CHAPTER NINE

“There is no use trying,” said Alice; “one can’t believe impossible things.” “I dare say you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” Lewis Carroll PPenelope Spence had seen and heard many strange and unbelievable things in her life, but this one topped the cake. “You mean to tell me that you and I are going to walk out of possibly the most secure prison in America, and no one is going to try and stop us?” “Yes.” “With you in handcuffs and dressed in a bright orange outfi t with ‘Prisoner’ written on the back.” “Yes.” “Are you going to take me hostage?” “Of course not.” “Will my life or health be at risk in any way?” “No.” “Will I be considered an accomplice¹ or charged with helping² you escape?” “I don’t see how. But someone may threaten you later to try to make you talk.” 67 The Fourth Awakening³ Spence leaned back in her chair, folded her arms across her chest and blinked at Walker a few times. This was easily the most outrageous⁴ thing she had ever heard in her life. Every neuron in her brain was shouting for her to stand up and walk out of the room in the off chance that whatever mental deficiency Michael Walker suffered from might be airborne and contagious⁵. She decided⁶ to try a diff erent tack⁷. “If you can walk out anytime you want, why are you still here?” “I needed to meet you, remember?” “Me?” “Yes. I already told you that.” “But you were caught…” “I wasn’t caught. I let them catch me. Big diff erence.” “So, you’re telling me…” Penelope struggled for the exact words she needed. “You allowed yourself to be captured because you knew they would bring you to Charleston and I would stop in to see you?” “We’ve already discussed this previously⁸. The only problem was they kept taking me to the wrong prison. I had to get arrested three times before they finally got it right. I think at some level Smith was on to me and was trying to make this as diffi cult⁹ as possible.” “What do you mean, Smith was ‘on to you’?” “As I said, very few people can be around me for any length of time without starting to show signs of advancing toward enlightenment. Somehow, Robert has been able to do it. I would love to know how.” “Enlightenment,” Penelope muttered, holding her forehead with both hands as if trying to keep her cranium from exploding. She was getting hit from so many directions with so many unbelievable concepts; her brain was swimming in a morass¹⁰ of irrationality¹¹. Instead of trying to sort out all of this at once, Penelope did what she normally did when confronted with multiple problems: prioritize. “You’re telling me, you’ve allowed yourself to be captured three times, and you’ve escaped three times, so you can meet me?” “You keep asking the same questions.” “I’m a reporter. It’s what we do.” “Why?” “To see if the answer has changed since the last time we asked.” “I see. Three and two, actually.” “Three and two what?” 68 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin “I’ve been captured three times but I’ve only escaped twice, so far.” “Okay. Let’s try this. You can escape at anytime you want?” “Yes.” “Do I have to say or do anything for you to escape?” “No, quite the opposite.” “What does that mean?” “Since you know I’m leaving, it is important that you don’t say or do anything to give the guards a heads up. In fact, I need you to put it completely out of your mind.” “What? Why?” “Because you’re the only one who could stop me from escaping.” “What? What!” For once in her life, Penelope Spence was unable to form any words with more than four letters that didn’t begin with “W”. “While your mind is raw and you’re just learning how to use the power of thought, you are quite a formidable presence. If you’re thinking about me escaping, it might cause the others in the area, particularly Robert, to pick up on it and stop me.” “You are moon-barking mad! People can’t just walk out of prisons without being seen.” “Sure they can. A physical prison is easy to leave, once you’ve allowed yourself to leave the mental prison.” “Mental prison? It sounds to me like you should be in a mental hospital!” “Once you have mastered the power of thought many seemingly impossible options become effortless. In fact, some of the people who have already become aware of the Awakening are exploiting it for their personal benefi t.” “What are you talking about?” “There are books and weekend seminars on how to get everything you want just by controlling your thoughts.” Penelope’s mind flashed back to the book on her nightstand. “Th e power of positive thinking has been around forever. What’s wrong with that?” “We’re not talking Norman Vincent Peale, but something much more significant. Mankind is moving toward the Fourth Awakening, which will cause an upheaval¹² with far-reaching implications.” Walker shook his head. “What?” Penelope asked. “I would have hoped more people, upon discovering this secret, would 69 The Fourth Awakening aspire¹³ to enlightenment instead of a nice vacation, cash, or,” Walker locked his eyes on hers, “a better parking place.” Penelope flushed slightly. Was it possible that this odd man could actually read her thoughts? Were her thoughts really being projected out into some unseen universe where voyeurs¹⁴ and mental peeping toms were lurking¹⁵? No. That simply wasn’t possible. “It really is time to go. After all, we’ve been talking for over an hour.” Penelope checked her watch, which was just about to tick past the 15 minute mark. This guy really is crazy, she thought to herself. On the other hand, she had to admit that the conversation had seemed much longer than 14 minutes. “Here’s the deal. All you need to do is stand up and ask to leave, and I’ll meet you at your Prius. If we get separated, meet me tomorrow at noon at the East Bay Street end of the Old City Market.” “How did you know I drove a…never mind. Okay. Show me what you’ve got.” “One other thing.” “Here we go,” thought Penelope. She had been expecting some quibbling, or a potential excuse to be used later. “If I do exactly what I say I’m going to, will you believe me on some of the other stuff ?” Like so many things involving Michael Walker, this was unexpected. The only answer that seemed to make any sense blurted¹⁶ out of her mouth. “Sure. Why not?” Just then, the door flew open. Smith strode into the room and indicated that Penelope’s 15 minutes were up. “Ready?” Walker asked. “I’m definitely ready,” Penelope Spence said as she pushed her chair away from the table and stood up. Walker didn’t move. . AAs I rise to my feet I feel a slight dizziness and hear a faint buzzing noise like a conversation heard through the wall of another room. It is as if I stood up too quickly and all of the blood had rushed away fr om my brain. Walker is still seated and smiling at me. The sensation is like the one I felt earlier in the day at the bank. It wasn’t unpleasant, just different. I turn off the electronic jammer, look at the video camera closest to me and head for 70 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin the door. A burly guard holds the door open for me. As I walk around Smith I catch a glimpse of Michael Walker in the corridor ahead of me. Turning my head, I see him still in exactly the same place he had been during the interview. He smiles and waves to me again. But I know I just saw him in the hallway. Somehow he is in two places at the same time. I feel my knees wobble, but I don’t go down. Assistant Director Robert Smith begins to walk me out. I feel as if the world is moving in slow motion and an irrepressibly deep inner-peace settles over me. I feel detached from the concerns of my body and daily life; almost like a spectator watching events unfold below fr om the vantage point of a hot air balloon or while perched on a cloud. I still sense my worries and they seem to matter, just not nearly as much. Reaching my car I discover a man, in an orange jump suit, kneeling next to the wheel well of my right rear tire. It is Michael Walker. . TThe sight of Walker jarred Penelope out of her peaceful haze¹⁷ and caused her heart to race. He had done exactly what he said he was going to do. How was that possible? The only logical answer; it wasn’t possible. Walker pulled a small electronic box off Penelope’s car and stuck it on the car in the next parking space. “Tracking device.” He said. “I’ve found three others on your car. Someone is serious.” “I don’t understand.” “No time to explain now. Let’s go.” Penelope got behind the wheel but her hands were shaking so badly that she had difficulty inserting the key in the ignition. Penelope’s breath was coming in gulps¹⁸ and her mouth was watering. She could taste bitter bile building in the back of her throat, usually a precursor¹⁹ to throwing up. Walker, from the passenger seat, reached over and helped her get the key in the slot. His hand on hers stopped the trembling. “We really need to get going,” Walker said. “Why?” “Because in about two minutes, they will notice that I’m gone.” Penelope turned the key and headed toward the front gate. “How are we going to get past the guards?” “Let me worry about that,” Walker answered. 71 The Fourth Awakening As they approached the guard station, on the inbound side a car rear-ended a pickup²⁰ truck that had been slow to pull away from the check-in. Both drivers got out of their vehicles and began yelling at each other. Th e guards manning the gate stepped out of their small building to intervene before any fists could be thrown. Walker ducked down as Penelope’s car moved under the video cameras. “Just keep driving slowly but don’t stop,” he said. The only remaining guard at the outbound gate, distracted by the fender bender in the other lane, waved them through without checking the interior of the car. As they cleared the gate Walker let out a sigh. They were only a few hundred yards further when a loud horn and siren began wailing²¹ behind them. In the rearview mirror Penelope could see the guards lowering the front gate and a large military vehicle moving in front of the entrance, blocking the path of the black Suburban²² with heavily tinted²³ windows that had been behind them in the exit queue. “Apparently, they’ve noticed I’m gone.” Walker closed his eyes and his breathing became rhythmic²⁴. . SSomehow Penelope and Walker ended up in West Ashley Park. She had driven all the way to the rear area. There was a little used parking lot with a bridge leading across a creek²⁵ to a small rectangular island, created when they dug the canals for the adjoining neighborhood. When the car stopped, Walker’s eyes opened for the first time since they left the brig. “Well done,” he said patting her on the knee. What she might normally perceive as an insincere or patronizing gesture instead fi lled Penelope with a pride and zest²⁶ for life she hadn’t felt in, well, ever. “That was the most amazing thing I’ve seen in my life. I mean, I saw you in two places at once. I saw you. You did exactly what you said you were going to do. I mean, I saw it myself. If someone had told me this was going to happen, I would have laughed at them.” Penelope shook her head and laughed. “Come to think of it, someone did tell me it was going to happen and I did laugh at them. I mean you. I didn’t laugh in your face, but boy, I sure was tempted²⁷.” She paused for a moment and shook her head again. “How did you do that?” Walker let her ramble²⁸ uninterrupted; the rest and meditation²⁹ had 72 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin restored the twinkle in his eye. “It’s really not that diffi cult.” “What do you mean? What you did wasn’t some magician’s trick. You actually got yourself out of jail. How did you do it?” “I used the power of thought. I let my conscious mind, subconscious³⁰ mind and super conscious mind know that getting out of prison was what I wanted… then I released it.” “Th at’s it?” “It’s pretty much that simple. Let the universe know what will make you happy and it will provide it.” “When did you develop this power?” Penelope could tell from Walker’s pained expression that she had, once again, missed his point. “I didn’t develop any special powers. I simply released all of the preconceived notions that had been restricting my personal growth, and allowed my mind to surrender.” “Surrender?” “You can do exactly the same thing anytime you want.” “What?” “If you can convince the different elements of your mind to agree that being somewhere else is what you truly want, the power of thought will take you there. It’s just that simple.” “Right.” The euphoria of the escape was starting to wear off and the cynical³¹ skeptic³² that kept her conscious mind on the straight and narrow began to reassert herself. “Just that simple.” “Anyone can do it if they just allow themselves.” “Including me?” “Especially you.” “What makes me special?’ “You’ve already shown flashes of mastering the power of thought. When your unconscious mind is convinced something is impossible, then it is impossible. This is why you’re having so much trouble getting your arms around all of this. Your intellect and natural skepticism are holding you back.” Walker shook his head. “Once you get past that…” His voice drift ed off and a heavy silence settled over the pair as he looked deeply into her eyes. Penelope was torn. Was it possible that everything she had ever been taught was fundamentally flawed? Did she have the ability to do what Walker had done, or was she falling under the spell of a charming conman? 73 The Fourth Awakening “If I wanted to be in a different place how would I convince my mind to take me there?” “Don’t think about all of the possibilities and obstacles. Simply tell your mind to take over. It will do what needs to be done.” “Th at’s it?” “That’s it, but you really have to be sincere. You can’t lie to yourself.” After a brief pause to allow his recent bombshell to sink in, he asked, “Where are my clothes?” “What? I don’t have any clothes…” her eyes flew open. “Th e Goodwill³³ bag I threw in the trunk a few days ago with some of Bill’s old stuff .” Penelope’s face crinkled into a frown as she popped the trunk and they headed to the back of the car. How closely had he been watching her if he knew exactly what she had in the trunk of her car? Without a hint of modesty³⁴ Walker stripped down to his birthday suit. His body was rippled³⁵ with lean muscle and near zero fat; Penelope felt tingles³⁶ in places she’d assumed had relocated during the menopause remodeling and not left a forwarding address. Ripping open the plastic garbage bag he rummaged³⁷ around until he found a pair of sweat pants and a golf shirt. On the floor of the car’s trunk was an old pair of battered³⁸ tennis shoes. In his new wardrobe he could pass for anyone they might meet in the park. Walker tied the orange jumpsuit around a softball ball-sized rock that was conveniently next to the car and tossed it into the creek. “The money.” Walker held out his hand. “What money?” Then she remembered the visit to her bank. As she reached for her purse she also remembered the strange sensations she felt in the bank. Her eyes shot up and met his with a look of astonishment³⁹. He shrugged⁴⁰ as he reached out to take the envelope that was still fi lled with 30 one hundred dollar bills. “I suppose you’re good for it.” Again his smile wrapped her in warmth that made her feel safe and comfortable. “Wait a minute,” Penelope said as she pulled the envelope back. “With all your money, and if you knew you were coming to Charleston, why didn’t you plan this better?” “I thought it was well planned and brilliantly executed.” “What do you mean?” “We created a diversion at the guard station and timed it so all the 74 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin people trying to follow you would be stuck inside when they sealed the gate. I thought it went off fl awlessly.” “You staged the accident at the guard station?” “Of course,” Walker answered as he adjusted the collar on the borrowed shirt. A puzzled expression covered Penelope’s face. “Let’s say for a minute I believe you masterminded this entire escape and timed it down to the last second. You could have cash and a getaway car stashed⁴¹ just outside the brig.” “You’re right, I could have. But it wasn’t worth the risk.” “What risk?” “That someone might have sensed what we were doing and thrown obstacles in our path.” “You mean there are others like you?” “Yes and you as well. As the Awakening builds momentum⁴², there will be more and more of us. ” “God help us all. Was that you I sensed at the bank?” Walker laughed and shrugged. “If you ever get that feeling again, don’t try to rationalize it, just follow where it leads. I’ll explain more the next time we meet.” “What?” There was that word again. “You’re leaving? Why?” “We have to establish an alibi⁴³ that proves you had nothing to do with my escape. I’ll meet you tomorrow at noon. You remember where?” “East Bay Street end of the Old City Market.” “Look,” Walker said soft ly. “What you’ve seen so far today is a lot to absorb, but you have to shake it off and be on your ‘A’ game. The next few hours are going to be a bit rough for you. Fortunately, there should be enough media coverage⁴⁴ to protect you.” “Protect me? Protect me from what?” Walker smiled but didn’t answer. “Just remember, you didn’t have anything to do with my escape. When they ask where you went, tell them the truth. Since I may not have gotten all of the tracking devices, they may know where you are already. Tell them you came here to think.” Walker looked her up and down. “Be careful. Some doors in your mind have already opened today, and you don’t realize it yet. Right now you are very vulnerable but at the same time very powerful. I wish I could stay to 75 The Fourth Awakening get you over this hump, but that is not what’s best. Do you have someone to stay with tonight?” “My friend Joey.” “Excellent. You really shouldn’t be alone.” He grabbed both of her arms and stared deeply into her eyes. “You must control your emotions and try to be completely positive. It is important that you are not alone tonight. Do you understand?” He felt her starting to tremble and she broke eye contact. “Yes. I think so.” “You’ve been amazing.” He kissed her gently on the forehead, causing a jolt⁴⁵ like a mild electrical shock that started between her eyebrows⁴⁶ then traveled down her body, exiting through her feet. Before she could ask any more questions, Walker began to jog away. Looking back over his shoulder he shouted, “Call the best lawyer you know and have him meet you at your house. You’re going to need him!” He vanished around a bend in the road. Picking up her cell phone she had over 20 voice mails, 15 of them from Senator Horn. She dialed the private number the senator had given her and he answered it personally on the first ring. “Penelope, is that you?” “Yes, senator.” “Are you okay?” “Yes, why? “Michael Walker has escaped. He got out right after he spoke⁴⁷ to you.” “Really? I had forgotten to turn my cell phone back on.” “What did that maniac⁴⁸ say to you?” ”Most of it sounded like gibberish to me, senator.” “It will all be clearer tomorrow.” “Why tomorrow?” “Watch the Sunday morning political talk shows and you’ll fi nd out. I’m going to tell the entire world about the Hermes Project.” Th e line went dead.

1 accomplice   

n.从犯，帮凶，同谋

参考例句：

• She was her husband's accomplice in murdering a rich old man.她是她丈夫谋杀一个老富翁的帮凶。
• He is suspected as an accomplice of the murder.他涉嫌为这次凶杀案的同谋。

2 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

3 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。

4 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。

5 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

6 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。

7 tack   

n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝

参考例句：

• He is hammering a tack into the wall to hang a picture.他正往墙上钉一枚平头钉用来挂画。
• We are going to tack the map on the wall.我们打算把这张地图钉在墙上。

8 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

9 cult   

n.异教，邪教；时尚，狂热的崇拜

参考例句：

• Her books aren't bestsellers,but they have a certain cult following.她的书算不上畅销书，但有一定的崇拜者。
• The cult of sun worship is probably the most primitive one.太阳崇拜仪式或许是最为原始的一种。

10 morass   

n.沼泽，困境

参考例句：

• I tried to drag myself out of the morass of despair.我试图从绝望的困境中走出来。
• Mathematical knowledge was certain and offered a secure foothold in a morass.数学知识是确定无疑的,它给人们在沼泽地上提供了一个稳妥的立足点。

11 irrationality   

n. 不合理，无理性

参考例句：

• Such stoppages as are observed in practice are thus attributed to mistakes or even irrationality. 在实际情况中看到的这些停工，要归因于失误或甚至是非理性的东西。
• For all its harshness and irrationality, it is the only world we've got. 尽管它严酷而又不合理，它终究是我们具有的唯一的世界。

12 upheaval   

n.胀起，(地壳)的隆起；剧变，动乱

参考例句：

• It was faced with the greatest social upheaval since World War Ⅱ.它面临第二次世界大战以来最大的社会动乱。
• The country has been thrown into an upheaval.这个国家已经陷入动乱之中。

13 aspire   

vi.(to，after)渴望，追求，有志于

参考例句：

• Living together with you is what I aspire toward in my life.和你一起生活是我一生最大的愿望。
• I aspire to be an innovator not a follower.我迫切希望能变成个开创者而不是跟随者。

14 voyeurs   

n.窥淫癖者（喜欢窥视他人性行为）( voyeur的名词复数 )；刺探隐秘者（喜欢刺探他人的问题或私生活）

参考例句：

• Voyeurs are scary, but they are usually harmless. 偷窥狂很可怕，但是他们通常不会伤害人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He also did much to turn Britons into a nation of voyeurs. 他的所作所为很大程度上激起了英国人的偷窥欲。 来自互联网

15 lurking   

潜在

参考例句：

• Why are you lurking around outside my house? 你在我房子外面鬼鬼祟祟的，想干什么？
• There is a suspicious man lurking in the shadows. 有一可疑的人躲在阴暗中。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

16 blurted   

v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She blurted it out before I could stop her. 我还没来得及制止，她已脱口而出。
• He blurted out the truth, that he committed the crime. 他不慎说出了真相，说是他犯了那个罪。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 haze   

n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊

参考例句：

• I couldn't see her through the haze of smoke.在烟雾弥漫中，我看不见她。
• He often lives in a haze of whisky.他常常是在威士忌的懵懂醉意中度过的。

18 gulps   

n.一大口（尤指液体）( gulp的名词复数 )v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的第三人称单数 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住

参考例句：

• He often gulps down a sob. 他经常忍气吞声地生活。 来自辞典例句
• JERRY: Why don't you make a point with your own doctor? (George gulps) What's wrong? 杰瑞：你为啥不对你自个儿的医生表明立场？有啥问题吗？ 来自互联网

19 precursor   

n.先驱者；前辈；前任；预兆；先兆

参考例句：

• Error is often the precursor of what is correct.错误常常是正确的先导。
• He said that the deal should not be seen as a precursor to a merger.他说该笔交易不应该被看作是合并的前兆。

20 pickup   

n.拾起，获得

参考例句：

• I would love to trade this car for a pickup truck.我愿意用这辆汽车换一辆小型轻便卡车。||The luck guy is a choice pickup for the girls.那位幸运的男孩是女孩子们想勾搭上的人。

21 wailing   

v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱

参考例句：

• A police car raced past with its siren wailing. 一辆警车鸣着警报器飞驰而过。
• The little girl was wailing miserably. 那小女孩难过得号啕大哭。

22 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

23 tinted   

adj. 带色彩的 动词tint的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• a pair of glasses with tinted lenses 一副有色镜片眼镜
• a rose-tinted vision of the world 对世界的理想化看法

24 rhythmic   

adj.有节奏的，有韵律的

参考例句：

• Her breathing became more rhythmic.她的呼吸变得更有规律了。
• Good breathing is slow,rhythmic and deep.健康的呼吸方式缓慢深沉而有节奏。

25 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

26 zest   

n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣

参考例句：

• He dived into his new job with great zest.他充满热情地投入了新的工作。
• He wrote his novel about his trip to Asia with zest.他兴趣浓厚的写了一本关于他亚洲之行的小说。

27 tempted   

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。

28 ramble   

v.漫步，漫谈，漫游；n.漫步，闲谈，蔓延

参考例句：

• This is the best season for a ramble in the suburbs.这是去郊区漫游的最好季节。
• I like to ramble about the street after work.我下班后在街上漫步。

29 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。

30 subconscious   

n./adj.潜意识(的)，下意识(的)

参考例句：

• Nail biting is often a subconscious reaction to tension.咬指甲通常是紧张时的下意识反映。
• My answer seemed to come from the subconscious.我的回答似乎出自下意识。

31 cynical   

adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的

参考例句：

• The enormous difficulty makes him cynical about the feasibility of the idea.由于困难很大，他对这个主意是否可行持怀疑态度。
• He was cynical that any good could come of democracy.他不相信民主会带来什么好处。

32 skeptic   

n.怀疑者，怀疑论者，无神论者

参考例句：

• She is a skeptic about the dangers of global warming.她是全球变暖危险的怀疑论者。
• How am I going to convince this skeptic that she should attention to my research?我将如何使怀疑论者确信她应该关注我的研究呢？

33 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

34 modesty   

n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素

参考例句：

• Industry and modesty are the chief factors of his success.勤奋和谦虚是他成功的主要因素。
• As conceit makes one lag behind,so modesty helps one make progress.骄傲使人落后，谦虚使人进步。

35 rippled   

使泛起涟漪（ripple的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The lake rippled gently. 湖面轻轻地泛起涟漪。
• The wind rippled the surface of the cornfield. 微风吹过麦田，泛起一片麦浪。

36 tingles   

n.刺痛感( tingle的名词复数 )v.有刺痛感( tingle的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Something has been pressing on my leg and it tingles. 腿压麻了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His cheek tingles from the slap she has given to him. 他的面颊因挨了她一记耳光而感到刺痛。 来自互联网

37 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。

38 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

39 astonishment   

n.惊奇，惊异

参考例句：

• They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
• I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

40 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》

41 stashed   

v.贮藏( stash的过去式和过去分词 )；隐藏；藏匿；藏起

参考例句：

• She has a fortune stashed away in various bank accounts. 她有一大笔钱存在几个不同的银行账户下。
• She has a fortune stashed away in various bank accounts. 她在不同的银行账户上秘密储存了一大笔钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

42 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

43 alibi   

n.某人当时不在犯罪现场的申辩或证明；借口

参考例句：

• Do you have any proof to substantiate your alibi? 你有证据表明你当时不在犯罪现场吗？
• The police are suspicious of his alibi because he already has a record.警方对他不在场的辩解表示怀疑，因为他已有前科。

44 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

45 jolt   

v.（使）摇动，（使）震动，（使）颠簸

参考例句：

• We were worried that one tiny jolt could worsen her injuries.我们担心稍微颠簸一下就可能会使她的伤势恶化。
• They were working frantically in the fear that an aftershock would jolt the house again.他们拼命地干着，担心余震可能会使房子再次受到震动。

46 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。

47 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

48 maniac   

n.精神癫狂的人；疯子

参考例句：

• Be careful!That man is driving like a maniac!注意！那个人开车像个疯子一样！
• You were acting like a maniac,and you threatened her with a bomb!你像一个疯子，你用炸弹恐吓她！