CHAPTER ONE

“The road to enlightenment is long and difficult. Bring snacks and a book to read.” Anonymous¹ “Nellie! Why do you even bother to carry a cell phone when you never answer the darn thing?” As usual, with the phone buried in her purse, Penelope Spence hadn’t heard it ringing. The familiar baritone on her voice mail brought a smile to her face. Mark Hatchet², Managing Editor of The Washington Post, was the only person on the planet who still called her by her old college nickname of Nellie; to everyone else she was, and always had been, Penelope. It was ironic³ that he should call. She had been thinking about him recently, hoping he would have another assignment for her; maybe this time he had one with a bit more meat on it. “Call me. It’s important. Don’t go through the switchboard, use my cell.” Penelope frowned. It was an odd request. She dialed his number and he answered on the second ring. “Mark Hatchet.” “Penelope Spence.” When they were journalism⁴ majors at Columbia, they had worked on the school newspaper and been less than friendly rivals for the best stories and the editorship of the paper. After college, as their careers moved in different directions and real life settled in, they became the kind of old friends who stay in touch and talk a few times a year. 1 The Fourth Awakening⁵ “Thanks for returning my call so quickly,” he said, a bit stiffl y. “So, what’s the big story this time? Problems with the strawberry crop in Georgia?” “No, a little better than that.” Mark’s voice was strained and he seemed to be choosing his words carefully. She could hear other voices in the background. “Want me to call you back?” “No,” he said. “Hold on one second.” The background noise faded and Penelope heard a door click shut. “I can’t really talk right now, but I have a potential story for you.” “Potential? What does that mean?” “The story is big enough that it can’t go to print without multiple confirmations⁷. So far, no one has been able to get even a single person to go on the record.” “What’s the story?” “Not on this line.” “What do you mean, not on this line?” Normally their conversations were light and breezy, but not today; he was deadly serious. “Someone may be tapping my phone,” he said. “What have you been smoking? No one in their right mind would tap the phone of a senior editor of a major newspaper.” “Don’t be so sure.” “Okay,” Penelope said as she sat up straighter. “You’ve got my full and undivided attention.” “I sent you a package by courier. Inside are an envelope and a cell phone. Do not open the envelope or show the contents to anyone under any circumstances until we’ve talked. And don’t mention this conversation to anyone.” “That sounds ominous⁸.” “This is serious enough to cost me my job if any of this gets out.” Penelope stood up and began pacing in a tight circle. “You’re kidding, right?” “No. I don’t want to go into any details until you have the package. But it is critical that no one else sees the contents until we talk. Okay?” Penelope’s brow furrowed⁹ so deeply her eyebrows¹⁰ touched. “Okay. But you’re starting to scare me a little bit.” “Don’t worry,” he said with a forced laugh. “There are some issues in 2 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin play here that I’ll explain when you have it in front of you. This is right up your alley¹¹.” “What alley is that?” “A government cover-up at the highest level,” Hatchet answered with a laugh. “Let me ask you a question. When was the last time you had a front page byline¹²?” Penelope felt a tingle¹³ of excitement. “It’s been awhile.” “Well, this may be the story you’ve been wishing for. Promise me you won’t open it or mention this conversation to anyone until you talk to me.” “I promise.” The phone went dead in her hands. The path not chosen. After winning a Pulitzer for investigative reporting at the tender age of twenty-three for exposing corruption¹⁴ in the South Carolina Statehouse, Penelope could have gotten a job with any paper in the country. In fact, many sent out feelers and lunch invitations to see if she would jump. Instead of punching her ticket to a big-time newspaper in New York or Washington, her wedding to Bill Spence was only a few months away and she decided¹⁵ to stay in Charleston and get married. Their wedding was the social event of the season. With a guest list that included two former presidents and an assortment¹⁶ of senators and congressmen; to change her mind at such a late date would have been the death of her mother. Two days short of the anniversary of her Pulitzer, her fi rst daughter, Carrie, was born. The Post & Courier let her work part-time, for awhile. But with three children born in just under four years, she found herself declining more and more assignments. They kept her technically¹⁷ on the staff for a few years, mostly for the prestige of having a Pulitzer Prize winner on the masthead, but eventually even that illusion vanished. A couple of decades later, aft er Bill left and she had decided to take another shot at reporting, she was so far removed from journalism that the paper didn’t even offer her a job. Advertisers weren’t buying ads like they used to and they already had a newsroom full of ambitious J-school reporters who were half her age, and a fraction of her salary. Since her divorce, Mark had been her only lifeline. While Penelope was raising her family Mark had risen through the ranks of several major newspapers. He ended up behind the big desk at 3 The Fourth Awakening The Washington Post with some of the best reporters in the world at his beck and call. Over the years he had thrown her a few stringer assignments when he didn’t have a reporter in her area. None of it was front page, above the fold stuff, but between her trust fund and what she was getting from her ex-husband each month she was doing it more to stay in practice than for money. Plus, no matter how thin the subject material of the story, Mark was always thoughtful enough to call personally instead of having one of his editors contact her. It was a nice courtesy to an old friend. . PPenelope Spence tried to roll the tension out of her neck as she sat cross-legged on her mat. Her morning yoga session, as usual, had been fine. Fully⁶ rested from a good night’s sleep and before the events of the day began to weigh on her she had been able to clear her thoughts and have, for a moment, that feeling of deep inner peace she had grown to crave¹⁸. Now, as she tried to relax, her meditation¹⁹ wasn’t getting anywhere as the conversation with Mark kept bubbling to the surface and was simply too much for her to overcome. With a sigh she stood up and, arching her back, bent²⁰ over and put the palms of her hands on the fl oor while her knees locked. It was nice to feel the old fl exibility returning. She wasn’t as limber as she had been in her old college dancing days, but a year of yoga stretches had really paid off . Penelope turned on the radio. The “Oldies” station was playing one of her favorite Eagles songs—Seven Bridges Road. Closing her eyes, the incredible vocal²¹ harmonies swelled²² and she began to fall into the music. Just then, her eyes fl ew open. She dialed a ten-digit number with a 415 area code that was answered on the first ring. “Hi, Mom.” William said. “Hello, dear.” Not being particularly technology savvy²³, she always had to pause and tell herself it was Caller ID and not their close relationship that allowed her only son to know it was her. “Did Sam get out again?” “Are you a part of the doggie psychic²⁴ hotline? We are out looking for him right now.” “We?” “My new friend Nathan.” “I see.” William put his hand over the mouthpiece of his cell phone but 4 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin Penelope was still able to hear him. “It’s my mom. She knew we were out looking for Sam…yeah, I know. Freaky, huh?” Th e muffl ing went away as William turned his attention back to his mother. “You have any suggestions?” “Did you try down by the lake at Golden Gate Park?” “We’re driving by Stow Lake right now.” “No, not Stow Lake. Is there a North Lake?” “Yes, there is a North Lake, but that’s at the other end of the park from my place. He’s never gone that far before.” “Humor your old mother.” “Okay. North Lake it is.” Penelope loved all of her children, but she had a special bond with William. He was the youngest and last to leave the nest, and she had always felt he needed her a bit more than the girls did since he and his father were estranged²⁵. “For once you were wrong,” William said with a quick laugh. “Sam wasn’t at North Lake, he is smack²⁶ in the middle of it. By the way, Nathan is now offi cially terrified of you. Come here Sammy!” There was a pause and a rustling²⁷ in the background. “I have a very wet and happy dog in the backseat I have to deal with. I’ll talk to you later. Bye, Mom. Love you.” “Goodbye sweetie. Love you too!” Over the years she’d occasionally had visions that involved her children or other close family members. Sometimes they were right, like today; other times they were false alarms. Recently, as she had gotten more committed to her twice daily regiment²⁸ of deep meditation and yoga, instead of hit or miss she was almost always spot on. Heading down to the kitchen, she found an invoice²⁹ on the counter from the pool man and another one from Blue Flame for a refi ll of her propane tank. Natural gas wasn’t available on her street when they built their home and Penelope refused to cook on an electric element. Being only four feet above sea level and located next to the Ashley River placing the tank underground was out of the question. Instead it was behind the house next to the swimming pool. Th e twenty-five year-old privacy fence around it had dry-rotted and the yardman had recently mentioned that he thought it needed to be replaced before it became a fi re hazard. Penelope sighed. The big house on the river with the swimming pool no one used anymore had a quiet sadness about it. When the kids were 5 The Fourth Awakening growing up it was the place all of their friends chose to hang out and the walls echoed with music and laughter. Her three children, Carrie, Kelly and William, had all gone off to college and never come back. As each bird flew from the nest the noise level dropped, until now the only laughter came from the ghosts of happier days. Penelope heard the rumble³⁰ of the FedEx truck in front of her house. Wiping her hands in anticipation³¹ of having to answer the doorbell, she was surprised when the door burst open. In marched her best friend Joey Rickman dressed in full gym regalia, with every item she was wearing carefully mismatched. She had the red, white and blue shipping³² box in her hand and tossed it in Penelope’s general direction. “Your FedEx guy is cute.” Penelope shook her head as she stopped the box from sliding off the end of the kitchen counter. “He went to high school with your son.” “Oh,” Joey said with a shrug³³ as she headed toward the refrigerator. “Thought he looked familiar.” The two women had been friends since kindergarten and their lives had followed very similar paths. After Ronald F. Rickman, Esquire had packed his bags and announced he was leaving Joey for a woman less than half her age, she went through her own personal 12-step program. When the initial shock wore off instead of attending boring meetings, or turning to a higher force, she discovered Dr. Schwartz. If it could be tucked, sucked, lifted, injected, peeled or stretched, Dr. S was always there. She bragged³⁴ that she had spent enough on plastic surgery to put one of the good doctor’s kids through college. Ivy³⁵ League college. For those who had not seen her in a few years, the transformation³⁶ was startling. For the 24 years of her marriage she was Josephine Middleton Rickman, President of the local Junior League and, like Penelope, a member of both the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the Confederacy. She was the wife of one of the most successful trial lawyers in the country and a pillar of Charleston’s high society. Now she was a tight gym rat with a head-turning body that looked a minimum of ten years younger than the DOB on her driver’s license³⁷. Penelope opened the box and dumped the contents on the kitchen counter. She checked inside to be sure it was empty before tossing the box aside. “What have we here?” Joey said, biting into an apple. “You remember Mark Hatchet?” 6 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin “Our age and single; of course I remember him.” “Single is not the word I would use. Between wives may be more accurate.” “Well, I just happen to be between husbands.” “He has an assignment for me.” “God, I hope it’s more interesting than that last one. What was that? The Vidalia Onion Festival, or some nonsense? A week, all expenses paid, in beautiful Vidalia Georgia at the height of mosquito season.” Penelope shrugged³⁸; beggars can’t be choosers. The onion article made the Sunday travel section and won her a byline in The Washington Post. For many reporters, getting an article published in a major paper like the Post would be a career moment. For her it was another step back to the world she had grown to miss but that didn’t seem to be missing her. Because of Mark’s vow³⁹ of silence, Penelope hadn’t mentioned anything about this when Joey called earlier to confirm their dinner date. Still, Penelope had been secretly hoping Joey might drop by. She hadn’t liked the tone of Mark’s voice, nor the way he had shrouded⁴⁰ it in such mystery, and she could use the moral support. Scanning the contents of the box spread out on the countertop, Penelope found a disposable cell phone and a large white envelope heavily sealed with transparent⁴¹ packing tape. Attached to the outside of the envelope was a handwritten note with instructions to call an unfamiliar⁴² phone number with the enclosed cell phone before opening the envelope. Looking over Penelope’s shoulder and reading the note, Joey said, “Yeah, right,” as she reached for the envelope, but Penelope slapped her hands away. “Excuse me!” Joey exalted⁴³ as she returned to foraging⁴⁴ through Penelope’s refrigerator. “Here’s the reason you’re losing so much weight, you have no food.” Penelope picked up the phone and began dialing the number. Hatchet answered before the third ring. “It’s me. Are you alone?” “No, Joey is here.” “Hi, Mark,” Joey shouted, opening a cupboard and finding it just as sparsely⁴⁵ stocked as the refrigerator. “Have you opened the package?” “I haven’t been given permission yet.” “Like that would ever stop you. I won’t bother to ask you to send Joey 7 The Fourth Awakening out of the room since I know she’ll weasel all of this out of you anyway.” He took Penelope’s silence as affirmation and continued. “Inside the envelope is information that is so closely held…” “Is it classified?” Penelope interrupted. “What do you care? Senator Horn got you Top Secret clearance⁴⁶ as the world’s oldest intern⁴⁷.” “Ha. Ha. Very funny. I haven’t done any work for the senator since he announced his retirement⁴⁸. Besides, there are rules that have to be followed to get clearance not to mention lots of scary documents I had to sign. I really don’t want to spend my golden years in Leavenworth.” “Trust me, Nellie. There is nothing in the envelope that will get you into legal trouble. Everything inside is a matter of public knowledge and came straight off of the Internet.” Mark Hatchet paused, then added, “And in the off chance it does get you into any diffi culty, the Post will stand behind you.” “That’s reassuring⁴⁹. Will you come see me on visiting days?” “Of course and I’ll even bring you cartons of cigarettes and chocolate bars you can share with all of your new friends… Look, if you’re not interested, just return the envelope to me unopened and I’ll find someone else.” “Relax. I didn’t say I wasn’t interested. Aft er our earlier conversation I’m just trying to figure out what you’re getting me into here.” “What I’ve got is the name of one man and the name of the black project they’re doing at a hush-hush department of Homeland Security.” “Homeland Security?” “There is a division called Emerging Technologies…” “That would be Noah Shepherd’s department.” “And that’s why no one will ever play Trivial Pursuit with you, Nellie. Do you know him?” Hatchet asked. “No. I’ve never met him but the senator had me do a complete profi le on him a few years back.” “Find anything interesting?” “Garden variety upper-level bureaucrat⁵⁰. Yale Skulls⁵¹ and Bones type. His father and grandfather were all in the government, if I remember correctly.” “These days he’s one of the big players in town. Shepherd may be the most powerful person in Washington that no one has ever heard of. He’s positioned himself so he gets the first look at all new technology that 8 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin comes around and then cherry picks the stuff he wants to keep. Many of his projects are cutting edge, high-tech⁵² psychological warfare⁵³ kinds of things. He is a big-time behind the scenes player on the Hill and at the White House.” “So, what does Shepherd have to do with all of this?” “He’s slapped a lid on this story and nobody, and I mean nobody, is talking about it.” “If no one is talking, how did you find out about it?” “I have a source…” “Ha!” “What?” “You’ve been sitting behind a desk for the past five years. Where in the world would you get a source?” “You’d be surprised, especially if you knew who it was.” “So, who is it?” “If I won’t tell my boss, I sure as heck won’t tell you.” “Okay, so you have this imaginary friend who gave you this story that no one else is able to confirm…” An early warning signal went off in Penelope’s head. “Hold on,” she said. “You must have fi fty reporters who would walk over glass for something like this. Why me? And what’s with this phone?” “The phone is one of these cheap disposables you always hear about in bad movies, except these weren’t so cheap. I needed ones without GPS and I had to…” Penelope had spent enough time interviewing people to know when they were trying to avoid answering a direct question. “Wwwhhhyyy. Mmmeee?” she said slowly, carefully enunciating each word. “Are you kidding me? You’re one of the best investigative reporters I’ve ever known.” “You have a slew⁵⁴ of top reporters on your staff who are better connected than I could ever dream of being.” “I needed someone I know and trust.” “And.” The phone went silent for a few moments as Mark Hatchet gathered his thoughts and selected the right words. “At the personal request of the President of the United States; the heads of Homeland Security, the CIA and the NSA; the House and Senate leadership of both parties; and 9 The Fourth Awakening the Chairman and ranking member of the Senate select Committee on Intelligence The Washington Post has been asked, in the interest of national security, not to pursue this story. My publisher has agreed to honor the request.” “Well, that certainly explains why you didn’t want to go through the Post’s switchboard. This Shepherd character must know where a lot of bodies are buried to get that kind of support for a cover-up.” Penelope smiled wryly⁵⁵, as she put more of the puzzle pieces together. “Let me guess why you’re risking your job over this story. I’m betting the Grey Lady up on Times Square isn’t feeling quite as patriotic⁵⁶ as your publisher?” Penelope could almost see the color building in Mark’s face. Th e slightest mention of The New York Times was always enough to set him off on a sputtering⁵⁷ diatribe⁵⁸. Today was no exception. “They hadn’t heard anything about it, but as soon as they got the request they put three reporters on it.” “Gee. And you mainstream⁵⁹ media types can’t understand why everyone hates you. That still doesn’t answer my question; why me?” “I have it from my unimpeachable⁶⁰, imaginary, source that they are transferring the guy who holds the key to this entire story to the brig at the Charleston Naval⁶¹ Weapons Station which, according to MapQuest, is less than 10 miles from your house.” “So it’s not my worldly charms and brilliant reporting skills but geography that made you think of me?” “Please. You’re one of the best reporters I’ve ever known.” “And you’re one of the worst liars⁶² I’ve ever known.” “If you’re not interested…” “Don’t get huffy. I didn’t say that.” “Okay. Before you open the envelope, I need to know if you’re in or out.” “In.” “Don’t even want to think about it for half a second?” “Nope.” “This could be dangerous.” “Don’t care.” “We’re talking Homeland Security and secret projects.” “I got that part.” “You’re not only going to be up against the entire federal government but also some of the best reporters in the business, and they have a head start.” 10 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin “So why don’t we get started?” “And you understand my position….” “You haven’t seen me in years. Didn’t like me the last time you did. You have no idea where I got this information. I, in no way, shape, or form, represent The Washington Post. Yet strangely if anything happens you guarantee that I’ll have Th e Post’s backing.” “That’s my girl.” “Ouch!” Penelope turned to see Joey sucking her left index fi nger. While Penelope was distracted, Joey had claimed the envelope. In her haste to get it open before Penelope turned around, she had stabbed herself with a paring knife. “Give me that before you hurt yourself,” Penelope said as she sat down the phone. Grabbing a cutting board and the razor-sharp knife from Joey, she sliced the end of the envelope off and pulled out a file folder⁶³. It was filled with about 30 pages of background that looked like it came straight off of a home printer. She picked up the phone and tucked it under her chin. “All right, I’ve got it. What am I looking at here?” “This is all I was able to piece together before the order came down from upstairs to stop looking. There was a super secret project with the code name ‘Hermes’. Rumor⁶⁴ has it they were trying to use a combination of drugs and who knows what to build some kind of super spy or something, until things went south.” “Don’t those government types ever learn? What happened?” “That’s what you’re going to have to find out. Apparently⁶⁵, Homeland Security, under extreme pressure from your old buddy⁶⁶ Senator Horn, cancelled the project six months ago but the people involved kept it going. Now the rumor is they have made some kind of breakthrough.” “What kind of breakthrough?” “I have no idea. Only a handful of people have the details on the project.” “And no one is talking?” “Not only are they not talking, no one can find any of them.” “What?” “For all intents and purposes, they have all vanished.” Penelope felt her earlier bravado⁶⁷ crumble⁶⁸ and be replaced with an uncomfortable knot in her stomach. As she pondered the possibilities 11 The Fourth Awakening she felt goose bumps rising on her arms. “You don’t think?” “I don’t know,” Mark said softly. “But considering how much eff ort is going into this cover-up, we can’t rule anything out.” “How many people are we talking about?” “Over 30 ultra-high clearance people have simply vanished, including a Nobel Prize winner. No one has seen or heard from them in nearly six months.” The knot in Penelope’s stomach wasn’t getting any smaller. Suddenly, her desire to get back into big-time journalism was being hotly contested by her survival instincts. If this story was big enough for someone in the federal government to order the assassination⁶⁹ of over 30 people to keep it quiet, then what was the death of one reporter — more or less? She rubbed the goose bumps on her arms and drew in a deep breath. Th is could be as big as Mark thought it was; it could also be too big for her. Hatchet knew Spence well enough to understand exactly what her sudden silence meant. He knew she was itching⁷⁰ to get back into mainstream journalism, and he would put her on staff immediately if she was willing to relocate to Washington or New York. But that was never going to happen. Still, despite its obvious risks, this could be a career defining story for both of them. He hated putting her in harm’s way, but with his normal resources blocked she was the only one he trusted enough to even consider for the story. “So, what do you think?” Penelope’s mouth was so dry she reached for her bottle of water and took a sip⁷¹ before trying to answer. “Boy, I’m not sure about this, Mark.” “I understand completely. Look,” Mark Hatchet felt if he could just give her a gentle nudge she would do what he wanted. “Do this for me. Just go over to the brig and try to talk to this guy, and if it doesn’t feel right, walk away… Okay?” “I don’t know.” “If you can get him to talk, heck if you can even confirm he’s in the Charleston Brig, I’ll guarantee you’ll make the front page of the Post, and probably every other newspaper in the country.” “You always knew how to sweet talk me.” “Who is this guy?” “His picture is in the fi le.” Penelope rummaged⁷² through the folder until she found a professional-quality head and shoulder picture of a man who looked familiar but she 12 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin couldn’t quite place. Fit and a bit John Wayne-ish; he looked like the guy you’d want to do your estate planning, but not necessarily someone who’d be a ton of laughs in Vegas on a long weekend. Turning it over, she read his biography. Her eyebrows went up and a small whistle escaped her lips when she read his name. “Oh my!”

1 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

2 hatchet   

n.短柄小斧；v.扼杀

参考例句：

• I shall have to take a hatchet to that stump.我得用一把短柄斧来劈这树桩。
• Do not remove a fly from your friend's forehead with a hatchet.别用斧头拍打朋友额头上的苍蝇。

3 ironic   

adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的

参考例句：

• That is a summary and ironic end.那是一个具有概括性和讽刺意味的结局。
• People used to call me Mr Popularity at high school,but they were being ironic.人们中学时常把我称作“万人迷先生”，但他们是在挖苦我。

4 journalism   

n.新闻工作，报业

参考例句：

• He's a teacher but he does some journalism on the side.他是教师，可还兼职做一些新闻工作。
• He had an aptitude for journalism.他有从事新闻工作的才能。

5 awakening   

n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的

参考例句：

• the awakening of interest in the environment 对环境产生的兴趣
• People are gradually awakening to their rights. 人们正逐渐意识到自己的权利。

6 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

7 confirmations   

证实( confirmation的名词复数 )； 证据； 确认； （基督教中的）坚信礼

参考例句：

• Never use transitory dialogs as error messages or confirmations. 绝不要用临时对话框作为错误信息框或确认信息框。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Dismissing confirmations thus becomes as routine as issuing them. 因此关闭确认对话框和发起确认对话框一样成为例行公事。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

8 ominous   

adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的

参考例句：

• Those black clouds look ominous for our picnic.那些乌云对我们的野餐来说是个不祥之兆。
• There was an ominous silence at the other end of the phone.电话那头出现了不祥的沉默。

9 furrowed   

v.犁田，开沟( furrow的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Overhead hung a summer sky furrowed with the rash of rockets. 头顶上的夏日夜空纵横着急疾而过的焰火。 来自辞典例句
• The car furrowed the loose sand as it crossed the desert. 车子横过沙漠，在松软的沙土上犁出了一道车辙。 来自辞典例句

10 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。

11 alley   

n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路

参考例句：

• We live in the same alley.我们住在同一条小巷里。
• The blind alley ended in a brick wall.这条死胡同的尽头是砖墙。

12 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

13 tingle   

vi.感到刺痛，感到激动；n.刺痛，激动

参考例句：

• The music made my blood tingle.那音乐使我热血沸腾。
• The cold caused a tingle in my fingers.严寒使我的手指有刺痛感。

14 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

15 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

16 assortment   

n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集

参考例句：

• This shop has a good assortment of goods to choose from.该店各色货物俱全，任君选择。
• She was wearing an odd assortment of clothes.她穿着奇装异服。

17 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

18 crave   

vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求

参考例句：

• Many young children crave attention.许多小孩子渴望得到关心。
• You may be craving for some fresh air.你可能很想呼吸呼吸新鲜空气。

19 meditation   

n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录

参考例句：

• This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
• I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。

20 bent   

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。

21 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

22 swelled   

增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情）

参考例句：

• The infection swelled his hand. 由于感染，他的手肿了起来。
• After the heavy rain the river swelled. 大雨过后，河水猛涨。

23 savvy   

v.知道，了解；n.理解能力，机智，悟性；adj.有见识的，懂实际知识的，通情达理的

参考例句：

• She was a pretty savvy woman.她是个见过世面的漂亮女人。
• Where's your savvy?你的常识到哪里去了？

24 psychic   

n.对超自然力敏感的人；adj.有超自然力的

参考例句：

• Some people are said to have psychic powers.据说有些人有通灵的能力。
• She claims to be psychic and to be able to foretell the future.她自称有特异功能，能预知未来。

25 estranged   

adj.疏远的，分离的

参考例句：

• He became estranged from his family after the argument.那场争吵后他便与家人疏远了。
• The argument estranged him from his brother.争吵使他同他的兄弟之间的关系疏远了。

26 smack   

vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍

参考例句：

• She gave him a smack on the face.她打了他一个嘴巴。
• I gave the fly a smack with the magazine.我用杂志拍了一下苍蝇。

27 rustling   

n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的

参考例句：

• the sound of the trees rustling in the breeze 树木在微风中发出的沙沙声
• the soft rustling of leaves 树叶柔和的沙沙声

28 regiment   

n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制

参考例句：

• As he hated army life,he decide to desert his regiment.因为他嫌恶军队生活，所以他决心背弃自己所在的那个团。
• They reformed a division into a regiment.他们将一个师整编成为一个团。

29 invoice   

vt.开发票；n.发票，装货清单

参考例句：

• The seller has to issue a tax invoice.销售者必须开具税务发票。
• We will then send you an invoice for the total course fees.然后我们会把全部课程费用的发票寄给你。

30 rumble   

n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说

参考例句：

• I hear the rumble of thunder in the distance.我听到远处雷声隆隆。
• We could tell from the rumble of the thunder that rain was coming.我们根据雷的轰隆声可断定，天要下雨了。

31 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。

32 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

33 shrug   

v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等)

参考例句：

• With a shrug,he went out of the room.他耸一下肩，走出了房间。
• I admire the way she is able to shrug off unfair criticism.我很佩服她能对错误的批评意见不予理会。

34 bragged   

v.自夸，吹嘘( brag的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He bragged to his friends about the crime. 他向朋友炫耀他的罪行。
• Mary bragged that she could run faster than Jack. 玛丽夸口说她比杰克跑得快。 来自《简明英汉词典》

35 ivy   

n.常青藤，常春藤

参考例句：

• Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。
• The wall is covered all over with ivy.墙上爬满了常春藤。

36 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

37 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

38 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》

39 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

40 shrouded   

v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 )；保密

参考例句：

• The hills were shrouded in mist . 这些小山被笼罩在薄雾之中。
• The towers were shrouded in mist. 城楼被蒙上薄雾。 来自《简明英汉词典》

41 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

42 unfamiliar   

adj.陌生的，不熟悉的

参考例句：

• I am unfamiliar with the place and the people here.我在这儿人地生疏。
• The man seemed unfamiliar to me.这人很面生。

43 exalted   

adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的

参考例句：

• Their loveliness and holiness in accordance with their exalted station.他们的美丽和圣洁也与他们的崇高地位相称。
• He received respect because he was a person of exalted rank.他因为是个地位崇高的人而受到尊敬。

44 foraging   

v.搜寻（食物），尤指动物觅（食）( forage的现在分词 )；（尤指用手）搜寻（东西）

参考例句：

• They eke out a precarious existence foraging in rubbish dumps. 他们靠在垃圾场捡垃圾维持着朝不保夕的生活。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The campers went foraging for wood to make a fire. 露营者去搜寻柴木点火。 来自辞典例句

45 sparsely   

adv.稀疏地；稀少地；不足地；贫乏地

参考例句：

• Relative to the size, the city is sparsely populated. 与其面积相比，这个城市的人口是稀少的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The ground was sparsely covered with grass. 地面上稀疏地覆盖草丛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

46 clearance   

n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理

参考例句：

• There was a clearance of only ten centimetres between the two walls.两堵墙之间只有十厘米的空隙。
• The ship sailed as soon as it got clearance. 那艘船一办好离港手续立刻启航了。

47 intern   

v.拘禁，软禁；n.实习生

参考例句：

• I worked as an intern in that firm last summer.去年夏天我在那家商行实习。
• The intern bandaged the cut as the nurse looked on.这位实习生在护士的照看下给病人包扎伤口。

48 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

49 reassuring   

a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的

参考例句：

• He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。
• With a reassuring pat on her arm, he left. 他鼓励地拍了拍她的手臂就离开了。

50 bureaucrat   

n. 官僚作风的人，官僚，官僚政治论者

参考例句：

• He was just another faceless bureaucrat.他只不过是一个典型呆板的官员。
• The economy is still controlled by bureaucrats.经济依然被官僚们所掌控。

51 skulls   

颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜

参考例句：

• One of the women's skulls found exceeds in capacity that of the average man of today. 现已发现的女性颅骨中，其中有一个的脑容量超过了今天的普通男子。
• We could make a whole plain white with skulls in the moonlight! 我们便能令月光下的平原变白，遍布白色的骷髅！

52 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

53 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

54 slew   

v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多

参考例句：

• He slewed the car against the side of the building.他的车滑到了大楼的一侧，抵住了。
• They dealt with a slew of other issues.他们处理了大量的其他问题。

55 wryly   

adv. 挖苦地，嘲弄地

参考例句：

• Molly smiled rather wryly and said nothing. 莫莉苦笑着，一句话也没说。
• He smiled wryly, then closed his eyes and gnawed his lips. 他狞笑一声，就闭了眼睛，咬着嘴唇。 来自子夜部分

56 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

57 sputtering   

n.反应溅射法；飞溅；阴极真空喷镀；喷射v.唾沫飞溅( sputter的现在分词 )；发劈啪声；喷出；飞溅出

参考例句：

• A wick was sputtering feebly in a dish of oil. 瓦油灯上结了一个大灯花，使微弱的灯光变得更加阴暗。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）
• Jack ran up to the referee, sputtering protest. 贾克跑到裁判跟前，唾沫飞溅地提出抗议。 来自辞典例句

58 diatribe   

n.抨击，抨击性演说

参考例句：

• He launched a diatribe against the younger generation.他对年轻一代发起了长篇抨击。
• The book is a diatribe against the academic left.这本书对学术左派进行了长时间的谩骂。

59 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

60 unimpeachable   

adj.无可指责的；adv.无可怀疑地

参考例句：

• He said all five were men of unimpeachable character.他说这五个都是品格完美无缺的人。
• It is the revenge that nature takes on persons of unimpeachable character.这是自然对人品无瑕的人的报复。

61 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

62 liars   

说谎者( liar的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The greatest liars talk most of themselves. 最爱自吹自擂的人是最大的说谎者。
• Honest boys despise lies and liars. 诚实的孩子鄙视谎言和说谎者。

63 folder   

n.纸夹，文件夹

参考例句：

• Peter returned the plan and charts to their folder.彼得把这份计划和表格放回文件夹中。
• He draws the document from its folder.他把文件从硬纸夹里抽出来。

64 rumor   

n.谣言，谣传，传说

参考例句：

• The rumor has been traced back to a bad man.那谣言经追查是个坏人造的。
• The rumor has taken air.谣言流传开了。

65 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

66 buddy   

n.（美口）密友，伙伴

参考例句：

• Calm down,buddy.What's the trouble?压压气，老兄。有什么麻烦吗？
• Get out of my way,buddy!别挡道了，你这家伙！

67 bravado   

n.虚张声势，故作勇敢，逞能

参考例句：

• Their behaviour was just sheer bravado. 他们的行为完全是虚张声势。
• He flourished the weapon in an attempt at bravado. 他挥舞武器意在虚张声势。

68 crumble   

vi.碎裂，崩溃；vt.弄碎，摧毁

参考例句：

• Opposition more or less crumbled away.反对势力差不多都瓦解了。
• Even if the seas go dry and rocks crumble,my will will remain firm.纵然海枯石烂，意志永不动摇。

69 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

70 itching   

adj.贪得的，痒的，渴望的v.发痒( itch的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The itching was almost more than he could stand. 他痒得几乎忍不住了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My nose is itching. 我的鼻子发痒。 来自《简明英汉词典》

71 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。

72 rummaged   

翻找，搜寻( rummage的过去式和过去分词 )； 已经海关检查

参考例句：

• I rummaged through all the boxes but still could not find it. 几个箱子都翻腾遍了也没有找到。
• The customs officers rummaged the ship suspected to have contraband goods. 海关人员仔细搜查了一艘有走私嫌疑的海轮。