CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

“Enlightenment must come little by little — otherwise it would overwhelm.” Idries Shah PPenelope Spence awoke to find her head resting on Michael Walker’s shoulder and her left arm hooked under his, holding it tight. Blinking her eyes, she tried to orient herself. She was wrapped in a soft cotton blanket she couldn’t remember seeing before. They were in what appeared to be a rest stop along an interstate highway. The clock on the dashboard said it was just a few minutes before 7 a.m. She tried to untangle herself carefully, but when she did Walker’s eyes fl ickered open. He cleared his throat before saying, “Good morning.” “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” “I was already watching my body wake up,” Walker answered. “What does that mean?” Penelope said with a laugh. “It’s not important.” “If you say so,” Penelope answered while fighting a yawn. “Where are we?” “We’re at a rest stop in Richwood, Kentucky, about 15 minutes from the Cincinnati airport.” As if on cue, a large passenger jet in its fi nal approach for landing rumbled¹ overhead. “How long have we been here?” “About four hours.” As she stretched and covered a yawn with the back of her hand, Penelope asked, “How long have I been asleep?” 166 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin “Long enough.” “I’m going to the powder room.” “Here.” Walker handed her a small plastic bag. A puzzled expression crept over her face as she looked inside the bag. It contained travel sized versions of all of her normal personal hygiene² products, including her preferred toothpaste and deodorant³. In plastic wrap was a new toothbrush, and there was also a washcloth and small hand towel. For a brief moment she considered asking how he knew exactly what toiletry items she preferred but decided⁴ she really didn’t want to know. “Th anks.” When she returned from her brief but refreshing⁵ trip to the ladies room, she was surprised to see Walker talking to a man who was leaning against the Bronco. He was a younger version of Walker and looked enough like him that he could be his son. Each was reading a copy of Th e Washington Post; a third copy was waiting for her on the hood⁶. “Who’s your friend?” she asked. “Timothy Ellison, Penelope Drayton Spence.” Timothy Ellison shook her hand firmly, but not too firm, and made strong eye contact. “Ms. Spence, it’s a true pleasure.” Normally she hated it when men over 25 called her Ms. or Mrs., but there was something gentle and sincere about Ellison that practically made her want to adopt him. He was handsome with a rugged⁷ outdoorsy demeanor⁸; the sun had started early smile lines on his face. Like every mother with unmarried daughters, she let her eyes drift to his left hand. There was no ring on the third finger and no shadow of one that had been recently removed. “Tim has worked on the Hermes Project since the beginning,” Walker said. “If I’m ever not around, listen to him and do what he says.” Ellison handed her a copy of The Washington Post. “Very impressive, Ms. Spence.” “Please,” she said as she spread the paper across the hood of the Bronco so she could get the full effect. “Call me Penelope.” To her surprise, Mark had done precious little copy editing. “Wow!” she muttered to herself. Every word on the front page of today’s edition had her byline⁹. Mark had even added her as a source for the background pieces on the condition of Senator Horn. For a journalist, this was the equivalent of hitting a grand slam in the ninth inning of the seventh game to win the World Series while pitching a no hitter. It just doesn’t happen. 167 The Fourth Awakening¹⁰ “Here, Ms..,” Ellison caught himself. “Penelope.” He smiled as he handed her a hotel keycard. “What’s this?” Walker opened the passenger door and said, “Our next stop.” . WWalker backed partway into a parking spot in the rear of the Airport Sheraton, well away from the view of the front desk and any surveillance cameras. Jumping out of the Bronco, he grabbed a screwdriver¹¹, removed the license¹² plate and tossed it into the nearby trash dumpster. Next he opened the tailgate and flipped¹³ the tarp back. Underneath¹⁴, Penelope saw a familiar looking carrying case for a laptop and three pieces of luggage. Her luggage! “I see you grabbed more than just my laptop.” He shrugged¹⁵ as he pulled the four bags out of the Bronco and set them on the curb¹⁶. This time she wasn’t upset; quite the opposite. She was eager to see what he had selected for her. Looking at the offending T-shirt he was still wearing, she didn’t hold out much hope. “So what would have happened to all of my stuff if I hadn’t come along?” Penelope asked. “You’d have found it sitting on your friend Joey’s porch,” Walker answered with a smile. Walker jumped back behind the wheel of the Bronco and slowly backed it up until its rear bumper¹⁷ was touching¹⁸ a six-foot high retaining wall. Locking the doors, he tossed the keys in the dumpster. “What in the world are you doing?” Walker smiled. “We aren’t going to need this car anymore and by making it hard to see the license plate, it is likely the hotel staff will walk around this thing for weeks before they do anything about it.” Leaving the laptop case for her, Walker and Ellison picked up the other three pieces of luggage and nodded toward the rear door of the hotel. By using the swipe keys that Ellison had already secured, they were able to avoid the front desk and any video equipment that might be near it. Their rooms were on the fi rst floor at the end of the corridor. Again using the magnetic card Timothy Ellison had given her, she opened the door to 168 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin her room and stepped inside. Ellison had booked them two adjoining rooms. Walker lined up the suitcases and pointed¹⁹ to the door that connected the room. “I’ll be in there. Please don’t leave the room for any reason, and keep the blinds pulled. If you need anything, tap on this door.” Penelope nodded that she understood. “How about I give you an hour to get cleaned up and change, then we’ll get some breakfast.” He was almost out the door when he turned back. “Wear your charcoal²⁰ skirt, white blouse and the black Manolo Blahnik shoes.” “Why?” “For once, could you just trust me?” “It depends on what else I find in my suitcases.” Walker laughed as he pulled the door shut. Penelope couldn’t remember enjoying a bath so much in her life. Walker had done brilliantly. One of the suitcases, the largest one, was filled with some of her favorite shoes; including, of all things, her old college dancing shoes. Men. The other had the perfect mix of casual and formal clothes, just the right amount of underwear and her make-up kit²¹. This man was certainly building up a considerable number of credits in her mental ledger²². Feeling somewhat like a school girl getting ready to go to a movie with a boy she liked, she tried on a series of different white tops, hoping to find the one that best complimented the requested charcoal skirt, before settling on a simple white silk blouse. She was slipping on her black Manolo Blahniks, which also happened to be her favorite pair of shoes, when she heard a soft tap on the connecting door. She opened it and was immediately startled by what she saw. The man she had driven a third of the way across the country with was gone. No crude T-shirt, no long greasy²⁴ blond hair and no pillow to give the impression of a budding potbelly. Michael Walker was clean-shaven, and wearing a perfectly²⁵ tailored, three-button dark blue Armani suit with pinstripes. His shirt was pale blue and custom fitted. Around his neck was a tasteful pale blue Luigi Borrelli tie, and he wore handcraft ed Forzieri black leather Oxford²⁶ dress shoes. With the hint of silver on his temples, he looked like he had just stepped off one of the pages of GQ. “You clean up nice,” Penelope said as she adjusted his tie and smoothed 169 The Fourth Awakening down his lapel. Catching²⁷ just the faintest whiff of Emporio cologne, she said, “Smell nice too. Did you go to all of this trouble just for me?” “No,” he answered. Penelope pulled away; if Walker noticed he didn’t indicate it. “We have to make the right impression at the airport. We don’t want anyone slowing us down. We’re going to need you to wear the blonde wig²⁸ and these,” said as he handed Penelope a pair of contact lenses. “They will make your eyes brown instead of blue.” Penelope didn’t like either idea, but didn’t protest. “I suddenly feel very underdressed.” “You’re dressed fine for your role.” She took another step back. “My role?” “For the next few hours all eyes need to be on Tim and me, not on you.” “Why?’ “If our latest bit of information from inside Homeland Security is correct, they are no longer looking for me.” He locked eyes with her. “Their main target is now you.” . NNoah Shepherd’s entourage filled the entire elevator. In addition to Robert Smith and Marcus Wolfe, there were four Homeland Security lawyers. It was his usual approach to display overwhelming numbers and power when dealing²⁹ with a potential adversary³⁰. He wanted to do everything possible to intimidate³¹ Mark Hatchet³² and Th e Washington Post. A surprise visit might be enough to get them to back off from trying to discover the actual work that was being done at the Hermes Project and just leave it as some secret, classifi ed program. If he was successful, this story would blow over in a few days. Especially if he could locate Penelope Drayton Spence. Shepherd was a fit and elegant man in his early fi fties with an air of sophistication usually seen in career diplomats³³ and those running entire departments of government. Coming from old money, Shepherd supported the arts and was also a generous contributor to politicians of both parties. He belonged to all the ‘proper’ social clubs and contributed to all of the right causes. He was well traveled and fluent in nine languages, including Mandarin³⁴, Japanese, and Russian. He was famous for requesting original copies of important documents and doing his own translations. “Crap,” Marcus Wolfe quietly muttered, when the elevator doors 170 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin opened and they were greeted by twelve men and two women in expensive business suits, all carrying notepads. In addition to Hatchet, the group included the publisher, editor, several senior editors, four corporate³⁵ lawyers and even more outside counsel. Mark Hatchet extended his hand. “Director, we’ve been expecting you. This way, please.” All activity stopped in the busy newsroom as everyone’s eyes followed the parade of dignitaries down the corridor. Shepherd was not used to being outmaneuvered and he didn’t like it one bit. He had suspected there was a leak in his office and this confi rmed it. Worse yet, apparently³⁶ it was at the highest level. Only three people knew they were coming this morning; Smith, Wolfe and him. He glared at Robert Smith as Hatchet guided them toward the conference room. After the introductions were completed and everyone was seated, Hatchet, sitting directly across the polished mahogany table from Shepherd, began the proceedings³⁷. “What brings representatives of Homeland Security to our offi ces this morning?” “We,” Shepherd said as he straightened his tie, “wanted to express our disappointment that your newspaper has decided to renege on your agreement not to pursue a story involving national security at the highest level.” Hatchet glanced at the Post’s head of legal, Leon Steinberg. Steinberg slid a piece of paper across the desk toward Shepherd, while a secretary moved around the table and handed each of the Homeland Security staff a copy. “I think you’ll find that in order, Director Shepherd.” “What is this?” “This, sir, is a release from Senator Clayton Lee Horn to Penelope Drayton Spence, allowing her to use any and all material from her meeting with the senator and their joint³⁸ interview of Michael James Walker while he was being detained in the U.S. Naval³⁹ Consolidated⁴⁰ Brig in Charleston, South Carolina, on Saturday aft ernoon.” Steinberg was a bull of a man with a thick neck and broad shoulders. He’d grown up in Brooklyn and earned his law degree at City College at night while working construction during the day. There was nothing he liked better than a good scrape with some prissy Ivy⁴¹ League elitist. His career was almost exclusively built on eating guys like Shepherd for lunch, and Steinberg considered them his primary source of roughage. “You will find that this release covers everything published in Th e Washington Post concerning this topic.” 171 The Fourth Awakening “That will be difficult to verify, considering the condition of the senator,” Shepherd said. Leon Steinberg smiled as he passed a second document across the table. “This is a copy of a notarized statement from Senator Clayton Horn’s Chief of Staff, Joan Louise Inman, verifying the accuracy of the release.” Steinberg waited until everyone had the document in front of them before he reached into his folder⁴² again. “And this is notifi cation of The Washington Post’s intention to withdraw from its agreement not to pursue this story.” “I must admit,” Shepherd said, not bothering to wait for the fi nal document to be distributed. “I find this disappointing.” “Sir,” Mark Hatchet said, “we do not enter into suicide pacts⁴³ to remain idle while our competition is looking into something that may not be an issue of national security. At present we consider this story to involve the potential cover-up of a government experiment that, if exposed, would simply prove embarrassing.” “We strongly disagree with that characterization and reiterate⁴⁴ that you are pursuing information, and have already published an unacceptable level of detail concerning, a project whose secrecy⁴⁵ is of grave importance to the national security of the United States of America.” “We’ll be in a better position to evaluate your claims later today aft er we’ve talked to Dr. Carl Altman and have had the opportunity to review the Hermes Project fi rsthand.” Everyone on the Homeland Security side of the table fl inched except Director Noah Shepherd. Hatchet and his bosses could tell from their reaction, they had drawn⁴⁶ blood. If The Washington Post had been able to find the Hermes Project, this was rapidly disintegrating⁴⁷ from a containment⁴⁸ operation to damage control. “I’m afraid any information you receive from Dr. Altman will be classified and we’ll seek a federal injunction to prevent it from being published.” Before Hatchet could answer, Leon Steinberg jumped in. “You can try, sir. But the federal government hasn’t won a prior restraint decision since before the Pentagon Papers, and that was over 30 years ago.” Shepherd rose to his feet, and his entourage to theirs a half-beat later. “Let me again express our deep disappointment and concern over the irresponsibility of the decisions being made on this matter.” 172 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin In the back of his governmental limo with Special Agents Smith and Wolfe, Shepherd was so furious he almost raised his voice. “We have a leak.” Shepherd’s eyes locked on Smith. Wolfe he was sure of, and there was no reason for him to have given the newspaper a heads up. Smith, on the other hand, had been close with both Walker and Altman. “Who else knew about this meeting?” “The other people who were with us?” Wolfe off ered. “No.” Shepherd said fl atly. “They were not notified there was even going to be a meeting until it was time to leave, and they were not informed of where we were going until we arrived.” “One of your two secretaries?” Smith said. “Possibly,” Shepherd said. “But not very likely. They only arranged our entourage but were as much in the dark as everyone else.” Assistant Director Smith could see where this was headed, and didn’t like the direction. “What about the computer guys?” Director Shepherd thought for a moment. “I don’t think so. While it is true Obee is the one who discovered that the Spence woman was working for the Post within minutes of her first appearance at the brig, he didn’t know about the meeting. Besides, he has no loyalty⁴⁹ to anyone in the Hermes Project and he seldom leaves his room.” “What about the other guy?” Wolfe asked. “I only dealt with Zhack, or whatever he calls himself,” Smith said weakly. A heavy silence settled over the car. Having played political games himself for years, Director Shepherd knew that as situations changed allegiances could as well. Adjustments often had to be made. Perhaps the Assistant Director was feeding Walker information in the hope that when this unraveled he could avoid becoming everyone’s scapegoat⁵⁰. Th at was what he would have done. “Whatever it takes,” Director Shepherd said. “I want Penelope Spence found before she can file her next story.” . TTimothy Ellison, now dressed just as nattily⁵¹ as Walker, joined them for breakfast, where Walker was already explaining what they were going to do and why. “We’re going to have about fi ve hours of vulnerability, from the time 173 The Fourth Awakening we enter the Cincinnati airport until we leave the Salt Lake City airport,” Walker said. “After that we’re home free.” “Aren’t you afraid we’re going to be seen?” Penelope asked. Walker didn’t answer but exchanged smiles with Ellison. “What?” “Trust me,” Walker said. Timothy Ellison outlined the plan. “Since this is a 737, all of the coach passengers will enter the plane and make an immediate²³ right. Our seats are in First Class, which is a left turn at the entry door and directly behind the cockpit. There may be a few others in Business class but we should have most of the front section to ourselves. I booked us four seats together, so this will mean we have a certain level of privacy, and no one will be looking at our faces.” “Four?” Penelope asked. “You’re coming with us?” “Yes,” said Ellison. Apparently, he was as fond of one-word answers as Walker. “They are looking for a man and a woman. Not two men and a woman. We bought the other seat to assure no one sits next to us,” Walker answered before she could ask. Ellison left and went up to the rooms to get the luggage. Before he did, he slid Penelope a wallet that didn’t look new but didn’t look old either. Inside was a Florida driver’s license in the name of Sally Winters with a picture of a woman who looked enough like her to maybe not be her twin but at least her kid sister. There were also a library card and a few credit cards. In the back was around $500 in small bills. He also handed her a passport that made her appear to be a frequent world traveler. Out front of the Sheraton a black stretch limo with dark windows was idling at the curb; the driver was helping⁵² Ellison place the bags in the trunk. When they arrived at the Delta⁵³ Terminal curbside check-in, Ellison immediately jumped out of the car, grabbed a Sky Cap and handed him a $100 bill as the driver popped the trunk. Ellison placed the preprinted boarding passes on the airport security table along with three passports, before opening the rear door of the limo. Walker, wearing dark wraparound sunglasses, got out talking briskly on the telephone, using his left hand to cover his mouth and keep the conversation private. It had the side benefit of also covering more of his face from the surrounding video cameras. Penelope, with her head down, was right behind him writing furiously on a notepad, never raising her eyes. 174 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin “I really don’t care what time it is in Singapore. If they want to do this deal then we’re going to have a conference call as soon as we get to Salt Lake City.” The TSA agent behind the curbside check in counter watched Walker carefully and compared his passport picture to his face. “No,” Walker shouted as he placed his hand over the mouthpiece of his phone and turned to Ellison. “Are we about done here?” Ellison, with a kicked puppy look on his face, turned to the man behind the counter, his eyes pleading for help. The TSA guard nodded toward the terminal. “Thank you,” Ellison mouthed sheepishly. The trio walked inside with no one giving Penelope a second glance. “Which part of ‘no’ is unclear? The word only has two letters in it, apparently the same number of digits⁵⁴ as your IQ.” Once they had cleared the front door, Walker immediately closed his phone and tossed it to Ellison. The only carryon bag they had between them was Penelope’s laptop, and it was safely over Ellison’s shoulder. “Hold on one second.” Walker pulled a piece of white thread out of his pocket and stuck it on the back of Spence’s skirt. “What’s that for?” “Later,” Walker said as he led the way toward the metal detector⁵⁵. With no keys and no other metal of any kind on them, Walker and Penelope breezed through security. But Timothy Ellison, who had “forgotten” he had a cell phone in his front shirt pocket, caused alarms to ring. Th e second time through he had “accidentally” touched the side of the metal detector, setting off the alarm again. As all eyes turned toward Ellison, Spence and Walker reclaimed⁵⁶ their shoes and moved down the corridor unnoticed. He caught up with them in a restaurant where they were seated with their backs to the people walking by. Ellison sat down facing them and in a position that allowed him to keep an eye on their surroundings. They waited until the final boarding call for Delta Flight 1712, nonstop from Cincinnati to Salt Lake City, before they left their seats. As Penelope stood up, Walker plucked the white thread off the back of her skirt. She looked at him, quizzically. “You need to start trusting someone in your life, it may as well be me,” Walker said with a weak smile. “When we get to the gate, keep your head down and don’t look up, no matter what happens. Also stay close. We’re going to be walking at some odd angles which will seem a bit disorienting.” 175 The Fourth Awakening “Why?’ Walker pointed to a video camera on the opposite wall. Penelope nodded that she understood. Again, as they approached the boarding ramp⁵⁷, Walker was on the phone and Penelope was writing on her note pad with her head down. Ellison handed the three boarding passes to the check-in person and apologized for the late arrival with his eyes. Alone in the connecting tunnel, Walker flipped Ellison the phone and asked if he was ready. He nodded that he was. As they reached the door of the Boeing jet, Ellison tripped and went sprawling⁵⁸ face first in the doorway⁵⁹, causing the crew and passengers to focus on him. By the time he had been helped to his feet, Walker and Penelope were already seated in the front row with their backs to the rest of the passengers. Ellison popped into one of the two empty seats behind them. Th e flight was one of five daily non-stops from the Delta hub in Cincinnati to Salt Lake City. This was one of the airline’s most profi table routes; there were seldom any empty seats on the 737-800. Th is was good and bad. It’s always easier to get lost in a crowd, but with more eyes available it increases the risk someone might recognize you. Once the jet was in the air, the trio settled in for the three hour and fi fteen minute fl ight. “So,” Penelope said as she sipped⁶⁰ her merlot. “Are you going to tell me the Timothy Leary story?” “Oh, Lord,” Ellison moaned from the seat behind them. “Not that one again.” Ellison stood up and leaned over the seat. “He’s been trying to sell that to the guys at the compound for the last few months.” “Are there any buyers?” “Fift y-fi fty, at best. The consensus⁶² at the compound is he wanted to be the one to bring you in so he could indoctrinate you into all of his theories.” “Hey,” Walker protested. “Be quiet,” Spence said as she slapped Walker’s arm. “So others found some of his stories hard to believe?” “Are you kidding? Wait until you get involved in the nightly debates. While we all tend to agree on the major points…he’s got his ideas, but believe me, there are other opinions.” “I will concede that we don’t have total agreement on all…” 176 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin Penelope slapped his arm again and held a finger up to her lips. “Will you shush? I’m talking to Timothy and would like to hear what he has to say.” Turning her attention back to Ellison, she continued. “So not immediately believing what he says is normal?” “Absolutely. You’ll eventually work it all out for yourself; we all have. I have to admit, in most cases everyone pretty much ends up agreeing with him.” “Thank you,” Walker said as he reached for his water and brought on yet another slap. “Except for the Timothy Leary theory.” “Why?” Penelope asked. “A lot of us think he’s still upset that he was such a serious college student that he missed all of the sex, drugs and rock and roll, so his view of the 60’s and 70’s is tainted⁶³.” Tim Ellison had an easy smile and deep, kind eyes. He looked to be around the same age as her eldest⁶⁴, unmarried, daughter Carrie. Strong-willed and difficult at times, especially when tired or hungry, Carrie still hadn’t found the right guy. In high school, her father called all of her suitors “Clarence”. When one asked why, he told the boy if he was still around in three weeks he would make an effort to learn his name. From the time she started dating at 15, until she went off to college; Carrie only dated boys named Clarence. Penelope had to wonder if Ellison would have the right stuff to deal with a 21st century woman like her tightly wound little darling. She sighed. Since he probably did, that would mean Carrie wouldn’t find him the least bit attractive. Walker unbuttoned his jacket and took another sip⁶¹ from his bottle of water. “Last count, the majority of the people at the compound have come around to my way of thinking on this, as well, thank you very much.” “I’ve heard all of this before,” Ellison said, “I’m going to try and catch some sleep.” He fell back into his seat, closed his eyes, and was instantly fast asleep. “He’s already asleep.” “Sort of,” Walker said. “What does that mean?” “At his stage of development he is always awake at some level, even while asleep.” “Awake while you’re asleep. Just when you were starting to sound sane,” Penelope said with a sigh. “Timothy Leary?” 177 The Fourth Awakening “Are you willing to at least consider that we are all connected through thought, and that there is power in thought?” “If I say, ‘no’ do I still get to hear the story?” “No.” “I wholeheartedly believe we are all connected through thought, and that there is power in thought.” “Your sincerity⁶⁵ is touching.” “We’ve got three hours to kill, just tell me the story.” “Okay. Back in the late 1950’s, Leary, who was a psychology⁶⁶ professor at Berkeley, began experimenting with psychedelic mushrooms to try to raise consciousness levels. Then along came LSD and he was off to the races. Later he moved to Harvard, which gave him a bi-coastal following. As the number of people exposed to LSD grew, the San Francisco Bay Area and the Boston to New York corridor became hotbeds of psychedelic usage. Soon this fad⁶⁷ jumped the oceans and was in the urban centers of Europe and Asia, with LSD as the drug of choice for intellectuals on college campuses across the globe.” “Why was it so popular?” “Those that took it started to have what appeared, to them at least, as an awakening.” “You mean like your Awakening?” “Yes.” “Because of Timothy Leary and LSD?” “There was a renaissance⁶⁸ in the realms of music, art, fashion and politics. Leary and his experiments, though incredibly crude, were strong enough that they began having an impact on the collective consciousness. As the usage of LSD spread, so did the problems.” “Problems?” “As you have so wholeheartedly agreed,” Walker said as he cleared his throat. “We’re all connected and thoughts have power, but understanding this has to come naturally and can be dangerous if forced on a person.” “Isn’t that what you’re doing?” “It’s like comparing a chainsaw to a scalpel. We give a gentle nudge while Leary and his followers⁶⁹ started a train wreck⁷⁰ that had worldwide implications for nearly a decade.” “What kind of implications?” “It was almost as if the thoughts of those on LSD were being amplifi ed 178 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin by the drug. Their thoughts were distorted, and in some cases, destructive. LSD seemed to open some kind of spiritual Pandora’s Box; the eff ects started to seep⁷¹ into other parts of society and spread around the world.” “Sounds almost like a virus.” “Exactly. This virus started to affect everyone else on the planet in a negative way. People around the globe became more violent. By 1967 it appeared the whole world had gone mad.” “Are you kidding me? 1967 was the summer of love. Those people were not violent.” “That’s the way most people remember it, but consider this; in 1967 and 1968, more than fi fty cities had race riots. The Vietnam War was at its height. Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy were both assassinated⁷². In Chicago, the Democratic National Convention was disrupted by student protests that were put down violently. College campuses were being shut down. The Weathermen and Students for a Democratic Society were blowing up ROTC buildings. And it wasn’t just in the United States. The insanity⁷³ was worldwide.” “Worldwide?” “In 1967, OPEC was formed, and the Arab world united and attacked Israel. Former colonies in Africa and other places were breaking away from their European masters. The Soviets⁷⁴ and Chinese were saber rattling⁷⁶ across their long border. There was the Prague Spring, and around the same time student riots in Paris in May of 1968 nearly toppled the French government.” “You’re going to blame all of this on the consciousness level of the world being altered by a few hippies dropping acid?” “It was a lot more than a few.” “Moon barking crazy.” Penelope heard a snicker from the seat behind them. Walker was right; Ellison wasn’t sleeping as soundly as she had supposed. “Am I? During those years the people in power were terrified they were losing control. In the United States, they bought off the cities by creating a wealth of social welfare programs. The Europeans created an even more generous welfare system, and they jettisoned⁷⁷ all of their colonies. Th e two major Communist powers went in the exact opposite direction. Th e Russians used their military to crush Prague and to send a message to the rest of the Soviet⁷⁵ union by dramatically increasing the size and brutality⁷⁸ 179 The Fourth Awakening of their gulags and prison camps. The scariest was what happened in China.” “Oh, you’re kidding me? You’re going to try and hang that on poor old Timothy Leary?” “As a representative figurehead, at least. Mao’s Cultural Revolution started in 1966. You do the math. The Red Guard killed millions of people and sent millions more to re-education centers.” Concern etched a frown on Penelope’s face. “Are these the kinds of things you’re afraid will happen because of the next Awakening?” “You read the newspapers and see the news.” “Lord. What, in your theory, stopped all of this?” “In this case it was bad chemistry.” “What?” “A lot of bad LSD started popping up. People began to think they could fly and started walking off rooftops or stood in front of trains convinced of their own invincibility⁷⁹. Considering how it evolved, I suspect the government had a hand in it. They had been experimenting with LSD for years and likely had uncovered many of its nasty side eff ects. Th en they started planting stories that LSD caused chromosome⁸⁰ damage and could make your testicles fall off and other nonsense.” “That would certainly put a damper on the summer of love.” Penelope scrunched⁸¹ up her face. “The government giving bad drugs to our own kids? I find that hard to believe.” “This was the decade before Watergate, and back then the government did all sorts of nasty things they could never get away with today. Th e FBI under J. Edgar Hoover had files on nearly everybody, the CIA was going around the world assassinating⁸² political leaders, and the Pentagon could pretty much do whatever they wanted. Combine that kind of unchecked power with the fear they may be losing their grip on it, and I wouldn’t put anything past them.” “So, let me get this straight. You think the federal government made a concerted eff ort to discredit⁸³ LSD because they knew it was having a negative impact on humanity’s collective consciousness.” “Yes. They had been experimenting with it for years and had to be aware of the cause and effect regarding the spread of its usage. Had to.” “And you accused me of being a conspiracy⁸⁴ theory nut!” Walker shook his head. “I knew you weren’t ready.” 180 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin “Apparently neither are the rest of us,” wafted⁸⁵ from the seat behind them amid more snickering. “How exactly do you suppose the government went about discrediting⁸⁶ LSD?” “They did a frontal assault on the people most likely to be using it. If you’ve ever seen the movie on Woodstock, you saw the guy who took the microphone and warned everyone about some ‘bad acid out there’.” “When rock stars began dropping like fl ies—Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison—from drug overdoses in 1970, the popularity of the drugs of choice from the sixties faded and they were replaced by disco and cocaine⁸⁷. After that, things pretty much stabilized⁸⁸ and the status quo was restored. “So you’re saying the last act of insanity from the LSD movement was Disco?” This brought yet another snicker from the peanut gallery behind them. “Wow. Now it all makes sense for me. Timothy Leary begot⁸⁹ us John Travolta. How could I have been so dense⁹⁰?” Walker shook his head. “Just give it some thought.” Penelope fanned her face with both hands. “Are you kidding? Th is is the epiphany I’ve been waiting for my whole life. For the first time, with total clarity, I understand Disco.” “Pigheaded,” Walker muttered under his breath so only Penelope could hear. He picked up a copy of the Wall Street Journal from the stack of newspapers Ellison had bought at one of the airport gift shops. Penelope smiled when she saw her byline on the lead article of the morning edition of the Cincinnati Enquirer⁹¹. . TThe seat belt light had gone on indicating fi nal approach for Salt Lake City when the cockpit door opened and the co-pilot stepped out to use the restroom. Glancing over at the trio, he stopped dead in his tracks. “Mr. Walker?”

1 rumbled   

发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋）

参考例句：

• The machine rumbled as it started up. 机器轰鸣着发动起来。
• Things rapidly became calm, though beneath the surface the argument rumbled on. 事情迅速平静下来了，然而，在这种平静的表面背后争论如隆隆雷声，持续不断。

2 hygiene   

n.健康法，卫生学 （a.hygienic）

参考例句：

• Their course of study includes elementary hygiene and medical theory.他们的课程包括基础卫生学和医疗知识。
• He's going to give us a lecture on public hygiene.他要给我们作关于公共卫生方面的报告。

3 deodorant   

adj.除臭的；n.除臭剂

参考例句：

• She applies deodorant to her armpits after she showers.沐浴后，她在腋下涂上除臭剂。
• Spray deodorant and keep the silk garments dry before dressing.在穿衣之前，洒涂防臭剂并保持干燥。

4 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。

5 refreshing   

adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的

参考例句：

• I find it'so refreshing to work with young people in this department.我发现和这一部门的青年一起工作令人精神振奋。
• The water was cold and wonderfully refreshing.水很涼，特别解乏提神。

6 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

7 rugged   

adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的

参考例句：

• Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
• The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。

8 demeanor   

n.行为；风度

参考例句：

• She is quiet in her demeanor.她举止文静。
• The old soldier never lost his military demeanor.那个老军人从来没有失去军人风度。

9 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。

10 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。

11 screwdriver   

n.螺丝起子；伏特加橙汁鸡尾酒

参考例句：

• He took a screwdriver and teased out the remaining screws.他拿出螺丝刀把其余的螺丝卸了下来。
• The electric drill can also be used as a screwdriver.这把电钻也可用作螺丝刀。

12 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。

13 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。

14 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

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

15 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》

16 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

17 bumper   

n.(汽车上的)保险杠；adj.特大的，丰盛的

参考例句：

• The painting represents the scene of a bumper harvest.这幅画描绘了丰收的景象。
• This year we have a bumper harvest in grain.今年我们谷物丰收。

18 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

19 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。

20 charcoal   

n.炭，木炭，生物炭

参考例句：

• We need to get some more charcoal for the barbecue.我们烧烤需要更多的碳。
• Charcoal is used to filter water.木炭是用来过滤水的。

21 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

22 ledger   

n.总帐，分类帐；帐簿

参考例句：

• The young man bowed his head and bent over his ledger again.那个年轻人点头应诺，然后又埋头写起分类帐。
• She is a real accountant who even keeps a detailed household ledger.她不愧是搞财务的，家庭分类账记得清楚详细。

23 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

24 greasy   

adj. 多脂的，油脂的

参考例句：

• He bought a heavy-duty cleanser to clean his greasy oven.昨天他买了强力清洁剂来清洗油污的炉子。
• You loathe the smell of greasy food when you are seasick.当你晕船时，你会厌恶油腻的气味。

25 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。

26 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

27 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

28 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。

29 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

30 adversary   

adj.敌手，对手

参考例句：

• He saw her as his main adversary within the company.他将她视为公司中主要的对手。
• They will do anything to undermine their adversary's reputation.他们会不择手段地去损害对手的名誉。

31 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。

32 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。

33 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

34 Mandarin   

n.中国官话，国语，满清官吏；adj.华丽辞藻的

参考例句：

• Just over one billion people speak Mandarin as their native tongue.大约有十亿以上的人口以华语为母语。
• Mandarin will be the new official language of the European Union.普通话会变成欧盟新的官方语言。

35 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

36 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。

37 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

38 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

39 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。

40 consolidated   

a.联合的

参考例句：

• With this new movie he has consolidated his position as the country's leading director. 他新执导的影片巩固了他作为全国最佳导演的地位。
• Those two banks have consolidated and formed a single large bank. 那两家银行已合并成一家大银行。

41 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。

42 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。

43 pacts   

条约( pact的名词复数 )； 协定； 公约

参考例句：

• Vassals can no longer accept one-sided defensive pacts (!). 附庸国不会接受单方面的共同防御协定。
• Well, they are EU members now and have formed solidarity pacts with members such as Poland. 他们现在已经是欧盟的一部分了并且他们和欧盟成员诸如波兰等以签署了合作协议。

44 reiterate   

v.重申，反复地说

参考例句：

• Let me reiterate that we have absolutely no plans to increase taxation.让我再一次重申我们绝对没有增税的计划。
• I must reiterate that our position on this issue is very clear.我必须重申我们对这一项议题的立场很清楚。

45 secrecy   

n.秘密，保密，隐蔽

参考例句：

• All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。
• Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。

46 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

47 disintegrating   

v.（使）破裂[分裂，粉碎]，（使）崩溃( disintegrate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• As a poetic version of a disintegrating world, this one pleased him. 作为世界崩溃论在文学上的表现，他非常喜欢这个学说。 来自辞典例句
• Soil animals increase the speed of litter breakdown by disintegrating tissue. 土壤动物通过分解组织，加速落叶层降解的速度。 来自辞典例句

48 containment   

n.阻止，遏制；容量

参考例句：

• Your list might include such things as cost containment,quality,or customer satisfaction.你的清单上应列有诸如成本控制、产品质量、客户满意程度等内容。
• Insularity and self-containment,it is argued,go hand in hand.他们争论说，心胸狭窄和自我封闭是并存的。

49 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

50 scapegoat   

n.替罪的羔羊，替人顶罪者；v.使…成为替罪羊

参考例句：

• He has been made a scapegoat for the company's failures.他成了公司倒闭的替罪羊。
• They ask me to join the party so that I'll be their scapegoat when trouble comes.他们想叫我入伙，出了乱子，好让我替他们垫背。

51 nattily   

adv.整洁地，帅地

参考例句：

• It was arranged carefully and nattily. 这是经过精细巧妙安排的。 来自互联网

52 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。

53 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。

54 digits   

n.数字( digit的名词复数 )；手指，足趾

参考例句：

• The number 1000 contains four digits. 1000是四位数。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The number 410 contains three digits. 数字 410 中包括三个数目字。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

55 detector   

n.发觉者，探测器

参考例句：

• The detector is housed in a streamlined cylindrical container.探测器安装在流线型圆柱形容器内。
• Please walk through the metal detector.请走过金属检测器。

56 reclaimed   

adj.再生的；翻造的；收复的；回收的v.开拓( reclaim的过去式和过去分词 )；要求收回；从废料中回收（有用的材料）；挽救

参考例句：

• Many sufferers have been reclaimed from a dependence on alcohol. 许多嗜酒成癖的受害者已经被挽救过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They reclaimed him from his evil ways. 他们把他从邪恶中挽救出来。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

57 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。

58 sprawling   

adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
• a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇

59 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

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

60 sipped   

v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

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

61 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。

62 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

63 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

64 eldest   

adj.最年长的，最年老的

参考例句：

• The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.国王的长子是王位的继承人。
• The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由长子继承。

65 sincerity   

n.真诚，诚意；真实

参考例句：

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

66 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

67 fad   

n.时尚；一时流行的狂热；一时的爱好

参考例句：

• His interest in photography is only a passing fad.他对摄影的兴趣只是一时的爱好罢了。
• A hot business opportunity is based on a long-term trend not a short-lived fad.一个热门的商机指的是长期的趋势而非一时的流行。

68 renaissance   

n.复活，复兴，文艺复兴

参考例句：

• The Renaissance was an epoch of unparalleled cultural achievement.文艺复兴是一个文化上取得空前成就的时代。
• The theme of the conference is renaissance Europe.大会的主题是文艺复兴时期的欧洲。

69 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

70 wreck   

n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难

参考例句：

• Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
• No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。

71 seep   

v.渗出，渗漏；n.渗漏，小泉，水（油）坑

参考例句：

• My anger began to seep away.我的怒火开始消下去了。
• If meteoric water does not evaporate or run overland,it may seep directly into the ground.如果雨水不从陆地蒸发和流走的话，就可能直接渗入地下。

72 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

73 insanity   

n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐

参考例句：

• In his defense he alleged temporary insanity.他伪称一时精神错乱，为自己辩解。
• He remained in his cell,and this visit only increased the belief in his insanity.他依旧还是住在他的地牢里，这次视察只是更加使人相信他是个疯子了。

74 soviets   

苏维埃（Soviet的复数形式）

参考例句：

• A public challenge could provoke the Soviets to dig in. 公开挑战会促使苏联人一意孤行。
• The Soviets proposed the withdrawal of American ballistic-missile submarines from forward bases. 苏联人建议把美国的弹道导弹潜艇从前沿基地撤走。

75 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

76 rattling   

adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词

参考例句：

• This book is a rattling good read. 这是一本非常好的读物。
• At that same instant,a deafening explosion set the windows rattling. 正在这时，一声震耳欲聋的爆炸突然袭来，把窗玻璃震得当当地响。

77 jettisoned   

v.抛弃，丢弃( jettison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was jettisoned as team coach after the defeat. 他因这次失败被撤销了运动队教练职务。
• They jettisoned big boxes to make the bus lighter. 他们抛弃公共汽车上的货物，使车减轻重量。 来自《简明英汉词典》

78 brutality   

n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• a general who was infamous for his brutality 因残忍而恶名昭彰的将军

79 invincibility   

n.无敌，绝对不败

参考例句：

• The myth of his and Nazi invincibility had been completely destroyed. 过去他本人之神奇传说，以及纳粹之不败言论，至此乃完全破灭。 来自辞典例句
• Our image of invincibility evaporated. 我们战无不胜的形象化为泡影了。 来自辞典例句

80 chromosome   

n.染色体

参考例句：

• Chromosome material with exhibits of such behaviour is called heterochromatin.表现这种现象的染色体物质叫做异染色质。
• A segment of the chromosome may become lost,resulting in a deletion.染色体的一个片段可能会丢失，结果产生染色体的缺失。

81 scrunched   

v.发出喀嚓声( scrunch的过去式和过去分词 )；蜷缩；压；挤压

参考例句：

• The snow scrunched underfoot. 雪在脚下发出嘎吱嘎吱的声音。
• He scrunched up the piece of paper and threw it at me. 他把那张纸揉成一个小团，朝我扔过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

82 assassinating   

v.暗杀( assassinate的现在分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• They struck a blow for freedom by assassinating the colonial governor. 他们为了自由而奋力一博，暗杀了那位殖民地总督。 来自互联网

83 discredit   

vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑

参考例句：

• Their behaviour has bought discredit on English football.他们的行为败坏了英国足球运动的声誉。
• They no longer try to discredit the technology itself.他们不再试图怀疑这种技术本身。

84 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

85 wafted   

v.吹送，飘送，（使）浮动( waft的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The sound of their voices wafted across the lake. 他们的声音飘过湖面传到了另一边。
• A delicious smell of freshly baked bread wafted across the garden. 花园中飘过一股刚出炉面包的香味。 来自《简明英汉词典》

86 discrediting   

使不相信( discredit的现在分词 )； 使怀疑； 败坏…的名声； 拒绝相信

参考例句：

• It has also led to the discrediting of mainstream macroeconomics. 它还使得人们对主流宏观经济学产生了怀疑。

87 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

88 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》

89 begot   

v.为…之生父( beget的过去式 )；产生，引起

参考例句：

• He begot three children. 他生了三个子女。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Cush also begot Nimrod who was the first man of might on earth. 卡什还生了尼姆罗德，尼姆罗德是世上第一个力大无穷的人。 来自辞典例句

90 dense   

a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

91 enquirer   

寻问者，追究者

参考例句：

• The "National Enquirer" blazoned forth that we astronomers had really discovered another civilization. 《国民询问者》甚至宣称，我们天文学家已真正发现了其它星球上的文明。
• Should we believe a publication like the national enquirer? 我们要相信像《国家探秘者》之类的出版物吗？