CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It’s already tomorrow in Australia.” Charles Schultz “What do you mean there is a dark side?” “Let’s take a pit stop first,” Walker said as he flipped² on the turn signal and the Bronco began to slow down. They reached the end of the exit ramp³ and turned left toward an open Shell Mini-mart. “Besides, I need to make a phone call.” “I thought we couldn’t use the phone?” “I can use it all I want. You, on the other hand, can’t call Th e Washington Post, or any of your friends and family, since I know their lines are being monitored.” “How do you know that?” Walker just smiled and winked⁴. “Sorry,” Penelope answered with a sigh. “What was I thinking?” Walker pulled into the pumps so that only the front license⁵ plate, which had a Confederate flag on it, was visible to the station’s video cameras. Walker filled up the Bronco’s tank while Penelope freshened up. He paid cash for the gas, bought a prepaid phone card, and was standing⁶ at the pay phone in front of the building chatting with someone when Penelope joined him. Anticipating her question, Walker put his hand over the mouthpiece and whispered, “Senator Horn has stabilized⁷ but the next few hours will 156 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin tell the tale.” Penelope nodded that she understood as Walker turned his full attention back to the person he was talking to on the phone. “Yes. She’s standing right next to me… she got in the car around 12:30.” Walker laughed. It was that deep, full-bodied laugh which caused all within earshot to smile, and that Penelope had grown to want to hear more often. “You guys never learn.” Walker covered the mouthpiece and spoke⁸ to Penelope. “Mark Hatchet⁹ has your article for tomorrow. We want to send him a heads up that he will be getting a visit from Homeland Security in the morning, and let him know you’re okay. Is there some kind of code word or something we can use to let him know it’s from you?” He held the phone in her direction. Penelope thought for a moment. “Yeah. Tell him it’s from Nellie 2204. Oh, and ask him to call Joey and tell her I’m okay.” Walker nodded. “Got that?” Penelope could make out a man’s voice confirming he had heard her correctly. “Great.” Walker hung up the phone and motioned toward the Bronco. “As I suspected, the order to bug¹⁰ your house came directly from Noah Shepherd without notifying Robert Smith.” “What does that mean?” “That means we need to get you to the compound as quickly as possible because Shepherd is upping the stakes.” “Should I be worried?” “No. But if you do get caught somehow, offer no resistance of any kind and don’t say a word until your attorney arrives.” “What are the odds¹¹ I’ll get caught?” “Unless something happens at the airport, almost zero.” “Airport? Do you have a plane stashed¹² somewhere?” “Yes. At the Delta¹³ terminal in Cincinnati.” “Isn’t that a pretty big risk, flying on public transportation? What if we get seen?” “Trust me,” Walker answered with a smile. “What are you planning?” Penelope demanded. Walker continued to smile and shrugged¹⁴. “I give up,” Penelope said with exasperation¹⁵ in her voice. “How am I supposed to get on an airplane without any identifi cation?” “It will be waiting for us in Cincinnati.” “I smell like a wet goat. And, I’m not sure I want to be seen on a plane with you and that shirt.” 157 The Fourth Awakening¹⁶ “We’ll both get a chance to change before we go.” “Okay.” Once Walker and Penelope were safely back on the interstate, she had to ask. “What were you laughing at?” He laughed again. “Stu won the pool. You would think they would learn.” “What pool?” “Some of the people at the compound had a pool on the date and time you would decide to come with me, and a guy named Stu Levy¹⁷ won.” “You had a betting pool on when I would come?” Steam started building under Penelope’s collar. “Yes,” Walker said cheerfully as he focused his attention on a slow moving 18 wheeler that had them pinned in the right lane. “We started it up a couple of months ago. Stu not only had today, he had been getting 20-1 that it would be between noon and one. Everyone thought he was nuts…” “You and your merry band of New Age freaks were betting on me?” It finally dawned on Walker that Penelope didn’t seem to be enjoying the joke as much as he was. “I never personally get involved, but it’s perfectly¹⁸ harmless; they do it all the time. It’s good practice, really.” “Oh, really? So why was this Stu guy winning so funny?” Walker’s voice got smaller and his eyes focused harder on the road. “Why would you bet with a guy that is possibly the most gift ed psychic¹⁹ in the world?” “Hmm.” Penelope folded her arms across her chest and they rode in silence. After about ten miles, she had to admit that was pretty amusing. After twenty, she had trouble keeping the smile off her face. “So how good a psychic is this Levy character?” “He went to the Bellagio once and called fi fteen out of twenty turns of the roulette wheel correctly.” “The casinos must hate to see him coming.” “No, he doesn’t gamble.” “Really? With that kind of skill?” “Stu is a bit, how should I put this, diff erent.” “Pots and kettles calling each other names again?” It took Walker a moment to get the joke. “Noooo. You’ll just have to meet him.” 158 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin “And when will that be?” “Unless we run into a problem, we should be at compound by this time tomorrow.” “Where exactly is the compound?” “I can’t tell you that yet. There is still a chance you might get caught.” “Fair enough…” she said, as she covered her mouth with her hand to catch a yawn. “So tell me about the dark side of these awakenings.” “Whenever there are dramatic changes there are winners and losers. Often the group that prospered²¹ in a previous Awakening becomes less important or in some cases completely obsolete²² as the new one unfolds.” “Let me guess,” Penelope said as she stretched and flexed²³ in a vain attempt to find a more comfortable spot in the lumpy bucket seat. “Th ey do not go gentle into that good night.” “That’s putting it mildly. The entire history of mankind is littered with the victims of war and suppression by groups unable to change with the times but also unwilling²⁴ to give up their perks²⁵.” “I’m guessing here,” Penelope said with a laugh, “that Cro-Magnons, Kings and Popes don’t think too highly of these Awakenings.” “Exactly,” Walker answered. “The real danger today, thanks to modern science, is that the carnage could be massive.” “So you’re expecting a protracted²⁶ period of wars because of this Awakening?” “No, quite the opposite. The change will be over much more quickly this time.” “I don’t understand.” “The people today who have the most to lose also have most of the weapons, and have shown a willingness to use them. In the fi rst three Awakenings the killing²⁷ was pretty much done on a one-on-one basis. Modern weapons don’t have that limitation.” “What are you saying?” “Today, someone can push a button and an hour later more people are dead than died in World War II. Unless we can make as many people as possible aware of this someone, somewhere is going to do something desperate to try and stop this Awakening.” “You’re serious?” “That’s why we wanted you. You’ve already started Awakening but you still have your skepticism. You were the perfect choice. You’ll be able to 159 The Fourth Awakening explain it very effectively since you’re going through it yourself.” “Why is it whenever I start talking to you I feel like my head is about to explode?” “Raw animal magnetism²⁸?” Walker off ered. Penelope ignored Walker’s answer and shifted as far as her seat belt would allow as she tried to face him. “What do you think will happen?” “Unless we can get in front of this Awakening and let the world know what is going on, I don’t see those in power taking any options off the table.” “You actually think a government would launch weapons of mass destruction to stop an Awakening? You can’t be serious.” “They’re not the ones I’m worried about. Most major governments with these kinds of weapons have all sorts of checks and balances built in. My biggest concern is that a fringe group that cuts across cultural and political borders will emerge and somehow gain access to them.” “What kind of group?” “I don’t know. They haven’t shown themselves yet. But let’s hope they aren’t willing to kill for their beliefs,” Walker hesitated. “Or worse, die for them.” “What are the odds of this happening?” “A lot of that will depend on you.” “Me?” “Yes. The more people we make aware of the Awakening the better.” “What if that is not enough?” “Then millions of people could die.” “What?” “Suppose a war breaks out between two high population nuclear powers such as Pakistan and India, then spreads to China? Even the countries that are not involved will feel the environmental and economic damage for decades…” “Pull the car over.” Penelope demand. “What? Why?” “Pull the damn car over NOW!” Walker steered³⁰ the Bronco onto the berm of the Interstate but left the engine idling. “Look at me,” Spence demanded, her eyes blazing. A bemused smile was on Walker’s face as he turned to face her. “Are you telling me you think 160 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin this story I’m suppose to write for you could save millions of lives?!” “Possible billions,” Walker answered calmly. Penelope’s mouth moved but no words came out. Walker leaned back against the car door, propped³¹ his elbow on the steering³² wheel and rested his chin on the palm of his hand. “Why do you think we went to all of this trouble to get you here if it wasn’t this important?” “How dare you!” Penelope demanded. “Who do you think you are trying to hang something like that on me?” Penelope folded her arms across her chest and continued to fume³³. “If I don’t believe your silly little fairy tale a billion people will die. How dare you!” Walker chuckled³⁴ and shook his head. “That isn’t what I meant at all. All I’m saying is if we can make people aware of the Awakening we can potentially save lives. Whether you tell the story or we find another way to get it out really doesn’t matter to us. We just need to get the story out.” Penelope started to run her fingers through her hair until she realized she was still wearing Joey’s blonde wig³⁵. She jerked it off and tossed it at her feet. “You’re still going to need that,” Walker said as he pointed³⁶ to the hair piece. “Shut up!” Penelope turned and faced the front of the Bronco. “You’re tired and I’ve hit you with…” “You can drop me off at the next exit.” “You don’t mean that,” Walker answered. “Why not?” “First and foremost you are an old school pro²⁰ and a world class reporter. You’re not going to walk away from a story this big just because some maniac³⁷ you’ve been humoring for the past few days said something that you didn’t like. Especially not now since you’re sitting on the biggest exclusive of the decade. It’s not in your nature.” “I don’t like being manipulated.” “Who’s manipulating you?” Walker asked with a laugh. “I didn’t even ask to read your stories before you sent them off. I don’t care what you write as long as you spell my name right.” Penelope glared at Walker. “Hate me, love me; believe me or not. Just get the story out there where as many people as possible can see it. That’s all we want from you.” Penelope leaned back in her seat and contemplated³⁸ what Walker had 161 The Fourth Awakening just said. He was right; this was too big of a story to simply walk away from over a flip¹ comment that she might have simply brushed off as hyperbole if she wasn’t so tired. Walker had said so many unbelievable things, why should she suddenly take him at his word over this? The initial jolt³⁹ of adrenalin from his verbal hand grenade was starting to wear off and be replaced with a marrow⁴⁰ deep fatigue⁴¹. Penelope felt the knot returning to her stomach and wasn’t sure if it was being caused by too much dinner or the day’s conversation with Walker. She rubbed her forehead. A headache was starting to build as well. Penelope had never been this tired in her life. Her eyes fl uttered closed and she had to force them to reopen. After a few minutes of silence, Penelope felt her irritation⁴² toward Walker melting away. He had made it clear from the moment they’d met that he had picked her to write this story and made no effort to minimize its importance. He had promised her that she would be the most sought after reporter in the world and, boy, had he delivered. For the moment she was willing to overlook the fact that many of the people seeking her had badges and arrest warrants with her name on them. So far he had done everything he said he would do and to the best of her knowledge he had never lied to her. Plus, he had picked her. In some weird⁴³ way she almost felt complimented. The Bronco continued to idle on the side of Interstate and Walker didn’t feel the need to fill the silence with meaningless chitchat; another point in his favor. A car whizzed past and as the headlight fi lled the interior of the SUV, Penelope could see Michael Walker’s eyes were fi xed on her. They twinkled with mirth. Finally, Penelope softly asked, “The Fourth Awakening has already started hasn’t it?” “Yes, but we can’t be sure this isn’t just another false start.” “False start?” “It very nearly happened once before.” “Let me guess,” Penelope said as she tried to swallow a yawn but wasn’t quite up to the challenge. “The Sumerians found Pandora’s Box and let the cat out?” “A little more recent than that. During your lifetime, actually.” “My lifetime?” “Yes.” 162 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin “I didn’t notice?” Penelope was incredulous. She folded her arms across her chest as she glared at Walker. “I can’t wait to hear this one.” “In the early 1960s …” “Early sixties! How old do you think I am?” Walker shot her a glance that showed her how futile⁴⁴ that gambit was. She threw her hands up in mock surrender. “Shall I continue?” “Please. And can we stick to the who, what, when, where, why, format⁴⁵ this time?” “Who, Timothy Leary. What, LSD. When, 1960s. Where, the United States. And why, because Americans like so many before them wanted enlightenment in an easy to take pill, and came very close to fi nding one.” Walker shifted in his seat, slapped the Bronco into gear and pulled back onto the nearly deserted⁴⁶ Interstate highway. “But that can wait for another day.” “So you’re not going to tell me the Timothy Leary story?” “Not tonight. You’ve already had so much to absorb in such a short period of time, it would probably be counter-productive. You should try to get some rest.” Penelope wanted to protest but realized Walker was right. Reaching in the dark for the pillow between her feet she found Joey’s wig instead. With a sigh she put it back on. Retrieving⁴⁷ the pillow, she tucked it between her shoulder and the window and stared out into the dark West Virginia countryside speeding by. Overpowering her fatigue, doubts began to creep in keeping her from sleep. Had she pushed back too hard? Had she said something wrong? “Look,” she finally said. “I can be really diffi cult²⁹ sometimes…” “Pigheaded.” “Steadfast.” They both laughed. He stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder. “You have absolutely nothing to apologize over. I am so grateful you’ve decided⁴⁸ to help us, I really can’t express it in words. Get some rest. If what you have seen in the last few days has your head spinning, wait until tomorrow.” “What happens tomorrow?” “You’re going to get to meet Dr. Carl Altman and see the Hermes Project in action.” Just before she drift ed off to sleep, she asked, “How did you know that 163 The Fourth Awakening Homeland Security was going to visit the Post in the morning?” “We have an old friend at Homeland Security.” “You have a spy inside of Homeland Security?” “Yes.” Normally that type of bombshell would cause her to leave Tired Town and kick her mind into overdrive. For now, she had so many remarkable⁴⁹ and terrifying things to consider, it didn’t even make her top ten list. People being able to project themselves to another place merely by thinking about it. The destruction of her home. Senator Horn’s stroke. Assaulting a federal officer. Risotto. Timothy Leary… With Walker’s hand on her shoulder and the whine⁵⁰ of the highway in her ears, her eyes closed and she fell fast asleep. . MMark Hatchet, as usual, was still at his desk. He took a sip⁵¹ from his coffee mug, but the contents were cold and had turned bitter. He reached for the pot on the burner behind his desk and topped off with a brew⁵² dark enough and thick enough to seal the cracks in a blacktop driveway. He’d had worse. The Monday edition had been completed and sent to the pressmen, and the City Edition would be hitting the streets in a few minutes. Mark smiled as he wondered, thanks to Penelope, how many congressional interns⁵³ were standing on dark corners waiting for copies of the paper to hand deliver to their bosses. Aft er tonight, even if Nellie didn’t send him another word, she was a lock for her second Pulitzer. The last story to hit Washington with this much impact was Iran-Contra. If she also broke the Hermes Project… Hatchet shook his head. She would be the biggest name in American newspapers since Ben Franklin. The lead stories were, of course, the two that Nellie had sent him. Th e only other story on the front page was an article about the condition of Senator Clayton Horn, with several sidebars on his impressive legislative⁵⁵ and personal life history. To everyone’s amazement⁵⁶, not only had the senator’s condition stabilized, he was doing remarkably⁵⁷ well for a man of his age. It appeared he would lose some function on his right side and his speech was definitely impaired⁵⁸, but how badly was yet to be determined⁵⁹. A man dressed in a blue and red courier’s jacket tapped on the door and looked at the name on the envelope in his hand. “Mark Hatchet?” Th e 164 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin managing editor nodded and the man handed him the envelope. When it was clear that no tip was forthcoming, he turned and headed toward the elevators. Using a letter opener, Hatchet sliced the envelope open and pulled out a single sheet of paper. There was a handwritten note: Expect a visit tomorrow fr om Director Noah Shepherd, Assistant Director Robert A. Smith and Special Agent Marcus J. Wolfe of the Emerging Technologies Division. I’m with you know who. I should be at the Hermes Project late tomorrow. I’m fine. Call Joey. Leave Wednesday’s front page open for me and my interview with Dr. Carl Altman and Michael Walker. Nellie 2204 Hatchet slapped the piece of paper with the back of his hand and smiled from ear to ear. “That’s my girl.” He knew it had to be from her; who else would have known the number of his dorm room in college? Hatchet pushed a button on his phone that rang at the desk of his executive assistant, who was in the process of putting on her coat. Th ey made eye contact through the glass. “I need to set up a meeting with the publisher and legal.” “For when?” “Within the hour, if possible.” She tossed her coat aside and motioned for an intern⁵⁴ to get her another cup of coffee, indicating that a fresh pot was also needed in Hatchet’s office. It was going to be one of those nights. Hatchet was already dialing research. “Call in extra staff if you need it but in the next 30 minutes I want a preliminary bio, and then I want everything you’ve got or can find by 6 a.m. on the following people, Dr. Carl Altman, Director Noah Shepherd…”

1 flip   

vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的

参考例句：

• I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
• Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。

2 flipped   

轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥

参考例句：

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

3 ramp   

n.暴怒，斜坡，坡道；vi.作恐吓姿势，暴怒，加速；vt.加速

参考例句：

• That driver drove the car up the ramp.那司机将车开上了斜坡。
• The factory don't have that capacity to ramp up.这家工厂没有能力加速生产。

4 winked   

v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮

参考例句：

• He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was. 他冲她眨了眨眼，她便知道他的想法和她一样。
• He winked his eyes at her and left the classroom. 他向她眨巴一下眼睛走出了教室。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 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。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

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

7 stabilized   

v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The patient's condition stabilized. 患者的病情稳定下来。
• His blood pressure has stabilized. 他的血压已经稳定下来了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

8 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。

9 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。

10 bug   

n.虫子；故障；窃听器；vt.纠缠；装窃听器

参考例句：

• There is a bug in the system.系统出了故障。
• The bird caught a bug on the fly.那鸟在飞行中捉住了一只昆虫。

11 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

12 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》

13 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

14 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》

15 exasperation   

n.愤慨

参考例句：

• He snorted with exasperation.他愤怒地哼了一声。
• She rolled her eyes in sheer exasperation.她气急败坏地转动着眼珠。

16 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。

17 levy   

n.征收税或其他款项，征收额

参考例句：

• They levy a tax on him.他们向他征税。
• A direct food levy was imposed by the local government.地方政府征收了食品税。

18 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

19 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。

20 pro   

n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者

参考例句：

• The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。
• Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军？

21 prospered   

成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认，这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。
• Mr. Black prospered from his wise investments. 布莱克先生由于巧妙的投资赚了不少钱。

22 obsolete   

adj.已废弃的，过时的

参考例句：

• These goods are obsolete and will not fetch much on the market.这些货品过时了，在市场上卖不了高价。
• They tried to hammer obsolete ideas into the young people's heads.他们竭力把陈旧思想灌输给青年。

23 flexed   

adj.[医]曲折的，屈曲v.屈曲( flex的过去式和过去分词 )；弯曲；（为准备大干而）显示实力；摩拳擦掌

参考例句：

• He stretched and flexed his knees to relax himself. 他伸屈膝关节使自己放松一下。 来自辞典例句
• He flexed his long stringy muscles manfully. 他孔武有力地弯起膀子，显露出细长条的肌肉。 来自辞典例句

24 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

25 perks   

额外津贴，附带福利，外快( perk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Perks offered by the firm include a car and free health insurance. 公司给予的额外待遇包括一辆汽车和免费健康保险。
• Are there any perks that go with your job? 你的工作有什么津贴吗？

26 protracted   

adj.拖延的；延长的v.拖延“protract”的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The war was protracted for four years. 战争拖延了四年。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We won victory through protracted struggle. 经过长期的斗争，我们取得了胜利。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

28 magnetism   

n.磁性，吸引力，磁学

参考例句：

• We know about magnetism by the way magnets act.我们通过磁铁的作用知道磁性是怎么一回事。
• His success showed his magnetism of courage and devotion.他的成功表现了他的胆量和热诚的魅力。

29 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。

30 steered   

v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导

参考例句：

• He steered the boat into the harbour. 他把船开进港。
• The freighter steered out of Santiago Bay that evening. 那天晚上货轮驶出了圣地亚哥湾。 来自《简明英汉词典》

31 propped   

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。

32 steering   

n.操舵装置

参考例句：

• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. 他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
• Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵，口吻也马上变得温和了。

33 fume   

n.(usu pl.)(浓烈或难闻的)烟，气，汽

参考例句：

• The pressure of fume in chimney increases slowly from top to bottom.烟道内压力自上而下逐渐增加，底层住户的排烟最为不利。
• Your harsh words put her in a fume.你那些难听的话使她生气了。

34 chuckled   

轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
• She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情，她就轻轻地暗自发笑。

35 wig   

n.假发

参考例句：

• The actress wore a black wig over her blond hair.那个女演员戴一顶黑色假发罩住自己的金黄色头发。
• He disguised himself with a wig and false beard.他用假发和假胡须来乔装。

36 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

37 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！

38 contemplated   

adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The doctor contemplated the difficult operation he had to perform. 医生仔细地考虑他所要做的棘手的手术。
• The government has contemplated reforming the entire tax system. 政府打算改革整个税收体制。

39 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。

40 marrow   

n.骨髓；精华；活力

参考例句：

• It was so cold that he felt frozen to the marrow. 天气太冷了，他感到寒冷刺骨。
• He was tired to the marrow of his bones.他真是累得筋疲力尽了。

41 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

42 irritation   

n.激怒，恼怒，生气

参考例句：

• He could not hide his irritation that he had not been invited.他无法掩饰因未被邀请而生的气恼。
• Barbicane said nothing,but his silence covered serious irritation.巴比康什么也不说，但是他的沉默里潜伏着阴郁的怒火。

43 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

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

44 futile   

adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的

参考例句：

• They were killed,to the last man,in a futile attack.因为进攻失败，他们全部被杀，无一幸免。
• Their efforts to revive him were futile.他们对他抢救无效。

45 format   

n.设计，版式；[计算机]格式，DOS命令:格式化(磁盘)，用于空盘或使用过的磁盘建立新空盘来存储数据；v.使格式化，设计，安排

参考例句：

• Please format this floppy disc.请将这张软盘格式化。
• The format of the figure is very tasteful.该图表的格式很雅致。

46 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

47 retrieving   

n.检索（过程），取还v.取回( retrieve的现在分词 )；恢复；寻回；检索（储存的信息）

参考例句：

• Ignoring all, he searches the ground carefully for any cigarette-end worth retrieving. 没管打锣的说了什么，他留神的在地上找，看有没有值得拾起来的烟头儿。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• Retrieving the nodules from these great depths is no easy task. 从这样的海底深渊中取回结核可不是容易的事情。 来自辞典例句

48 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。

49 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

50 whine   

v.哀号，号哭；n.哀鸣

参考例句：

• You are getting paid to think,not to whine.支付给你工资是让你思考而不是哀怨的。
• The bullet hit a rock and rocketed with a sharp whine.子弹打在一块岩石上，一声尖厉的呼啸，跳飞开去。

51 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。

52 brew   

v.酿造，调制

参考例句：

• Let's brew up some more tea.咱们沏些茶吧。
• The policeman dispelled the crowd lest they should brew trouble.警察驱散人群，因恐他们酿祸。

53 interns   

n.住院实习医生( intern的名词复数 )v.拘留，关押( intern的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Our interns also greet our guests when they arrive in our studios. 我们的实习生也会在嘉宾抵达演播室的时候向他们致以问候。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• The interns work alongside experienced civil engineers and receive training in the different work sectors. 实习生陪同有经验的国内工程师工作，接受不同工作部门的相关培训。 来自超越目标英语 第4册

54 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。

55 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

56 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

57 remarkably   

ad.不同寻常地，相当地

参考例句：

• I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。
• He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。

58 impaired   

adj.受损的；出毛病的；有（身体或智力）缺陷的v.损害，削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Much reading has impaired his vision. 大量读书损害了他的视力。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His hearing is somewhat impaired. 他的听觉已受到一定程度的损害。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

59 determined   

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。