It's the thought that counts When the downstairs
buzzer1 rang, Gabriela and
Ruby2 were making yeast-free, sugar-free, organic whole-grain-and-wild-berry energy bars in the kitchen area of Vanessa and Ruby's small apartment, while Vanessa and Jordy helped Arlo tie the daffodils that he had stolen out of the local park onto the fishing net he'd found and dragged home. Supposedly, the daffodils represented hope, although Vanessa wasn't exactly sure what the fishing net itself was supposed to represent. The net was scratchy and was cutting up her hands, and Jordy was annoying her with the way he was suddenly all interested in her parents and their work. He'd even taken his shoes off when he came inside, just like they did, and he was wearing a beaded peace-sign necklace that he'd probably stolen out of a box of his mom's old things. Needless to say, the sound of the buzzer was a welcome signal to Vanessa to drop what she was doing andrun . ?I'll get it!? she shouted, stuffing a daffodil into Jordy's helpful hands. She hurried over to the intercom. ?Hello?? ?
Postal4 service with a package, ma'am.? Vanessa buzzed the postman in. He reached the top of the stairs and handed over a box. It was addressed to her, and Dan's name and address were written in the upper left hand corner. She closed the door and sat down on the floor, tearing open the package with her teeth. Inside, wrapped in newspaper, was a bright pink plastic spaceship with three plastic little girls
standing5 on top of it. The little girls had matching black pigtails and matching green plastic dresses. She turned the toy over and
flicked6 the power switch to on, then set the toy down on the floor. A crazy Japanese dance song began to play as the girls on the spaceship whirled around and around and little plastic lights flashed on and off at their feet. It was tacky and horrible?superfantastically so. ?What on Mother Earth?? Gabriela exclaimed, coming over to look. ?Who would send you such a thing?? That wonderful boy you thought I might marry one day? ?I like it,? Vanessa declared. ?It's so bad, it's good.? Jordy walked over with a garland of daffodils draped around his neck. He frowned down at the thing like it was supposed to make sense. ?What is it?? ?It's just a thing,? Vanessa replied, the ideas for her next film already stacking up in her brain. ?Hey, could you come down here for a minute?? she asked, thinking of Jordy's nose. He
bent7 down eagerly and she closed one eye, cupping her fingers around the other eye to form a camera-lens view of his
astounding8 nose, the crazy pink spaceship toy whirling and flashing in the background. Sounds like an Oscar winner already. ?Stay right there.? Vanessa
sprinted9 toward her room to
retrieve10 her camera from the closet. If she was fast, her parents wouldn't even notice what she was doing. ?Hold it,? she whispered, holding the camera to her eye as she
zoomed11 in on Jordy's nose, making sure to leave the peace-sign necklace and the daffodils out of the frame. ?Okay, got it.? She turned the camera off and tossed it into her black book bag by the door. From across the living room, her father was watching her
curiously12, the flashing lights from the toy setting his eyes
aglow13. She headed back into her room to gather some more supplies. From now on, she'd have to take the spaceship and the camera with her wherever she went, capturing whatever crazy thing she fancied, the spaceship being the only constant, forever in the background. ?Can I stand up now?? Jordy asked when she came back. He was still kneeling awkwardly in front of the spaceship, his eyes woozy from listening to its insane song over and over. Vanessa grabbed the toy and switched it off, tucking it and her extra batteries and lenses into her bag. ?Yeah, you can go,? she told him absently. Meaning she had no use for him anymore. ?Hey, where areyou going?? Ruby shouted at her from the kitchenette. Vanessa could already tell from Ruby's tone of voice that her sister knew exactly what she was up to. She laced up her Doc Martens and pulled the black windbreaker she'd bought at the army-navy store on over her head. ?Out,? she shouted back as she banged through the door, her father's eyes burning curious holes into her back as she went. The answer may be written on the bathroom wall Petite mignonette, sweet coquette I taste your cookies, your bread You fill my plate On his last day at work before school started again, Dan stood in front of the toilet in theRed Letter men's room reading and rereading the words he'd written on the
scrap14 of paper that had disappeared from his desk a week ago. He'd found the other poem he'd written using that same last line?you fill my plate?and he'd intended to reword the line in this new poem. But it was his
fleeting15 glimpse of Elise holding a baguette that had inspired the poem, and both his interest in her and his interest in finishing the poem had completely diminished. Did that have anything to do with a certain e-mail he might have received recently? The
redundant16 line was not the main reason he couldn't stop staring at the words on the bathroom wall. The words he was staring at weren't even his. Whoever had copied his fragment of a poem onto the wall had written
underneath17 it,Note to self: See above for how notto write . Okay, so what he'd written was sappy and girly and didn't make much sense. He'd be the first to admit that. But insulting someone's writing so
deliberately18 was just downright ? mean and
immature19. It was like talking trash about your mother: Onlyyou were allowed to do it. ?Bastards,? Dan muttered under his breath as he flushed the toilet. He dug a black Sharpie out of his back pocket and began to
scrawl20 next to his poem. Notes on how not to be an asshole: 1. Don't steal stuff from people's desks, especially when they don't know you well enough to think it's funny. 2. Never assume a poem is finished. In fact, never assume anything, because when you ASSuME, you make anassout of uand me. 3. Go fuck yourself, because no one else will. He stuffed the pen back into his pocket, washed his hands, and kicked open the door, almost
trampling21 over Siegfried Castle. ?Kid,? Mr. Castle addressed him in his awkward German accent. ?I am haffing some calls about checks zat never arrived. But you mailed zem yourself last veek. Wusty just called to say Mystewy Cwaze is trapped in Helsinki because Wusty can't wire her traveling money.? Dan walked over to his desk and picked up his black messenger bag. He was
tempted22 to tell Sig Castle that Mystery's check was on its way to Helsinki via the Hudson River, but he didn't want to get fired?he wanted to quit. Mr. Castle had followed him to his desk and was staring him down with his mean German eyes. ?Why don't you find someone else to be your slave,? Dan
hissed23. He climbed on top of his chair to read the words written in the red horizontal line that was painted around the room.Red Letter, Red Letter, Red Letter, was all it said, over and over. ?That's real creative,? he added,
hopping24 off the chair. And then he walked out. Within thirty seconds of his leaving, his cell phone rang
obnoxiously25 in his back pocket. Dan knew without looking at it who was calling. ?Fuck me, kid. NO ONE, I mean NO ONE, quits a job atRed Letter !?
Rusty26 Klein shouted at him. ?You're supposed to be ABSORBING the aura of literary genius. You're supposed to DO AS YOU'RE TOLD. You're just an
APPRENTICE27, for chrissakes. You can't QUIT!? Dan strode up Seventh Avenue South with the phone pressed against his ear,
determined28 not to let Rusty ruin the tingly feeling of triumph coursing through his body. ?Sorry, but I don't really get what mailing people's mail or buying caviar or making
photocopies29 has to do with writing good poems.? Rusty was silent?at least for a moment. ?
Hop3 in a cab, doll. I'll meet you at the
Plaza30 in ten. I think I know how to handle this.? Dan stood at the head of the stairs down into the subway at Fourteenth Street. He thought about how Rusty had tried to talk him into taking a break from school to write a
memoir31, which was so totally not what he wanted to do. He wanted to go to college to have new experiences and learn how to write better, and he didn't need an agent to do it. ?That's okay, I think I can handle it myself. Actually, I think I can handleme myself. At least for a while, anyway.? Rusty didn't answer right away. He could hear the phones ringing and her assistant, Buckley,
frantically32 answering them. Dan waited for her to shout something at him about how he didn't know what was good for him, but instead she just said, ?You're sure about this?? ?Yeah,? Dan said firmly. ?Thanks.? ?Well, fuck me. Have a good one, then.? ?You too,? Dan said earnestly before hanging up. Rusty Klein was crazy and
intimidating33 and kind of a
bully34, but he would miss her all the same. He ducked into the donut shop behind him and ordered an extra large black coffee and a jelly donut, dialing Vanessa's number as he waited. His hands shook as he carried the huge, hot cup of coffee outside. He set it on the ground, lit a cigarette, and waited as the phone rang and rang. ?Hey,? he said when her machine picked up. ?I sent you something. I was wondering if you got it.? He took a long drag on his cigarette, trying to think of what else to say. ?It's Dan, by the way. Hope you're okay. Um ? bye,? he added, and hung up. Well, it wasn't exactly ?Sorry and let's get back together,? but at least it broke the ice. Sometimes the truth bites Leo was standing in front of the black metal gate, waiting for her. ?Hey,? Jenny said, her cheeks flushed with the notion that she had invited herself over. Leo
fumbled35 with the lock on the gate. He nodded at the bike learning against the metal trash cans in the entryway. ?Dad rides that around the park a few times every morning. He's really fit for his age.? Jenny had never even heard Leo mention his father. She'd always imagined him fatherless and lonely in his mother's huge pink-and-white Park Avenue spread, watching TV and brushing that spoiled dog of hers with a gold hairbrush while his mom was out spending the millions she'd received in the divorce settlement on designer dog jackets and dinners with younger men. ?Hey guys, I'm home,? Leo called into the apartment as he opened the door. ?Here,? he told Jenny, taking her black parka and hanging it over his. ?Come on.? Jenny followed him down the dark, narrow hallway. The apartment smelled of stale
popcorn36 and Pine-Sol. The white paint on the walls was cracked and peeling, and the plain burgundy rug was worn and
linty37. It reminded her of her house, only worse. ?Mom, Dad, this is Jennifer, the girl I've been telling you about.? Jenny's
jaw38 almost dropped to her new red
suede39 Steve Madden retro sneakers when she got a glimpse of Mr. and Mrs. Berensen. They were wearing matching gray sweat suits and eating microwave popcorn, their feet
propped40 up on a glass-topped
rattan41 coffee table as they watched TV in their tiny, dark living room. Mrs. Berensen was petite, with short white hair and bright blue eyes surrounded by tiny smile wrinkles. Mr. Berensen was at least eighty, with white hair, long, bony limbs, and a tanned, leathery face. They were both so skinny, they looked like they lived on a diet of only popcorn and water. ?It's really nice ? to meet you,? Jenny
faltered42. She stepped forward to shake their hands. ?Oh, aren't you a doll,? Mrs. Berensen declared. ?We were just watching some old James Bond flick,? Mr. Berensen said. ?Sit down and watch if you like.? He
grunted43 as he shifted over on the burgundy velour couch to make room for them. Jenny didn't know how he could possibly make it around the park on a bike. It looked as if he was going to keel over and die right there. ?That's okay.? Leo touched Jenny's elbow. ?Come on, I'll show you my room.? Jenny bit her lip as she followed him into the adjoining room. She hated herself for feeling disappointed. Why should she care if Leo wasn't a prince living in an exclusive doorman building on Park Avenue? Because a guy's gotta have something more than a sweet
disposition44 and a cute chipped tooth! Leo's room was even more depressing than the rest of the apartment. Just a single bed pushed up against the wall, with some kind of
synthetic45 yellow-and-green-plaid coverlet on it that looked as if it belonged in a motel circa 1979, plain white walls, a linty brown rug, and a scratched wooden desk with a giant Mac on it. The computer was very definitely the newest, most expensive thing the Berensens owned. Jenny perched on the edge of the bed and sneezed violently. She was having an
allergic46 reaction to this entire situation.
点击
收听单词发音
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1
buzzer
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| 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。
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2
ruby
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| n.红宝石，红宝石色 |
参考例句： |
- She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
- On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。
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3
hop
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| n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过 |
参考例句： |
- The children had a competition to see who could hop the fastest.孩子们举行比赛，看谁单足跳跃最快。
- How long can you hop on your right foot?你用右脚能跳多远？
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4
postal
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| adj.邮政的，邮局的 |
参考例句： |
- A postal network now covers the whole country.邮路遍及全国。
- Remember to use postal code.勿忘使用邮政编码。
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5
standing
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| 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。
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6
flicked
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） |
参考例句： |
- She flicked the dust off her collar. 她轻轻弹掉了衣领上的灰尘。
- I idly picked up a magazine and flicked through it. 我漫不经心地拿起一本杂志翻看着。
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7
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 |
参考例句： |
- He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
- We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
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8
astounding
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| adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词) |
参考例句： |
- There was an astounding 20% increase in sales. 销售量惊人地增加了20%。
- The Chairman's remarks were so astounding that the audience listened to him with bated breath. 主席说的话令人吃惊，所以听众都屏息听他说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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9
sprinted
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| v.短距离疾跑( sprint的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- He sprinted for the line. 他向终点线冲去。
- Sergeant Horne sprinted to the car. 霍恩中士全力冲向那辆汽车。 来自辞典例句
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10
retrieve
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| vt.重新得到，收回；挽回，补救；检索 |
参考例句： |
- He was determined to retrieve his honor.他决心恢复名誉。
- The men were trying to retrieve weapons left when the army abandoned the island.士兵们正试图找回军队从该岛撤退时留下的武器。
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11
zoomed
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| v.（飞机、汽车等）急速移动( zoom的过去式 )；（价格、费用等）急升，猛涨 |
参考例句： |
- Traffic zoomed past us. 车辆从我们身边疾驰而过。
- Cars zoomed helter-skelter, honking belligerently. 大街上来往车辆穿梭不停，喇叭声刺耳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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12
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 |
参考例句： |
- He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
- He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
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13
aglow
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| adj.发亮的；发红的；adv.发亮地 |
参考例句： |
- The garden is aglow with many flowers.园中百花盛开。
- The sky was aglow with the setting sun.天空因夕阳映照而发红光。
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14
scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 |
参考例句： |
- A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
- Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。
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15
fleeting
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| adj.短暂的，飞逝的 |
参考例句： |
- The girls caught only a fleeting glimpse of the driver.女孩们只匆匆瞥了一眼司机。
- Knowing the life fleeting,she set herself to enjoy if as best as she could.她知道这种日子转瞬即逝，于是让自已尽情地享受。
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16
redundant
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| adj.多余的，过剩的；(食物)丰富的；被解雇的 |
参考例句： |
- There are too many redundant words in this book.这本书里多余的词太多。
- Nearly all the redundant worker have been absorbed into other departments.几乎所有冗员，都已调往其他部门任职。
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17
underneath
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| 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。
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18
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 |
参考例句： |
- The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
- They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。
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19
immature
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| adj.未成熟的，发育未全的，未充分发展的 |
参考例句： |
- Tony seemed very shallow and immature.托尼看起来好像很肤浅，不夠成熟。
- The birds were in immature plumage.这些鸟儿羽翅未全。
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20
scrawl
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| vt.潦草地书写；n.潦草的笔记，涂写 |
参考例句： |
- His signature was an illegible scrawl.他的签名潦草难以辨认。
- Your beautiful handwriting puts my untidy scrawl to shame.你漂亮的字体把我的潦草字迹比得见不得人。
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21
trampling
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| 踩( trample的现在分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 |
参考例句： |
- Diplomats denounced the leaders for trampling their citizens' civil rights. 外交官谴责这些领导人践踏其公民的公民权。
- They don't want people trampling the grass, pitching tents or building fires. 他们不希望人们踩踏草坪、支帐篷或生火。
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22
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） |
参考例句： |
- I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
- I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。
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23
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 |
参考例句： |
- Have you ever been hissed at in the middle of a speech? 你在演讲中有没有被嘘过？
- The iron hissed as it pressed the wet cloth. 熨斗压在湿布上时发出了嘶嘶声。
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24
hopping
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| n. 跳跃
动词hop的现在分词形式 |
参考例句： |
- The clubs in town are really hopping. 城里的俱乐部真够热闹的。
- I'm hopping over to Paris for the weekend. 我要去巴黎度周末。
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26
rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 |
参考例句： |
- The lock on the door is rusty and won't open.门上的锁锈住了。
- I haven't practiced my French for months and it's getting rusty.几个月不用，我的法语又荒疏了。
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27
apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 |
参考例句： |
- My son is an apprentice in a furniture maker's workshop.我的儿子在一家家具厂做学徒。
- The apprentice is not yet out of his time.这徒工还没有出徒。
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28
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 |
参考例句： |
- I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
- He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
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29
photocopies
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| n.影印本( photocopy的名词复数 )；复印件 |
参考例句： |
- Make as many photocopies as you need. 你需要多少复印件就复印多少吧。
- I made two photocopies of the report. 我把这份报告影印了两份。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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30
plaza
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| n.广场，市场 |
参考例句： |
- They designated the new shopping centre York Plaza.他们给这个新购物中心定名为约克购物中心。
- The plaza is teeming with undercover policemen.这个广场上布满了便衣警察。
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31
memoir
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| n.[pl.]回忆录，自传；记事录 |
参考例句： |
- He has just published a memoir in honour of his captain.他刚刚出了一本传记来纪念他的队长。
- In her memoir,the actress wrote about the bittersweet memories of her first love.在那个女演员的自传中，她写到了自己苦乐掺半的初恋。
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32
frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 |
参考例句： |
- He dashed frantically across the road. 他疯狂地跑过马路。
- She bid frantically for the old chair. 她发狂地喊出高价要买那把古老的椅子。
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33
intimidating
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| vt.恐吓，威胁( intimidate的现在分词) |
参考例句： |
- They were accused of intimidating people into voting for them. 他们被控胁迫选民投他们的票。
- This kind of questioning can be very intimidating to children. 这种问话的方式可能让孩子们非常害怕。
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34
bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 |
参考例句： |
- A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。
- The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。
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35
fumbled
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| （笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下 |
参考例句： |
- She fumbled in her pocket for a handkerchief. 她在她口袋里胡乱摸找手帕。
- He fumbled about in his pockets for the ticket. 他（瞎）摸着衣兜找票。
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36
popcorn
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| n.爆米花 |
参考例句： |
- I like to eat popcorn when I am watching TV play at home.当我在家观看电视剧时，喜欢吃爆米花。
- He still stood behind his cash register stuffing his mouth with popcorn.他仍站在收银机后，嘴里塞满了爆米花。
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37
linty
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| adj.有棉毛的，有棉絮的 |
参考例句： |
- This blue suit gets linty much too quickly. 这套蓝西装很快就起毛。 来自互联网
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38
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 |
参考例句： |
- He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
- A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。
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39
suede
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| n.表面粗糙的软皮革 |
参考例句： |
- I'm looking for a suede jacket.我想买一件皮制茄克。
- Her newly bought suede shoes look very fashionable.她新买的翻毛皮鞋看上去非常时尚。
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40
propped
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| 支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- He sat propped up in the bed by pillows. 他靠着枕头坐在床上。
- This fence should be propped up. 这栅栏该用东西支一支。
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41
rattan
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| n.藤条，藤杖 |
参考例句： |
- When they reached a long bridge fastened with rattan strips,everyone got out and walked.走到那顶藤条扎的长桥，大家都下车步行。
- Rattan furniture,include rattan chair,rattan table,and so on.藤器家具包括藤椅藤桌等等。
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42
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 |
参考例句： |
- He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
- "Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着：“这孩子脑袋真长。”
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43
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 |
参考例句： |
- She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page. 她只咕哝了一声，继续看书，不屑抬起头来看一眼。
- She grunted some incomprehensible reply. 她咕噜着回答了些令人费解的话。
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44
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 |
参考例句： |
- He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
- He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。
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45
synthetic
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| adj.合成的，人工的；综合的；n.人工制品 |
参考例句： |
- We felt the salesman's synthetic friendliness.我们感觉到那位销售员的虚情假意。
- It's a synthetic diamond.这是人造钻石。
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46
allergic
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| adj.过敏的，变态的 |
参考例句： |
- Alice is allergic to the fur of cats.艾丽斯对猫的皮毛过敏。
- Many people are allergic to airborne pollutants such as pollen.许多人对空气传播的污染物过敏，比如花粉。
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