Chapter 11

D avoids the obvious with e ?Ican't believe you're got your hands in there,? Jenny cried, scrunching¹ up her nose as Leo mashed² raw eggs, butter, sugar, flour, and cocoa powder together with his bare hands. It had been his idea to make brownies, but of course they had to make them at her house, not his. Jenny didn't know when she'd ever get to see his house. ?My mom taught me this. It's the only way to get it really well mixed without using a beater.? Leo's red-and-white-checked shirt sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, and he was biting his lower lip in concentration?the utter picture of adorable?as his hands worked the contents of the large ceramic³ bowl. ?Oh,? Jenny replied, sifting⁴ in another cup of flour. ?Does your mom like to cook?? Anyone who lived in that fancy apartment building on Park Avenue must have a full-time⁵ chef. ?Kind of. Mostly she just likes making brownies.? Aha. See? Cooking was just another hobby, like dressing⁶ her dog in designer clothes and getting her face Botoxed. Leo removed his finger from the sweet batter⁷ and held it out to Jenny. ?Taste?? Jenny was so preoccupied⁸ with the thought of his mother baking brownies on the cook's night off that she opened her mouth and gave his finger a good long suck.  Oh! ?Oops. I guess I'm interrupting something,? Elise observed from the kitchen doorway⁹. ?You guys are so cute,? she added hollowly. The downstairs buzzer¹⁰ had rung only a few minutes ago, but after buzzing Elise in, Jenny had become so preoccupied with Leo's brownie-making skills, she'd completely forgotten about her friend. She picked up the wooden spoon she'd gotten out to mix the brownie dough¹¹ with in the first place. ?Want to taste it?? Elise wrinkled up her nose. ?Nah. I'll wait till they're cooked. Is Dan home?? Jenny shrugged¹³. She hadn't noticed him leave. ?I'm pretty sure he is, because I think I smell smoke.? Elise headed down the hall to Dan's bedroom. ?Call me when the brownies are done!? Dan was lying on his bed, trying to think of a synonym¹⁴ fordesire that rhymed withclock. Sock, mock, jock, rock . He hadn't gotten very far. ?Can I come in?? Elise asked from outside his bedroom door. ?Sure.? Dan sat up and closed the little black notebook he was writing in. Elise was wearing a black turtleneck sweater that made her look serious and older somehow. ?What's up?? ?Nothing.? She sat down on the end of the bed. ?What are you writing?? Dan hopped¹⁵ off the bed and chucked his notebook on his desk. He reached for his pack of Camels and lit one, inhaling¹⁶ deeply as he shook out the match. ?Quick, a word that rhymes withclock.? ?Tock,? Elise shot back. Dan stared at her. ?But that's not a real word. It doesn't mean anything without the ?tick-tock? part.? ?No, I guess you're right.? She stood up and went over to his desk, towering four inches over Dan. Her height definitely made her seem older. So did the careful way she dressed, with her T-shirt tucked neatly¹⁷ into her belted jeans and her cardigan all buttoned up. Instead of being prissy, it conveyed a sort of confidence, as if, ?I am a woman and this is how it's done.? She flipped¹⁸ open one of his notebooks. ?So this is where you write everything?? Dan's first impulse was to snatch the book away from her, but Elise wasn't Vanessa. She wasn't going to make fun of one of his lesser¹⁹ poems or push him to send one of his better ones off to a famous magazine. ?Yeah. I don't like working on the computer because I wind up deleting stuff I might use.? Elise nodded and rifled through the pages. ?Hey, I got you something.? Dan opened the black messenger bag he always carried and pulled out the book of writing exercises he'd bought for Elise earlier that day. ?To thank you for the cookies.? Elise took the book and examined it. ?Wow, this is like homework. As if I don't have enough already.? ?But it's really not,? Dan said, taking the book back and turning to one of the exercises. ??Avoid the obvious. Make a list of all the clich?s you've ever heard of and never use them in your writing.?? He looked up. ?See? It's fun!? Elise looked at him like he was insane. ?I guess it's probably more fun than watching your best friend suck brownie batter off her boyfriend's fingers.? She picked up a pen and turned to a free page in one of Dan's black notebooks. ?What exactlyis a clich?, anyway?? Dan liked how unembarrassed she was about her ignorance. ?You know, like ?love at first sight? or ?hard as a rock? or ?blind as a bat.? All those things you've heard a thousand times.? ?Uh-huh.? She sat down on the bed and wrote something. Then she passed the notebook to Dan. ?Okay, your turn.? He was going to write,What goes around comes around , until he saw what Elise had written:Why did you kiss me on the street today? He stubbed out his cigarette in an ashtray²¹ and gripped the pen hard to steady his fingers.Because of the cookies , he wrote.And because of the bread . Actually, he didn't know exactly why he'd kissed her. It had been a spur-of-the-moment thing. He handed the notebook back, and Elise read what he'd written without looking up. Then she wrote something underneath²² it and passed die notebook back.  Kiss me again? Dan walked over to the door and pushed it closed. He tossed the notebook on the bed and turned to Elise, kissing her hard on the mouth as he yanked her T-shirt out of her jeans. Elise let out a little cry and took a step backward. Dan let go of her. All of a sudden Elise didn't seem so old anymore. Her blue eyes were wide, and her smile was less a smile than a terrified grimace²³.  ?I'm sorry.? ?It's okay,? she said, more to herself than to him. ?I'm okay.? Dan noticed a roll of pale baby fat hanging over the waistband of her jeans. She saw him looking at it and quickly tucked her T-shirt back in. Loser, Dan scolded himself. Elise was only fourteen, and he was nearly eighteen. He was worse than slimy. He was a total asshole. Elise was still standing²⁵ there waiting for him to kiss her again, and all of a sudden he felt sort of pissed at her, too, for even thinking this might be a good idea. He turned his back and sat down in front of the computer, jiggling the mouse. ?I think the brownies are probably done,? he told her hoarsely²⁶. Elise stayed put, so Dan started checking his e-mail. He kept his back turned until finally he heard her walking toward the door. ?I thought you wanted to be my boyfriend,? she mumbled²⁷, her throat choked with tears. A moment later, Dan heard the front door of the apartment slam shut. He picked up his notebook and turned to a fresh page.Because of the cookies and because of the bread , he wrote, and then stopped. It was a little difficult to feel inspired. V doth protest too much ?I know you're working on a paper right now and we just saw each other last night, but do you want to go get dinner?? Vanessa practically shouted into the phone. ?What, like right now?? Jordy asked. ?Yes.Now .? Tantric chanting emanated²⁸ from the living room, where Vanessa's parents were hosting a gathering²⁹ of artist friends for an evening of ?sparking the creative flint.? Whatever the hellthat meant. ?I can meet you somewhere in your neighborhood,? she offered. ?Anywhere is fine.? ?Wow,? Vanessa said when she arrived. Despite its name, Bubba's?an Italian place near Columbia?was actually nice. She'd expected tables covered with red-and-white-checked plastic tablecloths³⁰ and sides of fries served with every dish. Instead, the tablecloths were white, and there were candles and old jazz playing. It was only five-thirty, and the restaurant was empty. But even that was that romantic, in a very traditional way. Jordy was already seated at a table and had ordered a bottle of red wine. The waiter took Vanessa's black wool jacket and helped her into her chair. ?I feel so mature.? Jordy shrugged like he was used to this. After all, he was in college. ?I like your lipstick³¹.? Vanessa couldn't tell if he was joking or not. Jordy wore a constant pleasantly arrogant³² expression, making it extremely difficult to gauge³³ his emotions. If only his nose acted as some sort of barometer³⁴, getting longer or shorter depending on his mood. Not that she really wanted his nose to get any longer. ?My parents are having some sort of freak-fest chanting session with a bunch of other so-called artists in our apartment.? Vanessa told him, scowling³⁶ as she opened her napkin and put it on her lap. ?I can't wait for them to leave.? Jordy took a sip³⁷ of wine, pressing his thin lips together as if he really enjoyed the taste of it. His expensive glasses were on the table, and Vanessa saw for the first time that his eyes were light golden brown, like a lion's. Way to notice a boy's eye colorafter you've already kissed him! ?I think your parents are amazing,? he said. ?I mean, it takes a lot of effort and courage to be that ?out there .? Vanessa's thick brown eyebrows³⁸ shot up. ?I'll say.? She scraped her chair forward and put her elbows on the table. ?You know, when I was little I was a scab-picker. Any little nick or insect bite I'd pick away at until it bled and bled. And you know what my mom said? She said I ought to save the scabs so my dad could make a piece of artwork out of them. Isn't that just the most insanely twisted thing you've ever heard? I mean, most moms would be worried about scarring, or they'd take their kid to a shrink. My parents, all they care about is themselves and their ?work.?? Jordy shrugged. ?Maybe she was joking.? Vanessa frowned and opened her menu. Antipasti, primi, secondi, dolci.Joking? She'd never heard her mother be remotely jocular. ?I don't think so.? Jordy watched her as she scrutinized³⁹ the menu. ?Still, I really admire them. I mean, the way they're letting you and your sister live on your own. Not many parents would do that.? ?No. Not many would,? Vanessa agreed with a scowl³⁵. ?I'd kind of like to go up to Vermont and see how they live,? Jordy added eagerly. Vanessa looked up from her menu in alarm. ?Why?? ?I don't know. I haven't met that many people who are ? you know ?different . I'm just curious, I guess.? He took a sip of wine and did that thing with his lips again. ?So, my mom kind of mentioned that you had a pretty serious boyfriend. Is that, like, all over, or what?? Vanessa flipped her menu closed without deciding on anything. She wasn't really hungry, anyway?she'd just wanted to get out of the house. ?Yeah, it's over. We're not even friends anymore.? Normally her voice had a bitter fuck-you bite to it, but just now it had quavered with emotion. ?Not that I mind,? she added tartly⁴⁰. The waiter came and Vanessa ordered a salad. She felt like one of those skinny blond girls in her class at Constance who only ate dry lettuce⁴¹ and Jell-o. Jordy ripped a piece of bread off the hunk in the basket on the table. ?So did you break up with him, or the other way around?? With long, delicate fingers he dunked the bread in the little bowl of olive oil. She'd never really thought about who'd broken up with whom. In fact, there'd never been an official breakup. After she'd caught Dan fooling around with that Mystery Craze person on stage in a poetry club, she'd refused to return his phone calls. If anyone had broken up with anyone, she'd broken up with him. But did that mean that maybe he hadn't meant to break up with her at all? It was almost too confusing to think about. ?I-I guess I sort of inadvertently broke up with him,? she stammered⁴². ?I mean, hewas cheating on me.? It felt weird⁴³ talking to another guy about her relationship with Dan. It felt weird talking to someone else period, since the only person she'd ever really talked to was Dan himself. But Jordy's arrogant sincerity⁴⁴ was just that: sincere. And it was kind of hard to cop an attitude in the face of all that sincerity. Vanessa felt her lower lip begin to tremble as tears welled up in her big brown eyes. Oh God. She hated it when she cried, especially in public. What was wrong with her? There, there. It's happened to the best of us. Jordy put his glasses back on. ?I'm sorry. We don't have to talk about this if you don't want to.? His wan¹² cheeks flushed. ?I was kind of only asking for selfish reasons, anyway.? He took off his glasses again and set them carefully on the table next to the olive oil. Then he lifted his gaze, his golden eyes gazing straight into hers. ?I really like you, Vanessa.? Miles Davis was playing and the candles flickered⁴⁵. All of a sudden Vanessa felt like she was starring in one of those badly made romantic films that most girls cried over and she couldn't stand. ?I like you, too,? she sobbed⁴⁶, mortified⁴⁷. If she were with Dan, she would have suddenly burst out laughing and told him to go fuck himself for making her cry. But Jordy wasn't Dan. If she told him to go fuck himself, he'd probably do it. Well, not literally⁴⁸. But we know what she means. She wiped her damp face on her white linen⁴⁹ napkin, smearing⁵⁰ Ruby's lipstick all over it. ?Sorry. I guess my parents are really stressing me out.? She put down her napkin and took a gulp⁵¹ of water. ?So tell me something about Columbia. Like, what's your favorite course?? As if she genuinely cared. It was pretty obvious now that Jordy was only interested in her because her parents werealternative , and she was only interested in him because he was so completelyun alternative. Besides, her mind was too occupied with its most recent download to pay attention to a word of Jordy's reply. And the information her mind was so busy processing was that she was still in love with Dan. She just wants somebody to love After a full day of skiing, followed by an hour of watching the Dutch Olympic snowboarding team tear up the half-pipe, the group retired⁵² to the lodge⁵³ at the base of the mountain for some well-deserved happy-hour pitchers⁵⁵ of beer. The lodge had a roaring fire, a piano player, and cocktail⁵⁶ waitresses wearing denim⁵⁷ vests with nothing underneath. Serena sat down next to Jan, one of the seven snowboarders. The whole team was blond and athletic⁵⁸ and handsome, but she'd chosen Jan because when he boarded he stuck his thumbs out in a very peculiar⁵⁹ cute way, like he was giving the entire mountain the thumbs-up. ?Are all the girls in New York as beautiful as you and your friends?? he asked with his charming Dutch accent. Serena giggled⁶⁰. She was a sucker for charm. ?You guys are so lucky?getting to do this every day.? Jan laughed and took a swig of dark amber⁶¹ beer. ?We are not always snowboarding. I go to university in Minsk. I'm studying to be a dentist.? ?Oh.? Serena had imagined that the whole team lived together in a cabin on top of a mountain in the Alps somewhere, snowboarding all day and getting drunk together every night. She'd thought it would be cozy⁶², being the only girl in the group. She could cut their hair for them and make French toast for breakfast. At night they'd curl up by the fire and tell ghost stories. ?What about the others?? she asked, wondering if she'd just chosen the wrong guy. ?Conrad is married to an Italian girl?they live in Bologna. Franz is my roommate at university. Josef, Sven, Ulrich, and Gan all live in Amsterdam.? Amsterdam was supposed to be a really cool city. Serena looked across the table at the four boys. They were all equally hot, blond, and athletic. ?In the gay student housing,? Jan added. ?Oh,? Serena replied, forcing herself to smile. Better luck next time. ?Would y'all like anything else?? ?I'll just have another Coke, please,? Nate told the cute, Ugg-wearing cocktail waitress after Chuck had ordered another three pitchers of Sun Valley ale for the table. Georgie had already drunk an entire pitcher⁵⁴ on her own. He would probably have to carry her home. ?I can't believe I made it all the way down a double black diamond without falling,? Blair gushed⁶³ for the forty-fifth time. She sipped⁶⁴ her beer delicately and grinned at Erik. ?You're a much better teacher than any of those ski instructor⁶⁵ guys.? The truth was, she'd slid sideways down almost the entire run, screaming the whole way, but at least she'd managed to keep her bare cleavage free of snow. That was the important part. ?You just kept getting better and better,? Erik replied. She had buttoned her cashmere cardigan over her bikini top but her jeans were low slung⁶⁶, and with the way she was sitting up straight and sort of leaning into the table, he could see the top of her ass²⁰. It was nice. ?I'll bet you a hundred bucks⁶⁷ I can chug my beer faster than you can chug yours,? Georgie dared Serena. Now that there was no one to flirt⁶⁸ with, Serena was happy to have something to do. She pulled her long, ski-wild blond hair back behind her and tied it in a knot. Then she picked up her glass. The rest of the table watched in gleeful anticipation⁶⁹. Well,most of the rest of the table. Nate crunched⁷⁰ an ice cube between his teeth. He could just imagine where this was going. Both girls were going to get completely wasted, throwing up all over everybody, and then they'd be out of commission with hangovers for the next couple of days. His sexy lips drooped⁷¹ forlornly over the rim²⁴ of his Coke glass. No more skiing. No more fun. ?Show her how it's done, Georgie!? Chuck goaded⁷² them on. ?Oh yeah?? Serena lifted her glass to her lips. Then she noticed Nate shaking his head, and she moved it away again. ?What am I doing? You're, like, bred for this. Your whole family is full of famous alcoholics⁷³.? ?Thanks a lot!? Georgie cried. She nudged Serena with a bony elbow. ?Go on, drink!? Serena set the glass down. ?It's not worth it. If I chugged this I'd puke all over the table. And you'd totally beat me, anyway.? Georgie shrugged, then threw her head back and downed the whole pint⁷⁴ of beer in one go. ?Fuck you, I won,? she burped when she was done. ?Good for you,? Nate breathed. Everyone turned to look at him. ?Natie's just mad because we haven't had a chance to do it yet,? Georgie crowed. ?I'm always too fucked up!? There was an awkward silence. It was hard to know how to respond to that. Blair looked at her watch. ?Maybe we should get back to the lodge so we can have a sauna before dinner.? She wasn't sure if the sauna in the lodge was coed or not, but the idea of being in a hot, steamy room with Erik, dressed only in towels, was very appealing. He could rub her back with lavender-scented oil and? ?Yeah, my quads⁷⁵ are in pretty rough shape,? Nate agreed, rubbing his thighs⁷⁶. He glanced miserably⁷⁷ at Georgie. ?I could really use a soak in the tub.? Georgie clapped her hands together, her eyes shining giddily. ?Let'sall go back to my place and get in the tub!? She was so hyper all the time, Nate wondered if the rehab clinic had her on some kind of antidepressant or something he didn't know about. All he knew was that the beer didn't seem to slow her down. Chuck was already zipping up his coat in preparation to leave. ?I'll make everyone my famous peach schnapps cocktail!? He lifted up his shirt and batted his eyelashes. ?Chucky's Fuzzy Navel.?

1 scrunching   

v.发出喀嚓声( scrunch的现在分词 )；蜷缩；压；挤压

参考例句：

• Her mother was sitting bolt upright, scrunching her white cotton gloves into a ball. 她母亲坐得笔直，把她的白手套揉成了球状。 来自柯林斯例句

2 mashed   

a.捣烂的

参考例句：

• two scoops of mashed potato 两勺土豆泥
• Just one scoop of mashed potato for me, please. 请给我盛一勺土豆泥。

3 ceramic   

n.制陶业，陶器，陶瓷工艺

参考例句：

• The order for ceramic tiles has been booked in.瓷砖的订单已登记下来了。
• Some ceramic works of art are shown in this exhibition.这次展览会上展出了一些陶瓷艺术品。

4 sifting   

n.筛，过滤v.筛( sift的现在分词 )；筛滤；细查；详审

参考例句：

• He lay on the beach, sifting the sand through his fingers. 他躺在沙滩上用手筛砂子玩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I was sifting the cinders when she came in. 她进来时，我正在筛煤渣。 来自辞典例句

5 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

6 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

7 batter   

v.接连重击；磨损；n.牛奶面糊；击球员

参考例句：

• The batter skied to the center fielder.击球手打出一个高飞球到中外野手。
• Put a small quantity of sugar into the batter.在面糊里放少量的糖。

8 preoccupied   

adj.全神贯注的，入神的；被抢先占有的；心事重重的v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的过去式)

参考例句：

• He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice anything wrong. 他只顾想着心事，没注意到有什么不对。
• The question of going to the Mount Tai preoccupied his mind. 去游泰山的问题盘踞在他心头。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

10 buzzer   

n.蜂鸣器；汽笛

参考例句：

• The buzzer went off at eight o'clock.蜂鸣器在8点钟时响了。
• Press the buzzer when you want to talk.你想讲话的时候就按蜂鸣器。

11 dough   

n.生面团；钱，现款

参考例句：

• She formed the dough into squares.她把生面团捏成四方块。
• The baker is kneading dough.那位面包师在揉面。

12 wan   

(wide area network)广域网

参考例句：

• The shared connection can be an Ethernet,wireless LAN,or wireless WAN connection.提供共享的网络连接可以是以太网、无线局域网或无线广域网。

13 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 synonym   

n.同义词，换喻词

参考例句：

• Zhuge Liang is a synonym for wisdom in folklore.诸葛亮在民间传说中成了智慧的代名词。
• The term 'industrial democracy' is often used as a synonym for worker participation. “工业民主”这个词常被用作“工人参与”的同义词。

15 hopped   

跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花

参考例句：

• He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
• He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车，向市区开去。

16 inhaling   

v.吸入( inhale的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was treated for the effects of inhaling smoke. 他因吸入烟尘而接受治疗。 来自辞典例句
• The long-term effects of inhaling contaminated air is unknown. 长期吸入被污染空气的影响还无从知晓。 来自互联网

17 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

18 flipped   

轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥

参考例句：

• The plane flipped and crashed. 飞机猛地翻转，撞毁了。
• The carter flipped at the horse with his whip. 赶大车的人扬鞭朝着马轻轻地抽打。

19 lesser   

adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地

参考例句：

• Kept some of the lesser players out.不让那些次要的球员参加联赛。
• She has also been affected,but to a lesser degree.她也受到波及，但程度较轻。

20 ass   

n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人

参考例句：

• He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。
• An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。

21 ashtray   

n.烟灰缸

参考例句：

• He knocked out his pipe in the big glass ashtray.他在大玻璃烟灰缸里磕净烟斗。
• She threw the cigarette butt into the ashtray.她把烟头扔进烟灰缸。

22 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

23 grimace   

v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭

参考例句：

• The boy stole a look at his father with grimace.那男孩扮着鬼脸偷看了他父亲一眼。
• Thomas made a grimace after he had tasted the wine.托马斯尝了那葡萄酒后做了个鬼脸。

24 rim   

n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界

参考例句：

• The water was even with the rim of the basin.盆里的水与盆边平齐了。
• She looked at him over the rim of her glass.她的目光越过玻璃杯的边沿看着他。

25 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

26 hoarsely   

adv.嘶哑地

参考例句：

• "Excuse me," he said hoarsely. “对不起。”他用嘶哑的嗓子说。
• Jerry hoarsely professed himself at Miss Pross's service. 杰瑞嘶声嘶气地表示愿为普洛丝小姐效劳。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

27 mumbled   

含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话，可我没太听清楚。
• George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。

28 emanated   

v.从…处传出，传出( emanate的过去式和过去分词 )；产生，表现，显示

参考例句：

• Do you know where these rumours emanated from? 你知道谣言出自何处吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The rumor emanated from Chicago. 谣言来自芝加哥。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

29 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

30 tablecloths   

n.桌布，台布( tablecloth的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Champagne corks popped, and on lace tablecloths seven-course dinners were laid. 桌上铺着带装饰图案的网织的桌布，上面是七道菜的晚餐。 来自飘（部分）
• At the moment the cause of her concern was a pile of soiled tablecloths. 此刻她关心的事是一堆弄脏了的台布。 来自辞典例句

31 lipstick   

n.口红，唇膏

参考例句：

• Taking out her lipstick,she began to paint her lips.她拿出口红，开始往嘴唇上抹。
• Lipstick and hair conditioner are cosmetics.口红和护发素都是化妆品。

32 arrogant   

adj.傲慢的，自大的

参考例句：

• You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你这骄傲劲儿得好好改改。
• People are waking up that he is arrogant.人们开始认识到他很傲慢。

33 gauge   

v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器

参考例句：

• Can you gauge what her reaction is likely to be?你能揣测她的反应可能是什么吗？
• It's difficult to gauge one's character.要判断一个人的品格是很困难的。

34 barometer   

n.气压表，睛雨表，反应指标

参考例句：

• The barometer marked a continuing fall in atmospheric pressure.气压表表明气压在继续下降。
• The arrow on the barometer was pointing to"stormy".气压计上的箭头指向“有暴风雨”。

35 scowl   

vi.(at)生气地皱眉，沉下脸，怒视；n.怒容

参考例句：

• I wonder why he is wearing an angry scowl.我不知道他为何面带怒容。
• The boss manifested his disgust with a scowl.老板面带怒色，清楚表示出他的厌恶之感。

36 scowling   

怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• There she was, grey-suited, sweet-faced, demure, but scowling. 她就在那里，穿着灰色的衣服，漂亮的脸上显得严肃而忧郁。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Scowling, Chueh-hui bit his lips. 他马上把眉毛竖起来。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

37 sip   

v.小口地喝，抿，呷；n.一小口的量

参考例句：

• She took a sip of the cocktail.她啜饮一口鸡尾酒。
• Elizabeth took a sip of the hot coffee.伊丽莎白呷了一口热咖啡。

38 eyebrows   

眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
• His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

39 scrutinized   

v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The jeweler scrutinized the diamond for flaws. 宝石商人仔细察看钻石有无瑕庇 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Together we scrutinized the twelve lemon cakes from the delicatessen shop. 我们一起把甜食店里买来的十二块柠檬蛋糕细细打量了一番。 来自英汉文学 - 盖茨比

40 tartly   

adv.辛辣地，刻薄地

参考例句：

• She finished by tartly pointing out that he owed her some money. 她最后刻薄地指出他欠她一些钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Kay said tartly, "And you're more Yankee than Italian. 恺酸溜溜他说：“可你哪，与其说是意大利人，还不如说是新英格兰人。 来自教父部分

41 lettuce   

n.莴苣；生菜

参考例句：

• Get some lettuce and tomatoes so I can make a salad.买些莴苣和西红柿，我好做色拉。
• The lettuce is crisp and cold.莴苣松脆爽口。

42 stammered   

v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He stammered most when he was nervous. 他一紧张往往口吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Barsad leaned back in his chair, and stammered, \"What do you mean?\" 巴萨往椅背上一靠，结结巴巴地说，“你是什么意思？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

43 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

44 sincerity   

n.真诚，诚意；真实

参考例句：

• His sincerity added much more authority to the story.他的真诚更增加了故事的说服力。
• He tried hard to satisfy me of his sincerity.他竭力让我了解他的诚意。

45 flickered   

（通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The lights flickered and went out. 灯光闪了闪就熄了。
• These lights flickered continuously like traffic lights which have gone mad. 这些灯象发狂的交通灯一样不停地闪动着。

46 sobbed   

哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说

参考例句：

• She sobbed out the story of her son's death. 她哭诉着她儿子的死。
• She sobbed out the sad story of her son's death. 她哽咽着诉说她儿子死去的悲惨经过。

47 mortified   

v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等）

参考例句：

• She was mortified to realize he had heard every word she said. 她意识到自己的每句话都被他听到了，直羞得无地自容。
• The knowledge of future evils mortified the present felicities. 对未来苦难的了解压抑了目前的喜悦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

48 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

49 linen   

n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的

参考例句：

• The worker is starching the linen.这名工人正在给亚麻布上浆。
• Fine linen and cotton fabrics were known as well as wool.精细的亚麻织品和棉织品像羊毛一样闻名遐迩。

50 smearing   

污点，拖尾效应

参考例句：

• The small boy spoilt the picture by smearing it with ink. 那孩子往画上抹墨水把画给毁了。
• Remove the screen carefully so as to avoid smearing the paste print. 小心的移开丝网，以避免它弄脏膏印。

51 gulp   

vt.吞咽，大口地吸（气）；vi.哽住；n.吞咽

参考例句：

• She took down the tablets in one gulp.她把那些药片一口吞了下去。
• Don't gulp your food,chew it before you swallow it.吃东西不要狼吞虎咽，要嚼碎了再咽下去。

52 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

53 lodge   

v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆

参考例句：

• Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗？
• I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。

54 pitcher   

n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手

参考例句：

• He poured the milk out of the pitcher.他从大罐中倒出牛奶。
• Any pitcher is liable to crack during a tight game.任何投手在紧张的比赛中都可能会失常。

55 pitchers   

大水罐( pitcher的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Over the next five years, he became one of the greatest pitchers in baseball. 在接下来的5年时间里，他成为了最了不起的棒球投手之一。
• Why he probably won't: Pitchers on also-rans can win the award. 为什麽不是他得奖：投手在失败的球队可以赢得赛扬奖。

56 cocktail   

n.鸡尾酒；餐前开胃小吃；混合物

参考例句：

• We invited some foreign friends for a cocktail party.我们邀请了一些外国朋友参加鸡尾酒会。
• At a cocktail party in Hollywood,I was introduced to Charlie Chaplin.在好莱坞的一次鸡尾酒会上，人家把我介绍给查理·卓别林。

57 denim   

n.斜纹棉布；斜纹棉布裤，牛仔裤

参考例句：

• She wore pale blue denim shorts and a white denim work shirt.她穿着一条淡蓝色的斜纹粗棉布短裤，一件白粗布工作服上衣。
• Dennis was dressed in denim jeans.丹尼斯穿了一条牛仔裤。

58 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

59 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

60 giggled   

v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The girls giggled at the joke. 女孩子们让这笑话逗得咯咯笑。
• The children giggled hysterically. 孩子们歇斯底里地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

61 amber   

n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的

参考例句：

• Would you like an amber necklace for your birthday?你过生日想要一条琥珀项链吗？
• This is a piece of little amber stones.这是一块小小的琥珀化石。

62 cozy   

adj.亲如手足的，密切的，暖和舒服的

参考例句：

• I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯，因为他们是舒适的。
• We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。

63 gushed   

v.喷，涌( gush的过去式和过去分词 )；滔滔不绝地说话

参考例句：

• Oil gushed from the well. 石油从井口喷了出来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Clear water gushed into the irrigational channel. 清澈的水涌进了灌溉渠道。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

64 sipped   

v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sipped his coffee pleasurably. 他怡然地品味着咖啡。
• I sipped the hot chocolate she had made. 我小口喝着她调制的巧克力热饮。 来自辞典例句

65 instructor   

n.指导者，教员，教练

参考例句：

• The college jumped him from instructor to full professor.大学突然把他从讲师提升为正教授。
• The skiing instructor was a tall,sunburnt man.滑雪教练是一个高高个子晒得黑黑的男子。

66 slung   

抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往

参考例句：

• He slung the bag over his shoulder. 他把包一甩，挎在肩上。
• He stood up and slung his gun over his shoulder. 他站起来把枪往肩上一背。

67 bucks   

n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃

参考例句：

• They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
• They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

68 flirt   

v.调情，挑逗，调戏；n.调情者，卖俏者

参考例句：

• He used to flirt with every girl he met.过去他总是看到一个姑娘便跟她调情。
• He watched the stranger flirt with his girlfriend and got fighting mad.看着那个陌生人和他女朋友调情，他都要抓狂了。

69 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。

70 crunched   

v.嘎吱嘎吱地咬嚼( crunch的过去式和过去分词 )；嘎吱作响；（快速大量地）处理信息；数字捣弄

参考例句：

• Our feet crunched on the frozen snow. 我们的脚嘎吱嘎吱地踩在冻雪上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He closed his jaws on the bones and crunched. 他咬紧骨头，使劲地嚼。 来自英汉文学 - 热爱生命

71 drooped   

弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her eyelids drooped as if she were on the verge of sleep. 她眼睑低垂好像快要睡着的样子。
• The flowers drooped in the heat of the sun. 花儿晒蔫了。

72 goaded   

v.刺激( goad的过去式和过去分词 )；激励；（用尖棒）驱赶；驱使（或怂恿、刺激）某人

参考例句：

• Goaded beyond endurance, she turned on him and hit out. 她被气得忍无可忍，于是转身向他猛击。
• The boxers were goaded on by the shrieking crowd. 拳击运动员听见观众的喊叫就来劲儿了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

73 Alcoholics   

n.嗜酒者，酒鬼( alcoholic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many alcoholics go on drinking sprees that continue for days at a time. 许多酒鬼一次要狂饮好几天。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Do you have a copy of the Alcoholics Anonymous book? 你手上有戒酒匿名会的书吗？ 来自互联网

74 pint   

n.品脱

参考例句：

• I'll have a pint of beer and a packet of crisps, please.我要一品脱啤酒和一袋炸马铃薯片。
• In the old days you could get a pint of beer for a shilling.从前，花一先令就可以买到一品脱啤酒。

75 quads   

n.四倍( quad的名词复数 )；空铅；（大学的）四周有建筑物围绕的方院；四胞胎之一

参考例句：

• For best performance, use triangles and quads or a combination of both. 为了更好的性能，使用三边形和四边形或联合使用三边形与四边形。 来自互联网
• Because the quads follow the camera, they give the illusion of filling a 3D volume. 由于这些矩形是跟随摄像机的，所以利用它们就像幻觉一样就描绘出了3D体积效果。 来自互联网

76 thighs   

n.股，大腿( thigh的名词复数 )；食用的鸡（等的）腿

参考例句：

• He's gone to London for skin grafts on his thighs. 他去伦敦做大腿植皮手术了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The water came up to the fisherman's thighs. 水没到了渔夫的大腿。 来自《简明英汉词典》

77 miserably   

adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地

参考例句：

• The little girl was wailing miserably. 那小女孩难过得号啕大哭。
• It was drizzling, and miserably cold and damp. 外面下着毛毛细雨，天气又冷又湿，令人难受。 来自《简明英汉词典》