape, and a cat could be on top of me before I heard them.
Searching farther, his pelt42 prickling with the feeling that he was very close to his quarry43, Lionblaze came to a clearing where the ground was uneven44 and moss-covered rocks jutted45 out of the ground.
Beneath one of the biggest boulders47 was a hole, like the entrance to a tunnel. Lionblaze set his paws down as lightly as if he were stalking a mouse.
Reaching the hole, he stretched out his neck and took a sniff13. Dampness and earth flooded his scent glands48, but there was the scent of cat as wel , though he couldn’t identify it among al the other scents49.
He was crouching down to enter when another thought occurred to him. Wait. I wouldn’t shelter in there unless I knew there was another way out.
Stil treading careful y, he slunk around the boulders, his gaze flicking50 from side to side in search of another hole. Final y he found it: smal er than the first, and wel -hidden in a clump51 of ferns.
Yes!
After a moment’s thought, Lionblaze searched until he found a fal en branch, and dragged it back to the second hole, jamming it firmly across the opening.
I don’t know if the intruder is in there, but I’m taking no chances.
He returned to the first entrance, crouching down and straining to see inside. But it was impossible to make out anything in the darkness.
There’s no other choice. I’ll have to go in.
For a couple of heartbeats he hesitated. He real y didn’t want to squeeze himself into the dark hole. It was too smal for him, and he felt as if he would hardly be able to breathe in the cramped52 space.
There could be anything down there . . . snakes . . .
foxes . . .
Then he gave his pelt a shake. Are you a warrior, or a mouse? Flattening53 himself to the ground, he began to thrust his shoulders into the narrow gap and crawl forward.
A voice spoke54 behind him. “Hel o, Lionblaze.” Lionblaze’s heart jumped. He whipped around, banging his head on the boulder46 that sheltered the hole. Then his jaw55 dropped open and he stared in astonishment56. In front of him stood a cat that he had never expected to see again.
“Sol!”
Sol inclined his head. His mottled brown-and-black pelt gleamed in the sunlight and his whiskers arched with amusement as he looked at Lionblaze.
“How appropriate that you’re the first cat that I see when I return,” he mewed, giving his chest fur a couple of licks. “After al , you were the last cat I saw before I left.”
Guilt57 surged over Lionblaze as he remembered how he had helped Sol escape from the ThunderClan camp, genuinely believing that he didn’t deserve to be kept prisoner.
Sol’s ears twitched in surprise. “No warm welcome for a former Clanmate?”
“You were never my Clanmate,” Lionblaze retorted, struggling to keep calm, furious with himself that Sol had caught him off-balance, with his pelt covered in soil and debris. “And you’re wrong to expect a welcome from any of us,” he went on. “We know what you did to Blackstar and ShadowClan.” Sol’s eyes widened in a hurt expression. “I simply suggested a different way of living. The world doesn’t begin and end with the warrior code, you know.” An ominous59 note crept into his voice. “But I also know that the warrior code insists that you treat visitors with courtesy. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to visit old friends, is there?” Lionblaze gritted60 his teeth. This cat leaves me wrong-footed whatever I say! “We were never your friends,” he muttered.
“Oh, I think you were,” Sol meowed. “After al , you helped me to escape, didn’t you?” Blinking at Lionblaze’s hiss33 of annoyance, he added, “Ah, I see that this isn’t common knowledge. I can’t say I’m surprised. Hardly your finest moment, was it, releasing a prisoner? Though I have to say I was never entirely61 sure what I was captured for.” He examined the claws on one forepaw. “So, are you going to take me to Firestar?”
“Real y?”
Sol nodded. “Why not? I have no quarrel with him, even if he did imprison63 me for no reason. We can share stories about the old days by the lake. The vanishing sun—remember that?”
Lionblaze shuddered64 and looked up at the sky, remembering the unnatural65 darkness, chil , and silence al too clearly.
“It’s al right,” Sol purred. “I’m not going to make it disappear again. As long as I’m not treated unfairly, that is.”
Lionblaze emerged from the thorn tunnel with Sol just behind him. Most of the patrols had returned by this time, and the stone hol ow was fil ed with cats sunning themselves, sharing tongues, or gossiping beside the fresh-kil pile. Dustpelt was crossing the clearing, heading for the dirtplace tunnel; he halted when he spotted Sol.
“I don’t believe it!” he exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
Cloudtail and Brightheart, curled up together in a sunny spot, raised their heads and stared. “Sol! It can’t be!” Cloudtail’s voice was a yowl of astonishment.
Alerted by the noise, two or three warriors poked their heads out of their den, then slid into the open.
Brackenfur, who was sharing tongues with Sorreltail just outside, took one look, sprang to his paws, and raced up the rockfal toward Firestar’s den.
“Sol!” Squirrelflight gasped66, looking up from the fresh-kil pile with a vole in her jaws67. “Oh, no!” Cherrypaw and Molepaw scampered68 across the clearing and skidded69 to a halt in front of Sol, gazing at him with eyes stretched wide in wonder.
“Are you real y Sol?” Cherrypaw asked. “Mousefur was just tel ing us about you!”
“Yeah, are you the cat who stole the sun?” Molepaw added.
Sol dipped his head. “Yes, but I gave it back again.”
“Wow!”
Lionblaze didn’t move as more of his Clanmates bounded across the clearing and surrounded him and Sol. He glanced around for Jayfeather and Dovewing, but couldn’t see either of them
“What do you want?” Graystripe growled70, pushing himself to the front of the crowd. “Every time you set paw in our territory, it means trouble.”
“Right.” Dustpelt came to stand beside Graystripe, his neck fur bristling71. “If I were you, Sol, I would turn around again and go back where you came from.”
“So good to meet old friends,” Sol purred, raising one paw and giving it a lick. “There’s always such a warm welcome in ThunderClan.”
Before any cat could respond, Firestar shouldered his way forward and halted in front of Sol, looking him up and down with suspicion in his green eyes.
“Why are you here, Sol?” he asked, his flame-colored pelt fluffing up.
Sol blinked. “I was just passing through. I couldn’t go on without stopping to greet my friends in ThunderClan.”
Passing through . . . huh! Lionblaze thought. He’s been around for several sunrises, at least.
Firestar seemed to consider Sol’s answer for a moment, the tip of his tail flicking slightly.
“ThunderClan has no quarrel with you now,” he mewed at last. “But I can’t say the same about Blackstar. And you’ve already caused enough trouble by hanging around on the WindClan border.
“We can make him go, Firestar,” Cloudtail growled, taking a pace forward. “Just say the word.” But at the same moment, a loud cry of “Sol! Sol!” came from the direction of the warriors’ den.
“Sol, you saved my kits73, didn’t you?” she meowed, gazing wide-eyed at him. “Above the hol ow, when the fox cornered them? It was you, wasn’t it?” she went on insistently74 when Sol didn’t reply. “They didn’t get a good look at you, but they’d have known if it was a ThunderClan warrior.”
Lionblaze’s heart sank. Realizing that Sol must have been the cat under the hazel bush who scared away the fox didn’t change his opinion at al . He wanted Sol gone.
“And what was Sol doing, wandering around ThunderClan territory?” Dustpelt muttered.
“Yeah.” Cloudtail glared at the newcomer. “Why didn’t he come straight here if he wanted to visit, or make himself known to a patrol?”
Poppyfrost’s head swiveled and she returned Cloudtail’s glare. “He probably wasn’t sure about what sort of a welcome he’d get,” she retorted, then turned back to Sol with a deep-throated purr. “Oh, Sol, thank you so much! You’l always be welcome here.”
“Thank you, Poppyfrost,” Sol replied. “But real y, it was nothing.”
“Fighting off a fox isn’t nothing,” Berrynose meowed, coming up behind Poppyfrost and dipping his head respectful y to the visitor. “Firestar, he can stay the night, can’t he?”
Firestar looked disconcerted. Lionblaze could see that he didn’t want to let Sol back into the camp, but he could hardly turn him away now. “Very wel ,” he agreed, with a curt75 nod.
“Come over here and take your pick of the freshkil pile,” Berrynose invited.
The cream-colored warrior escorted Sol across the camp, and most of the other cats fol owed.
Cherrypaw and Molepaw were already asking excited questions about Sol’s travels.
“Later,” Poppyfrost told them. “Let Sol eat and rest first.”
Lionblaze stayed where he was, near the camp entrance. I can’t believe this! Sol’s back in ThunderClan as an honored guest. He spotted Jayfeather, who had been listening at the edge of the crowd, and padded over to join him. “We were wrong,” he mewed.
Jayfeather nodded, his head turned toward the fresh-kil pile as if he could see his Clanmates gathering around Sol. “I was so sure . . .” he murmured.
“I don’t care how many apprentices Sol saved,” Lionblaze went on after a moment. “I don’t trust him, and I don’t think Firestar trusts him, either.”
“Neither do I.” Jayfeather gave a disdainful sniff.
“There’s no way he was just passing by. He’s here for a reason, and that reason is bound to be trouble.”

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收听单词发音
收听单词发音
1
gathering
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| n.集会,聚会,聚集 | |
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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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puffs
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| n.吸( puff的名词复数 );(烟斗或香烟的)一吸;一缕(烟、蒸汽等);(呼吸或风的)呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 );喷着汽(或烟)移动;吹嘘;吹捧 | |
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scudded
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| v.(尤指船、舰或云彩)笔直、高速而平稳地移动( scud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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poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 );戳出;拨弄;与(某人)性交 | |
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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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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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rogue
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| n.流氓;v.游手好闲 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的,斑纹的,弄污了的 | |
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sniff
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| vi.嗅…味道;抽鼻涕;对嗤之以鼻,蔑视 | |
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sniffing
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| n.探查法v.以鼻吸气,嗅,闻( sniff的现在分词 );抽鼻子(尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气);抱怨,不以为然地说 | |
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veered
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| v.(尤指交通工具)改变方向或路线( veer的过去式和过去分词 );(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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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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accurately
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| adv.准确地,精确地 | |
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tingle
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| vi.感到刺痛,感到激动;n.刺痛,激动 | |
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flattened
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| [医](水)平扁的,弄平的 | |
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rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声,沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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acrid
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| adj.辛辣的,尖刻的,刻薄的 | |
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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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trickled
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| v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 );淌;使)慢慢走;缓慢移动 | |
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thicket
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| n.灌木丛,树林 | |
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thickets
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| n.灌木丛( thicket的名词复数 );丛状物 | |
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scraps
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| 油渣 | |
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apprentices
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| 学徒,徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 ) | |
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crouching
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| v.屈膝,蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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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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underneath
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| adj.在...下面,在...底下;adv.在下面 | |
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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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hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声;发嘘声表示不满 | |
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annoyance
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| n.恼怒,生气,烦恼 | |
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debris
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| n.瓦砾堆,废墟,碎片 | |
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twigs
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| 细枝,嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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reek
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| v.发出臭气;n.恶臭 | |
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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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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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stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
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pelt
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| v.投掷,剥皮,抨击,开火 | |
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quarry
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| n.采石场;v.采石;费力地找 | |
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uneven
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| adj.不平坦的,不规则的,不均匀的 | |
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jutted
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| v.(使)突出( jut的过去式和过去分词 );伸出;(从…)突出;高出 | |
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boulder
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| n.巨砾;卵石,圆石 | |
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boulders
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| n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 );巨砾;(受水或天气侵蚀而成的)巨石;漂砾 | |
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glands
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| n.腺( gland的名词复数 ) | |
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scents
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| n.香水( scent的名词复数 );气味;(动物的)臭迹;(尤指狗的)嗅觉 | |
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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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clump
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| n.树丛,草丛;vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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cramped
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| a.狭窄的 | |
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flattening
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| n. 修平 动词flatten的现在分词 | |
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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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jaw
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| n.颚,颌,说教,流言蜚语;v.喋喋不休,教训 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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guilt
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| n.犯罪;内疚;过失,罪责 | |
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racing
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| n.竞赛,赛马;adj.竞赛用的,赛马用的 | |
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ominous
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| adj.不祥的,不吉的,预兆的,预示的 | |
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gritted
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| v.以沙砾覆盖(某物),撒沙砾于( grit的过去式和过去分词 );咬紧牙关 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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rippled
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| 使泛起涟漪(ripple的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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63
imprison
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| vt.监禁,关押,限制,束缚 | |
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64
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 );发抖;(机器、车辆等)突然震动;颤动 | |
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65
unnatural
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| adj.不自然的;反常的 | |
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66
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要 | |
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67
jaws
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| n.口部;嘴 | |
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68
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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69
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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70
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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71
bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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72
pelting
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| 微不足道的,无价值的,盛怒的 | |
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73
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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insistently
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| ad.坚持地 | |
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75
curt
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| adj.简短的,草率的 | |
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