CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

“Any sufficiently¹ advanced technology is indistinguishable fr om magic.” Arthur C. Clarke MMichael Walker’s team had arranged a fleet of rental² cars and vans that were lined up at the south end of the tarmac of Jackson Hole Airport, waiting for the trio of corporate⁴ jets to arrive. Judging by the row of private planes and jets parked near the terminal, it was hard to dispute that Teton County has the highest per capita income in the United States. Sitting in a hole, with mountains on three sides and Teton National Park and the National Elk⁵ Refuge to the north, land is at a premium⁶ in Jackson with the average home costing well into seven fi gures. The airport itself is within the boundaries of Teton National Park and on certain days and weather conditions, is one of the most difficult places in the world to land an airplane. Today the fog had burnt off early and the winds were light. As usual, miles from the nearest industrial center and too early for forest fi re season, the air was a pristine⁷ blue that was so intense sunglasses were required. On a clear moonless night the sky can be so clear, that if the angle of the sun is right, you can actually see satellites orbiting the earth. Th e fi rst Gulfstream to land was not from The Washington Post. It had the Walker Industries company logo on the tail fi n. The door opened and after the stairs were extended a tiny woman carrying a baby wrapped in a blanket came down the steps. Frank McCarthy ran across the tarmac to see his infant son for the first time. All 256 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin that was visible of the lad was a shock of bright red hair. Taking the boy in his arms, he motioned toward the main party while he and his wife began marching purposefully in that direction. “Mr. Walker, this is my wife….” Before he could finish his sentence, Cindi McCarthy had slapped Michael Walker hard enough across the face to rattle⁸ his fi llings. “Pleased to meet you,” she said, as she walked past the CEO and leading shareholder¹⁰ of a Fortune 50 company. The others in the Hermes Project had to cover their faces or turn away to keep Walker from seeing their laughter. Walker flexed¹¹ his jaw¹². “I deserved that.” “Yes, you did,” Penelope agreed, making no attempt to suppress her glee. “Wanted to do that a few times myself,” she muttered to Sally Winters, who nodded her agreement. “What was that?” “Nothing.” Another jet touched down and taxied toward them. This one contained the brass¹³ of The Washington Post. Mark Hatchet¹⁴ was fi rst off and greeted Penelope with a hug. He held her at arm’s length and examined her from head to toe. “Wow, you’ve lost some weight.” “Thanks for noticing.” She patted his potbelly and said, “Looks like you found everything I lost.” “Hotel food.” “We need to find you another wife.” “Yeah, you know what they say, the sixth time’s the charm.” Mark Hatchet was nearly seventy pounds heavier than he had been in his college days. Years of living out of a suitcase, covering everything from natural disasters to presidential campaigns, had taken a toll¹⁶. Moving off the news beat and into the editor’s chair hadn’t helped. He still kept to his four basic food groups of caffeine, nicotine¹⁷, alcohol, and fast food. Though he was only three months older than Penelope, no one would guess they were nearly the same age. What was left of his thinning hair was more gray than brown and the years had etched canyons¹⁸ in his face. “Mark Hatchet, this is Michael Walker and Dr. Carl Altman.” Aft er a wave of introductions and handshakes, Penelope Spence pulled Hatchet aside and handed him a suggested car assignment sheet. Mark’s boss and the CEO would travel with Dr. Altman; Hatchet would be in the car with her and Walker. 257 The Fourth Awakening²⁰ The second Gulfstream had landed and The Washington Post’s worker bees were now milling around on the tarmac gawking at the Grand Tetons. “Where do you want Aaron to ride?” Hatchet asked. “Who is Aaron?” Penelope asked. “Aaron Joseph. Our Senior Technology Editor?” Hatchet pulled back with a look of puzzlement that Penelope was drawing a blank. “You specifically asked for him by name.” “Oh, right.” She motioned for Walker to join them and he broke away from another group and headed in their direction. “Where do we want Aaron Joseph?” “It really doesn’t matter. Anywhere is fine. He’ll have plenty of time to catch up with Dr. Altman in the next few days.” Walker read their blank looks. “He was one of Carl’s students at Caltech.” Penelope broke into a wry²¹ smile. “If I hadn’t gotten in the car with you in Charleston?” “Yes.” Michael Walker answered calmly. “I would have driven to Washington, instead of to Cincinnati.” “Do you always have a plan B?” Walker smiled at Spence. “And C, and D, and… ” Penelope squeezed Walker’s arm. “I’m glad I got in the car.” Walker nodded. “I’m grateful you did as well.” “What’s going on?” Hatchet asked. “Nothing,” Penelope said, as she held the door open for her old friend. . TThere was a steady din⁹ in the large dining room of the main house as the staff and managers from The Washington Post and the members of the Hermes Project mingled²². At the north end of the room was a tall, rail thin man dressed in black. He had a mane of golden hair and skin so pale it appeared nearly translucent²³. Gathered around him were three men and one woman, also dressed in black; none of them taller than Penelope. “Is that James Steerforth?” Mark Hatchet asked. “Yes,” Michael Walker answered after a quick glance over his shoulder. “Who is James Steerforth?” Bill Flickling, the publisher of Th e Washington Post, asked. 258 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin “He’s that famous illusionist who makes tigers and airplanes disappear in Las Vegas,” Hatchet answered. Franklin Mitchell, CEO of The Washington Post Group crossed his arms and glared at Hatchet. “I get the feeling we’re getting set up here.” “He’s much more than that,” Michael Walker said with a smile. “He has made a career out of debunking²⁶ other illusionists and so called psychics²⁷.” “We did a story on him recently,” Hatchet looked around the room and motioned for a reporter to join them. “Jeanette Wilson wrote the piece.” Wilson, concern on her face at being summoned to a private conversation of all of the top brass of The Washington Post and the Hermes Project reluctantly joined them. “Yes, sir?” she said soft ly. “Sir?” A bemused grin covered Hatchet face. “That isn’t what you called me yesterday when I assigned that story you wanted to somebody else.” Jeanette Wilson’s eyes danced from person to person and she appeared on the verge²⁸ of losing control of her bodily functions. She never for a moment thought telling off the managing editor over a story assignment would merit a dressing²⁹ down in front of the publisher AND the CEO of The Washington Post Group. “Oh for heaven’s sake, Mark,” Bill Flickling said. “You’re scaring her to death.” Flickling pointed³⁰ at James Steerforth. “Did you write a story about him recently?” “Yes sir,” Wilson answered soft ly. “Mr. Walker here says he likes to debunk²⁵ illusions. Is that the case?” A great weight lift ed off of Jeanette Wilson. “Yes sir. He seems to think he’s Harry³¹ Houdini and…” “What the hell does Houdini have to do with any of this?” Franklin Mitchell demanded. “Houdini, sir,” Wilson said as she turned to face the CEO. “He made a career out of exposing frauds such as fake mediums and phony séances. James Steerforth has gone one better. He has a standing³² offer of one million dollars to anyone who can do a magic trick he can’t fi gure out. All of the other magicians hate him with a passion.” “And,” Michael Walker said as all eyes turned to him “I went him one better. I’ve hired his team and offered them a five million dollar bonus if they can prove we staged any of what you’re about to see.” “So,” Mitchell said. “He’s on your payroll³³.” An unexpected girlish giggle³⁴ escaped from Jeanette Wilson. “What’s so funny, Ms Wilson?” 259 The Fourth Awakening “Sir,” she answered with a hint of panic in her voice. “James Steerforth is one of the highest paid entertainers in the world with a personal net worth in the hundreds of millions of dollars. He even owns his own island in the Caribbean.” “So?” Mitchell demanded “For him five million dollars would be a slow month. Plus he has an ego³⁵ that could fill the Grand Canyon¹⁹.” “Your point?” “What she’s trying to say,” Walker said. “Is that it would be worth much more to him to prove me a fraud than any money I might pay him.” “Exactly,” Wilson added. “I agree with Mr. Walker one hundred percent. His ego would never allow him to think someone was smarter than him. Combine that with all the publicity³⁶ this story is generating, if he could expose Mr. Walker as a fraud his market value would explode. There is no way he could be bought off.” She shook her head firmly. “Never happen.” Mark Hatchet put his hand on Jeanette Wilson’s shoulder. He could feel her still trembling beneath his touch. “Thanks.” Michael Walker made eye contact with James Steerforth who nodded that he was ready. Walker motioned to the group that they should head to the north end of the dining hall. Everyone had to pass between two rows of tables covered with small boxes. “Please,” one of Steerforth’s male assistances said with a slight German accent. “Place all electronics and metallic³⁷ items in one of the boxes. Just like the airport, no metal allowed.” The other three assistants were running handheld metal detecting wands over everyone before they were allowed to enter the roped off section of the dining room. In the middle of the space, Steerforth’s people had constructed an elevated platform with a seven-foot high, eighteen-inch thick wall separating it into two equal parts. Suspended above the platform was a shimmering³⁸ metallic cloth like material that cast a shadow over the platform. On either side of the wall was a small table with a single chair. Positioned around the table were three video crews. One belonged to Walker, one to The Washington Post, and one had been fl own in by James Steerforth. After brief introductions, Walker asked Steerforth, “Are we ready.” He nodded yes. “Why don’t you explain exactly what we have here?” “Of course,” Steerforth answered as he brushed his hair off his face. “We 260 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin constructed this wall to be sure there is no communication between the people on either side.” Steerforth with a flick²⁴ of his wrist motioned toward the material tenting the area. “This canopy³⁹ is a special composition of my personal design that will block any video equipment mounted above from…” Steerforth paused for dramatic effect and waited until all eyes in the room were locked on him. “Shall we say assisting the participants?” A confident smile covered his face as his eyes locked on Walker. Walker’s bemused grin caused him the briefest moment of hesitation⁴⁰ but it quickly passed as his master showman instincts kicked in. “The platform has special sensors⁴¹ to detect any movement, several additional sensors that we cannot talk about for competitive reasons are also in place, and we are monitoring radio frequencies in the immediate⁴² area.” “Who built this thing?” Franklin Mitchell asked. “My staff and I,” he answered softly. “Before you ask, either I or one of my assistants have been here the entire time since we began construction. None of Walker’s people have been allowed near the arena⁴³.” “Tell them about the two people we’re using,” Walker suggested. Steerforth had cold gray eyes that seldom blinked. “They have been with us for the past two days. We have taken them to an outside medical facility where they had full body X-rays and no metallic implants⁴⁴ were found. We have monitored what they have eaten and they are wearing only clothes which we’ve provided.” “Are you satisfied?” Walker asked Steerforth drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. “Yes. I am satisfied.” The members of the Hermes project fell back and let the people from the newspaper have the best vantage point to watch the show. From the rear of the room, another of Steerforth’s assistants escorted the two Hermes graduates toward either side of the table. Both were barefooted and each wore thin black silk pajamas⁴⁵ that clung to them as they walked. In one chair was a wiry woman who appeared to be in her mid-thirties and across from her was a sun baked young man in his late thirties. “To welcome you, what we’re going to do,” Dr. Altman explained as he faced the bank of video cameras, “is give a brief and very minor⁴⁶ demonstration⁴⁷ of a fraction of the potential in the research we’ve been conducting. As a bit of introduction, the two participants in this demonstration are Laura Banks who has worked for Michael Walker 261 The Fourth Awakening for over a dozen years and Stu Levy⁴⁸ who has been associated with me for a similar amount of time. To help us is noted⁴⁹ illusionist Mr. James Steerforth.” With a smattering of applause Dr. Altman yielded the fl oor. “Thank you, Dr. Altman.” Steerforth held up a deck of playing cards. “Mr. Walker and Dr. Altman allowed me to select the demonstration to be used and no one here knew what we were going to do until this moment.” Steerforth slowly looked around the room as he flicked⁵⁰ the hair from his face. “I decided⁵¹ to make this quite simple.” He paused again for dramatic eff ect. “These cards have been in my constant possession since before our arrival. We will show a single card to one of the participants and ask the other to identify it.” Steerforth covered the deck with his right hand as he selected a card with his left, pressing it to his chest so no one could see it. Leaning in close to the woman on his side of the partition he showed her only the slightest corner of the card. On the other side of the partition he immediately heard, “Jack³ of Clubs.” Steerforth’s eyes, for the briefest of moments grew large before returning to their normal size. “Well,” demanded Mitchell, “let’s see it.” Steerforth held up the Jack of Clubs. “I’ll be damned.” Moving to the other side of the partition, Steerforth repeated his selection process and showed a card to the Levy. He immediately heard a female voice say, “Three of Diamonds.” Steerforth glared over at his assistants who were manning a bank of equipment scanning for a radio signals on all frequencies and they all appeared horror struck. After six more correct answers Steerforth motioned for his video crew to quit fi lming. “There are a thousand ways you could have done this trick. I’m sure when we analyze⁵² the video tape we will discover how you did it.” A bemused smile covered Walker’s face. “One more card, Mr. Steerforth.” James Steerforth glared at Walker but didn’t move. “Please. It may change your life.” Reluctantly Steerforth showed another card to Stu Levy who was seated next to him. Thirty voices, every member of the Hermes Project, said, “Eight of Clubs.” Steerforth glared at Walker. “Well?” Walker asked casually⁵³. “Are you going to show everyone the card?” Reluctantly, Steerforth held up the eight of clubs. 262 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin “Son of a…” Mitchell looked around the room at all of the smiling members of Hermes. “Okay I have to admit, that was pretty impressive, but I’m still not convinced.” “Nor am I,” said Steerforth. “Would you like to try another demonstration?” Walker off ered. Steerforth nodded as he pulled a silver dollar out of his pocket. “But this time I would like to use him.” Steerforth’s long delicate fi nger pointed in the direction of Franklin Mitchell. “Why me?” the CEO asked gruffl y. “Because,” Steerforth answered. “You may be the only other person in the room I trust beyond my personal staff. If you were to run this fairy tale as fact and then later have it proven to be false it could destroy your newspaper.” “You got that much right.” “Any objection, Mr. Walker?” “Nope,” Walker answered with a smile. The woman, Laura Banks, who had been involved in the fi rst experiment stood up and Mitchell took her seat. “Now what?” Mitchell asked. One of Steerforth’s assistants appeared out of nowhere with a thin velvet⁵⁴ pillow and a heavy metal cup. “Please place the silver dollar in the cup, shake it then put it down on the pillow. Do not lift the cup until I ask you. Do you understand?” Franklin Mitchell shook his head at Steerforth. “I think I can manage that.” Steerforth turned back and addressed his “audience”. “This cup was manufactured to my specifications⁵⁵ and even the most powerful X-ray cannot penetrate⁵⁶ it. The pillow is of similar construction. When the cup is upside down on the pillow, no currently known methods of detection can breech them.” Glancing back over his shoulder at Mitchell he said, “Please proceed.” Franklin Mitchell placed his hand over the mouth of the cup, gave it a shake then flipped⁵⁷ in over on to the pillow. Steerforth stepped off of the elevated platform so he could see both sides of the wall. “Please lift the cup and tell us what whether it is heads or tails.” “Okay.” Mitchell lifted the cup. “Heads,” he announced. “Please do it ten more times,” James Steerforth requested. After eight flips⁵⁹ there was a buzz in the room, by the tenth flip⁵⁸ it had 263 The Fourth Awakening gotten so loud, Mitchell nearly had to shout to be heard. “What’s going on?” he demanded. “Franklin,” Bill Flickling said. “The man on the other side of the table has a ping pong paddle in each hand. The one in his right hand says “Heads”; the one in his left says “Tails.” “So?” “Not only did he pick every one right; he made his selection before you lifted the alleged⁶⁰ impenetrable cup.” “What? That’s impossible; it has to be some kind of a trick.” “We thought you would say that, Mr. Mitchell.” Walker said. “We would like a volunteer from your staff .” Immediately, a dozen hands shot up. “Volunteer for what?” Franklin Mitchell demanded. “We’ve progressed through several types and levels of training and learned a variety of techniques to enable someone to reach the states of consciousness you’ve seen demonstrated,” Walker said calmly. “For example, our outdated⁶¹ Level One modification⁶², if you’ll excuse the term, was direct and intense while the newer Level Two techniques are more of a general nudge.” With a cross between a demand and a question, Bill Flickling interrupted, “What on earth are you talking about Walker?” “I assume you’ve all read the summary of our work,” Dr. Altman said. “For Level One we delivered direct stimulation⁶³ to specific parts of the brain to enhance certain functionality. Level Two requires no contact with the subject.” “Is this dangerous?” Mark Hatchet asked. Dr. Altman answered. “We have refined our techniques and the risk is now negligible.” “Define ‘negligible’ for me,” Mitchell said. “You have to realize,” replied Walker, “that Dr. Altman is a scientist. His world is not black and white. Safe to us is ‘negligible risk’ to him.” Altman continued, “This will be a small application, and the results will be temporary. It shouldn’t last more than fi fteen minutes to an hour.” “I’ll do it,” Penelope said, stepping forward. “No,” Mitchell said. “If we do this, it will have to be someone else.” “Why?” Penelope demanded. “To be blunt, Ms. Spence,” Mitchell answered, “you’ve been with these 264 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin people for the past two days and I don’t know you from Adam.” “I’ll do it.” All eyes turned toward Mark Hatchet. “No,” Mitchell said. “There is only one person in this room I will trust. I want someone with as much skin in this game as I have.” All eyes turned to James Steerforth. As the consummate⁶⁴ showman he milked the moment to let the tension build. With a click of his heels and a nod of his head, he agreed. . JJames Steerforth, dressed in light blue surgical⁶⁵ scrubs, was lying on the gurney next to the fMRI. An elite⁶⁶ handful of Th e Washington Post’s people, along with Altman, Spence and Walker had crammed⁶⁷ themselves into the control room. Everyone else was outside watching the progress on monitors. “What we’re going to do,” Dr Altman said addressing the room and not Steerforth, “is to apply direct stimulation to a precise part of Mr. Steerforth’s brain. Th en…” “Is this going to hurt?” Steerforth asked, with as much confi dence as he could muster⁶⁸. “No,” Altman answered. “You may feel a slight tingling⁶⁹ and be a bit disoriented. In most cases there is a release of certain neuropeptides, so you may also feel an overwhelming sense of euphoria. With the methodology we use this feeling will only last for a limited period of time. Are you ready, Mr. Steerforth?” “Ready as I’ll ever be.” There was a loud “thump, thump” that increased in speed and volume as the equipment came to life. All eyes were focused on James Steerforth, who laid motionless on the gurney. Penelope glanced at a broadly grinning Walker. After only a few seconds, Dr. Altman flipped some switches and announced, “We’re fi nished.” “That was it?” Franklin Mitchell was incredulous. “That’s all there is to the Hermes Project?” “No,” Walker said. “This is just a small, controlled example of what Hermes can do.” Walker stopped short, but the twinkle didn’t leave his eye. The control room emptied as the equipment fell silent. Th e gurney 265 The Fourth Awakening holding James Steerforth slid back from the oversized donut and everyone looked down at him. He was blinking his eyes and having diffi culty focusing on the faces. “Let’s give him a few minutes to get his bearings,” Walker said gently as a Hermes project nurse started taking the illusionists vitals. After a few uncomfortable moments of silence, James Steerforth pulled himself up into a sitting position and accepted the offer of a drink of water. Penelope was about to speak again, but Michael Walker’s hand on her shoulder stopped her. “Give him a few more minutes to reorient himself. Let him acknowledge you fi rst.” James Steerforth’s eyes moved from face to face without the slightest hint of recognition. He looked around the room as if he had awoken from a long nap and found himself transported to another planet. His eyes drifted back to one of his personal assistants who was fi dgeting nervously⁷⁰, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “Bruno,” Steerforth said with his first sincere smile since arriving in Wyoming. “Th at was amazing.” A collective sigh went up from the people who knew Steerforth best. “Where are you?” Walker asked. “I’m in Jackson Hole, Wyoming,” Steerforth answered slowly as if the simplicity⁷¹ of the question puzzled him. Gone was the hard to place accent that was a cross between Eastern European and British. In its place was something that would have been more at home in Brooklyn. He pulled back as he studied Michael Walker carefully. “I’m thinking the better question would be where the heck are you?” A smile broke across the faces of Walker and Altman as they exchanged pleased glances. “What does that mean?” Franklin Mitchell demanded. “It means he’s fine,” Walker answered. He motioned for the assembled party to return to the “arena” in the dining hall. “We’ll give him a few more minutes to get his feet underneath⁷² him, then we’ll get started.” After being helped to one of the small tables, one of Hermes Project people handed Steerforth the head and tails ping pong paddles. “Cool. I call first game.” He began swinging them like a kung fu master. “Ah, grasshopper…” “How long will he be like this?” Penelope asked 266 Rod Pennington & Jeffery A. Martin “It varies,” Walker answered. “When we get time I’ll show you some of the videos.” “You have your own outtake reels?” “Yes. This is tame compared to some of the more intense sessions. Th ey’re hilarious⁷³.” Steerforth’s eyes found Jerold Altman and he rose to his feet swinging the paddles. “Women like men with nunchuk skills.” Walker pushed him firmly back into his chair. “We will have time for that later, James. Right now, you need to focus on telling us whether the coin flip will be heads or tails. Can you do that?” Steerforth examined the paddles as if he had just become aware that they were in his hands. “Sure!” Walker motioned for the CEO of The Washington Post Group to return to his position on the opposite side of the wall from Steerforth. Altman handed Franklin Mitchell the silver dollar and the heavy cup he had used in the earlier demonstration. Before he could get the cup to the table, Steerforth held up “heads;” Franklin Mitchell fl ipped tails. “Let’s focus, James,” Walker said gently. Steerforth turned his head and winked⁷⁴ at Walker. Walker patted him on the shoulder as a broad grin crossed his face. Steerforth held up “heads” again. It was tails. After eight straight wrongs there was a murmur⁷⁵ in the room as concerned whispers were exchanged. Franklin Mitchell glanced up at his publisher, Bill Flickling, with displeasure. After ten more incorrect, the murmur in the room had turned into a roar. With each additional miss there were groans⁷⁶ and even a few shouts of encouragement to Steerforth. Penelope leaned in to Walker with concern etched on her face. “You need to stop this.” “You’re right,” Walker answered. “I think we’ve made our point.” Walker stepped over and placed a hand on Steerforth’s shoulder. “Th anks James. I couldn’t have come up with a better demonstration myself. Th at was perfect.” “Perfect!” Mitchell roared. “He missed every damn one!” As usual, Walker was nonplussed⁷⁷. “You flipped the coin, by my count, 21 times.” “So?” 267 The Fourth Awakening “With a fi ft y-fi fty possibility of each flip being either heads or tails. What do you think the odds⁷⁸ are of getting that many wrong in a row?” A voice in the back of the room said, “Two million ninety-seven thousand one hundred fi fty-two to one.” All eyes turned to Jerold Altman, who immediately turned bright pink. “Two to the power of twenty-one,” he said, surprised that no one else in the room knew it off the top of their heads. “You guys didn’t seem to be impressed when they got all of them right earlier,” James Steerforth said as he shook the cobwebs out of his head. “So I thought it might get your attention if I got them all wrong.” “Mathematically,” Walker added, “getting them all wrong is the same probability as getting them all right.” Walker patted Steerforth on the back. “That was inspired.” “Thanks.” Steerforth motioned for one of his assistants who handed him an oversized golden envelope. “After what I saw earlier, I thought I might be needing this.” Steerforth rose to his feet and waited until he was confident he had everyone’s attention and the video equipment was running. A hush⁷⁹ fell over the room. “I’m James Steerforth and I never thought this day would arrive. I have spent my entire adult life debunking fakes and charlatans⁸⁰. I was so confi dent¹⁵ I have issued a challenge to anyone to prove me wrong.” Steerforth mentioned for Walker to join him. “This is Michael Walker. By now I’m sure all of you have heard of the Hermes Project. I’m here to tell you, it is not a trick, it is real. I have seen it for myself first hand.” Steerforth handed the envelope to Walker. “Inside is my check for one million dollars.” As the room exploded in applause, Steerforth leaned in and whispered in Walker’s ear. “Anything I can do to help, just let me know.” A smile covered Walker’s face. “There might be one thing you can do for me.” The two walked away together toward with Steerforth nodding his agreement. “So,” Franklin Mitchell said to Dr. Altman. “This is the Hermes Project.” “That was the appetizer⁸¹, Mr. Mitchell. The part of our project that has everyone so excited is in the next room.”

1 sufficiently   

adv.足够地，充分地

参考例句：

• It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
• The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。

2 rental   

n.租赁，出租，出租业

参考例句：

• The yearly rental of her house is 2400 yuan.她这房子年租金是2400元。
• We can organise car rental from Chicago O'Hare Airport.我们可以安排提供从芝加哥奥黑尔机场出发的租车服务。

3 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

4 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。

5 elk   

n.麋鹿

参考例句：

• I was close enough to the elk to hear its labored breathing.我离那头麋鹿非常近，能听见它吃力的呼吸声。
• The refuge contains the largest wintering population of elk in the world.这座庇护所有着世界上数量最大的冬季麋鹿群。

6 premium   

n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的

参考例句：

• You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
• Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。

7 pristine   

adj.原来的，古时的，原始的，纯净的，无垢的

参考例句：

• He wiped his fingers on his pristine handkerchief.他用他那块洁净的手帕擦手指。
• He wasn't about to blemish that pristine record.他本不想去玷污那清白的过去。

8 rattle   

v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓

参考例句：

• The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓，笑着叫着。
• She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。

9 din   

n.喧闹声，嘈杂声

参考例句：

• The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深，喧闹声逐渐沉寂。
• They tried to make themselves heard over the din of the crowd.他们力图让自己的声音盖过人群的喧闹声。

10 shareholder   

n.股东，股票持有人

参考例句：

• The account department have prepare a financial statement for the shareholder.财务部为股东准备了一份财务报表。
• A shareholder may transfer his shares in accordance with the law.股东持有的股份可以依法转让。

11 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

12 jaw   

n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训

参考例句：

• He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
• A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。

13 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

14 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。

15 dent   

n.凹痕，凹坑；初步进展

参考例句：

• I don't know how it came about but I've got a dent in the rear of my car.我不知道是怎么回事，但我的汽车后部有了一个凹痕。
• That dent is not big enough to be worth hammering out.那个凹陷不大，用不着把它锤平。

16 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

17 nicotine   

n.(化)尼古丁，烟碱

参考例句：

• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily.许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily.许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。

18 canyons   

n.峡谷( canyon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This mountain range has many high peaks and deep canyons. 这条山脉有许多高峰和深谷。 来自辞典例句
• Do you use canyons or do we preserve them all? 是使用峡谷呢还是全封闭保存？ 来自互联网

19 canyon   

n.峡谷，溪谷

参考例句：

• The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
• The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。

20 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。

21 wry   

adj.讽刺的；扭曲的

参考例句：

• He made a wry face and attempted to wash the taste away with coffee.他做了个鬼脸，打算用咖啡把那怪味地冲下去。
• Bethune released Tung's horse and made a wry mouth.白求恩放开了董的马，噘了噘嘴。

22 mingled   

混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系]

参考例句：

• The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。
• The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候，这一男一女就开始交往了。

23 translucent   

adj.半透明的；透明的

参考例句：

• The building is roofed entirely with translucent corrugated plastic.这座建筑完全用半透明瓦楞塑料封顶。
• A small difference between them will render the composite translucent.微小的差别,也会使复合材料变成半透明。

24 flick   

n.快速的轻打，轻打声，弹开；v.轻弹，轻轻拂去，忽然摇动

参考例句：

• He gave a flick of the whip.他轻抽一下鞭子。
• By a flick of his whip,he drove the fly from the horse's head.他用鞭子轻抽了一下，将马头上的苍蝇驱走。

25 debunk   

v.揭穿真相，暴露

参考例句：

• let's debunk some of the most common falsehoods.让我们来揭穿一些最常见的谬误吧。
• Sequences of maps can also debunk misconceptions.一系列的地图，也有助于厘清错误概念。

26 debunking   

v.揭穿真相，暴露( debunk的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The debunking of religion has been too successful. 对于宗教的揭露太成功了。 来自互联网

27 psychics   

心理学，心灵学； （自称）通灵的或有特异功能的人，巫师( psychic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One week later, I got cops and psychics on my front door. 一礼拜后，警察跟通灵人站到了我家大门口。
• Even now Directorate Psychics and powerful drugs are keeping the creature pacified. 即使是现在，联邦部队的精神力和威力强大的药剂还在让这个生物活在沉睡之中。

28 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

29 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

30 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。

31 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

32 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。

33 payroll   

n.工资表，在职人员名单，工薪总额

参考例句：

• His yearly payroll is $1.2 million.他的年薪是120万美元。
• I can't wait to get my payroll check.我真等不及拿到我的工资单了。

34 giggle   

n.痴笑，咯咯地笑；v.咯咯地笑着说

参考例句：

• Both girls began to giggle.两个女孩都咯咯地笑了起来。
• All that giggle and whisper is too much for me.我受不了那些咯咯的笑声和交头接耳的样子。

35 ego   

n.自我，自己，自尊

参考例句：

• He is absolute ego in all thing.在所有的事情上他都绝对自我。
• She has been on an ego trip since she sang on television.她上电视台唱过歌之后就一直自吹自擂。

36 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

37 metallic   

adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的

参考例句：

• A sharp metallic note coming from the outside frightened me.外面传来尖锐铿锵的声音吓了我一跳。
• He picked up a metallic ring last night.昨夜他捡了一个金属戒指。

38 shimmering   

v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The sea was shimmering in the sunlight. 阳光下海水波光闪烁。
• The colours are delicate and shimmering. 这些颜色柔和且闪烁微光。 来自辞典例句

39 canopy   

n.天篷，遮篷

参考例句：

• The trees formed a leafy canopy above their heads.树木在他们头顶上空形成了一个枝叶茂盛的遮篷。
• They lay down under a canopy of stars.他们躺在繁星点点的天幕下。

40 hesitation   

n.犹豫，踌躇

参考例句：

• After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。
• There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

41 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

42 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。

43 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

44 implants   

n.（植入身体中的）移植物( implant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Hormone implants are used as growth boosters. 激素植入物被用作生长辅助剂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Perhaps the most far-reaching project is an initiative called Living Implants From Engineering (LIFE). 也许最具深远意义的项目，是刚刚启动的建造活体移植工程 (LIFE)。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 医学的第四次革命

45 pajamas   

n.睡衣裤

参考例句：

• At bedtime,I take off my clothes and put on my pajamas.睡觉时，我脱去衣服，换上睡衣。
• He was wearing striped pajamas.他穿着带条纹的睡衣裤。

46 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

47 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

48 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。

49 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

50 flicked   

（尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等）

参考例句：

• She flicked the dust off her collar. 她轻轻弹掉了衣领上的灰尘。
• I idly picked up a magazine and flicked through it. 我漫不经心地拿起一本杂志翻看着。

51 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。

52 analyze   

vt.分析，解析 (=analyse)

参考例句：

• We should analyze the cause and effect of this event.我们应该分析这场事变的因果。
• The teacher tried to analyze the cause of our failure.老师设法分析我们失败的原因。

53 casually   

adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地

参考例句：

• She remarked casually that she was changing her job.她当时漫不经心地说要换工作。
• I casually mentioned that I might be interested in working abroad.我不经意地提到我可能会对出国工作感兴趣。

54 velvet   

n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的

参考例句：

• This material feels like velvet.这料子摸起来像丝绒。
• The new settlers wore the finest silk and velvet clothing.新来的移民穿着最华丽的丝绸和天鹅绒衣服。

55 specifications   

n.规格；载明；详述；（产品等的）说明书；说明书( specification的名词复数 )；详细的计划书；载明；详述

参考例句：

• Our work must answer the specifications laid down. 我们的工作应符合所定的规范。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This sketch does not conform with the specifications. 图文不符。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

56 penetrate   

v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解

参考例句：

• Western ideas penetrate slowly through the East.西方观念逐渐传入东方。
• The sunshine could not penetrate where the trees were thickest.阳光不能透入树木最浓密的地方。

57 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。

58 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。

59 flips   

轻弹( flip的第三人称单数 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥

参考例句：

• Larry flips on the TV while he is on vacation in Budapest. 赖瑞在布达佩斯渡假时，打开电视收看节目。
• He flips through a book before making a decision. 他在决定买下一本书前总要先草草翻阅一下。

60 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

61 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

62 modification   

n.修改，改进，缓和，减轻

参考例句：

• The law,in its present form,is unjust;it needs modification.现行的法律是不公正的，它需要修改。
• The design requires considerable modification.这个设计需要作大的修改。

63 stimulation   

n.刺激，激励，鼓舞

参考例句：

• The playgroup provides plenty of stimulation for the children.幼儿游戏组给孩子很多启发。
• You don't get any intellectual stimulation in this job.你不能从这份工作中获得任何智力启发。

64 consummate   

adj.完美的；v.成婚；使完美 [反]baffle

参考例句：

• The restored jade burial suit fully reveals the consummate skill of the labouring people of ancient China.复原后的金缕玉衣充分显示出中国古代劳动人民的精湛工艺。
• The actor's acting is consummate and he is loved by the audience.这位演员技艺精湛，深受观众喜爱。

65 surgical   

adj.外科的，外科医生的，手术上的

参考例句：

• He performs the surgical operations at the Red Cross Hospital.他在红十字会医院做外科手术。
• All surgical instruments must be sterilised before use.所有的外科手术器械在使用之前，必须消毒。

66 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

67 crammed   

adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式)

参考例句：

• He crammed eight people into his car. 他往他的车里硬塞进八个人。
• All the shelves were crammed with books. 所有的架子上都堆满了书。

68 muster   

v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册

参考例句：

• Go and muster all the men you can find.去集合所有你能找到的人。
• I had to muster my courage up to ask him that question.我必须鼓起勇气向他问那个问题。

69 tingling   

v.有刺痛感( tingle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• My ears are tingling [humming; ringing; singing]. 我耳鸣。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My tongue is tingling. 舌头发麻。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

70 nervously   

adv.神情激动地，不安地

参考例句：

• He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇，努力忍着不哭出来。
• He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。

71 simplicity   

n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯

参考例句：

• She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
• The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。

72 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。

73 hilarious   

adj.充满笑声的，欢闹的；[反]depressed

参考例句：

• The party got quite hilarious after they brought more wine.在他们又拿来更多的酒之后，派对变得更加热闹起来。
• We stop laughing because the show was so hilarious.我们笑个不停，因为那个节目太搞笑了。

74 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》

75 murmur   

n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言

参考例句：

• They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他们毫无怨言地交了附加税。
• There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大厅里有窃窃私语声。

76 groans   

n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• There were loud groans when he started to sing. 他刚开始歌唱时有人发出了很大的嘘声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was a weird old house, full of creaks and groans. 这是所神秘而可怕的旧宅，到处嘎吱嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

77 nonplussed   

adj.不知所措的，陷于窘境的v.使迷惑( nonplus的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The speaker was completely nonplussed by the question. 演讲者被这个问题完全难倒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I was completely nonplussed by his sudden appearance. 他突然出现使我大吃一惊。 来自《简明英汉词典》

78 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？

79 hush   

int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静

参考例句：

• A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
• Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

80 charlatans   

n.冒充内行者，骗子( charlatan的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are lots of phonies and charlatans in the financial newsletter business. 干金融通讯这一行的人中间不乏骗子和吹牛大王。 来自辞典例句
• But wicked people and charlatans will go from bad to worse, deceivers and deceived. 但是恶人和行诈术的人却越来越坏，他们迷惑人，也必受人迷惑。 来自互联网

81 appetizer   

n.小吃，开胃品

参考例句：

• We served some crackers and cheese as an appetizer.我们上了些饼干和奶酪作为开胃品。
• I would like a cucumber salad for an appetizer.我要一份黄瓜沙拉作开胃菜。